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Hand-riveted aluminum slide-in truck bed camper on a Toyota Tacoma at sunset on an alpine pass.

Made in Bellingham · Since 2016

Hand-Riveted Aluminum Slide-In Truck Bed Campers.

The Kimbo lineup: hard-side slide-in campers built from 5052 aluminum, hand-riveted in Bellingham, Washington. The Kimbo 6 fits midsize trucks (Tacoma, Ranger, Colorado, Gladiator). The Kimbo 8 fits full-size trucks (F-150, Tundra, Silverado, Ram). Both are lightweight, four-season-capable, and made-to-order.

What is a slide-in truck bed camper?

A slide-in truck bed camper is a self-contained living unit that mounts in the bed of a pickup truck rather than towing behind it. Unlike a travel trailer, the camper rides with the truck — no hitch, no separate registration, no second vehicle to park. Hard-side slide-ins like the Kimbo 6 and Kimbo 8 are aluminum-shelled and four-season-capable. Slide-in truck bed campers fit most midsize trucks (Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, Jeep Gladiator) and full-size trucks (Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, Chevy Silverado, Ram).

The lineup

Two campers, one philosophy.

Both the Kimbo 6 and Kimbo 8 are hand-riveted aluminum slide-in campers built in Bellingham. The Kimbo 6 is the lightweight midsize-truck platform; the Kimbo 8 is the full-size four-season platform with a wet bath. Specs, pricing, and truck fit below.

Black Toyota Tacoma with the Kimbo 6 hand-riveted aluminum slide-in truck bed camper, photographed front-quarter on red sandstone in southern Utah.

Kimbo 6 / midsize trucks

The lightweight slide-in. From $27,990.

830 lb dry. Fits Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, Jeep Gladiator, Nissan Frontier, and most other midsize trucks with 5- to 6-foot beds. R5 rigid foam insulation, double-pane Arctic Tern windows, modular interior, four-season ready with an optional Dickinson propane heater upgrade.

Dry weight
830 lb
Insulation
R5
From
$27,990
Explore Kimbo 6 →
White Dodge Ram 2500 with the Kimbo 8 hand-riveted aluminum slide-in truck bed camper, photographed on the Oregon coast with sea stacks behind.

Kimbo 8 / full-size trucks

The four-season slide-in with wet bath. From $42,990.

980 lb dry. Fits Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Ram 1500-3500, and most other full-size trucks with 6.5- to 8-foot beds. R10 rigid foam insulation, integrated wet bath, queen cabover bed, full four-season capability — with factory-installed Dickinson Marine Propane or Diesel heater available as a build option.

Dry weight
980 lb
Insulation
R10
From
$42,990
Explore Kimbo 8 →

Why hard-side

Hard-side aluminum, not soft-side canvas.

Insulation

Rigid foam-core panels (R5 in K6, R10 in K8) stay insulated at sub-freezing temperatures. Soft-side pop-up campers lose heat through canvas walls, capping their cold-weather usable range above ~30°F.

Security

Aluminum walls and a steel-cam-locked door secure the contents the way a hard-side truck cap does. Soft-side canvas opens with a knife in seconds — fine for trailhead overnights, not fine for week-long trips with bikes, climbing gear, or laptops inside.

Longevity

The 5052 aluminum shell is the same alloy used in marine hulls — corrosion- resistant, repairable, designed to outlast the truck carrying it. Soft-side canvas shells need replacement every 8–12 years; aluminum shells in regular use are typically still serviceable at 25+ years.

Four-season

Truck bed campers built for the cold morning.

Most truck campers are three-season machines — they work fine in summer and shoulder seasons, but lose practical usability below freezing. Kimbo 6 and Kimbo 8 are the opposite: R5–R10 rigid foam insulation, sealed double-pane Arctic Tern windows, and a chimney pass-through pre-installed for an exterior-vented Dickinson heater. Owners camp through Pacific Northwest winters, Colorado snowstorms, and sub-zero high desert nights — many with the Dickinson upgrade installed for real cold-weather use.

Kimbo 6 — R5 insulation

R5 rigid foam panels, double-pane Arctic Tern windows, A/C and chimney pass-through pre-installed with riveted cover plate for an optional Dickinson Marine Propane heater upgrade. Owners with the heater installed regularly camp comfortably at 25°F and below.

Kimbo 8 — R10 insulation

Twice the insulation thickness of the K6, double-pane Arctic Tern windows, and a chimney pass-through pre-installed for an exterior-vented Dickinson heater — with two factory-installed options at build time: Dickinson Marine Propane, or Diesel that draws from the truck's tank for extended cold-weather use.

Truck fit guide

Will a Kimbo fit your truck?

