The Coolest Campers in Every Size and for Most Budgets

It took years of complaining from the automotive press and #vanlife pundits, but after nearly two decades, a German pop-top camper will be up for sale in American car dealers sometime this spring. Yet rather than VW, we have Mercedes to thank for it. The Metris Weekender looks to strike a great balance between family grocery getter and weekend escape pod. It occupies a unique size niche very similar to VW’s storied Vanagon and Eurovan campers. And with an innovative rear fold-down seat bed and very comfy pop-top sleeping quarters with an independently sprung mattress, it’s capable of seating five and sleeping four—though an added two-person middle seat is a likely future option. At the same time, unlike most other campers on the road, it will fit in any standard garage and should present no problem to those living in HOA-controlled, RV-restricted neighborhoods.

The Metris isn’t cheap, but it’s also a daily driver. And unlike nearly every other camper on the market, it will offer rear curtain airbags along with Mercedes’s slew of collision-avoidance and stability systems. And though it’s small, the 2.0-liter turbo motor and five-speed transmission offer surprising grunt and a remarkable 5,000-pound towing capacity. The Weekender promises to be among the safest, and most drivable, campers on the road.

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The Solis represents Winnebago’s re-entry into the pop-top market since it ceased offering the excellent VW Eurovan Camper back in 2003. There’s plenty to like in this small and relatively affordable four-sleeper. First off, the front-wheel-drive Ram Promaster chassis already has an excellent six-feet, two-inches of interior height with the pop-top down, and a short 19-foot, nine-inch length means it’s plenty maneuverable. Key for families, the Solis offers a pair of ergonomic, shoulder-belted rear seats right behind the driver. To double the camper as a family hauler, you can even opt for a rear sofa bed, which replaces the standard fold-down Murphy bed to create a small lounge (while bumping the shoulder belt count to six). The ladder-accessed pop-top features a powerful 220-watt solar panel and hides a huge bed with an independent spring mattress similar to that in the Mercedes. Key too, is a fully functional wet bath with a European-style cassette toilet—arguably simpler to use because you can dump the cassette out, and because it’s contained within the camper, the tank and pipes won’t freeze. You’ll also find a two-burner stove, a hot/cold water sink, an efficient compressor-driven fridge, excellent insulation, and a Truma heating system for camping in ski-resort parking lots. If there’s any shortcoming, it’s that Winnie ran out of space for a shore-power air conditioner. But with the top popped and a decent breeze, you won’t miss it in most places.

Last year, a management scandal left storied North American RV maker Roadtrek bankrupt. Yet Roadtrek was recently rescued by Rapido, a French company that successfully relaunched Europe’s venerable Westfalia nameplate. With that quality heritage behind it, the Sprinter platform Roadtrek’s CS and RS Adventurous models are well worth a look if you’re after a larger Class B. They’re available with Mercedes’s excellent all-wheel-drive system in 21- and 24-foot versions. And there are interior options whether your priority is hauling people or gear: The RS sleeps four and seats up to seven, while the CS seats up to six and sleeps three—it substitutes a rear captain’s chair for a huge cupboard and a bigger freezer/fridge. Both feature a king-size rear bed, solidly designed overhead cabinetry, and a big standup or sit-down shower. We really like the two-room aspect of these campers as well, vital when you need a little space of your own. Essentially, you have a lounge in back with huge windows and a cozy dinette up front, with bathroom and galley in between. The Alde hydronic water heat provides radiant warmth through the floor, even in the bathroom, while a Dometic A/C drops down cold from above.

We went around and around on picking an all-wheel drive van camper. There are excellent choices from Sportsmobile, Outside Van, Winnebago, and a host of others. But we’re giving the nod to the Mode by Alabama’s Storyteller Overland. We really dig the depth of features and space-saving luxuries packed this 19-foot utilitarian Sprinter. It’s got a rugged aluminum roof rack and ladder system, a quality Volta lithium/solar energy management system with a powerful 3,600-watt inverter that can even run the rooftop A/C. In addition to the galley with fridge, stove, and microwave, there’s really cool indoor hot/cold shower that disappears into the overhead cabinetry, and the rear cooler/shower bin can even double as a small bathtub. A combo retractable bed-gear garage occupies the back, and to sleep (and seat) four, the Mode has a Transformers-worthy front-facing middle seat/bed. It’s super-strong, shoulder-belted, and adjustable into several reclining modes for kicking back and watching TV or the sunset. Clinchers also include an app to keep you in constant touch with customer support, along with tips and instructions. We also like Storyteller’s decision—unusual among upstart van upfitters—to sell the Mode at RV dealers across the U.S., which means accessible service at those same dealers.

We really dig AT Overland’s Atlas. First off, unlike familiar, VW Westfalia-inspired, wedge-shaped roof topper tents, the Atlas pops straight up, delivering 6 feet, 10 inches of interior standup height when deployed in the bed of your pickup or Jeep Gladiator. With over 100 pounds of roof cargo capacity and gas-filled struts to assist lifting, you can also raise it with standup paddleboards, kayaks, or bikes on the roof. The 360-pound Atlas is well-insulated and features bear-spotting, zippered windows on all four tent walls and a queen-size fold-out bed. Unlike many other pickup truck camping options, the Atlas can be closed to seal you in completely—way better for making breakfast or dinner in a raging storm.

