Outdoors

Leentu Sunzal composite pickup truck camper keeps adventures light and fast

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Leentu follows its Carbon Camper up with the more affordable Sunzal Utility Pop-up
Leentu
Leentu's latest product, the Sunzal Utility Pop-up, provides a light, simple and affordable way of truck camping
Leentu
The Sunzal has more of a traditional clamshell design versus the pop-up/fold-out design of the Carbon Camper
Leentu
While it appears a bit higher and boxier than the Carbon Camper, the Sunzal is still quite low-profile for a truck camper
Leentu
With lightweight campers like the Sunzal, you gain sleeper bed space without losing much truck bed space
Leentu
The Sunzal includes a stowable bed with high-density foam mattress 
Leentu
The large windows open 
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The interior keeps things simple with LED lighting, windows and bed
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The Leentu Sunzal gets dirty
Leentu
Along with the ubiquitous Tacoma, Leentu offers Sunzals for other midsize and full-size pickup trucks
Leentu
The lightweight pickup camper market has become quite crowded, with brands like Leentu, Vagabond Outdoors, Snap Outfitters and Go Fast Campers competing for hearts and minds
Leentu
Leentu has opened up reservations and plans to start deliveries as soon as this month
Leentu
The Leentu base price ranges between $7,600 and $8,600, depending on truck model
Leentu
Leentu follows its Carbon Camper up with the more affordable Sunzal Utility Pop-up
Leentu
Leentu Sunzal rendering
Leentu
Leentu Sunzal rendering
Leentu
Leentu Sunzal rendering
Leentu
Leentu Sunzal rendering
Leentu
Leentu Sunzal rendering
Leentu
The Carbon Camper weighs a mere 150 lb
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Leentu Carbon Camper
Leentu
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Back when we looked at the Leentu pickup camper at Overland Expo West 2017, it was very much a rough prototype. But that rough prototype made it out of testing and development, leading to the well-polished Carbon Camper production model launched this (Northern Hemisphere) winter. Now Leentu is moving away from expensive IndyCar-grade carbon fiber and onward to a more affordable aluminum honeycomb topper for the pickup-camping masses. The Leentu Sunzal Utility Pop-up maintains a low weight but comes in well under the price of the Carbon Camper, providing a more economical way of turning a regular old pickup truck into an all-out adventure vessel.

A number of things changed on the journey between Leentu prototype and Carbon Camper production. The retail model wears a noticeably sleeker, cab-hugging Nomex honeycomb-core carbon shell, but it has gained about 50 lb (23 kg) over the targeted 100-lb (45-kg) base weight. Still, at just under 150 lb (68 kg), the Carbon Camper is well lighter than other minimalist Toyota Tacoma campers we've seen, including the 275+ lb (125+ kg) Go Fast Baja, 340-lb (154-kg) AT Overland Tacoma Habitat and 340-lb Snap Treehouse. It's also well more expensive, initially going live for preordering in March 2018 at a price of US$13,995 and rising from there.

Leentu Carbon Camper
Leentu

That leaves the all-new Sunzal model to fill the role of affordable, mass marketable Leentu, a competitively priced everyman pop-top in search of cheap, dirty adventure. A touch squarer and nosier than the Carbon, the Sunzal loses the carbon fiber in favor of a less costly monocoque construction of honeycomb-core composite panels coupled with corrosion-resistant 5052 aluminum alloy. Leentu hasn't written the weight in permanent ink just yet but says it's aiming to keep the base around 300 lb (136 kg) for the midsize pickup model, so still quite lightweight.

Along with the ubiquitous Tacoma, Leentu offers Sunzals for other midsize and full-size pickup trucks
Leentu

Unlike the straight-rising top on the Carbon, the Sunzal has a hinged clamshell top that swings forward to expose the marine-grade fabric tent sides. This opens up between 6.1 and 8 feet (1.9 and 2.4 m) of headroom during the day and access to the convertible 80-in-long (203-cm) bed at night (bed width varies by truck model). The bed is topped with a 2-in (5-cm) high-density foam mattress, and the greater interior includes openable windows, storage compartments, a lockable door and LED lighting.

Leentu keeps the basic Sunzal packages lean and simple, pricing them at $7,599 for midsize trucks like the Tacoma and Ford Ranger and $8,599 for full-size models like the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado. From there, buyers can upgrade with a variety of options, including a 60W solar panel, roof rack or roof fan. Buyers who order on or before May 19 can use the code "SPRING10" to receive 10 percent off. Leentu plans to begin shipping toward the end of the month.

The lightweight pickup camper market has become quite crowded, with brands like Leentu, Vagabond Outdoors, Snap Outfitters and Go Fast Campers competing for hearts and minds
Leentu

As for the Carbon Camper, it's sold out for 2019. Leentu plans to revamp it and possibly move it into an upmarket custom position, with estimated pricing between $20,000 and $25,000.

Source: Leentu

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1 comment
SDW
Let me think a min. Would I want to pay those prices for something I have to carry a ladder to get up into and down out of in the middle of the night to pee? Or would I rather spend less than a hundred dollars for a tent that's twice the size but only takes up 1ft x 2ft folded up and weights less than 20lbs.