An elephant hauls a vintage truck camper. Blue whales carry hard-sides to depths they have never seen before. Scott Wilhelm paints one-of-a-kind pieces that will make you scratch your head and uncontrollably smile. Hold onto your truck camper before one of these CamPets carries it away.
Was I seeing things? A white egret poised to snatch an unsuspecting fish, with something simultaneously out of place and very familiar on its back. I pulled my laptop closer, squinted, and zoomed in. Yep! Displayed across my screen was a mint-green vintage truck camper perched on the back of a wading heron.
Confusion quickly gave way to delight as I scrolled through the truck camping version of fine art—only stranger and infinitely more fun. I found myself grinning as painting after painting unfolded into a parade of eye candy. Eagles, horses, elk, turtles, and even humpback whales carried campers through each scene.
Every piece had its own distinctive style, complete with silly captions that added an extra layer of playful context. One caption reads “No Egrets” while another tells the tale of a mother duck finally getting her big break in Hollywood.
Art can take infinite forms and stir nearly every emotion we’re capable of. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a hidden meaning beneath the humor and whimsy. Was there a deeper connection between carrying your home wherever you go and the untamed wildness of the animals hauling it? Only the creator of these masterpieces could answer my questions.
Scott Wilhelm, the creator of CamPets, takes prints of animals and turns them into truck camper art that generates pure joy. Consider this your invitation to smile. Let’s take a closer look.
I’m so excited to meet the artist behind these incredible truck camper pieces. Where did your affinity for truck campers begin?
My grandpa had a Western Wilderness truck camper mounted on his old Ford. He loved fishing and took it all over the Pacific Northwest.
Grandpa’s Western Wilderness
I can still remember the distinct smell of that camper. Some of my earliest memories involve climbing around inside it and playing while it sat in the driveway. Whenever we went fishing, we went in Grandpa’s Western Wilderness. From an early age, I knew I wanted a truck camper of my own someday.
Scott Wilhelm and his Snowriver truck camper
What are your earliest memories of being creative?
I was the type of kid who was always doodling. As a kid, you start out with crayons and then move on to finer tools. From crayons to pencils, from pencils to paints, and eventually everything in between. When I got to college, I wanted to make a career out of my doodles, so I shifted to graphic design.
I constantly create because my brain will not shut off. Painting gives me the ability to create while stepping away from my screen.
When I started painting, I fell in love with acrylics. The ability to paint over mistakes felt like having an undo button. I began with birds and dogs and quickly became drawn to the fine details. A single hair can change an entire painting, and chasing those details has become my zen zone.
CamPets is such a unique concept. How did you come up with it?
The idea of CamPets actually started as a joke with my wife, Carren. When we first started dating, I asked what her ultimate date would look like. She said visiting an elephant sanctuary in Bali.
This sounded great, but it was a pretty expensive date. I sent her a picture of a truck camper next to a lake and jokingly asked if that would do instead. She suggested both, so I drew a truck camper on the back of an elephant just to make her laugh. That wasn’t my first painting, but it is how the idea originated.
Shortly after that sketch, I came across the perfect elephant print and couldn’t resist adding a camper. I also added the “Bali” emblem to the camper as a reminder of our goal to travel there.
Eventually, we made the trip to Bali to visit an elephant sanctuary. I proposed while we were there.
How did truck campers infiltrate your work?
I have always loved truck campers. I am especially drawn to the bold, far-out designs of vintage campers. The creativity of old campers was so apparent, with upper-deck sleeping areas, impractical amenities, and curved features. Unfortunately, those details were not practical enough to survive modern production.
I look for vintage camper inspiration on Pinterest and when I’m on the road. Whenever I spot one in the wild, I stop and photograph it from every angle.
Scott Wilhelm taking photos of an abandoned truck camper
Walk me through your creative process. What comes first, the chicken or the camper?
It starts with finding the right print. I constantly search Facebook Marketplace and browse Goodwill. My friends and family also send me photos whenever they spot something promising. I can usually tell pretty quickly whether a painting will work or not. The framing is critical—you almost need to see the animal’s spine. For example, a lion lying on its back will not work.
Painting over an original is bad luck. I prefer prints for my repaintings rather than originals. From there, I pull old-school references online to nail the camper angle. I also have a collection of ten to fifteen toy truck campers that I photograph at the right angle. I print the photo, set it next to the easel, and use vellum to trace it onto the painting. From there, it is all about layering. I start with a medium base color and build from there.
