This $13,750 camper in a box comes with a kitchen and solar power and is mounted on the back of a pickup truck
Talus Expedition Gear created a camper van in a box that can be mounted on the bed of a pickup truck.
The aluminum box includes gear storage space and a kitchen with a refrigerator, stovetop, sink with an attached water tank, and power systems.
The box comes in two iterations: the $11,900 CampPack, and the $13,750 VenturePack, the latter of which has increased electrical power capabilities.
Since the start of the pandemic, Talus Expedition Gear's creative director Caroline Sunderland has been employing the camper for errands by using the sink for handwashing after trips to the grocery store and gas station.
Talus Expedition Gear created a camper van in a box that can be mounted on the bed of a daily driver pickup truck, such as a Ford F-150 or Toyota Tacoma.
The outdoor gear company was created after its two founding brothers, Dan and Will Sunderland, both broke their talus bones, prompting the pair to create outdoor products that could be used despite their injuries.
"We wanted to take the limitations we felt with our injuries and turn it into a new opportunity," Will Sunderland said in a statement. "It only made sense to use the dual meaning of the word 'talus' as the company name—taking our broken bones and pointing toward the mountain slopes we want to reach."
Boise, Idaho-based Talus Expedition Gear is currently offering two iterations of its lightweight but durable aluminum camper box: the $11,900 CampPack, and the $13,750 VenturePack.
Both products include the "kitchen and storage in a box" idea with propane-powered dual burner stovetops, a refrigerator, storage drawers, and a 16-gallon water tank that supplies the sink.
The main difference between the two offerings — and the explanation for its wide price difference — lies in the stronger power capabilities of the VenturePack, which, unlike the CampPack, can be charged with solar.
The decision to pursue a pickup truck camper — as opposed to a camper van or RV — came because the Sunderlands already had a pickup, and realized that implementing a box system on the vehicle would allow them to go camping with the truck.
“We are trying to show that there is another option for folks who already have the truck and are wondering how to maximize the camping capacity of that truck,” Talus Expedition Gear’s creative director Caroline Sunderland told Business Insider.
According to Sunderland, the pickup truck camper is more cost effective, efficient, and can be used more often than a separate RV or camper van unit. And because the Pack has a "low profile," it doesn't impact the gas mileage of pickups like the Tacoma.
The units first debuted in October 2019 before COVID-19 took its hold in the US.
Since the pandemic, the company has seen a "definite increase in interest", although COVID-19 has also limited the amount of public exposure the units have had since the company was relying on shows and expos, Caroline Sunderland told Business Insider.
But misfortune aside, the pandemic has also positively shifted the way Caroline Sunderland has been able to use her pickup truck camper, especially on errand runs.
"When I'm going to the grocery store, I can fit a week's worth of groceries for my family of four in the gear drawer, and then wash my hands in the back of the truck in the parking lot at the grocery store, or after I pumped gas," Sunderland said. "I can wash my hands right there at the gas station."
The VenturePack has a 200-amp hour battery, a 2,000-watt inverter, a battery charger, and a 120-watt solar panel that allows it to stay truly off-grid for longer periods of time. The unit also comes with a filtered water system, which isn't available with the CampPack.
To compare, the $1,850 cheaper CampPack is equipped with a 100-amp hour battery, a 450-watt inverter, and a battery charger.
The power systems on both units help supply energy to the kitchen amenities and the 120-volt, 12-volt, and two USB outlets.
In terms of storage, both Packs come with a large gear drawer and either two or four kitchen storage drawers, depending on the length of the pickup truck bed.
There is also a track system that allows the units to be used in conjunction with a roof rack or rooftop tent. Customers looking to buy the VenturePack or CampPack can also purchase a rooftop tent through Talus Expedition Gear's website
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