Palomino brings a solid list of updates for 2026, led by new Progressive Automations actuators, a new all-in-one stereo, refreshed interiors, and new exterior graphics. Already one of the strongest values in truck camping, Palomino raises the bar yet again for the new year.
Palomino has been on a creative tear over the past few years, debuting camper after camper designed as a collaboration between their production, design and leadership teams. This collaboration has resulted in some head-turning debuts, including the HS-2912 hard-side, non-slide, rear fold-down patio for 2023, the HS-3210 hard-side, full-wall slide dry bath for 2024, and the HS-3201 hard-side, non-slide, split dry bath for 2025.
For 2026, the teams have focused their efforts on maintaining the well-established value of Palomino in the face of increasing material, parts, and appliance costs. As a result, Palomino has been able to contain their camper prices while finding multiple areas for improvement.
It seems one can’t get away from the theme of value in the truck camper marketplace—or any marketplace—right now. Providing value has been Palomino’s jam for decades and points to their strengths as a manufacturer. If you’re looking for a high value, well-equipped truck camper in 2026, put Palomino on your short list. Value isn’t just a fad or passing opportunity for the Colon, Michigan, company. It’s what they do.
To learn about Palomino’s 2026 updates, we talked to Ben Meloche, General Manager for Palomino RV.
Above: The HS-750 with the new exterior graphics
Last year, Palomino launched the HS-3201—a 9-foot, hard-side, non-slide with a split dry bath. How has that camper performed in the marketplace?
It’s been successful. It’s typical when new campers get launched that there’s excitement and sales. The HS-3201 followed that pattern, and has continued to have strong retail turn times. The split dry bath design isn’t for everyone, but owners are very happy with that design. The HS-3201 doesn’t sit long on dealer lots.
For 2026, the HS-3201 now has a folding step from the bathroom to the overcab. For those who want to use it, this makes it easier to access the bed.
In 2023, Palomino launched the HS-3210—a 10-foot, hard-side, full-wall slide with a dry bath. So which sells better—the HS-3201 9-foot, hard-side, non-slide with a split dry bath, or the 10-foot HS-3210 hard-side, full-wall slide, with the all-in-one dry bath?
Without looking at our sales numbers, I would say the HS-3201 non-slide with the split dry bath is in the lead. That stated, our dealers often have both models on their lots, and neither one sits for too long.
In 2021, Palomino launched the HS-2912 hard side, non-slide, side-entry with a huge fold-down rear patio and outside entertainment system. That camper got a ton of attention, but it has been discontinued for 2026. What’s the story with the HS-2912?
We sold a lot of HS-2912 models that first year. I think the people who were waiting for a fold-down patio on a truck camper got one. After that first year, the sales were good, but not as strong. With the supply chain and inflation challenges in recent years, it was tough to justify keeping the patio, deck, and all the required parts and pieces in inventory.
On balance, the rear patio on the HS-2912 has been showcased a lot on social media. There are still people posting about it now and then. We would not be surprised if Palomino dealers and customers ask us to bring it back in the future. We are open to that, but the orders need to be more consistent to make sense for purchasing and manufacturing. We’ll see what our dealer and consumers say. We can always bring it back if there’s enough demand.
The headline can read, “Back by Popular Demand…” What are Palomino’s number one hard side and pop-up truck camper sellers right now?
For our hard sides, it’s the HS-750. The HS-8801 was the number one hard side until two years ago, when the 750 took over. With our soft side line, it’s our SS-550.
Both are smaller, lighter and more affordable models. That’s an interesting trend point. In late 2024, Palomino launched an option for Thomas Payne theater seats in the HS-2902, HS-2910, and HS-3210 models. Have they been popular options, or is a dinette still the top choice?
I think it’s fifty-fifty because of how dealers prefer to order the units. Over the past two years, theater seating has become more popular across the board in the truck camper and RV industry. You lose storage and the ability to sit across from one another and play cards, but you can hang out more, put your feet up, and relax.
