Pickup owners love versatility, and that’s doubly true of adventure-loving pickup owners. In-bed truck campers are a near-perfect camping solution, but they’re often short on gear storage, while hard shells are a near-perfect storage solution but hardly make for the ideal on-the-go living space. The Moonlander X hardshell camper solves both problems with a clever, all-in-one design.
Get the low-down on Radica’s Moonlander X pickup truck camper
True to its name, the Moonlander X (MLX for those in the know) features a modern, minimalist aesthetic with a sleek, industrial “NASA-esque” vibe that feels perfectly plucked from the agency’s Apollo missions. On the outside, the hard shell is all-business with a boxy silhouette and (optional) large, panoramic windows on the sides and rear. It’s everything that made Radica’s original Moonlander cool: A deft blend of “in-bed camper” and “pickup hard shell,” but the Moonlander X is wider, taller, and more livable in every way.
In what Radica calls “Bed Mode,” the main live/sleep area features an east/west bed setup that relies on a mattress that “floats” on the pickup’s bed rails. This allows for six to seven feet of sleeping space (depending on the size of your truck’s bed and which X model you choose) to accommodate almost any height truck owner. The new model provides 39.5 inches of sitting height from the bed base to the ceiling — enough for most men and women to sit comfortably. Using a split camping mattress like the Hest Dually (not included), the bed setup can fold in half and slide toward the cab of the truck, making for a comfy couch setup (a.k.a. “Couch Mode”). It’s an easy transition between “couch by day” and “bed by night.”
By floating the mattress above the floor and making the mattress panels removable, Radica cleverly opens up the entire floor of the pickup for storage in “Stow Mode.” Everything from mountain bikes to hiking gear to dirt bikes can conceivably fit in place of the bed for easy transport. The cab-over loft provides additional storage for smaller outdoor gear or even doubles as a sleep space for small children or pets. Radica confirms that the reinforced roof is also sturdy enough for a 300-pound dynamic load and a 500-pound static load — more than enough for hauling extra gear, especially with the optional Thule tracks up top.
Order your own Moonlander X hardshell pickup camper
The base model Moonlander X fits, in Radica’s words, “almost any truck ever made.” That includes mid-size (five-foot) beds all the way up to full-size (eight-foot) beds. So there’s a good chance that it’ll fit your pickup, too. It’s available now with a two-month lead time and a starting price of $7,950 for short-bed models. That doesn’t include much in terms of features, however. Once you start ticking the option boxes — everything from bubble windows to adjustable roof vents to a full solar setup is available — the all-in cost will likely be hundreds, even thousands, of dollars more. But considering that it’s both a camper and a hardshell, you’re basically getting a two-fer. So, there’s that.
