With a hard side non-slide design, the Capri Bunkhouse maximizes sleeping capacity and storage, minimizes weight, and includes an impressive list of standard features. Families, teams, bands, and traveling crews of all descriptions—the Capri Bunkhouse is calling.
Most truck campers are designed to appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers. That means not optimizing the design for a single use case. Doing so might increase the appeal to specific buyers, but would likely repel everyone else. In truck camper design, that’s a no-no.
The story behind the Capri Bunkhouse flies in the face of this common truck camper wisdom, and is all the better for it. In fact, the Bunkhouse was specifically developed for the requirements of one specific market—professional rodeo cowboys. These athletes crisscross the continent in groups of three or four working non-stop events for months on end. Does that sound like a typical truck camper use case to you? It sure shouldn’t.
Things get even more interesting when you consider their specific design requirements: maximum sleeping and storage capacity, minimum camper weight and wind resistance, a shower, a sink, a fan, heat, air conditioning, hot water, and not much more. The resulting camper features a layout and combination of capabilities not seen anywhere else in the marketplace. And because it’s a Capri, the Bunkhouse comes standard with a western style the Texas company’s been known for since 1969.
So who’s the Capri Bunkhouse for outside of the rodeo world? How about ski teams, band mates, festival workers, concert followers, race car crews—any small group that needs more travel convenience and simplicity, not to mention saving money on hotels, restaurants, and other travel expenses. Oh, and families of three or four who want the most compact and affordable camper possible.
Need a simple, lightweight, and economical truck camping solution for four?
Say hello to the Capri Bunkhouse.
To learn more about this unique camper, we talked to Tyson D’Acosta, Vice President of Capri Campers.
The 2027 Capri Bunkhouse is a hard side, non-slide camper made for long or short trucks. The floor length is 8’5”, the width is 6’8”, and the interior height is 6’5”.
The Capri Bunkhouse has a 30-gallon fresh tank, 4-gallon electric water heater, no grey tank, and no black tank, but it does have an optional 5-gallon porta-potty. The Bunkhouse has room for two AGM or two lithium batteries. The center of gravity is 25” from the front wall.
Capri is reporting the base weight of the Capri Bunkhouse at 1,740 pounds dry. The base MSRP for the Capri Bunkhouse is $23,485.
Click here for more information about the Capri Bunkhouse
The Capri Bunkhouse; photos courtesy of Capri Campers
What’s the origin story behind the Capri Bunkhouse?
Capri Campers is legendary among professional rodeo cowboys all over the United States and Canada. For over fifty-seven years, Capri has been the choice of more world champion rodeo cowboys than all other truck campers combined. Currently, over 150 world-ranked professional rodeo cowboys rodeo in a Capri. And the sport is expanding at a rapid pace.
As we watch the popularity of high school and college rodeo explode, we knew we needed an entry-level solution that would appeal to the younger rodeo athletes at a price that would fit their budget.
The Bunkhouse is our solution. On the outside, it’s a classic, vintage Retreat long bed model.
“On the inside it’s streamlined and focused on maximizing storage and sleeping three to four.”
Capri Bunkhouse with the fold-down bunk bed in the weathered cedar interior
On the inside, it’s streamlined and focused on maximizing storage and sleeping three to four. This all-electric (no propane) camper comes complete with a fold-down bunk bed, an inside shower and sink, air conditioner with a heat pump, ceiling vent fan and jacks. The Bunkhouse is lean and affordable, all for a price of $23,485.
When three or four guys travel from rodeo-to-rodeo in a Capri, the amount of money they save on hotels will pay for the camper over the course of the season. The Bunkhouse is an efficient, scaled down version of the Retreat and a perfect, safe way for young rodeo cowboys to travel.
Capri Bunkhouse with the weathered cedar interior
Is the Bunkhouse only for the rodeo community?