Palomino really upped its game over the past few years, offering a Renogy DC-to-DC charger, 400 watts solar, 12-volt refrigerators, 100Ah lithium batteries, and Azdel exterior laminated walls all standard. Is that continuing for 2026?
For 2026, we are continuing with everything but the Azdel. It’s a painful decision as Azdel is a wonderful product with a great sales story, but rising costs have been a driving force for our decisions this past year. Our number one goal was to hold our pricing as best we could. We have managed to do that with our hard sides, and only needed to increase our pop-ups by a small amount. Switching from Azdel to time-tested and proven luan made that possible.
Above: The 12-volt compressor refrigerator in the HS-3201
Did you need to make any other changes to hold pricing?
In our hard side line, we went away from frameless in our non-Max line and went with framed windows. Along with the Azdel change, that was another tough decision. With our price point, we needed to make that change. The Palomino Max line windows remain frameless including the HS-3210, HS-3201, and HS-2901.
Above: The HS-750 with framed windows
We talked to all of our suppliers to get better pricing. We changed parts and components that were made in China to parts and components sourced from elsewhere. With these two approaches, we were able to hold our pricing and minimize the roller coaster of price increases that nobody wants.
The entire truck camper industry has been dealing with that reality and making similar decisions. Tell us about the new Progressive Automations roof lift for your 2026 pop-up camper line.
That all started about two years ago when a customer retrofitted his Palomino pop-up with Progressive actuators and had a very positive experience. Soon after, we started a conversation with the company and started to evaluate their products.
Our previous electric lift provider remains a terrific long-term partner for us. Unfortunately, their motor supplier changed their motors without telling them, causing a number of challenges. Our partner was amazing at assisting our customers and helping to get the motors changed out.
In the meantime, we continued our evaluation of Progressive and found their products were more stout and presented less variability to the camper and roof. When going up and down, the Progressive system doesn’t move or flex. For what we need, the Progressive arms are better.
Other than being more stout, what makes the Progressive actuators better?
They’re IP66 rated. This means they’re certified dust-tight and water-tight. We soaked them here at Palomino and were impressed with their weather-tight build. The failure rate is almost none.
On the flip side, the Progressive system is heavier. Each actuator is seven pounds heavier than the previous actuators. With four actuators per camper, that adds twenty-eight pounds to the base dry weight.
That’s definitely considerable for a truck camper. Do the new Progressive actuators support more weight on the roof for items like kayaks and canoes?
Each actuator is rated for 450 pounds. That stated, kayaks, canoes and bikes should be removed before the roof goes up. We are being conservative with our approach to ensure customers have the best experience.
How are the new actuators controlled?
They are operated by using our current remote. There is also a manual override on each head.
How about the power draw?
It’s nearly identical.
Can someone with an older Palomino change their lift system to the Progressive Automation actuators?
On some of our more recent models, yes. It depends on which year and model Palomino pop-up you have. Interested owners can reach out to our customer service team. Based on which camper you have, they can determine if a retrofit is possible.
Above: The Palomino SS-550
Tell us about the new insulated tent option for Palomino’s soft side campers.
We told our soft wall supplier that we wanted an insulation option for our campers. They developed foldable insulated panels that attach to the interior of our current soft-side camper models. Our 2025 and newer models are compatible with the new insulated tent option and are easy to attach or remove. You simply unfold the insulated panels and Velcro them into position. When you’re ready, you remove them, fold them back up, and store them away.
For 2026, the plumbing has been revised for the SS-1251 and HS-8801. Tell us how the plumbing was changed and how that improves the campers.
For all truck camper companies, it’s a challenge to keep up with different truck beds. The SS-1251 and the HS-8801 previously had dump valves that could impact some newer truck beds. Naturally, we want our campers to be compatible with every customer truck, so we changed the plumbing and dump valve locations on these two models.
