Kingstar announces 880-watts of solar and 920Ah of lithium standard, a fully-enclosed wet bath option, a huge tire lift ready for Super Singles, induction cooktops, Flat Back rooflines, a coffee station, the most dog-friendly truck camper option we’ve ever seen, and more. Think Kingstar isn’t innovative? You’re barking up the wrong tree!

Since there’s been such a thing as truck campers, dogs and truck campers have gone together hand in paw. In fact, the ratio of people to K9s at camper rallies and gatherings is usually completely off the leash. Our cat isn’t exactly wild about this point, but Goldendoodles, French Poodles, and Shih Tzus are as common in the world of truck campers as burgers, hot dogs, and buns. It’s not that we don’t see a lot of cats in campers—we do—but the dogs definitely outnumber the felines. Sorry, Cosmo. Go fetch.

Marcus Niemela, President of Kingstar, noted this four-legged phenomenon at Overland Expo West last year and had an epiphany. Why not make a version of his campers with a built-in dog-friendly kennel? From there, the Kingstar team sprinted after that concept faster than a frisbee thrown on a beach. The end result is easily the most dog-friendly truck camper feature we’ve ever seen—the K9 KRUZR. If you go truck camping with Charlie, Max, Milo, or Cooper, this camper’s for you.

Of course, Kingstar also has a few things for bipedal customers. For starters, 2026 Kingstar campers now come standard with 880-watts of solar and 920Ah of lithium. For options, Kingstar is announcing a fully enclosed wet bath with a door, a huge tire lift ready for super singles, and a coffee station that’s about as close as we’ve ever seen to a private Starbucks on wheels. Kingstar is also making induction cooktops standard, presenting a new Flat Back option, doubling their internal lighting, and more.

To give us a full rundown on Kingstar’s 2026 updates, we talked to Marcus Niemela, President of Kingstar.

Inside a 2026 Kingstar KRUZR 8, all photos courtesy of Kingstar

The first pet-focused Kingstar feature we learned about was the litter box area you developed for Reyes and Deedra’s two cats. Is it safe to say that pet comfort and safety are an important part of Kingstar’s design philosophy?

Yes. Dogs and cats are everywhere at Overland Expos, truck camper rallies, and campgrounds coast-to-coast. We have customers who are young families and empty nesters, and a good number of them are traveling with a four-legged companion or two. Reyes and Deedra of Exploring Still Connected certainly inspired and helped us to develop our litter box area in their camper, but we’re not done making our beloved pets safe and comfortable at Kingstar.

Where did you get the idea for the K9 KRUZR with a built-in dog kennel?

The idea for the K9 KRUZR struck at Overland Expo West in early 2025. There are literally dogs everywhere at these events and I had numerous customers asking which Kingstar floor plan was best for their dog or dogs. I bounced the concept of the K9 KRUZR off Reyes and Deedra, and they were equally excited about it. After that event, the concept and design were full steam ahead.

What problems does the K9 KRUZR solve for traveling dog owners?

There are several important benefits for dog owners. First, it provides a large, insulated, and climate-controlled space for pets with access to the kennel without going through the main camper living area. This has some obvious benefits if it’s wet and/or muddy out, or after a day of bird hunting.

In cooler weather, you can leave your dog in the kennel and go out to dinner or for an extended hike and know they’ll be warm, safe, and contained. As a dog owner myself, I fully appreciate wanting our pets to be safe and comfortable.

The K9 kennel area has closed-cell foam insulation, a pitched floor, an aluminum tray, a drain, a water spigot, ducted heat from the camper Truma Combi system, and a pass-through into the main camper living area. That’s more than some Overland campers have for humans. What was the thinking behind these features?

All of these features are there to keep our pets safe and comfortable. The water spigot, pitched rubber floor, and aluminum floor pan are all there for ease of cleaning. You can also get a camera to monitor your dogs while you’re away. The K9 KRUZR was designed to be the ultimate truck camper for truck camper enthusiasts with dogs.

Heat And Light in the K9

Faucet for fresh water

Drain on the floor

“The water spigot, pitched rubber floor, and aluminum floor pan are all there for ease of cleaning.”

As a side note, we had kids in mind as well. The length of the K9 space is almost 8 feet long and over 40-inches wide. That’s the perfect amount of space for youngsters to bunk for the night.

That’s something we hadn’t considered. Which KRUZR models are compatible with the K9 option?

There are three K9 KRUZR models available: the 6 Series, 8 Series, and 10 Series, each designed to match specific truck chassis sizes. The K9 KRUZR 6 Series features a 26-inch kennel and is designed for trucks with a 60CA chassis and beds measuring approximately 9 feet or longer.

