Lance·Truck Camper·2025

Lance 650

Name: Lance 650
Brand: Lance
Price: 30000 USD

4.3across 2,400 reviews on retail listings

|11 ft|1,700 lbs|Sleeps 2

The Lance 650 is a short-bed truck camper designed for half-ton trucks. Despite its compact size, it features a wet bath, dinette, and full kitchen — impressive for its weight class.

AdventureSoloCouplesBoondocking

MSRP from

$30,000

$$ Mid-Range

SolarNone

Slide-Outs0

Specifications

Length

11 ft

Weight

1,700 lbs

Sleeps

Fresh Water

17 gal

Gray Water

11 gal

Black Water

11 gal

Features

Wet Bath

Dinette/Bed

2-Burner Stove

Microwave

A/C

LED Lighting

USB Outlets

Highlights

Fits short-bed half-ton trucks — the most popular truck size in America

Full wet bath is rare in a half-ton truck camper

Lance build quality is significantly above average for truck campers

What owners report

Summarized from Reddit and owner forums — not a first-hand test.

The Lance 650 exists to solve one specific, hard problem: putting a real hard-side truck camper — with a wet bath — on a half-ton short-bed truck. Lance is the brand that obsesses over weight, and the 650 is the proof, starting around 1,640-1,800 lbs dry depending on options. The build is classic Lance: Azdel composite, LitePly plywood, and CNC/CAD construction that gives it fit and finish you don't expect in something this small. For the half-ton owner who wants to camp off the back of a truck they already own, it's one of the only genuinely viable hard-side options.

In use, everything comes back to payload — the number-one truck-camper concern, doubly so here. The dry weight is friendly, but a loaded 650 with two people, gear, food, and a full water tank can reach around 3,000 lbs, which can push even an F-150 past its rear-axle and payload limits. Newer builds have crept heavier (a 2024 model is around 2,061 lbs dry with only ~200 lbs of cargo room in the camper itself), so many owners conclude that a 3/4-ton is the smarter, safer host truck despite the half-ton marketing. The wet bath is a space-efficient win but means everything gets wet when you shower, and the compact, no-slide footprint feels tight for two on a rainy day. The flip side of that simplicity is fewer leak points and less to break.

The 650 is for the half-ton owner who wants a quality hard-side camper and is disciplined about weight, or the 3/4-ton owner who wants something light and nimble. Against an Arctic Fox truck camper, the Lance is lighter and more half-ton-friendly while the Arctic Fox is heavier, more feature-rich, and a stronger true four-season rig — Arctic Fox owners tend to prioritize cold-weather capability over weight. Against a pop-up like the Four Wheel Campers Hawk, the Lance gives you a hard side and a wet bath versus the Hawk's lighter, lower-profile, more off-road-focused design. Get a payload-honest truck, buy the Lance for its build, and it'll likely outlast and out-resell cheaper competitors.

What owners like

+Genuinely one of the few hard-side truck campers light enough for a half-ton short-bed truck — dry weight starts around 1,640-1,800 lbs depending on options
+Lance's modern build (Azdel composite, LitePly plywood, CNC/CAD construction) gives it premium fit and finish for a tiny camper
+Non-slide design means fewer leak points and less to break than slide-out campers — owners value the simplicity
+Surprisingly good storage for the size — owners report more room than they expected with smart packing
+Wet bath packs a toilet and shower into a footprint where most small campers skip the shower entirely
+Holds resale value well — Lance campers consistently command strong used prices

Common complaints

−Payload is the whole ballgame, and it's tight — a loaded 650 with people, gear, food, and water can hit ~3,000 lbs, which can put even an F-150 over its rear-axle/payload limit
−Many owners conclude a 3/4-ton is the safer host truck despite the half-ton marketing, just to have payload headroom
−Wet bath means the toilet, sink, and shower share one wet space — everything gets damp when you shower
−Small footprint feels cramped for two people stuck inside on a rainy day
−No slide and a compact floorplan limit interior living and storage versus larger truck campers
−Hard-side, non-pop-up design means more wind drag and a higher profile than a pop-up like the Four Wheel Hawk
−At around $30K it's pricey for its size — you're paying the Lance premium for build quality

Questions owners ask

Can a half-ton truck really carry the Lance 650?

Sometimes — it's marketed for half-tons and dry weight is friendly (around 1,640-1,800 lbs), but a loaded 650 with people, gear, and water can hit ~3,000 lbs, which can exceed an F-150's payload and rear-axle limits. Check your truck's specific payload sticker, not the brochure. Many owners ultimately move up to a 3/4-ton for safe margin.

Why has the Lance 650's weight gone up over the years?

Newer builds are heavier — a 2024 650 runs around 2,061 lbs dry with roughly a 2,264 lb GVWR, leaving only about 200 lbs of cargo capacity in the camper itself. That makes payload planning even tighter on newer units. If half-ton compatibility is critical, weigh the exact unit and factor in everything you'll load.

Is the wet bath a dealbreaker?

It's a trade-off. The wet bath packs a toilet and shower into a footprint where most small campers skip the shower, which is a real win for a camper this size. The downside is that the toilet, sink, and shower share one wet space, so everything gets damp when you shower. For weekend and overland use most owners find it perfectly livable.

Lance 650 or an Arctic Fox truck camper?

Different priorities. The Lance 650 is lighter and the more genuinely half-ton-friendly choice, while Arctic Fox campers are heavier, more feature-rich, and built as stronger true four-season rigs. If you want maximum cold-weather capability and have a 3/4-ton or one-ton, lean Arctic Fox; if weight and a half-ton truck are your constraint, the Lance wins.

Lance 650 or a Four Wheel Campers Hawk?

The Lance is a hard-side camper with a wet bath and more enclosed amenities, while the Hawk is a pop-up — lighter, lower-profile, better aerodynamics, and far more off-road oriented. Choose the Lance if you want hard walls, a built-in shower, and comfort; choose the Hawk if your priority is going farther off-pavement with minimal weight and a low driving profile.