Painting has become an escape and an opportunity for me to learn. Through repainting, I get a glimpse into how other artists worked. Something happens when I go down that rabbit hole. That feeling of stepping back and looking at something you made? That is how I live my life.
Are the campers based on real models or imagined designs?
Both. Some are real models, and some are made up. Either way, I try to capture the tone of the camper itself. Vintage pieces get those warm yellows and browns. For cooler tones, I work a little blue into the white. It sometimes takes a few passes to get it just right, but that is part of the process.
What do you hope people feel when they see a CamPets painting?
I just want to make people laugh. I step back at the end of a piece, and if it makes me grin, that’s a success.
I get comments from people pointing out that the animal could not actually fit inside the camper, and that’s the point. It is weird, it brings me joy, and that’s enough for me. One of my favorite comments I have ever received is, “That is so stupid, and I love it.”
“It is weird, it brings me joy, and that’s enough for me. One of my favorite comments I have ever received is, ‘That is so stupid, and I love it.'”
Can you tell us the story behind one of your favorite pieces?
The elephant piece will always have a special place, but you already know that story. There is another one I love. It’s an elk scene with majestic mountains and a sweeping landscape. The elk are painted small, almost tucked into the bottom of the scene. You don’t even notice them at first. Then you look down, and they’re hauling campers through a majestic wilderness as if it is completely normal. That one hangs in my house. The elephant hangs in my office. Both are right where they belong.
The elk landscape that hangs in Scott’s home
Was there a piece where the camper just clicked with the original?
A few have surprised me with how well the truck camper’s style matched the original piece. Color tones are critical. Matching the original style, down to the brushstrokes, matters. Every artist has a distinct style, and I enjoy the challenge of replicating it.
Sometimes I take a step back, and the camper looks like it was part of the original piece. That comes from learning how the original painter worked and matching the brushstrokes.
I really enjoyed the process of creating Susan, Nebraska’s Most Notorious Hit Woman. The original piece had a great composition, and I enjoyed matching the style and brushstrokes of the original.
Winnipeggo made me laugh out loud. What’s the story behind that painting?
That one kind of had a mind of its own. When I first saw how fat and round the pig was, I immediately wanted to paint a camper on it. However, if I made the camper big enough to look proportional, it would have ended up out of frame. That’s when I realized a tiny Winnebago cinched onto the pig would solve the problem and make for a fun joke.
What’s your personal truck and camper setup, and how did you end up choosing it?
I have a 2006 Ford F-350 Powerstroke crew cab, long bed, single rear wheel, 4×4 diesel paired with a 2000 Snowriver camper.
I chose the truck first. I wanted a pickup with serious payload and towing capacity. Once I had the Ford F-350, the hunt for the right camper began.
This was years ago, before I met Carren. At the time, my son Evan and I were mourning the loss of my first wife, Drea. I was determined to find a camper so I could take Evan and our dog, Reese, on adventures. After plenty of dead ends on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, I eventually ended up at a larger RV dealer.
Tucked in among a sea of RVs was a lonely trade-in 2000 Snowriver. It had been well taken care of and was a perfect fit. Sometimes you just know.
Sounds like that camper came along at just the right time. Do you ever paint when you go camping?
I actually don’t paint much when I am camping. Painting requires a lot of supplies, and the setup feels like work. I prefer to relax and take it all in.
Being a snowboarder is what initially got me into truck camping. I wanted to stay right at the mountain and be steps from the lift in the morning. 49° North Mountain Resort is my local favorite, and the lot has both dry camping and electric spots. In exchange for our winter passes, my friends and I camp there in the summer to brush-cut the ski runs.
Taking my son, Evan, to Priest Lake, Idaho, for snowmobiling in the winter and camping in the summer was an amazing and memorable experience before he graduated and began the next chapter of adulthood.
Summer camping at 49° North Mountain Resort
We also tow a dual-axle trailer that we load up with snowmobiles. I built a custom step on the trailer’s toolbox that lets us get in and out of the camper with the trailer attached.
Scott’s Ford F-350 and Snowriver truck camper with trailer and snowmobile
In the summer, we load one dirt bike onto the front hitch and another onto a motorcycle hitch in the back. With two bikes along, we’re always ready to ride.
