Longtime telescopic pickup truck camper specialist Alaskan Campers has officially opened a new chapter by launching its HS 640 hardshell camper. With a fiberglass-sandwich construction and hybrid frame, the new truck-riding mobile habitat is the company's lightest hard-sided camper, despite its tall, fixed-roof form. It's also a premium tiny abode smartly optimized with components from some of the most respected suppliers in the industry – so you live comfortably, no matter where your truck journey takes you.
When Alaskan first previewed the HS 640 a couple months ago, we looked at how much a change in direction the new camper is for the brand, after close to 70 years of specializing in hard-sided pop-up truck campers. That's not because the new ownership group is looking to change what it does; it's because it's reframing the entire conversation.
Sure, Alaskan has well over 60 years' experience offering some of the market's most coveted, dependable hard-sided pop-up truck campers, but the scope of the company goes beyond any one style of camper and extends to innovating entirely new products, product categories and markets. With the HS 640, Alaskan returns to those roots by innovating something new.
Beyond the most obvious change in direction – a high fixed roof – Alaskan shifts gears by replacing its tried-and-true aluminum-skinned wood-framed construction with a sandwich construction of PIR foam between fiberglass skins. A hybrid aluminum/PVC frame bolsters structural integrity while reducing the negative effects of thermal bridging and corner condensation that befall all-metal frames.
Even on the conspicuously manicured blacked-out Ram HD pickup upon which it debuts, Alaskan's new camper tilts the eye upward, drawing one's gaze into its neat, crisp lines and shapes, not to mention the stark color contrasts of optional external accessories like the large driver-side MOLLE panel and rear-mounted Autoterm diesel heater. Also contributing heavily to that deep black-on-light gray contrast is the custom black entry door prepared by the master craftsmen at Tern Overland.
Alaskan has used the ground-up design process behind the HS 640 to incorporate many of the features it had heard echoed across customer feedback channels for years. Perhaps the biggest instance of that customer-led design approach comes in the very form and structure of the camper, which gets slimmed down at the base, allowing it to fit neatly inside a 6.5-foot truck bed's closed tailgate, rather than extending out beyond the gate. This allows users to utilize their tailgate as a step, outdoor bench, front porch, outdoor shower platform, or whatever the heck else they want to use it for.
The slimmed down base also allows Alaskan to integrate another oft-repeated customer preference: internal tie-downs. Instead of securing to the truck frame outside the pickup bed like traditional Alaskan slide-in campers, the HS 640 leaves enough space to secure to the truck bed tie-down points, delivering a cleaner look.
Other exterior features of note include an optional 180-degree 23Zero awning mounted on the passenger side, dimmable lighting, external electrical outlets, a shore power hookup, a Starlink dish connection, and a solar panel connection for an available 600-W briefcase panel to supplement the 400 watts of roof-mounted solar. The camper also includes a water hookup with an optionally integrated Guzzle H2O carbon/UV filtration system for raw natural water from sources like lakes and rivers, expanding the available supply far beyond the onboard 57-L fresh water tank.
In order to ensure the highest standard of interior appointment, Alaskan partnered up with an interior yacht designer to give the HS 640 a cabin space akin to a luxury pleasure boat or high-end expedition vehicle. The resulting design starts with aluminum cabinetry powder-coated in buyer's color selection and embellished with bamboo trim throughout. Bamboo also features on the stowable Lagun tabletop and the counters.
Judging from the photos and video, Alaskan has done a nice job of turning the tiny interior of its camper into an inviting space in which campers will want to spend time. The kitchen block is located to the right of the entry, utilizing an optional portable induction cooker, rectangular sink with flush-mount lid and available 90-L Isotherm door fridge. The L-shaped sofa works with the detachable Lagun table to create a part-time dining area. It features premium cushioned seats developed in collaboration with RV mattress specialist RoamRest.
The RoamRest 6-in RV queen mattress is located behind and above the dinette, completing a cozy two-person layout. In addition to the overhead storage above the main lower floor, the HS 640 has a wardrobe to the left of the entry door. Here, campers can stow the optional indoor/outdoor shower hardware, which includes a connectable sprayer and a hangable privacy curtain. Alaskan also offers a Trelino Evo S portable composting toilet.
Alaskan wires the HS 640 for full off-grid power delivery. In addition to the aforementioned 400-W rooftop solar setup (200-watt panel standard, second optional), it installs a full electrical system with 324-Ah Expion 360 battery bank, Victron 3,000-W inverter, Victron DC-DC converter, and Victron touchscreen monitoring and control center. Buyers can add extra batteries up to a total capacity of 972 Ah.
Alaskan lists base dry weight at 1,500 lb (680 kg), which is a bit heavier than its initial target but still 50 lb (22.7 kg) lighter than the lightest listed weight for its slide-in pop-up campers. That plus a slightly shorter 6.3-foot (1.9-m) length means it'll fit comfortably in a wider variety of base trucks, including some full-size half-ton models.
Alaskan has two floor plan options at launch, starting at a price of US$47,495. Additional options include a Nomadic X2 air conditioner, a tankless water heater, the indoor/outdoor shower system, and the Trelino toilet.
Source: Alaskan Campers