The K9 KRUZR 8 Series features a 36-inch kennel and is designed for larger trucks with an 84CA chassis and beds measuring approximately 11 feet or longer. The K9 KRUZR 10 Series also uses a 26-inch kennel and is designed for 84CA chassis trucks with beds measuring approximately 11 feet or longer.

If folks need some guidance about which truck and K9 KRUZR camper is best for their needs, can they contact you directly?

Yes. Call our main number, and they’ll put you through to me. The most important thing to be aware of is that the K9 KRUZR is only available for flatbed CA (cab-to-axle) builds.

As far as dogs, it’s helpful to know how many dogs you have, what breed they are, and if you want them to be able to sleep and lounge in the cabover, or on the floor only. With that information and a few truck preference items, I can guide you to the right truck and Kingstar.

For 2026, Kingstar is announcing 880-watts of solar and 920Ah of lithium as standard. And for those who need even more, customers can opt for up to 1,320-watts of solar and 1,380Ah of lithium. That pushes both the standard and optional solar and lithium capacities well beyond what most truck camper manufacturers currently offer. What’s the thinking here?

This is one of those “Because we can, and therefore we should” kind of things. We’re an off-road, off-grid, overland-focused manufacturer. That means we want to give our customers the most off-grid solar and battery capacity and comfort as possible. Do we take it too far? You tell me when I’m running my air conditioner off-grid day after day in the summer heat. We aim for the best at Kingstar. Full stop.

Factory direct sales are a huge advantage for us. We don’t need to factor in 20, 30, or even 40-percent mark-ups at the dealer level. We can offer industry-leading solar and battery systems, including state-of-the-art Victron components and DC-to-DC chargers as standard equipment, and pass the direct savings onto our customers. While we’re on the subject, we also don’t skimp on our high-end interiors and exteriors. You don’t find plastic or swooping graphics on a Kingstar.

“I camp in our products over 100 nights a year. That means I experience what our customers experience, and find opportunities to improve every single day.”

As a side note, our side-mounted air conditioner unit allows us to install an additional 330-watts of solar on our roof. That’s a critical difference and the kind of thinking we don’t see enough in our industry.

As the President of Kingstar, I camp in our products over 100 nights a year. That means I experience what our customers experience, and find opportunities to improve every single day. When I get back to Kingstar HQ, the team is ready to show me the latest improvements based on things I’ve found that could be improved. We never quit improving and innovating at Kingstar.

The fully enclosed wet bath is another significant option debuting for 2026. Is this essentially an enclosed version of the existing Kingstar bathroom, or an entirely new bathroom design?

Most of our customers are thrilled with our sliding dry bath design. It’s been a huge success for us. However, a number of customers asked for a bathroom with a closing door for additional privacy and the ability to hide the toilet when it’s not in use. In response, we now offer a fully enclosed wet bath with a solid door.

The wet bath with a door creates a more traditional presentation inside the camper. While the majority of our customers prefer the space and functionality of the sliding dry bath, about twenty-five percent prefer a fully enclosed bathroom. For those customers, our new wet bath and door provide an excellent solution.

“We now offer a fully enclosed wet bath with a solid door.”

What toilet systems are currently available in a Kingstar camper?

We currently offer three toilet systems: cassette, composting, and cartridge.

The cassette toilet is our standard option. It operates like a traditional RV toilet, but uses a small removable holding tank instead of a permanent black tank. The cassette can be carried to a dump station or restroom for emptying.

The composting toilet is a waterless system that separates liquids and solids and uses airflow and organic material to break down waste. Many customers choose composting toilets for extended off-grid camping because they don’t require water or a dump station.

The cartridge toilet uses a sealed replaceable cartridge to contain waste. When full, the cartridge is removed and replaced with a new one, offering a quick and simple disposal method. These three options allow customers to choose the system that best fits how they travel and camp.

Tell us about the new tire lift and how it works.

The new tire lift operates off the rear driver’s side jack leg. We developed a 180-degree rotating tire carrier that raises and lowers using the jack system and is designed to handle anything from a stock 17-inch dually wheel and tire up to a 43-inch tire.

For context, a typical 19.5-inch wheel and tire combination weighs between 110 and 130 pounds, depending on whether the wheel is steel or aluminum. A 43-inch super single wheel and tire can weigh between 160 and 220 pounds under the same steel-versus-aluminum conditions.

Because these assemblies are so heavy, storing and maneuvering them as spares can be difficult. Our tire lift makes lifting, storing, and accessing these larger wheels and tires far more practical.

For 2026, you’re introducing a flatback roofline that eliminates the rear slope in favor of a straight roof, a taller entry door, and enclosed grey tanks. Why was the flat roof necessary to achieve those changes?

Because Kingstar campers don’t have a basement and we utilize side-mounted air conditioners instead of roof units, we already have a relatively low overall height and center of gravity. That design keeps the camper stable and aerodynamic, but it also limits the space available under the floor for systems like grey tanks.