Scott’s Ford F-350 and Snowriver truck camper with dual hitch mounts on the front and rear
As empty nesters, my wife and I still have tight schedules, but we love getting away on the weekends. There’s great camping all around Spokane, Washington, though I’m especially drawn to riverside spots in Idaho. Our paddleboard and floaties are non-negotiables in the summer. Spending the day by the river and falling asleep to the sound of moving water is a feeling nothing else can match.
We love the campgrounds along the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River, just off the Kingston exit in North Idaho. There are tons of campsites strung out along the river, each one a little different. It’s best to call ahead to reserve a spot, or try your luck on nearby DNR land. We love spending weekends there swimming and letting the days unfold.
You’re clearly an animal lover. Do you have pets of your own who camp with you?
My family and I are definitely dog people. We have one dog now, but for a long time we had two. Our girl, Reese, holds a special place in my heart.
Reese was a true water dog. She lived to be in the water and loved the Idaho rivers and lakes. She would spend the entire day running the banks and swimming through the current. By evening, she would crash in the little dog bed we made for her in the dinette, completely exhausted and content.
Reese has been a muse for me. I’ve done a few pieces featuring Reese, including a set of salt and pepper shakers.
That naturally led to “Rainbow Bridge” pieces for people whose pets have passed away. It’s a way to bring comfort during a hard time and to honor an animal that meant everything to someone. That work is meaningful to me.
These days, our Chihuahua, Sophie, makes every trip with us. She’s the perfect truck camping dog because she’s small enough to fit just about anywhere. Wherever we go, she’s right there with us.
Scott’s wife, Carren, and their Chihuahua, Sophie, on a camping trip
Your work is such a beam of light. Have you ever exhibited your work publicly?
I want to see how far I can take this truck camper concept. I’ve had my work hanging in restaurants and breweries around the area. Word spread naturally, and other business owners started reaching out. It’s a great arrangement. They get fresh art on their walls, and I get the exposure and the opportunity to sell.
One piece sold before it ever touched the wall. The piece was a CamPets original featuring the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. A chef spotted my painting from the back of the house while I was hanging it and claimed it on the spot.
I’m always working to evolve my mediums and exploring where I can take the CamPets concept next. I recently found a local mural class. Eight students, two days, and the back wall of a local art supply store painted completely blue as our canvas. We agreed on a layout, claimed our sections, grabbed paint, and went to town. I did a rendition of the original elephant I painted for Carren.
Scott standing in front of his mural in Spokane, Washington
Do you sell prints of your work in addition to the actual paintings?
It gets a little tricky with copyright. Many of my truck camper pieces started as interpretations of other artists’ work, so prints put me in murky territory. I can’t just add a camper to someone else’s art and call it my own. I reached out to one artist for permission, and they politely declined. I totally respected that and haven’t pursued it since.
I’ve made stickers, salt and pepper shakers, and I am working on a coloring book. I take someone’s specific pet and camper, create a graphic of the two together, and thicken the lines into a coloring book-style page. Those graphic pieces start at $100 for a black and white version and go up for color and special requests.
CamPets black and white custom graphics
Scott was kind enough to take on a custom request featuring Truck Camper Magazine’s very own four-legged coworker, Cosmo, alongside Gordon and Angela’s beloved camper. It really doesn’t get better than that.
The full-color version of Truck Camper Magazine’s very own four-legged coworker, Cosmo
My goal is to get enough commissions to publish a full coloring book, with each page featuring a different person’s pet and camper. It’s a fun way to make the art personal while building toward something bigger at the same time.
You can find my latest work on Instagram at @campetsart. I also have an Etsy account and a website.
If you could create your pinnacle CamPets piece, what would it be?
I know I said it’s bad luck to paint over an original, but in my dream scenario, I would unknowingly come across a priceless masterpiece and decide it desperately needed a truck camper. I imagine myself painting away, amused by the ridiculousness of it all. Then I’d unveil it to the world and discover I had just caused collective outrage. Whoops. Any publicity is good publicity, right? In the best-case version of that story, it sells for a small fortune.
If someone comes across your work a thousand years from now, what do you hope they feel when they see it?
I hope that in a thousand years, people still know what a truck camper is. I would love for my work to continue to make people pause, scratch their heads, and smile. If I can continue to spread joy and make someone laugh that far into the future, that’s a win.
Scott Wilhelm’s Rig
Truck: 2006 Ford F-350 Powerstroke Crew Cab, 4×4 single rear wheel, diesel long bed
Camper: 2000 Snowriver
