There’s a feeling of immortality that attends sitting in the driver’s seat of a truck, camper hooked up to the tailgate and open road stretched out for miles in front. But eventually, pavement turns into dirt, and having that litle jalopy in tow becomes a significant pain in the ass.
For those who want a little home on the road without all the baggage, there’s a lightweight but heavy-duty alternative: The Platform by Go Fast Campers. The pop-up truck camper, a collaboration between Montana’s Hondo Garage and AeroContinental, claims to be the lightest on the market, tipping the scale at just 199 lbs. (Although, as New Atlas points out, there’s also the 100-lb. Leentu — anoher relative newcomer.)
Baja racing inspired the fully-welded steel space frame and aluminum hardware, giving you peace of mind when cruising the desert. That off-road-racing pedigree also extends to the nightly assembly: simply pull a release cord and lift, with a helping hand from gas struts.
Once erect, the camper sleeps two 6’6” adults comfortably, while three removable floor panels allow for different sleeping and seating arrangements (including up to 7’10” of standing room).
To be clear, this is all based on prototypes. Go-Fast Campers are currently accepting preorders ($500 down to get first dibs on a GFC Platform priced at $5,000) for three different vehicle models: ‘95-’18 Toyota Tacomas, ‘15-’18 Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyons and ‘09-’18 Ford F-150s (5.5 and 6’ beds only).
As the Platform is the company’s first product, you might want to wait and see how this plays out — though Go Fast states that preorders are fully refundable and the first deliveries will go out in May 2018.
So if you want one in time for summer, get in line.
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