Truck Camper Reviews

CampLite TC10 Rally Review

TCM invited the entire Mid-Atlantic Truck Camper Rally to review a CampLite TC10.  What would the rally say about a no wood truck camper in the woods?

Camplite TC10 Camper review

When LivinLite RV saw the our first ever rally review last November, they asked if we would conduct a rally review of their 2012 CampLite TC10 at the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Truck Camper Rally.  They were already bringing the product to the rally and were eager to gather more feedback on their unique wood-free, 100% aluminum and composite truck campers.  Naturally, we accepted.

The CampLite TC10 rally review was an official event at the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Truck Camper Rally promoted on the rally website and program.  Rick Barna, National Sales Manager for LivinLite RV, was on hand to answer questions, but not permitted within twenty feet of the camper while the rally review was conducted.  We wanted to make sure the rally participants felt comfortable sharing their true opinions.  You can see Rick in the Mid-Atlantic Rally time-lapse video standing a short distance from the camper answering questions.

As a magazine, we believe these rally reviews are an important tool to allow the truck camper consumer to be heard and help the industry to improve their products.  This is the real deal.  The consumer opinions are not always positive, but they are all constructive and help move our industry and community in the right direction.

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Above: Rick Barna of LivinLite (fourth from left), talks to rally participants about CampLite Campers.  Thank you to Scott Tuttle, President of LivinLite RV, Rick Barna, and all of the rally participants for helping us make this rally review a success.

Rally Review of the CampLite TC10

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“Nice exterior paint job.  They just built it six months too late for me.  This camper will last a lifetime a dreams.  I also saw it at the Cedar Key rally and love the camper.” – Marcus Schrichte

“I like the wood look.  Get rid of the foam mattress and put in a Serta.  The television mount needs to be to moved to the left so it can swing around more.  Nice durable walls that you can wash.” – Don Kingfield

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“The kitchen set up is beautiful and there’s a lot of counter space.  It’s a unique camper with it’s all-aluminum construction, light weight, and ten foot length.  With a truck camper you need to travel light as there’s not a lot of storage.  I think it’s great.  With truck campers, less is more.  No slide, no problems.” – Dorris and Mark Bluth

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“The tanks aren’t heated and they aren’t big enough if you want to go boondocking or hunting.” – Steve Price

“It looks like a great weekend camper.  It features wonderful construction and is ideal for camping and hunting trips.  But, for long term camping, it’s not ideal because of the small holding tanks.  Also, there’s no oven.  I would also like a sink in the bathroom.” – Joyce Harding

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“With its all-aluminum and composite construction, I would think this camper would bake in the sun.  I would have to have the air conditioner.  There should be a sink in the bathroom.  I don’t like the latches because they’re hard to open if you have arthritis.  Being short, the counters are a bit high in the kitchen.” – Jane Schrichte

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“It’s a sweet unit for short term weekend use.  The build quality looks good.  It’s not a four season camper because there are no heated holding tanks, which decreases the utility as a hunting camper.” – Joe Zecca

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“It’s quite different.  I really like the stove, but you also need an oven.  A sink in the bath would be nice too.” – Steve Moore

“It’s a good idea that the table can come out of the camper.  It would be easy to clean.  You definitely need a light above the bunk.  There’s a nice step into the overcab.  I would like an assist handle to help in getting into the camper.  I’ve never seen cabinet latches like the ones in this camper.” – Laura Price

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“This camper has a lot of storage.  I am really surprised at the wardrobe space.  It has an electric outlet in the top cabinet for a microwave.  I like the step up to the bunk.  I would like to see the kitchen table in the camper to see how much room it would take up.” – Doreen Tamulevicius

“I like this!  There’s more room than you think.” – Joe Tamulevicius

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“The cabinets are nice.  I would like LED lights on the interior of the camper.  It makes a big difference.  It has a decent size refrigerator.  I would say this camper is Spartan with a capital S.  The more you look at it, the more it grows on you.  There’s a fair amount of storage.  They need a thicker mattress; you can’t beat a good mattress.” – Richard Ward

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“My very first impression is that I did not like the dark color on the exterior.  Inside, the camper is roomier than I thought it would be.  The cabinet latch snaps are too loud.  Opening and closing the latches would disturb anyone who was sleeping in the camper.  The sofa also needs lower back support.  I like the LED lighting on the exterior, but the camper needs interior LED lighting as well.  Aluminum is going to conduct cold quite rapidly, so this is really a three-season camper.  I would prefer non-frosted glass on the window in the door.  I like to be able see what’s out there.  I would also like a lower window on the door so I can see straight through when I’m driving.  It would be great if the camper door would also fold flat to the back of the camper when it’s open.” – Bruce Scott

“The all-aluminum construction and dark exterior color seems like it would get hot in the summer, and there’s no oven.” – Kim Scott

“We saw a CampLite at the Cedar Key rally in Florida.  This model has the Azdel wood-look interior.  The wood-look warmed up the camper.  I like it.  I don’t like that there’s no real storage in the overcab.  I also don’t like where the bunk brace is located.  It looks sharp and dangerous.  I’d prefer the camper without the bunk.  My biggest concern with the all-aluminum construction is with hot and cold weather.  The holding tanks should also be larger.  The camper needs gutters on the outside.  If you’re under your awning, you’ll get wet without gutters.  There’s also an unfinished Azdel wall inside the cabinet.  I’d like to see the cabinet interiors look finished.  Overall, there have been many nice improvements to the CampLite since the Cedar Key rally.” – Joe MacDonald

