RV Review: 2021 nuCamp Cirrus 820 Truck Camper

I recently saw a post on social media featuring the 2021 nuCamp Cirrus 820 Truck Camper by a new owner who was pleased with their purchase. As much as I follow the industry, these hadn’t really crossed my path. I had to look into one and share my findings with you all. 

We have looked at products from nuCamp in the past when I wrote a review of the 2021 nuCamp AVIA travel trailer. Like that trailer, what caught my eye about this model was its curvy shape and those European-style dual-pane Lexan windows that tilt upward and open wide for good airflow. I like these windows and they’re made even better by having two sliding components: a bug screen and a privacy shade. These can be snapped together and you can split the window with part privacy screen and part bug screen in whatever proportion you want. These are pretty slick. I’ve seen them in that nuCamp AVIA as well as in newer Lance campers like the Lance 2075, which is on my favorites list. Furthermore, the 820 features one of these windows at the very front of the camper in the bedroom area that also opens but is hinged at the bottom. 

Since we’re talking about the bed area, this camper features a 60” x 78” mattress, which is 2” shorter than a residential queen mattress. While the mattress is typically RV thin, it does sit on another European product, that being the Froli™ System. Essentially this is a bunch of sprung squares that the mattress sits on top of that give it more flex but also provides for airflow underneath which prevents condensation, a problem in truck campers. 

I know of people who have put this in their RVs and rave about it but I’ve not tried it myself.

If we’re going with all the European-style touches in this camper we might as well talk about the door which has several plastic pockets molded into the inside. There are two open pockets at the top of the rounded-top door and then one at the bottom with a lid that looks like a trash can but I’m sure you can use it for whatever you want. There is also a fire extinguisher mount on the door itself – which seems like a wise idea. Lastly, there is a tall, thin window and this has an integrated shade. 

It seems funny to spend this much time on doors and windows, but these are really good ones. 

nuCamp has also done a good job with lighting. There are LED accent strips over the reasonably spacious kitchen and also over the dining area. There are also brighter work lights over each of these as well. 

The cabinets almost universally have motion-activated LEDs in them that can also be completely switched off – but it’s nice to open a cabinet door and the light comes on. This is consistent both inside and out. 

Those cabinets feature hardwood doors with marine-style mechanical latches on them so they won’t go flying open when you’re driving around. The solid color of the cabinets looks very modern and clean, but isn’t my personal cup of tea. But, color choice is very subjective. 

Where there’s no debate is over things like the Alde tankless water heater and space heater system, which provides both functions in one compact appliance. To answer a common question about this system, yes, you can run either aspect of this system independently – you don’t have to have the cabin heater running to heat the water. 

In addition to the kitchen, you’ll be using hot water in the shower. The bath in this camper is a wet bath, but there isn’t really enough space in an RV of this size to do much else. There is a sink in the bathroom that folds down. The showerhead is on a height-adjustable mount. 

Over the user’s head is a unique fan and light system that can be operated with one hand so you can reach up and turn on the light and/or the fan. That’s kinda slick. 

There are only two options from the factory on this camper – a rear awning over the door/steps and a table referred to as the Lagun (pronounced lagoon) table. If I were to offer a suggestion I would say check both of those boxes without hesitation. 

That Lagun table slides around like the planchette on a Ouija board, enabling you to adjust the table for different size diners or for different uses – and even kind of extend it out so it can be used by whoever is doing the food prep as additional space. 

There’s also a standard 210-watt solar panel in 2021 models as well as a 1500-watt inverter. There’s a cabinet at the front of the camper that you can access when the camper is not in the bed of your truck that has the inverter and space for two batteries. 

Lastly, nuCamp has a new system called SmartCamp, which allows you to control many of the functions of the camper with your smartphone or tablet. Any of these smart systems are always drawing a tiny amount of electricity, but nuCamp has seen fit to put a switch in place that simply shuts this functionality off. And, again, there are redundant switches as well. 

Other than the interior colors, I think they’ve done a great job with the Cirrus 820, including providing a lot of very usable, practical features in a package that will fit a lot of trucks out there. And, again, interior colors are so subjective that for everyone who dislikes this more industrial feel there will be others who rave about it. Logically there is a lot to rave about in this package.

These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. 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.