If you’re like me, towing a massive trailer is stressful. That’s why I chose a smaller hard-sided pop-up camper for my family’s adventures. Pop up camper weight plays a big role in how easy it is to tow.
Many pop-up camper models have the same features as larger camping trailers. Pop-up campers, however, are more fuel efficient to tow and easier to maneuver and park. Especially in small campgrounds.
It is important to consider the right pop up camper weight for your vehicle and your level of comfort towing that weight.
You must first ask yourself two questions before deciding on a specific pop-up camper:
- Can my vehicle safely tow it?
- Am I comfortable towing a trailer that size?
Determine if Your Vehicle Can Tow a Pop-up
It’s important that you understand a couple of key terms related to pop up trailer weight:
- Trailer Dry Weight or Unloaded Vehicle Weight (UVW): This is the unloaded pop up camper weight. No water, no camping gear. Just the trailer and its pre-installed equipment.
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): This is the maximum weight the pop-up camper can carry. This includes the weight of the trailer and all your gear, water, and optional equipment.
- Vehicle Towing Capacity: This is the maximum weight that your vehicle can safely tow.
Experts recommend keeping your loaded pop up trailer weight to 10-20% below your vehicle’s towing capacity. Towing a fully-loaded trailer that weighs more than your vehicle’s towing capacity can be dangerous and affect your vehicle’s handling and braking ability.
Check out the towing capacity of common vehicles to see if yours is listed.
I also HIGHLY RECOMMEND you read your vehicle’s owner manual to learn about its towing capacity and specific information on towing limitations of your vehicle.
Below I provide a list of pop up camper weights sourced directly from manufacturer sites to find the most current pop up camper weight.
I list the current models into three pop up camper weight classes based on their dry weights.
Pop Up Camper Weight Under 1,500 lbs
| Brand | Model | UVW | GVWR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvansport | TRAILOFT | 117 lbs | NA |
| Tentrax | Overlook | 500 lbs | 1800 lbs |
| Tentrax | Ascend | 600 lbs | 1800 lbs |
| Kamparoo | Vacationer | 725 lbs | NA |
| Kamparoo | Trans-Continental | 840 lbs | NA |
| Sylvansport | GO | 840 lbs | 1650 lbs |
| Chalet | LTW | 900 lbs | 2000 lbs |
| Kamparoo | Cargo Utility | 1140 lbs | 1840 lbs |
| ALiner | Scout-Lite | 1180 lbs | 3000 lbs |
| Taxa Outdoors | WoolyBear | 1270 lbs | 2100 lbs |
| ALiner | Ranger 10 | 1300 lbs | 3000 lbs |
| Off Grid Trailers | Switchback | 1300 lbs | 3500 lbs |
| Taxa Outdoors | TigerMoth | 1310 lbs | 2200 lbs |
| ALiner | Scout | 1395 lbs | 3000 lbs |
| Taxa Outdoors | WoolyBear Overland | 1400 lbs | 2200 lbs |
| Coachmen | 9.0TD : Clipper Express | 1418 lbs | 2194 lbs |
| Viking | 9.0TD : Viking Express | 1418 lbs | 2194 lbs |
| ALiner | Ranger 12 | 1450 lbs | 3000 lbs |
| Taxa Outdoors | TigerMoth Overland | 1458 lbs | 2400 lbs |
The average small pop up camper weight is 1,116 lbs.
