One of the simplest truck camper designs we've seen, the Grumpy Bear Arctos Sport arrives looking like a toadstool chopped in half, or a teardrop trailer body on a pedestal. However you look at it, that simple form allows the camper to fit neatly in the pickup bed, without an over-cab alcove hanging off, giving buyers a transformable interior meant for sleeping, eating and relaxing through the evenings. It even has a standing height interior and a 4-season construction meant to stand up to Old Man Winter.
Since we last looked at Grumpy Bear's converted Spacekap camper, the Ohio company has been diligently working on its Arctos pickup camper lineup. The Arctos Sport was the first model to launch in 2024, and it's since added a fuller sized Arctos model.
While the larger Arctos features a more traditional pickup camper design with sleeper alcove, the Arctos Sport brings Grumpy Bear into the small, select group of builders brave enough to go it without an alcove or expansion system, building the entire fully hard-sided camper floor plan over top the truck bed. From the rear, the Arctos Sport's particular design gives it the unique look of a button mushroom chopped in half. From the side or front 3/4 view, it looks more like a wheel-less teardrop trailer body riding on the rails of the pickup bed.
Unlike the discontinued TC Teardrops Truck Camper, the Arctos Sport isn't literally a teardrop body dropped inside the walls of a truck bed. Instead, it features a pedestal-like base that sits in the bed, with sides that flare out beyond the pickup bed to add extra interior volume. It stays within the width of the side mirrors but packs in some serious extra room by extending out beyond the truck's sheet metal, much like the recently announced Aliner Switchback does with its expandable A-frame-like design.
The $12,000 Arctos Sport DIY base model comes as an empty 693-lb (314-kg) fiberglass shell without any furnishings. It includes the white gelcoat fiberglass camper shell, entry door, two side windows, ratchet straps for tying down to the truck, and 2,000-lb manual jack stands. Buyers are on their own in outfitting the interior beyond that.
Those looking for something equipped to camp straight out of the lot can opt up to the standard package. Grumpy Bear takes advantage of the expanded volume of the Arctos Sport's tall vertical sidewalls in giving it an interior that looks more inviting than the Switchback's, though it's laid out quite similarly.
The Arctos Sport cabin features a two-bench lounge area with removable Lagun table. The tall window on the rear entry door and two sidewall windows open the space up and keep it from feeling too claustrophobic. At roughly 6 feet 2.5 in (1.9 m) high, the interior is tall enough for most people to stand up without crouching, though taller folks will have to bend a bit.
At night, the dinette converts over into the 53 x 74-in (135 x 188-cm) double bed that runs transversely. That again means folks taller than 6 foot 2 will be bending their knees – we reckon this particular camper is probably best avoided for anyone in that taller height range.
Grumpy Bear also offers the option of a Disc-O-Bed cot that can mount over top the bed and serve as a third sleeping berth – a little snug for sure, but for a family of three, why not? Other campers and tents can certainly be quite snug, too.
The standard kit also has several floor and overhead storage solutions, including a front cabinet housing the 16,000-BTU furnace that helps the camper perform comfortably through winter. A 10-speed roof vent brings air in when things get stuffy, and a roof-mounted air conditioner is available as an option. Grumpy Bear also includes a shore-power electrical hookup with converter and 110-V/USB outlet station.
The base Arctos Sport Standard prices in at $20,000 and weighs 1,102 lb (500 kg). Grumpy Bear offers a number of additional options, including a lithium battery, a 53-L Dometic electric fridge, a portable toilet, the aforementioned cot and air conditioner, up to 400 watts of solar, and remote-controlled electric jacks.
Source: Grumpy Bear
