Yoho Mid-Size Truck Camper Trumps Travel Trailers in the Pursuit of Adventure

If Scout Campers sounds familiar, it's because we've featured their works several times before, in particular, the Kenai and Olympic truck campers. Well, this time around, we explore the youngest sibling in Scout's lineup, the Yoho. Oh, it's also the lightest and most affordable option this manufacturer currently offers. Time to see what we can get our hands on for a measly $22,500 (€20,800 at current exchange rates).

Let's start off by thinking a bit about why a truck camper should be of interest rather than the travel trailers everyone else is so bent on owning these days. Think about things like this. If you own a truck that can do all kinds of crazy stuff and then hitch up some trailer designed to stay on the beaten path, that's all you'll be able to do, stick to roads within the camper's limits. With a truck-mounted habitat, all that changes.

Because you're no longer pulling a construction that may not be suited for off-road use and, instead, carrying your hermit cave on your back, you're no longer limited to asphalt or flat dirt roads; you can travel wherever your truck can go. Sure, you'll need to ensure that weight is distributed evenly if you're going to tackle some rougher terrains and the habitat secured properly to your bed, but already you can understand the level of discovery you'll be privy to.

Now, as light as the Yoho is, with a dry weight of just 934 pounds (424 kilograms), it can still accommodate up to four guests. That's a big win for smaller families looking to spice up their summers with memories and moments that will stick with your children long after you may have forgotten them. After all, you're not buying a camper; you're unlocking unedited and pure human connection.

Because the Yoho is a bit smaller than its brethren, it also opens up horizons for mid-size truck owners. Vehicles like the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, and countless others are now on the menu, and in those 934 pounds hides a habitat that is suitable for year-round use. What more could you want? Modularity and features? That's up next.

As you would expect, the four-season abilities of this bugger are mainly granted because of materials like aluminum and composite during the construction process. This also means no wooden structural panels either. Beyond that, Scout like to mention that the Yoho is all about "Only the core essentials," and what this means for you is the presence of a portable power station, solar power, water filters and tanks, and a galley setup with features that Dometic has explicitly crafted for Scout.

To get a feel for what to expect with a Yoho, let's take a short trip through an extended weekend you might live out. With your truck in the driveway and camper loaded up on the back, you give a honk or two, and the family comes rushing out; it's time to go. Since a few other folks are doing the same thing this weekend, you all decide to head out of town together. However, once the city's edge has been breached, you start flashing your lights, waving to the group, and hit a trail you had marked on your map. Everyone with a travel trailer stops and watches you drive off into the wild.

After mixing the orange juice you packed like never before, you and the crew arrive at the base of a rock formation you scoped out last year. Since rock climbing is on this adventure's menu, you unload the truck of all your gear and ready the interior for the next day or so. Already the 190-watt solar panel mounted on the cabover portion of the Yoho is working its magic.

Speaking of the interior, I need to point out that the sleeping area is composed of two separate spaces and levels. Yes, the main bedding is mounted in the cabover, but another mattress can be whipped up by simply readjusting the modular dinette. If you're traveling as a couple, the main bedding should be more than enough, lest there be an argument. The rest of the interior is reserved for all the little systems that ensure a warm and comfortable habitat, but storage too.

Outside the Yoho, the story is just as captivating. After finding level ground, you can unload your camper and create a welcoming outdoor area, ready with an awning, some lounge chairs, and, why not, a fire pit while you're at it. Just make sure you have the fire extinguisher nearby in case things get out of hand. Since it's already a tad late in the day, everyone just hangs out around the campsite; even a meal is now cooking. With the sounds of nothing more than the natural world around, you kick back and enjoy the rest of the day. Come tomorrow; it's time to scale those rocks I mentioned.

Looking to explore places where your average habitat can't reach? Then a truck camper is your best bet, and at a tad over $22K, the Yoho is worth considering.