To create the additional room we needed, we redesigned the rear roofline with a flat profile. This allowed us to raise the interior ceiling height slightly, which in turn raised the entry door height and the floor structure. The additional vertical space created a dedicated area for a fully enclosed grey tank system with more than 30 gallons of capacity.

The result has a number of practical advantages. The taller door makes entering and exiting the camper more comfortable, especially for taller customers or when wearing gear. The enclosed grey tank improves four-season usability and protects the plumbing system. At the same time, the camper retains its low overall profile and low center of gravity, which remain key parts of the Kingstar design philosophy.

We switched to only using a portable induction cooktop in our camper when we got our lithium system two years ago. What led you to decide to make an induction cooktop the standard in Kingstar campers?

Our customers drove the change. As campers began carrying larger lithium systems and more onboard power, customers increasingly asked for induction cooktops and appliances like convection ovens and air fryers. Removing LP cooktops also reduces the amount of moisture created during cooking.

Induction cooktops are highly efficient because they heat the cookware directly rather than heating a burner first. That means faster cooking times, less wasted energy, and far less heat released into the camper—helping to keep the interior cooler.

They also eliminate the moisture produced by propane combustion, which can contribute to condensation in a small space. Induction is safer as well since there’s no open flame and the cooktop only heats when compatible cookware is in place. Overall, moving to induction simplifies the camper’s systems by reducing reliance on propane appliances, something many customers now prefer with modern lithium and inverter setups.

For 2026, you’ve added under-counter lighting and increased the ceiling lights to six. What led to those changes?

Our lighting worked well, but we saw an opportunity to make the interior even better. For 2026, we doubled the ceiling lights to six to create more even illumination throughout the camper. This improves overall visibility for cooking, working, and moving around inside the coach, especially in the evenings.

We also added under-counter lighting, which has become one of our favorite upgrades. It adds a soft ambient glow to the interior and, when dimmed, works perfectly as a subtle night light for getting up and moving around the camper—like heading to the bathroom—without turning on the main lights. It’s a small change that makes the interior feel more refined and comfortable.

A dedicated Breville grinder and coffee maker station is unexpected in a truck camper. What sparked this idea?

Most people love their coffee, but in many campers, the coffee maker lives in a cabinet and has to be taken out and put away every time it’s used. In the 10 Series, we wanted to create a convenient, permanent place for it.

We designed a dedicated coffee station sized for a Breville grinder and coffee maker, along with a drawer beneath for storing coffee beans and related items. The idea was to make the morning routine simple and accessible. Everything is in one place and ready to go. It’s a small feature, but one that adds everyday convenience and a touch of home to the camper experience.

You’re also adding a combination convection microwave and air fryer to the option mix. Was this simply a microwave update, or is there more to this change?

This change was also driven by our customers. As our electrical systems have become more capable with lithium batteries and larger inverters, many customers have begun asking for a convection oven and air fryer in addition to a microwave.

Rather than adding multiple appliances, we looked for a single unit that could handle all three functions: microwave, convection oven, and air fryer. It took some time to find a model that fit our space, power requirements, and durability standards, but once we did, it made perfect sense. The combination unit gives customers much more cooking flexibility without taking up additional space in the camper.

For 2026, the hanging closet in the cabover has been enclosed. Was this primarily an aesthetic change, or were there storage or functional reasons behind it?

This change was primarily aesthetic and came directly from customer feedback. Some owners preferred the cleaner, more finished look of an enclosed closet rather than an open hanging space.

By enclosing the closet, the cabover area feels more organized and visually refined, while still providing the same hanging storage for clothing. It also helps keep items out of sight and better contained while traveling.

For 2026, the kitchen sink is now an undermount design. Is this purely an aesthetic change, or is there a functional reason behind it as well?

As we moved to fully inset cabinet doors instead of overlay doors, we wanted the sink and countertop details to reflect the same clean, refined look.

An undermount sink creates a smoother, more seamless presentation with the countertop and cabinetry. It also makes it easier to wipe water and debris directly into the sink without catching on a raised edge. The goal was to match the upgraded cabinetry style while also improving the overall finish and usability of the kitchen area.

Faux leather walls are a bold design choice. What advantages do they offer over traditional wall materials—insulation, sound dampening, durability, or simply a luxury look?

The faux leather panels give the interior a warmer, more refined look that helps set the camper apart from more traditional RV wall finishes.

They also provide practical benefits. The panels are foam-backed, similar to our ceiling panels, which adds sound dampening and helps soften the interior acoustics. The material also has a slightly insulated feel and is durable and easy to wipe clean. The combination of improved acoustics, durability, and a more upscale appearance made it a natural fit for the design direction we’re taking.

For more information on Kingstar Campers, visit their website at kingstar.net. Click here to request a free Kingstar brochure.