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Four Wheel Campers is a truck company located up the road from Sacramento, California, off Interstate 5.
If you’ve never heard of them and you’re into overlanding and off-road traveling, it’s time you learned about this company.
They’ve manufactured durable, quality lightweight pop-up campers for 50 years. Let’s examine why you should consider purchasing a 4 wheel camper!
About Four Wheel Campers
Four Wheel Campers has been manufacturing pop-up truck campers since 1972. Dave Rowe launched the company in Colorado. He wanted to get off the beaten path and travel farther than a van would allow.
So he built a pop-up truck camper that was lightweight enough for standing pick-up trucks to carry. The pop-up design also meant better wind resistance, thus, better fuel economy.
The aluminum frames offered a durable camper that could withstand the challenges of off-road travel.
In 1989, Four Wheel Campers moved to California. As the overlanding movement began in the United States in the mid-2000s, these pop-up truck campers were a natural fit.
Over the last decade, Four Wheel Campers has been listening to travelers and owners. They’re enhancing and building quality 4 wheel campers that work for overlanding adventurers.
Who Owns Four Wheel Campers?
Over the decades, the company has gone through several owners.
In the 1980s, Dave Rowe sold the company to Jack Billings. Billings sold Four Wheel Campers to Ben Burnett in the 1990’s. In 2001, Burnett sold the company to Tom Hanagan, who ran the company with his wife for 15 years.
In 2016, Robert Vogl and Salt Creek Capital acquired Four Wheel Campers after Tom and Celeste were ready to retire.
Where Are 4 Wheel Camper Models Manufactured?
Four Wheel Campers operates in California. The manufacturing plant is in Woodland, about 20 miles northwest of Sacramento in the heart of California.
Dealers exist across the United States. Eastern locations include Charlotte, North Carolina, West Chester, Pennsylvania, and Bow, New Hampshire. One midwestern area is in Eagle, Wisconsin, north of Chicago.
Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and California also have dealership locations where interested buyers can examine and order a Four Wheel Camper.
The Four Wheel Campers Lineup
Four Wheel Campers manufactures three styles of pop-up campers. Each has benefits for a specific type of traveler.
All feature the standard cabover bed. Let’s look at the slide-in campers, flatbed campers, and the Project M “Topper” campers.
Slide-In Campers
This 4 Wheel Camper easily slides into the back of a pick-up truck. The camper stands on four extended legs while you back the truck up until the camper is securely in the truck bed.
Then you attach the turnbuckles to the eye bolts, and you’re ready to roll.
There are five slide-in camper models. The Fleet Model is for 6-foot truck beds, the Swift Model is for 5-foot truck beds, the Grandby
Model is for 8-foot truck beds, the Hawk Model is for 6-foot to 6-foot, 6-inch truck beds, and the Raven Model accommodates 5-foot, 5-inch to 5-foot, 8-inch truck beds.
Each model comes in different layouts. Some offer a couch floorplan with a lounge area on one side of the camper and a galley kitchen on the other. Another floorplan is a side dinette with storage in place of the couch.
A third option features a front dinette against the back of the truck with the kitchen in the rear of the camper. Finally, the “empty shell” layout provides an empty floor space with side storage and benches for owners to create their area.
Pricing starts at $16,695 for shell models and $25,625 for full camper models.
Keep in Mind: We recently sold our fifth wheel and purchased a slide in camper! Here’s why We Downsized to a Slide In Camper
Flatbed
The 4 Wheel Camper flatbed options require a flatbed truck. If your vehicle has a truck bed, the company will remove the bed and then install the aluminum flatbed tray. You’d then attach the new flatbed camper to the tray.
These models only have one layout, but the fabrics and options can change. Instead of a rear door like the slide-in campers, the flatbed campers have a side entry door with a rear dinette.
The galley kitchen is across from the entry door. You can install an optional cassette toilet on the door side of the unit.
The Fleet Flatbed model is for 6-foot, 6-inch truck beds on mid-size trucks, the Hawk Flatbed model is for 6-foot, 6-inch truck beds on full-size trucks, and the Grandy Flatbed model is for 8-foot truck beds on full-size trucks. Pricing starts at $36,995.
Project M “Topper”
The third option in the 4 Wheel Camper lineup is also the newest. Like the slide-in model, the Project M “Topper” stands on four legs while the truck backs underneath it.
However, the topper attaches to the bedrails of the truck and not to the eye bolts. The tailgate remains on the truck, and a separate hatch on the topper allows owners to get in and out quickly.
The topper model is for short beds, long beds, mid-size, and full-size trucks. No floorplans exist as Project M’s “Topper” is an empty shell.
Owners can use the topper to store gear and create a lounge space. Pricing starts at $10,995.
What Are the Benefits of Owning a 4 Wheel Camper?
A 4 Wheel Camper has several benefits over other truck camper models.
First, the company has been in business for decades and has consistently listened to customers and owners to tweak their designs. When you buy a Four Wheel Camper, you know you’re getting quality from a company you can trust.
Incredibly Lightweight
Due to the aluminum framing and pop-up tent feature of the Four Wheel Campers, they’re incredibly lightweight.
Owners don’t have to beef up their trucks to find a pop-up camper that works for their vehicles. This also means better wind resistance and fuel economy since the pop-up feature closes during travel.
Option for Most Any Size Pickup Truck
Because of the various models, there’s an option for most any size pickup truck. If you have a short-bed Toyota Tacoma, the couch or empty shell layouts of the slide-in campers or the Project M “Topper” will work.
If you have a long bed RAM 2500, four slide-in camper layouts, and the Project M “Topper” will work. So no matter what your vehicle, Four Wheel Campers probably has a truck camper that fits.
Off-Road Durability
Four Wheel Campers began as a company dedicated to building off-road pop-up truck campers. That has been their sole focus and their target customer for decades.
The off-road durability helps adventurers take these models anywhere, knowing they’re sturdy. For a more industrial look, Four Wheel Campers also offers a matte black diamond plate exterior option.
Keep in Mind: Are you looking for a camper for off-roading? This might be the Best Off-Road Camper on the market!
Comfortably Designed for Four Seasons and Thermal Pack Option
The rugged vinyl pop-up liner and insulated walls and roof help you camp comfortably during all seasons.
If you plan on taking adventures during the winter months, you can also add the thermal pack option for $825. Upgraded batteries and solar panels are also options.
Easy to Set Up
Finally, setting up is easy. You push up from the inside, and the back of the roof will fold up and lock into place. Then you do the same with the front of the top until it closes.
Bungee cords help bring in the soft sides of the roof when it’s time to pack up. The process is super straightforward.
You’ll Have Big Adventures in a 4 Wheel Camper
A 4 Wheel Camper may open up the possibilities for your overlanding adventures. Whether you want to drive on the beach and camp or drive into the dense forest, there’s a pop-up truck camper option waiting for you.
The durability, lightweight design, and options make the brand highly desirable to overlanders.
So if you’re in the market for a new truck camper, head to Four Wheel Campers’ website and check out the details of each model. Then start making your plans for upcoming adventures.
Which model and layout will work best for you?
