The Cube Series™ truck camper is both a fantastically original idea and one that seems logically familiar. Sort of. I wanted to share this review of this innovative ultra-lightweight pickup camper with you.
I would say the Cube Series truck camper might be familiar territory to anyone who has ever had an older pop-up tent trailer… kinda sorta. Essentially, that’s the configuration of this little camper and it makes a tremendous amount of sense for the right person.
A camper for mid-sized trucks?
I think a lot of people dream of putting a truck camper on their mid-sized pickup truck for a lot of reasons, including the fact that mid-sized trucks are very maneuverable and you can find great, used examples that still have tremendous life left in them.
There are also a ton of modifications you can make with a seemingly unlimited number of aftermarket add-ons, so whatever a truck was when it left the factory barely resembles what you can do to it.
This little camper starts fairly light at under 1,200 pounds and features a top half that raises and lowers via a power lift mechanism.
Things I like about this include the fact that it is completely made of man-made materials, with the single exception of a few of the pieces under the dinette. But it’s really well-made.
Keep it simple, Stanley
There’s not much to this. Or is there?
In addition to the high build quality of the materials and very innovative design, I also like that they’ve incorporated dual-pane polycarbonate windows. These have built-in shades and screens which slide up and down depending on your need at the time, or both can just retract into their mounts and get out of your way.
The kitchen includes a two-burner stove and sink under a glass cover on one side. Beneath that are cabinets and drawers that are made of powder-coated aluminum. There’s also a microwave under there.
On the other side is a similarly sized cabinet that’s effectively just counter space with some storage beneath it.
The front half of this camper has a dinette for four, which is also your sleeping accommodation. Should you want more sleeping space, there is an optional berth that slots in above the dinette. The dinette/bed measures 70” X 43”, and the upper berth is 80 inches long.
Options galore
The standard camper is relatively simple and straightforward, but there are lots and lots of options. One of those is a cassette toilet and, given the tiny size of this rig, it’s smack dab in the middle of the floor.
Honestly, I would forgo this option and just get a portable toilet, which is what we did when I borrowed a Four Wheel Campers pop-up camper for 10 days.
There’s also an outdoor shower built into this rig as well as a 1.6-gallon propane water heater. If you choose to avail yourself of the shower, I would also go for the SylvanSport Privy Bivy, and then that portable toilet would make even more sense.
You can actually get an air conditioner in this rig, if you so choose.
Another option is power lift jacks at all four corners. These are mounted in the equivalent of hitch receivers on each corner. The brilliant aspect of this design is that you can rotate the corner lifts by 90 degrees, which gets them completely out of the way. Smart!
Also smart are the removable access panels at the base of this, where you can get to any of the things that might need attention down the road. Having all the heavy stuff at the base of this camper also means that the center of gravity is low, which is a big plus.
Boondocking and travel access
Surprisingly, this rig has a 21-gallon fresh water tank and a 10-gallon gray water tank—not what you’d expect in a rig of this diminutive size.
While you can’t really get into the camper with the top down, a simple press of the lift button gets you a full-height interior in short order, so I suspect it’s not that inconvenient.
It may also be that you could garage the entire camper and truck with the top down—depending on your truck and your garage. That’s not bad.
My thoughts
Of course, you’ll want to know your truck’s cargo-carrying capacity, and the 1,200 pounds of this camper may meet, or exceed, many mid-size trucks’ capacity. Know before you go.
I also thought the interior was well-made but stark. But pictures of things you like or even some temporary wallpaper would spruce it up.
The bottom line is that this is a pretty small package that reminds me of a smaller pop-up trailer. In fact, if you can’t haul this with your pickup in the bed, they offer basically the same thing in a trailer.
This is definitely an interesting concept that I like quite a bit—for the right circumstances.
More from Tony
I would love to read your comments and suggestions in the comments below.
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. They are based on information from a single unit and may not reflect your actual experience. Shop your RV and dealership carefully before making a buying decision. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.
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Looks kinda heavy for a mid sized pickup, also kinda pricey since you’ll need a bigger truck. And why the stealth mode, special ops dark paint? On the other hand, I do like the range, sink combo. It may not work for some, but I’d like to have it.
Interesting but very impractical for more than one person, the weight is going to be very iffy for a midsized truck that most people buy, yes if you buy a base model the weight will work. Since it is basically a one person camper the weight may not be bad. The beds on midsized trucks are 5’, at 88” you’re going to have 28” over the tailgate, it looks like in the video the weight of the appliances is concentrated in the rear of the unit, I wonder if that will give you adverse handling with that much weight behind the rear axle. Not really any room for supplies so that may not be a factor.
I wonder how effective the AC is at night while the dinette bench seat is folded down into “bed mode”. It’s also pretty obvious that you’d need to have the camper out of the bed of the truck for it to work.
Other than that, looks like an improved version of the old Apache pop-up campers. I always liked that design, especially after having three fabric-sided ones (Jayco, Coleman, Palomino).
It looks ungainly on the truck. As Bob P mentions, this is a one person camper, and that person better be ready to spend as much time outside as possible. Not a fan of the sink/stove combo either. One wrong move and your pot of soup will end up in the sink! It’s also a bit on the pricey side too. Maybe I just haven’t been paying enough attention to inflation . . .
Thank you, Tony! I am always keen to learn about truck campers. A friend plans to get one in the next several months and I send him information I find on RV Travel.
I have been watching prices on new and used Palomino Backpack 550 popup truck campers for several years. Their biggest problem for someone living in Colorado is the lack of a gray tank. Draining gray water on the ground is illegal in our state, so that alone has kept me from buying one. So, the inclusion of a fair-sized gray tank in the Cube is a bonus, as are the hard sides vs. soft vinyl sides. However, at more than twice the price of a new Palomino 550, the Cube is way overpriced. I think the Four Wheel Camper popup that Tony mentioned is as light, even more flexible, has a more comfortable bed, and is MUCH cheaper than the Cube.
And I like the “Project M” variant on the Four Wheel Pop-Up camper because you can reconfigure on the go.
A fool and their money are soon parted. $40k + for this thing is assinine.