They offer a range of features from campers with only a tent (Sylvansport GO) to those with a dining area (Aliner Ranger 12)
Pop Up Camper Weight Between 1,500 and 2,500 lbs
| Brand | Model | UVW | GVWR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chalet | Alpine | 1505 lbs | 3000 lbs |
| Chalet | Arrowhead | 1585 lbs | 3000 lbs |
| Rockwood | 1940LTD | 1608 lbs | 2291 lbs |
| Coachmen | 806XLS : Clipper LS | 1642 lbs | 2897 lbs |
| Viking | 1706XLS : Viking LS | 1642 lbs | 2897 lbs |
| Tribe Trailers | Expedition | 1654 lbs | 3307 lbs |
| Off Grid Trailers | Expedition 2.0 | 1700 lbs | 3500 lbs |
| ALiner | Classic | 1725 lbs | 3000 lbs |
| ALiner | LXE | 1795 lbs | 3000 lbs |
| Taxa Outdoors | Cricket | 1800 lbs | 2700 lbs |
| Coachmen | 107LS : Clipper LS | 1801 lbs | 2938 lbs |
| Viking | 2107LS : Viking LS | 1801 lbs | 2938 lbs |
| Safari Condo | R1713 | 1825 lbs | 2700 lbs |
| ALiner | Expedition | 1850 lbs | 3500 lbs |
| Coachmen | 108ST : Clipper Sport | 1863 lbs | 2687 lbs |
| Viking | 2108ST : Viking Epic | 1863 lbs | 2687 lbs |
| Safari Condo | R1723 | 1867 lbs | 2700 lbs |
| Taxa Outdoors | Cricket Overland | 1978 lbs | 3000 lbs |
| Chalet | XL-1920 | 1995 lbs | 3500 lbs |
| Chalet | XL-1930 | 1995 lbs | 3500 lbs |
| ALiner | Family | 2000 lbs | 3500 lbs |
| Rockwood | 1970ESP | 2095 lbs | 2884 lbs |
| Rockwood | A122S | 2120 lbs | 3284 lbs |
| Coachmen | 12.0TD XL : Clipper Express | 2147 lbs | 3720 lbs |
| Viking | 12.0TD XL : Viking Express | 2147 lbs | 3720 lbs |
| Chalet | XL-1935 | 2165 lbs | 3500 lbs |
| Rockwood | 1910ESP | 2199 lbs | 2904 lbs |
| Coachmen | 128LS : Clipper LS | 2204 lbs | 3223 lbs |
| Viking | 2308LS : Viking LS | 2221 lbs | 3223 lbs |
| Rockwood | 1940F | 2223 lbs | 3240 lbs |
| Coachmen | 12.0 TD MAX : Clipper Express | 2225 lbs | 3259 lbs |
| Viking | 12.0TD MAX : Viking Express | 2225 lbs | 3259 lbs |
| ALiner | Evolution | 2300 lbs | 3500 lbs |
| Opus | OP Lite Air Tent | 2380 lbs | 3527 lbs |
| Rockwood | 2318G | 2458 lbs | 3263 lbs |
The average pop up camper weight in this class is 1,969 lbs.
Mid-sized pop-up campers have more features than lightweight pop-up campers. Some even have bathrooms with a shower (Aliner Evolution).
