Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors

Turn Your Pickup Into a Go-Anywhere RV with Scout’s Olympic Truck Camper

Mike Richard
By
Scout Olympic
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Many of us are figuring out creative new ways to do the things we enjoy doing safely. Long-distance travel, in general, isn’t an option for some right now, and won’t be for the foreseeable future. All of which is why 2020 is becoming the year for road tripping and RV travel. If you’ve toyed with either and happen to own a pickup truck, this versatile, state-of-the-art camper truck camper just might give you the final push to hit the open road. 

The all-new Olympic camper from Scout is a next-generation truck camper. It boasts the same portability and versatility of its predecessors, but with all the high-tech gadgetry and conveniences that today’s adventure-seekers demand. At a base weight of just over 1,100 pounds, the shell is designed to fit neatly in the bed of most full-sized pickup trucks. The durable design features a gel-coated fiberglass exterior and roof, aluminum exoskeleton framing, and solid, wood-free construction. The composite structural panels guarantee year-round, all-season use without having to worry about rot or water damage.

Recommended Videos

For such a compact camper, the interior feels surprisingly spacious. With an alcove double bed, an optional rooftop tent, and a four-person dinette that converts into a bed, the Olympic sleeps six comfortably. Even fully loaded, there’s enough storage space for weeks or even months of use. What truly sets the Olympic apart, however, is the long list of options. By ticking every box, modern adventurers can build a high-tech, off-grid-capable mobile basecamp that’s designed to go almost anywhere. A 75-liter, Wi-Fi-enabled Dometic fridge/freezer, 2.6-gallon toilet, indoor/outdoor propane cooktop, and 3,000 BTU heater are all available options. Scout uses portable appliances to ensure the Olympic can be customized for each camping trip. Take only what you need, remove what you don’t. Those who want all the comforts of home can even opt for a 4,500 BTU liquid propane fireplace.

Of course, all the conveniences in the world are useless without a proper power source and a reliable water system. The Olympic comes standard with a 160-watt monocrystalline solar panel and a Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Lithium portable power station. Together, they offer more than a 1,000 watt-hours of energy through numerous USB ports and dual 110V power outlets. A mountable five-gallon Lifesaver Jerrycan also provides clean filtered drinking water and, with the integrated spray wand, can be used as an impromptu shower. 

Related

Truck campers aren’t a new idea. For decades, they’ve provided ultra-minimalist adventurers the ability to RV camp on a budget. But, that often meant sacrificing essentials like a shower, a proper cooking area, or any semblance of storage. Scout is a new venture from Adventure Manufacturing designed to take truck campers to the next level. With more than 60 years of RV-building experience, the Washington-based company seems more than capable of doing just that.

The Scout Olympic is available for pre-order, starting at USD $19,980. Fully optioned, the bottom line will likely be closer to $30,000. Sure, you could score a well-equipped travel trailer for as much. But, few are as high-tech, lightweight, and ready to go anywhere as this forward-thinking truck camper.

If you don’t mind swapping maximum portability for extra features and floor space, check out the best ultra-light travel trailers of 2020.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mike Richard
Mike Richard
Contributor
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
Get Far, Far Off-Grid With the Solar-Powered ERV Electric Camper
ERV Electric Camper

We’ve long been fans of a proper digital detox. Few things can clear a man’s head like disappearing into nature for a weekend (or a few months). Now, in a year when social distancing seems as essential as oxygen, water, and bacon, there’s never been a better time to find a legit escape. If you’re looking to get far, far off-grid, Australia’s Retreat Caravan has the perfect RV for you.

Aussies love “caravanning” or what Americans would call “camping.” Most Statesiders think nothing of packing up the RV for a weekend in the mountains. Likewise, Australians are prone to weeks- or even months-long holidays in the outback. The problem, of course, is that getting hundreds of miles from civilization means bringing plenty of water and, just as important, an adequate and sustainable power supply. The solution, according to Retreat Caravan, is the ERV Electric Camper.

Read more
Turn Any Pickup Into a Full-Featured Overland Camper With Port-Lite Expedition
port lite expedition truck mod

There’s never been a better time to be an Everyman Expeditioner. Modern cruise liners now take ordinary passengers to the farthest reaches of Antarctica; any moderately fit adventurer can buy a ticket to the summit of Mount Everest; and, sometime next year, well-heeled soccer moms could be practicing yoga aboard a legit space hotel. Now, one Maine-based builder is promising to outfit almost any pickup truck owner with the tools to get far, far off-grid.

The Port-Lite Expedition can convert most factory pickup trucks into legit overland campers. The concept of similar in-bed campers is hardly new, but most models from the last three decades were built solely with affordability in mind. They’re often flimsy, not well-insulated, and poorly made. The Expedition series is lightweight and durable, built to the standards of hardcore overland campers looking to go almost anywhere. The exterior is a fully-molded composite construction with an aluminum flatbed, marine roof hatches, and marine hardware throughout. Port-Lite promises it can easily survive the rigors of off-road travel.

Read more
Amp Up Your Vanlife With the New Goal Zero Yeti 200X Power Bank
goal zero yeti 200x 1

For many, road-tripping and living the vanlife are about getting far, far away from it all. It’s pure escapism, where smartphones and social media have no place. More and more of us, however, are looking to escape while enjoying at least some of the conveniences of home. Most of those conveniences have one thing in common: The need for electricity. The latest release from Goal Zero promises to keep your gadgets and gear charged no matter where life takes you.

As the name implies, Goal Zero’s Yeti 200X delivers almost 200W of power through a heavy-duty rechargeable lithium-ion battery. For the electrically illiterate (including this author), that’s enough juice to charge a tablet more than eight times and most 15-inch laptops around four times. The best part is that it’s smaller than a two-slice toaster and weighs just five pounds. While it’s too bulky to take into the backcountry, it’s plenty portable for a long weekend of off-grid car camping.

Read more