While we would all like to be financially secure enough to drop half a million on a campervan or five figures on a trailer with a rooftop tent, the reality for most people who go overlanding is their gear needs to be both effective and affordable. If you’ve got the itch to get to someplace special for a while but have to live on a budget like the rest of the 99 Percent, take a look at Tusca’s cozy Hitchhiker Camper pod.
Designed to be placed on a stand of your (or someone’s) design in a pickup bed or on a flatbed trailer, the $2,750 Hitchhiker is built by Pennsylvania-based Tusca Outdoors, whose primary products are shooting blinds for hunters. In the video below, Josh with Tusca says that he came up with the idea for the Hitchhiker for an annual winter trip he takes where he just needed a warm bunk, not an RV or some elaborate camping setup. The Hitchhiker is based on the same construction principles as the shooting blinds, including thick insulation and a toughened exterior hardened with a material similar to a spray-in bedliner.
The Hitchhiker weighs in at a svelte 190 pounds and measures 7.5 x 4.8 x 4.4 feet so that it will fit on a typical 5×8 foot trailer. The camper pod can be bolted to the trailer or securely strapped down with tie-downs using notches on the roof. Tusca says that if placed on a longer trailer, the light weight makes it easy to move around to make space for ATVs or other gear. The Hitchhiker will fit in a typical long bed pickup with the tailgate closed or in shorter beds with the gate down, but you’ll need to devise a secure system for it to clear the wheel wells in any pickup. The slanted front section helps with aerodynamics during transport.
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The Hitchhiker’s amenities are expectedly spare – you’ll need to supply your own mattress – but Tusca says once set up, the efficient insulation means two people can expect to stay pretty cozy just from their body heat despite sub-freezing temperatures outside. However, there is a portal for an extension cord so an electric heater can be placed inside as well. Camper-style sliding windows allow airflow if things get too cozy. The door can also lock for a bit more security. DIY types can clearly get creative inside the Hitchhiker to store gear and such.
Tusca says anyone ordering in February can get $500 off with a discount code during their rollout of the Hitchhiker, and units should start shipping in April.