With so many slide-in options out there, selecting just one was another tough call. But we’re smitten with the Kimbo camper, which fits six-foot and larger pickup beds, again for its utility and wealth of features at a super low price. Starting on the outside, its tough, riveted aluminum body is reminiscent of a geodesic dome. Under that skin, the camper carries thin but effective R5 insulation sandwiched between more brushed aluminum and a condensation-stopping interior fabric along the walls and ceilings (condensation build up and subsequent water damage is a bane of small-campers). The windows are double-paned and screened. Inside the cozy interior, you’ll find six feet, five inches of headroom, a pair of sofas, and a big over-cab bed (54 by 75 inches). Kimbo designed the $15,000 camper—which comes standard with 120-volt (shore power) inputs, a Yeti 400 solar setup, and a propane tank cubby—to be highly modular. You can affordably customize it to your own needs. Add-ons range from a water heater to a kitchen with a sink and a desk/work nook. We’re highly impressed with the retractable projector screen (and projector), propane fireplace, and a simple recess for an inexpensive, 120-volt window-unit air-conditioner. You can even install an interior fold-out shower. Oh, and it and weighs only around 1,000 pounds—no problem for any mid-size pickup.

If we like the Kimbo for its small size and myriad features, we like Northwood’s slide-out equipped, 17-foot-long Arctic Fox 990 for the astonishing living and storage space it slides onto the back of a full-size pickup truck. Not only does this 3,000-pound basecamp feature a full standup wet bath—no mean feat for a slide-in—it comfortably sleeps up to five with its queen-size over-cab bed and slide-out/dinette double. There’s a fold-down bunk, too. Insulated water tanks deliver non-pipe-bursting cold-weather boondocking, while solar-panels keep the fridge and computers charged. It’s even ready for an optional 2.5-kilowatt Onan propane generator. You’ll need a big, dually-size pickup (preferably with stability control) to bear this beast, but every luxury you might need is right over your shoulder.

Tiger Adventure Vehicles first made its appearance back in the early 90’s with a funky but iconic pop-up camper based on a cutaway Chevy Astro van. It was small, fully equipped, and, importantly, could even be had in all-wheel-drive. Since then, this South Carolina-based company has been turning out affordable, feature-heavy, safe, and off-road-capable small Class-C campers. The Tiger is a permanent add-on camper shell that replaces the truck bed on any Ford F-350, Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD, or Ram 3500 truck chassis. Pickup truck-based Class C’s are among the safest RVs for front passengers because, while driving, you’re encased in a stock vehicle’s sturdy cab among its many airbags. And then while camping, you simply have more room in back than with a pickup truck slide-in. This is especially true for kids should you opt for a quad-cab model with four seats. Because Tiger does away with the pickup bed entirely, the Tiger has a much lower center of gravity and more floor room than a typical slide-in camper. Plus, the pickup cab is cut away in back, creating a passageway for easy movement from cab to camper. Inside, you’ll find six feet, five inches of standing room, a nice array of solid maple cabinets, an overhead double bed, a full wet bath, decent closet space, and a table large enough for four people to have a meal around the rear sofa.

The Opus inflatable camper is a truly ingenious rig. Outwardly, it doesn’t look all that different from the many off-road pop-up campers that have come to market over the last few years. But when you open it up and flip a switch, a pump automatically inflates a series of very sturdy tubes, which erect in 90 seconds to form the frame of a remarkably spacious and stormproof 20-square-foot, eight-foot-plus-tall living area. (No really, check out this video of an Opus being sprayed with a fire hose.) The inflated camper offers tons of light thanks to zip-down shades and clear plastic windows. The larger OP4 model sleeps up to six people, while the smaller OP2 sleeps 4. The OP4 weighs 3,970 pounds, and with its burly off-road independent trailing arm suspension, you can load another 1,000 pounds onto the trailer alone. For off-roading at tough angles, we dig its fully articulating hitch, trailer brakes, and over a foot of ground clearance. The OP4 comes with a full interior kitchen, while the 2 features an outside setup with a four-burner range and sink, but even that kitchen can be completely enclosed within an add-on inflatable annex. You can also add an optional room to hold the hot water shower (it has a huge 40-gallon stainless steel tank) and cassette toilet. Inside, add-ons include a 16,000-BTU furnace and even air conditioning. And because the 2’s kitchen is outside, the inside dinette and sofa setup can easily seat six.

Germany has Westfalia. The U.S. has Airstream. The iconic company has been in business for nearly 100 years, and there’s a reason: its design and quality. Take its über-versatile Flying Cloud line. Available in lengths from 23 to 30 feet, the Flying Cloud can be built out in any one of 16 floor plans that sleep from four to eight. Airstreams are a bit pricier than similarly sized campers, but you’re paying for a light-but-tough riveted aluminum shell, beautifully crafted plexiglass window protectors, hand-hewn interior woodwork, and durability borne of nearly a century of trial and error. This model includes dimmable LED lighting and a trademarked Dometic A/C system that’s whisper quiet (and available with a propane-saving heat-pump option). Discreet but great features include completely sealed wheel bearings, self-adjusting brakes, and a torsion axle suspension that makes the trailer handle crosswinds and sudden maneuvers much more predictably. New for this year, too, is an optional huge rear lift hatch with a full-length pulldown screen and a rubber-step-on bumper. For gear-heavy travelers or those who want to bring the outdoors inside, it’s a game changer.

With their hitch forward in the bed of a sturdy pickup truck, fifth-wheel campers offer greater towing stability and a tighter turning radius than hitch-equipped travel trailers. The Keystone Raptor, which blankets western campgrounds, makes plenty of sense for families seeking to marry apartment-size living space with storage for motorcycles, mountain bikes, golf carts, or ATVs. Keystone’s 39-foot 3-series RVs feature garages up to 13 feet long and burly 5,000-pound tie downs for your gear, along with showers for mud and tough, rubber flooring. When not in gear-hauling mode, the garages can be set up for sleeping or become a huge, open-air screened lounge. The 44-foot-long 429 model even features a fold-out porch to keep you elevated above muddy campsites.