Most midsize and full-size pickups with 5- to 8-foot beds and 1,000+ lb of payload capacity are Kimbo-compatible. Detailed payload + bed-length guidance per truck below.

TruckBed lengthRecommended Kimbo
Toyota Tacoma5'–6'Kimbo 6Fit guide →
Ford Ranger5'Kimbo 6Fit guide →
Chevy Colorado5'2''–6'2''Kimbo 6Fit guide →
Jeep Gladiator5'Kimbo 6Fit guide →
Nissan Frontier5'–6'Kimbo 6Fit guide →
Ford F-1505.5'–8'Kimbo 6 or 8Fit guide →
Toyota Tundra5.5'–8.1'Kimbo 6 or 8Fit guide →
Chevy Silverado 15005.8'–8'Kimbo 6 or 8Fit guide →

Don't see your truck? See the full truck fit guide for 30+ trucks, including Ram, GMC, Honda Ridgeline, Rivian R1T, and trim-specific fit notes (Tacoma TRD Pro, F-150 Raptor, Tundra TRD Pro, etc.).

Watch / KIMBO Series 6 Truck Camper Tour

A walkthrough of a hand-riveted aluminum slide-in camper.

Talon Sei's 30-minute walkthrough of his Kimbo 6 build on a Toyota Tacoma — exterior walkaround, kitchen, bath module, sleeping loft, and the Dickinson propane heater that defines four-season camping in a Kimbo.

Frequently asked

Questions, answered.

What's the difference between a slide-in, a pop-up, and a topper?
Three different product categories for truck-bed living. Slide-ins (hard-side aluminum, like the Kimbo 6 and Kimbo 8) are self-contained living units with insulated walls, full-height interiors, and integrated kitchen and bath modules — designed for four-season use and long-term ownership. Pop-up campers (Four Wheel Campers, Hallmark, ATC) have soft-side canvas walls that fold down for travel and pop up at camp — lighter and lower-profile, but limited cold-weather usability. Toppers (Go Fast Campers, Tune, Alu-Cab) are bed-rail shells with sleeping platforms but no integrated living systems — best for weekend trips, not extended off-grid travel.
How much does a slide-in truck bed camper cost?
Slide-in truck bed campers range from $10,000 (used Lance and Northstar models) to $80,000+ (fully-loaded new builds with off-grid solar and heating). Hard-side aluminum builds typically run $25,000–$65,000 new; the Kimbo 6 starts at $27,990 and the Kimbo 8 starts at $42,990, both made-to-order with 7–9 week production timelines. Used hard-side slide-ins hold value better than soft-side pop-ups; expect $15,000–$35,000 for a 5- to 10-year-old aluminum slide-in in good condition.
What is the lightest hard-side slide-in truck camper?
The Kimbo 6 is the lightest hard-side slide-in truck camper currently in production at 830 lb dry weight. Most hard-side competitors run 1,400–2,400 lb dry: the Lance 650 is 1,560 lb, the Northstar Liberty is approximately 1,400 lb, the Palomino HS-650 is approximately 1,800 lb, and traditional Lance / Arctic Fox / Eagle Cap models exceed 2,000 lb. The Kimbo 6's 830 lb figure comes from the hand-riveted 5052 aluminum monocoque construction (no internal wood or steel frame).
Are slide-in truck campers four-season?
Some are, most aren't. Four-season capability requires sufficient insulation (R5 minimum, R10 ideal), sealed double-pane windows, a proper heating system, and a hard shell that doesn't lose heat through canvas pop-up sides. The Kimbo 6 ships with R5 rigid foam insulation and a chimney pass-through pre-installed for an optional Dickinson Marine Propane heater upgrade; the Kimbo 8 ships with R10 insulation and supports two factory-installed heater options (Dickinson Marine Propane or Diesel) for full four-season camping at temperatures below freezing. Soft-side pop-up slide-ins (Four Wheel Campers Hawk, etc.) are typically three-season only.
What truck do I need for a slide-in camper?
Most slide-in truck bed campers fit midsize trucks (Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, Jeep Gladiator) with 5- to 6-foot beds, or full-size trucks (Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, Chevy Silverado, Ram 1500-3500) with 6.5- to 8-foot beds. Payload is the binding constraint: a Kimbo 6 needs 1,000 lb payload minimum (most midsize trucks meet this); a Kimbo 8 needs 1,500 lb payload (most half-ton and 3/4-ton trucks meet this). Bed length determines whether the tailgate closes — beds 6 ft or longer let the tailgate close.

Build a Kimbo. Send it over.

Configure a hand-riveted aluminum slide-in truck bed camper for your truck. We'll walk through fit, modules, and timing. No deposit needed to start the conversation.