Truck Campers Are a Bit Different in Australia: Get Ready To Witness the Vantage 2.4

Folks, Active Campers (AC) has been on the market since 2002, and much like any other brand that's born from a passion for the great outdoors, this crew began their venture in their own backyard, literally. In time, around 2010, things started to grow, and today, this manufacturer is hitting the market with everything it's got.

As you can tell from the image gallery, their specialty is nothing more than the truck-bed or slide-in camper, which is great news for those of us that have amazingly capable trucks suitable for off-road adventures. Today, we'll be taking a closer look at the Vantage 2.4, the largest of the two available units this crew manufactures, and I highly recommend you pay attention to what's going on with this crew and their gear. You'll understand why shortly. The catch is that you need a flatbed or utility truck for these babies.

Now, a whole lot about how AC build these babies isn't available on their website, trade secrets and all. But, they do mention that fiberglass is king in their manufacturing process, and once coupled with honeycomb sandwich panel technology, the result is a camper that's light, durable, and can be loaded up quite heavily with a near-endless supply of goodies. Heck, dry, the 2.4 only weighs 550 kg (1,212 lbs)!

Once you've got your truck loaded up with this beauty, you'll finally hit the road, not looking back for a few days. Driving along, you'll realize that the beauty of a truck camper is the fact that it'll go with you to just about any destination your truck can normally reach. Just be sure to factor in the center of gravity and the extra weight exerted on your truck's suspension.

After you arrive at some hidden spot in the middle of the wilderness, it's time to unravel the rest of the 2.4's magic. It's at this point that you'll witness all the other little tricks this unit has up its sleeve. If you want, you can even unload this baby on a set of stabilizer legs and use your truck to explore the local landscape untethered. Next, you might want to do is pop this camper's top. That's right, the roof lifts to help expand the interior and allows guests to stand up straight while moving around the habitat. No crouching around here.

With the roof lifted in place, you'll use the side door to climb inside, and as you do, you'll find yourself in the middle of a mud room which can also be used as a space to shower; the toilet will also be to your right. Straight ahead and sharing the rear wall with the bathroom, an L-shaped galley offers a large countertop where you can prepare meals and cool goods with a 130 l (34 gals) fridge and cook them on the incorporated burner stove.

The remainder of the living area is reserved for a dinette with opposing seating, and by the looks of it, this space also serves as a sleeping area for a guest or if your spouse is hogging all the covers. Speaking of covers, the cab-over section of the 2.4 is reserved for nothing more than resting your bones. You can also fall asleep while viewing the local surroundings out of the window integrated into the tent canvas walls.

The next aspect we need to analyze when it comes to any camper is its ability to accommodate life without the need to rely on the grid. Overall, two 50 l (13 gals) freshwater tanks, water pump, water heater, lithium battery with Redarc BMS (Battery Management System), and optional solar panels ensure you can go about your day as you normally would, albeit in much tighter spaces.

Now, what you need to understand about the Australian off-road and off-grid lifestyle is that they focus heavily on the outdoor aspect of things. That said, the 2.4 is prepared to accommodate awnings and equipped with storage bays, so you can bring along outdoor dining sets or anything else you use to relax. Maybe some inflatable kayaks or SUPs? Even an external shower or tent annex can be added to these buggers. Talk about really getting your outdoor nose wet!

The question now is regarding the price of accessing this sort of lifestyle with a 2.4. Well, according to Active Campers' website, without any extras, a 2.4 will run you a tad under $80,000 Australian, which is roughly $52K American. It may sound like a bit more than your average truck camper, but this behemoth is anything but average.

There's just something you need to know before looking into getting your hands on one of these puppies, and that's that Active Campers only seems to be selling these babies in Aussieland. So, prepare your account for some shipping fees, and even adapt the unit to your local road laws if Active even does that sort of work. Only one way to find out!