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“Without the removable table, the camper seems wide and roomy inside.  I’m surprised that there’s such little storage in the overcab.” – Sue Laufer

“There’s a good amount of counter space.  I don’t like the rug as it would get dirty in a camping environment and the sofa cushions could be more comfortable.” – Nina MacDonald

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“It’s like the Humvee of campers.  There’s a Spartan feel to it.  You look at it and think you could play racquetball inside and not hurt anything.  There’s lots of counter space.  The cabinets are not going to pop open by accident.  It features the most positive latching system I’ve ever seen on cabinetry.  The storage space is ample.  There’s an absence of a bathroom sink, but the kitchen sink is just outside the bathroom door.  I would like to see a 12 volt outlet or two, other than the television.  Maybe they could put one in the kitchen area for a small countertop fan and one bedside in the overcab for a cell phone charger.  There’s a good amount of 110v outlets in kitchen area.  The outside storage has sheet metal lining so if anything moves or shifts you would hear it.” – John Wells

“Even without a slide-out, there is a considerable amount of space to move around in the camper.  The decor is something a guy would like more than a woman.  It’s utilitarian.  I would like less dark colors and more light colors.  The cabinet latches are hard to open.  I know some guys who would really love this camper.” – Marylou Wells

“The countertop is nice.  You could even carry kayaks on the floor of this camper.  I would like the outside color to be different.  Since the camper has only one battery, you really need to have LED lighting.” – Bob Lawrence

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“I know they’re trying to keep this camper light, but there is a lot of wasted space in the overcab that could be used for cabinetry.  The kitchen cabinets are too high and the kitchen windows also need to be lower.  The cabinet hinges are tough to open.  There also needs to be more shelving in the cabinets.  One battery is not enough for boondocking and the camper needs interior LED lights.  There’s no air circulation over the bed; a vent in that area would be nice.  The mattress is also quite sparse.” – Carol Ann Lawrence

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“The CampLite is nice inside.  I like the sofa.  The camper is big inside for not having a slide-out.” – Lynn and Paul Carreiro

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“I like the all-aluminum and composite concept of this camper.  I had to rebuild the floor in our other camper.  With CampLite’s wood-free construction, I would just hose it out to wash it.  I like the bunk, but you would need more storage for a family.  There’s just a shower and toilet in the wet bath, no sink.  I would like to have a Fantastic Vent in the camper.” – Kim and Dean Geisenhaver

“This camper looks easy to clean without the carpeting in the overcab.  It’s also nice to have space on the side of the bed.  The camper looks good.  I would want a vent in the overcab.  The cushions seem thin.  I would want them thicker.  The storage is long and of a good size.” – Rhonda Ward

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Above: The 2012 CampLite TC10 at the 2011 National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Kentucky.

“I love the outside color.  It’s a cool looking camper.  I’d like to see the exterior camper nose be more modern and aerodynamic.  The sharp aluminum edges in the camper worry me.  Inside this camper is Spartan, but there’s a nice bathroom.” – Ed Belland

“The CampLite has a very sound aluminum structure.  As a manufacturer who works with aluminum, I don’t think it could get any better.  The domed roof is practical.  I also like the removable table and the kitchen counter has a lot of space.  The cabinet latches are too hard to open.

I’m also concerned about the sharp corners in the camper that could tear clothing or pose a danger to kids or animals.  The bunk brace looks like it could hurt people and needs to be put on a hinge.  I love aluminum and build with it myself, but you have to make it more pleasing to the eye, safe, and functional.  The outside color is too dark.  In the summer the camper would be hotter than all dickens.  Overall, the camper seems designed for a weekend sports guy.  I’m afraid they will lose sales by not appealing to both genders.” – Dan and Lois Zell

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“I don’t like the cabinet latches because they are very hard to open.  We’re also concerned that someone could hurt themselves on the bunk brace.  The CampLite is cute and roomier that I thought it would be.  It’s a small camper, but it has a nice amount of room.  The construction quality looks superior.” – Harry and Mary Hill

“We both think the cabinets are too high.  The camper is cute and very compact.  We like that it’s all-aluminum and composites and nothing can rot.  It’s amazing what CampLite did with a little amount of space.” – Joyce and Lindley Murray

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“It’s a man’s camper.  I love the storage.  It would be good for beach camping, and for camping in the woods.  I think it’s neat, but it’s not a good camper for my wife.  She prefers more amenities like we have in our camper.  I can see increasing the storage in the bedroom with bins.

I would also upgrade the mattress.  My biggest complaint with the camper are the holding tanks; seven gallons of black and seven gallons of gray are not going to go far for beach camping or boondocking.  It would help to have a cassette toilet in the bathroom.  I could dump the cassette in the outhouses they have at the beach.  Since the cassette toilet has its own black tank, CampLite could then use a larger grey tank.  The versatility of being able to take the table out gives you more room.

I would put a Coleman lounge chair inside and watch television.  That way I’d have a lounge chair inside the camper.  The biggest thing on the beach is sand and trying to get it out.  With this camper, I could run a water hose and wash it out to get the sand out when I got home.  I wouldn’t hurt anything and that’s what I like about the camper.  The under sink storage is awesome.  I also really like the airplane-style latches and piano hinges on the cabinets.  That’s nice.” – John Ross

“We think it’s neat, but it doesn’t have the gingerbread.” – Larry and Lisa Dring

“I’ll take it.” – Trey Dring

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