Pickup truck campers and camping toppers have been growing lighter and lighter through smart, compact design, but few approach the featheriness of the Thaircamper. The inflatable camper weighs as little as some fiberglass truck caps, but instead of barely offering enough space to sleep one or two people with little headroom, it inflates in mere minutes into a full alcove camper that sleeps three to four. Truck camping just got much easier, lighter and cheaper.
Built like an inflatable stand-up paddleboard, and some smaller truck-back inflatables, the Thaircamper expands PVC drop-stitch construction into a fully enclosed living module complete with a full floor, door and above-cab alcove. At just 180 lb (81.6 kg), it's incredibly lightweight for a full truck camper, weighing less than all but the lightest of ultralight floor-less truck camping toppers and less than some rooftop tents.
Any inflatable brings risk of leaks, punctures and deflation, but Thaircamper's creators say that the tough 2-in-walled drop-stitch construction has been developed to be puncture-resistant enough to fend off low-hanging branches and other potential hazards of off-road driving, built to go anywhere your pickup truck can go. We'd probably avoid driving through fields of thick, thorny overgrowth, but it should be just fine on your typical dirt road.
The Thairamper is designed to inflate in under five minutes using the included lithium battery pump connected to the individual valves for the floor, walls, roof, door and components. Thaircamper includes a hand pump for use as a backup and for more gradually fine-tuning pressure. Once inflated into shape, the unit takes on a classic truck camper form, with a relatively low alcove over the driver's cab and a body that starts wide up top and cuts inward down lower to fit inside the truck bed.
Campers enter the Thair lair through a Velcro-secured rear door to find a simple but practical interior with two side benches that extend over top the wheel wells and a 6-in (15-cm) mattress on the floor between them. At 77 x 44 in (196 x 112 cm), the floor mattress is designed to sleep one or two people. The cabin measures 62.5 in (159 cm) high, so not quite standing height for most adults but high enough to sit comfortably.
The 18-in-wide (46-cm) benches are a little narrow but could potentially sleep a child, though we'd definitely be worried about them rolling off onto someone sleeping on the floor mattress. In that case, Thaircamper offers a pair of inflatable bunks that rest over top the body-integrated benches to expand the width of the bed surface.
In fact, Thaircamper offers a number of different sleeping options. While the alcove is designed more as a shelf, and tapers in from an inside width of 76 in (193 cm) to a front nose width of 53 in (135 cm), it can accommodate a child or even full-size adult as an upper bed.
Those who don't want to use the dirty floor as their primary mattress can add the optional 76 x 76 x 6-in (193 x 193 x 15-cm) inflatable mattress that uses the two side benches as foundational supports to get campers up off the ground and closer to window level. Those dimensions fall just a few inches short of a residential king-size mattress, with a width equal to a full king. Also available is a smaller 75 x 50 x 6-in (191 x 127 x 15-cm) double mattress that sets up on top of the benches.
In terms of transport, Thaircamper points out again and again that the unit is designed to be set up and ride like a hard-sided truck camper, separating it from inflatable truck tents that require setting up at camp. Inflate the Thaircamper ahead of time, strap it securely to the truck via the integrated D-rings and leave it on when driving from camp to camp. Unlike a heavy, hard-sided truck camper, it can be installed by a single person who can maneuver it to lean against the tailgate before sliding it up and in.
Of course, the Thaircamper also offers another option that traditional campers don't. It can be stored in the truck in deflated form to avoid aerodynamic drag, then inflated and installed at camp. The entire installation can be done in an estimated 15 minutes.
Once the trip is over and it's time to remove the camper from the truck, it deflates and then moves and stores much more easily than a heavy hardshell camper.
Like other inflatable camper and tent designs we've seen, the Thaircamper's shell is designed to deliver some inherent insulation. We don't anticipate that will be enough on its own during particularly cold or hot weather, but the integrated HVAC port lets campers run air conditioning or air heating to improve comfort. The windows also include screens, weatherproof outside panels, and inflatable interior blackout panels that fold up and clip to the ceiling when not in use, doubling as overhead shelves.
Inflatable designs typically include some tradeoffs, and the Thaircamper is no exception. Beyond the most obvious risk of popping your camper and having nowhere to spend the night (it does come with a puncture repair kit, however), another issue is having to vary the pressure to account for temperature conditions. For instance, if it's a particularly hot day, you'll want to keep pressure lower to give it room to expand in the heat of the afternoon.
Given that temperatures can swing drastically in the mountains, desert and other common camping destinations, this might mean adjusting pressure throughout the day and day to day. Thaircamper does make this easier with integrated deflation buttons at each valve for making small, quick pressure adjustments, but there's still a lot of different valves to mess with.
Thaircamper launched its inflatable RV last year and has been ramping up its trade show schedule this year in an effort to advertise and sell it. The camper is available for a variety of popular midsize and full-size pickup trucks, including staples like the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado and Toyota Tacoma. It currently starts at a promotional price of US$2,895, with standard retail price listed at $3,795. In addition to the aforementioned mattress options, Thaircamper is working on other available add-ons like a 270-degree awning and an inflatable standalone bathroom with shower, water supply and toilet.
Source: Thaircamper
