During Overland Expo in May 2025, I spoke with Four Wheel Campers, whose representatives spoke highly of its Hawk+ Pop-Up Flatbed Camper, which launched the following month. Priced at around $70,000, it featured a dinette, kitchen, and portable toilet, amenities many deem essential for modern camping. However, after discovering Aliner’s Switchback pickup camper yesterday, I realized that true adventure might mean ditching these conveniences to connect more deeply with nature. That’s the idea Pennsylvania RV manufacturer Aliner is trying to sell with its Switchback truck camper.
Marketing the tagline, “No kitchen. No bathroom. No fuss”, Aliner has its vision set on luring those camping adventurers who are not interested in towing a house-sized RV up a winding forest road. It is flaunting a no-nonsense pickup camper that folds down into a box. When not in drive mode, the camper unfurls into a fully hard-sided, diamond-shaped A-frame shelter that can sleep a couple. And it does so in 30 seconds. I am not the one saying it; that’s what the maker touts on its website.
Not to mention, when it’s folded down, the camper’s body is only 50 inches tall, so you can slide it right into your garage without a hassle. That’s the level of practicality I expect from modern truck campers. To help campers in the endeavor, Aliner has kept the weight of Switchback at just 375lbs, which is six times lighter than Hawk+.
Although this is double the weight of Freedom Camper we covered a month back, the latter is bare empty inside compared to Switchback, which features a 60 x 72-inch queen bed for sleeping. Not to mention, these cushions that form the bed can be rearranged into two sofa benches, thus keeping the interior organized, while providing space to sit and be in the moment.
Speaking of the interior, the camper boasts about 5.8 feet of internal height, which is roomy enough to move around, though my taller friends might require a little ducking. The camper also comes equipped with Tinted plexiglass windows that let in just the right amount of light and breeze, while the insulation keeps things optimal no matter the weather.
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Switchback is built with an aluminum frame and foam-core composite panels, so it’s sturdy and rot-proof, hence promising long-term durability to the camper. Another design hack that the maker has employed is equipping the camper with a pair of long, lockable drawers, outside at the entrance below the camper floor. The drawers are 5 feet deep and should be able to store a camping stove, adventure gear, and other necessities.
There’s more space under the benches for whatever else you’re hauling. You need not worry about the security aspect either; the two-part lockable door keeps your things safe while you’re out exploring.
Switchback truck camper pairs nicely with a mid-size Jeep Gladiator or a beefy Ford F-150, or any other truck bed ranging from 5.5 to 8 feet. Priced at $9,500, the Switchback is a steal for anyone who’s ever dreamed of hitting the road without breaking the bank. To put it clearly, you won’t get a gourmet kitchen or a toilet inside Switchback; what you can attain is freedom, simplicity, and getting back to what makes camping actually fun.
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