Alaskan Composite Pickup Camper

For decades, owning an Alaskan camper usually meant owning a heavy-duty truck. The new Alaskan HS 640 Composite Pickup Camper changes that equation, introducing the lightest hard-sided camper the company has ever built while staying true to the durability that has defined the brand since 1957.

Rather than adapting an existing model, Alaskan developed the HS 640 from the ground up around an entirely new composite construction. Structural insulated panels combine high-density PIR foam with fiberglass skins to create rigid, rot-resistant walls with an R-11 insulation rating, while a patent-pending aluminum and PVC hybrid frame helps reduce thermal bridging, improving interior comfort and minimizing condensation in changing weather. The result is a camper that's significantly lighter without sacrificing the solid feel expected from a hard-sided design.

Starting at around 1,200 pounds dry, the HS 640 is designed to fit a much broader range of pickups, including many standard 6.5-foot beds from Toyota, Ford, Ram, and Chevrolet, often allowing the tailgate to remain closed. That lower weight opens the door to half-ton trucks that previously sat outside Alaskan's traditional customer base, making the brand's legendary hard-sided campers accessible to far more overland enthusiasts.

Despite its focus on weight reduction, the HS 640 doesn't feel stripped back. Buyers can configure the camper with multiple interior layouts, integrated Victron electrical systems, lithium battery storage, solar charging, Starlink connectivity, freshwater storage, and a long list of off-grid options, allowing it to be tailored for everything from weekend escapes to extended backcountry adventures.

The HS 640 isn't simply a lighter Alaskan. It represents a new direction for the company, combining modern composite engineering with the practicality and four-season capability that have made its campers so respected for nearly seven decades. For anyone looking to experience hard-sided truck camping without stepping up to a heavy-duty pickup, this could be one of the most compelling options to arrive this year.

See our full guide to the best camper vans you can buy in 2026