So, you bought an 8ft camper and you’re not sure if it will fit in your truck 6ft bed? Maybe you felt confident that it would because the seller said it should. Maybe you didn’t even consider whether it would fit or not. You just saw the price and fell in love with the trailer and knew for sure it would fit.

In this article, we’ll reveal if you can put an 8ft camper on a 6ft bed.

Ready? Let’s dive right into it — Can You Put An 8Ft Camper On A 6Ft Bed?

Can You Put An 8Ft Camper On A 6Ft Bed?

Some 8ft campers are designed for both short bed and long bed trucks, simply by removing the side skirts at the rear of the camper for the 8-foot bed. A long bed designed camper should not be put on a short bed truck.

Can You Use A Long Bed Camper In A Short Bed Truck?

As a short bed truck owner, you might be wondering if a long bed camper can fit your truck. The answer to this question is yes and no, depending on the layout of your truck and the camper’s design.

Long Bed Camper and Short Bed Truck Layout

There are two types of layouts for a long bed camper; low profile and high profile. The high-profile camper’s roof is taller, which makes it easier for you to stand inside the camper. In contrast, you can only bend or crawl in a low-profile camper because its roof is less than 6 feet tall.

The low-profile long bed camper fits in any truck, including short bed trucks. However, the high-profile long bed camper only fits in trucks that have an 8’ 6” or longer bed.

How Close Should You Get?

A general rule of thumb when installing a long bed camper in a short bed truck is to leave a 4” gap between the cab and the rear of the camper. This gap allows you to turn without the camper hitting against your cab walls.

How Do I Know If A Camper Will Fit My Truck?

It is not enough to know the length of the camper you plan to purchase, because the tailgate on your truck may need to be in the down position. Take measurements of your truck’s bed and tailgate.

Count the number of tie-downs you have in your truck’s bed. A full-sized truck bed should fit a camper with six tie-downs. If you do not have six tie-downs, consider purchasing additional tie-down mounts from a hardware or auto parts store. You can install these anytime, as long as you have basic tools and knowledge.

How Do I Measure My Truck Bed?

First, measure the width of your truck bed at its narrowest point, then measure the length at its longest point. You need to be sure that these dimensions are not larger than the dimensions on the camper you are interested in.

If they are smaller than the dimensions of the camper, but not by much, it is likely that the camper will still work for you.

Some campers have an overhang on either side or in front of the cabover bed. If you have a short bed truck, make sure to take this into account when measuring for overhang. In addition, some campers have an overhang that extends beyond the width of the truck bed. This is common in high-wall pop-up campers and slide-in truck campers.

Can You Put A Truck Camper On A Tailgate?

Most modern truck beds have tailgates that hinge in the middle or from the side. Depending on the style of your camper and truck bed, this may present a problem for installing your camper.

Many tailgates have a built-in handle to release them from the latch. If you can’t reach the handle from outside your truck, you’ll need to access it from inside the cab.

In truth, the answer is no. A truck camper is designed to be mounted on a truck bed. If you tried to mount it on the tailgate it would most likely break. The reason for this is the weight of the truck camper. The average weight of a truck camper is approximately 2,200lbs. That’s not including whatever items you have in there or any passengers.

If you were to put that much weight on your tailgate it would bend and break. In fact, if you put that much weight anywhere on your truck it would cause issues. The frame wouldn’t be able to handle it because it wasn’t meant to. If you want to put a truck camper on your tailgate then use a slide-in camper instead. These weigh around 1,000lbs and can be mounted on a tailgate without damaging it or breaking your truck frame.

Can You Put A Truck Camper On A Flatbed?

If you’re looking to add a truck camper onto your flatbed, you have a lot of options. While flatbeds are not ideal for hauling truck campers, there are many ways to make it work.

A flatbed is a type of tow truck that has no cab at all and is basically just a flat surface with some straps on it. It’s called a tow dolly because it’s like you’re using a giant dolly to move your car around.

The main thing to think about is what size truck you have and how much it weighs. The camper has to be able to fit on the flatbed and if the truck is too heavy it won’t work out very well for you.

Above all, the answer is YES. However, owning a flatbed truck doesn’t have to prohibit you from owning a truck camper. It just means you might need some adjustments for mounting the tie-downs and turnbuckles, but it’s not an impossible task.

Can You Live In A Truck Camper In The Winter?

Truck Campers are very versatile. They can be used for short trips or long-term living. While many Truck Camper owners use them as a weekend getaway vehicle, others travel extensively in their Truck Campers, and some even live in them full-time.

You may be wondering whether living in a truck camper in the winter is even possible—and, if it is, how you can heat the camper and stay warm. The good news is that with the right preparation and equipment, it’s totally doable. Even in some of the coldest parts of North America! Here are a few tips to help you stay warm and get through the winter in your truck camper:

Insulate your camper properly. R-values for insulation range from 2 for thin fiberglass insulation to 8 for thick fiberglass to 13 for the rigid foam to 38 for blown-in cellulose (which is what you should use). But even if you have super-thick fiberglass insulation, it’s not enough; air will still leak through cracks and openings, so seal up every hole with caulk or expanding foam.

Also, make sure any other openings are weather-stripped. And don’t forget your windows! Window quilts can add an extra layer of insulation over your regular blinds.

Use 12V LED lighting. Incandescent light bulbs produce a lot of heat. If you replace them with LED lights that require much less power, you can save on electricity costs as well as keep your truck bright and warm.

According to a flatbed user who was asked — How do you heat your truck camper?

“I have both electric and gas heating options in my Northstar Laredo SC. My primary heat source is propane gas, but if I’m in an area with electrical hookups, I can run an electric heater. You can also use both at the same time for maximum warmth!”

How Do I Keep My Truck Bed Warm?

Insulate everything, from truck camper to sleeping bag.

Someone from GearJunkie said, “I chose a LEER cap truck topper with an insulated roof, carpeted headliner, and solid fiberglass side windows. Then, I added two layers of Reflectix to the top, keeping more heat in. I sleep on a 4-inch layer of foam.”

Can You Put An 8Ft Camper On A 6Ft Bed – Conclusion

As a recap, let’s look at the answer we gave to the question, Can You Put An 8Ft Camper On A 6Ft Bed?

“Some 8ft campers are designed for both short bed and long bed trucks, simply by removing the side skirts at the rear of the camper for the 8 foot bed. A long bed designed camper should not be put on a short bed truck.”

Thanks for reading.