As a bonus to this effort, the SS-1251 and HS-8801 are now compatible with long and short bed trucks. Both models also now work with all one-ton and three-quarter-ton trucks.
Where did you move the dump valve to?
It’s now on the back wall for the SS-1251 and HS-8801, so the wheel wells don’t get in the way on a long bed. This change makes both models more appealing and versatile.
For the first time, the SS-1251 is now also getting a grey tank. How did that happen?
That came with the plumbing changes. We found some free space in the new layout and decided to add a five gallon grey tank. The SS-1251 has never had a grey tank, so this is a significant change.
The HS-8801 is also getting a new L-bench with Eurobed bunk option. Tell us about this change.
We changed the HS-8801 a couple of years ago to a small jackknife sofa, which folded into a bed. That worked great for those who need an additional sleeping area. Since then, we’ve been working with the Eurobed Loft Bed. The Eurobed is an electric bunk that retracts from the ceiling and then lifts up and out of the way.
Now that we have the Eurobed, we don’t need the jackknife sofa to be standard. The jackknife sofa gave up a lot of seating area in the 8801 that we’ve now able to recapture. For 2026, we removed the sofa and got back to an L-shape dinette with the Eurobed option if you need more sleeping.
That makes sense. Palomino is also offering a flush mount two-burner cooktop for 2026.
Yes, the flush mount two-burner cooktop is standard on all soft sides and the HS-750. Its footprint is smaller than what we had in the past, creating more counter space.
The larger hard side campers continue with a larger, three-burner flush mount cooktop. With the new two-burner, we were following what we were doing with the larger units with flush mount.
The new sound bar radios are an interesting integration of a stereo system and speakers all-in-one. Why was this selected instead of a traditional separate stereo and speaker system, or no stereo?
We went back and forth on this question a number of times. Many RV manufacturers are removing their stereo systems and speakers altogether in favor of portable Bluetooth speakers and mounts. Bluetooth speakers have become incredibly popular, making that direction enticing. However, we ultimately decided we didn’t want to ditch the stereo just yet and found an all-in-one stereo and speaker system that’s similar in style to a Bluetooth speaker. We feel this is more in line with what our customers want.
Above: Inside the Palomino SS-1251
For 2025, Palomino went with standard white interiors in your hard side line. For 2026, you’re announcing white interior finishes across your pop-up line as well. Tell us about this evolution.
The white interiors started with the HS-3210 in 2023. We weren’t yet ready to make the change across the board, and wanted to hear what our dealers and customers thought of the all-white interior look.
Well, the dealers and customers loved it. In 2024, we rolled the white interiors out throughout our Max line. With all of the Max campers changed, we didn’t hear a single complaint.
Above: Inside the Palomino HS-8801
For 2026, we’ve decided to go all-white across the board. We haven’t had enough time to gauge dealer and consumer feedback, but the initial response has been great.
Are the new black bathroom doors part of this change?
Yes. We wanted more contrast and depth for our camper interiors. We lightened the cabinetry and darkened the countertops and doors, slide-out facias.
On the HS-8801, we eliminated the hard pocket door and went with a black screen. We rolled that feature out in the HS-8801 first and are working with our supplier to see where we could use it next. I’d like to see it on the HS-750.
On the exterior, Palomino campers are getting updated decals and graphics. Is there a design trend that you’re following?
Every two years, we try and make some tweaks to the exterior aesthetic. And every year it’s challenging because, when we land on a graphic package, we like it.
To keep our campers looking fresh, we changed to a linear graphics package. This is the trending look in the greater RV industry, with graphics that make the windows look angled.
That’s all of our questions, but we’re curious what your production team has cooking. Anything you can tease at this time?
There’s a big hard side camper project they are working on right now. That’s all I can say right now. We’re always looking to improve our products at Palomino.
For more information about Palomino truck campers, visit their website at palominorv.com. Click here to request a free Palomino brochure.
