For Behind the Shot Part 3, we are featuring photos and stories captured at the Valley of the Gods in Utah, White Sands National Park in New Mexico, the Yuba River in California, and many more destinations. Click here to participate in the 2027 Truck Camper Magazine Calendar Contest and be considered for a Behind the Shot feature.
Larry Moonan
Ballard, California
2017 Ford F-350
2008 Lance 1055
Camera Used – iPhone 14 Pro
This photo was taken at a great Hipcamp site in the middle of a walnut grove in Ballard, California. My wife and our best travel buddy, Finn, love exploring the beautiful places within three to four hours of our home on the Central Coast. Our Lance camper feels like a cozy cabin on wheels.
Kathy Gray
Cape Lookout, North Carolina
2019 Ford F-350
2019 Northern Lite 811
Camera Used – iPhone
We were on our first trip to Cape Lookout, and I was completely mesmerized by the sunrise. This photo has not been edited at all.
Lynn Kabella
Arctic Ocean, Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada
2023 RAM 5500
2022 Host Yukon
Camera Used – iPhone
This photo was taken when we completed our journey to Tuktoyaktuk at the Arctic Ocean, the end of the Dempster Highway. We stayed in Tuktoyaktuk for a week, then made the journey back to Dawson.
Dieter Kreutzkamp
Valley of the Gods, Utah
1998, Chevrolet, Silverado 2500
1996, Okanagan, 89W
Camera Used – Samsung S24
Scott & Jan Barker
White Sands National Park, New Mexico
2024 Ford F-350
2025 Northern Lite EX Limited Edition Dry Bath
Camera Used – iPhone 17 Pro
We were heading home from Arizona after visiting relatives for Thanksgiving and decided to take a side trip through White Sands National Park. The night before, we camped in Las Cruces, New Mexico. White Sands is absolutely beautiful and unlike anywhere else we’ve traveled. If you’ve never been there, it’s something you need to see at least once. We didn’t have time to stay for sunset, but next time we’ll definitely make time for it.
Thomas Schramer
Cokeville, Wyoming
2020 Toyota Tundra
2024 Northstar TC650
Camera Used – iPhone 16
Outside Cokeville, Wyoming, near Pine Creek Ski Area, you can see the ski hill in the background. The pup and I were headed to my daughter’s college graduation in the Bay Area and stopped at the ski area for a hike and a night’s rest. I had to bring a step ladder to unhook the pop-up because I was only four weeks out from rotator cuff surgery. There wasn’t another soul around, just the way we like it.
Baltazar Dominguez
Texas Panhandle, Texas
2019 Ford F-250
2016 Northstar 650SC
Camera Used – Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
Passing through the cold mornings of the Texas Panhandle after spending Christmas in Colorado, these beautiful giants stood overlooking a gorgeous sunrise across the flatlands.
Jen Vortriede
Castle Valley, Utah
2018 Ford F-350
2026 Arctic Fox 992
Camera Used – iPhone 13 Mini
My husband and I were driving along Highway 128, commonly known as “The River Road,” following the Colorado River from Moab, Utah, toward Grand Junction, Colorado. It was day six of a twenty-nine-day trip through multiple states. We had never driven that route before, and it exceeded our expectations. After traveling along the river for quite a while, I asked my husband to pull over so I could take some photos. I was originally photographing the opposite direction, but when I turned around and saw our truck camper against the beautiful backdrop, I knew it was worth capturing. It ended up being one of our favorite photos from the trip.
John Buchanan
Minam River State Recreation Area, Oregon
2019 Ford F-250
2021 Cirrus 820
Camera Used – iPhone 13
During a week-long adventure through northeastern Oregon, we chose this spot for a quiet night. Beautiful trees and the sound of the river just feet away made for a wonderful evening.
Mario Belanger
Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
2014 Ford F-150 Super Cab XTR 4×4
2022 Real Lite HS-1803
Camera Used – Samsung A13
I live in Quebec, Canada, and traveled six days with my rig to visit my daughter in northern Alberta. On our way back home, we stopped for the night to get some rest and sleep. Seeing the glaciers high in the mountains was incredible.
Christian McKellar
Stansbury Mountains, Utah
1979 Ford F-350 Ranger
1955 Alaskan 8-Foot Non-Cabover
Camera Used – iPhone 15
Finals were almost over, and I needed a break. Apparently, my roommate did too, because I convinced him to come along. I found a campsite near Utah Lake on Google Earth, located on top of a mountain that somehow doesn’t even have an official name. Once we reached the trailhead, things got rough fast. One section was so steep you couldn’t even see the trail. We crawled over football-sized rocks and large rock slabs, and I had to engage the front differential to make it through. The two-and-a-half-hour climb was worth it for the views of the Wasatch Range and the stars.
Lise Mailloux
Tide Head, New Brunswick, Canada
2023 Jeep Gladiator
Soaring Eagle OV-X 5.0
Camera Used – Samsung S24
Tide Head, New Brunswick, along the Restigouche River, was a perfect stop during the holidays to recharge and take a break. Locals call it “going down the Restigouche,” and rightly so. The Restigouche River, a Canadian Heritage Site, is a paradise for canoeists and salmon anglers. Afterward, we found a place to spend the night before continuing our journey to Nova Scotia.
Don Kinkela
Yuba River, California
2025 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
2025 Northern Lite 10-2
Camera Used – iPhone 13 Mini
After many years of reading Truck Camper Magazine, learning how to match trucks to campers, and renting a few setups, we were finally able to purchase our own. This photo was taken on the last day of a three-day trip in October 2025 after picking up our camper in Salt Lake City and driving across Highway 50 to Reno. From there, we crossed the Sierra Nevada on Highway 80 back into California, making one final stop along the Yuba River near the summit. We couldn’t have asked for a better first trip. Many thanks to Truck Camper Magazine and the truck camper community for sharing your knowledge. We especially enjoy the Behind the Shot articles, which have given us many ideas for future adventures.
Doug Jensen
Duluth, Minnesota
2017 RAM 3500
2017 Northern Lite 10-2 EX CD Special Edition
Camera Used – iPhone 13 Mini
I have many photos of my rig out in the wild, where I truly love to be, but I also enjoy the versatility of being able to boondock in cities from time to time. This was taken at the convention center parking lot in Duluth, Minnesota, where overnight RV camping is allowed. It’s just steps from downtown and Lake Superior, making it an easy place to explore before continuing across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Click here to see all of the photos entered so far in the 2027 TCM Calendar Contest. Enter your photos in the 2027 Truck Camper Magazine Calendar Contest below!