Definitely not. It’s for anyone who needs maximum sleeping capacity and storage in a compact and affordable hard side truck camper. We’ve already had interest from well outside the rodeo market.
The camper has been designed for power users who camp 200 nights a year like the rough stock athletes, but offers a ton of capability for anyone who needs a great floor plan with maximum sleeping capacity and an abundance of storage. For a large family, two adult-sized people—or kids—can sleep in the cabover, with another person in the lower bunk/dinette, and another in the upper bunk.
Capri Bunkhouse with the Azdel interior
There’s also storage for everyone. The camper comes with three separate cabinets, a big closet, two big drawers, and upper cabinets as well.
The Bunkhouse really gives you everything you need without the stuff you don’t. The base camper comes with a shower, sink, 4 gallon CampLux electric water heater, Rec Pro fan, Houghton air conditioner, and Rieco-Titan manual jacks.
The Bunkhouse has a 30 gallon fresh water tank
You can add eight options including a 12-volt refrigerator, microwave, television, porta-potty, solar panels, lithium batteries, electric jacks and—if you don’t need maximum sleeping capacity—upper dinette cabinetry and/or a dinette table with cushions.
Why is the Bunkhouse all-electric?
By removing the need for a propane cabinet and tanks, we further maximized the storage capacity inside the camper. Removing the propane also allows us to build a lighter camper more efficiently which makes it more affordable.
What trucks are you targeting for the Capri Bunkhouse?
The Capri Bunkhouse is designed for long bed trucks, but can work on stout short beds with the tailgate down. We recommend three-quarter or one-ton long bed trucks, especially for groups of three or four and all their belongings and gear. The camper itself weighs in at 1,740 pounds.
The interior of the Capri Bunkhouse; bunk is in travel mode
Is the Capri Bunkhouse a specific model and floor plan?
Yes. It’s just available in one floor plan. The camper floor length is 8’5” or 101-inches. That’s perfect for a long bed and—payload and tongue weight permitting—a trailer or horse trailer behind it.
With three people potentially sleeping and living inside them, the Capri Bunkhouse models get some serious usage. Do you do anything structurally different to compensate for this intensive usage?
Capri has been building campers for fifty-seven years. Our campers are tested by more power users than probably any camper brand out there. The rodeo users take our campers down ranch roads, live in their campers more than 200 nights a year, and travel all over the United States and Canada. We also have Olympic skiers, rock climbers, and other extreme athletes who drive off-road and push our product hard. The Bunkhouse is a solid build, like everything else we build. It has to be.
Our campers are also simple, so there’s little chance of anything going wrong. Most issues we encounter are a simple part or piece that takes five minutes to fix. That’s important to us, and we take care of our customers.
Of course, we continue to fine-tune our campers. For example, we’re now using a composite wood grain panel for our interior walls and methodically upgrade our designs through customer feedback and experience.
Is the Capri Bunkhouse available with the same quilted aluminum color choices that other Capri models are available in?
Yes. We also have three different interior wood grains you can choose from as well as lots of outside colors and striping options. Our website allows you to try different exterior color options and see what the combinations would look like.
Where is the Capri Bunkhouse’s center of gravity located?
The center of gravity is 25-inches from the front wall.
Does the Capri Bunkhouse camper use internal or external tie-downs?
We use internal ratchet straps to tie-down our campers. We can also bolt a Capri to your truck if you don’t take it off. Rodeo athletes almost always bolt their campers down as they never take their campers off.
What entry step system are you using for the Bunkhouse?
We offer accordion steps that latch onto a bracket under the back door frame. The accordion steps work with any camper we have. Of course, a step stool from Lowe’s or Home Depot also works. Rodeo athletes often build their own storage box steps.
What windows are standard on the Capri Bunkhouse?
We use single pane slider glass windows with screens. There are two windows in the cabover for cross-ventilation, a window in the dinette and a window on the back door.
Capri Bunkhouse with the optional microwave and television
Tell us about the appliances in the Capri Bunkhouse.