Pop Up Camper Weight More Than 2,500 lbs
| Brand | Model | UVW | GVWR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockwood | 2280BHESP | 2578 lbs | 3838 lbs |
| TrailManor | 2518 KB | 2580 lbs | 3300 lbs |
| V-Trec | V2 | 2581 lbs | 3790 lbs |
| TrailManor | 2518 KS | 2600 lbs | 3220 lbs |
| TrailManor | 2518 KD | 2600 lbs | 3220 lbs |
| Rockwood | A213HW | 2670 lbs | 3372 lbs |
| Rockwood | 2514F | 2673 lbs | 3295 lbs |
| Rockwood | A214HW | 2700 lbs | 3353 lbs |
| V-Trec | V4 | 2790 lbs | 3897 lbs |
| Coachmen | 1285SST : Clipper Classic | 2840 lbs | 3296 lbs |
| Viking | 2485SST : Viking Legend | 2840 lbs | 3296 lbs |
| Rockwood | 2318ESP | 2868 lbs | 3875 lbs |
| Rockwood | 232ESP | 2952 lbs | 3794 lbs |
| TrailManor | 2720 QB | 2960 lbs | 4293 lbs |
| Taxa Outdoors | Mantis 4.1 | 2972 lbs | 4201 lbs |
| MDC USA | Explorer FF | 3028 lbs | 4409 lbs |
| TrailManor | 2720 QS | 3040 lbs | 4250 lbs |
| TrailManor | 2720 QD | 3040 lbs | 4250 lbs |
| TrailManor | 2922 KB | 3040 lbs | 4390 lbs |
| Opus | OP4 Air Tent | 3100 lbs | 4200 lbs |
| Taxa Outdoors | Mantis 5.2 | 3115 lbs | 4200 lbs |
| TrailManor | 2922 KB | 3130 lbs | 4480 lbs |
| TrailManor | 2922 KD | 3130 lbs | 4480 lbs |
| TrailManor | 3124 KB | 3140 lbs | 4735 lbs |
| Lifestyle Campers | ICONN EVO | 3197 lbs | 4409 lbs |
| Lifestyle Campers | ICONN E2 | 3197 lbs | 4409 lbs |
| TrailManor | 3124 KS | 3200 lbs | 4427 lbs |
| TrailManor | 3124 KD | 3200 lbs | 4427 lbs |
| V-Trec | V3 | 3217 lbs | 4427 lbs |
| Opus | OP2 Air Tent | 3244 lbs | 4400 lbs |
| Rockwood | HW277 | 3334 lbs | 3880 lbs |
| Lifestyle Campers | RECONN R2 | 3417 lbs | 4850 lbs |
| MDC USA | Jackson FF | 3455 lbs | 4409 lbs |
| Taxa Outdoors | Mantis Overland | 3486 lbs | 5000 lbs |
| Tribe Trailers | Expedition 500 | 3600 lbs | 4100 lbs |
| Rockwood | HW296 | 3721 lbs | 4999 lbs |
| Conqueror | UEV-490 | 3800 lbs | 4800 lbs |
| MDC USA | AusRV GT | 3854 lbs | 5512 lbs |
| MDC USA | Robson XTT | 3940 lbs | 5291 lbs |
| Lifestyle Campers | RECONN R4 | 4520 lbs | 6173 lbs |
| MDC USA | AusRV LX | 4734 lbs | 5732 lbs |
| Lifestyle Campers | RECONN R4T | 5400 lbs | 7716 lbs |
The average pop up camper weight in this class is 3,217 lbs.
The heaviest pop-up campers often have more sleeping space for larger families (Rockwood HW296). They are often more rugged for more rustic adventures (Taxa Outdoors Mantis Overland).
Test Drive a Pop Up Camper With Your Vehicle
Buying a pop up camper is a significant investment, so you don’t want to end up buying a camper that doesn’t meet your needs. For me, I didn’t want a camper that super heavy, or that didn’t handle well when driving down the highway. I also wanted a camper that was easy to setup and take down.
Unfortunately, camper dealers and private sellers won’t let you take a camper for a weekend test drive to see if it will work for you.
But there is another option. You can rent a pop up camper for the weekend on sites like Outdoorsy or RVshare.
When we first were testing out campers, I rented an R-Pod from Outdoorsy thinking that might be a good option for our Toyota Tacoma. After taking it on a week-long road trip, I realized it didn’t handle as well as I would have liked, and I didn’t like the low visibility I had.
Renting a camper from Outdoorsy ended up being great, because it made me realize I wanted a pop up camper for my Toyota Tacoma. And that’s I how I decided an ALiner was the right fit for my truck and family.
But be sure to check out multiple sites, including Outdoorsy and RVShare, to see what campers are available, as they often vary from rental site to rental site.
What Next?
Still on the fence about whether a pop-up camper is the right choice for you? Check out our thoughts on owning an Aliner Expedition. And if you’re getting ready to purchase a used camper, be sure to read our article on tips to make the process of buying a used camper easier!