The refrigerator is a 2.4 cubic foot Nova Kool. It can run off 12-volt power at 2.4 amps. It gets cold fast and works extremely well. We rarely ever have issues with the Nova Kool.
The microwave is a .9 cubic foot Kenmore model. We’ve also had no issues with that unit. The television is a smart TV that allows you to watch Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube over WIFI. Again, the television is a proven model with no issues.
The air conditioner we’re using is a Rec Pro Houghton with a built-in thermostat, heat pump, and dehumidifier. It’s a high-end unit with impressive efficiency and output and more than enough to heat or cool the Bunkhouse model.
What furnace and water heater did you select?
Heat is provided by the heat pump in the standard Rec Pro Houghton air conditioner. The water heater is a four-gallon CampLux that only runs off of AC power. The CampLux draws 1,440-watts, so you’ll need 110-volt shore power or a generator to run the water heater. This isn’t an issue for the rodeo guys as they almost always have generators or power at the rodeo sites.
Can you order the Capri Bunkhouse with solar panels?
Yes, up to two 200-watt flexible Renogy panels are available for a total of 400-watts of solar.
What is the standard battery setup?
What we recommend depends on how you’re camping. If you’re always going to be plugged in, one 100Ah AGM battery is fine. If you don’t connect to shore power, you can add a second battery or upgrade to lithium batteries. If you’re running the refrigerator all day off batteries, you may want to upgrade to two 100Ah lithium batteries for maximum capacity.
What are the fresh tank capacities?
The Bunkhouse has a 30-gallon fresh tank located under the front bench step. The standard water pump is also in that location.
Is there an option for a toilet?
We offer a portable five-gallon, self-contained porta-potty. It fits on the shower floor.
What is the dry base weight of the 2027 Capri Bunkhouse?
The dry base weight of the Capri Bunkhouse is 1,740 pounds.
What is included as standard equipment at that weight?
A shower, sink, water heater, Houghton air conditioner with heat pump, manual jacks, a rooftop fan, an upper bunk bed and a lower bed. Customers can also opt for upper dinette cabinetry in lieu of the bunk bed.
Capri Bunkhouse weight with standard features (Houghton air conditioner, manual jacks, shower, water heater, and bunks) and three options: refrigerator (39 pounds), microwave (29 pounds), and television (7 pounds)
What is the base MSRP?
The Capri Bunkhouse base MSRP is $23,485 with the standard shower, sink, Rieco-Titan jacks, electric water heater, Houghton air conditioner with the heat pump, bunk bed, and lower bed.
For reference, a Capri Retreat is $25,470 with those options. The Bunkhouse is $1,985 less.
What does a fully loaded Capri Bunkhouse weigh?
A fully loaded Bunkhouse is 1,892 pounds. Options include a 12-volt refrigerator, microwave, television, induction cooktop, solar panels, and a porta-potty. If the upper bunk is not required, you can also option for upper dinette cabinetry and/or a dinette table with cushions.
What is the MSRP when fully equipped?
A fully equipped Capri Bunkhouse is $28,565.
Rieco-Titan manual jacks are standard on the Bunkhouse
What warranty does Capri offer on this camper?
The Capri Bunkhouse has a one year warranty. All appliances come with manufacturer warranties.
Capri Bunkhouse showing the upper bunk up and secured (left) and down (right)
Is there anything else you’d like to add about the Capri Bunkhouse?
It all comes back to simplicity and maximizing every inch of a camper. If you are a family or group of three or four people, the Capri Bunkhouse is the most comfortable, capable, and efficient camper foot-for-foot and pound-for-pound on the market. Everyone has their own bed and storage compartment. Find another camper at this price point with the standard features the Capri Bunkhouse offers.
For more information on Capri Campers and their new Bunkhouse, visit their website at CapriCamper.com. Click here for a Capri Camper brochure.
