Ovrland Campers may have dropped vowels from its name for clipped branding, but it does not drop a spec when it comes to creating pick-up campers. The Flagstaff, scenic mountain city in Northern Arizona, based builder has a keen eye for detail, an example of which can be seen in the introductory video of the Mini Pop-up Camper, added above. In the video, Ovrlnd founder Jay Wellman can be seen elaborately (using a tape measure) detailing every single aspect of the company’s new build, which is an inspiration of its all-time favorite camper models, but is scaled down to the size of a retired 1980 Mini 95.
The Mini 95 was brought off an auction for $22,000. Now it forms the foundation of the new customized pick-up camper. The new version is a Mini-based customization of the Ovrland Chubby, a camper that protrudes slightly outside of the truck bed on the sides to create little additional living space inside.
Designer: Ovrlnd Campers
Even though Ovrlnd has interesting truck camper options that fit snugly within the truck bed, they specifically chose the Chubby styling for the new pick-up camper so that the little space inside the Mini 95 bed can be better utilized. Rest is pretty much the same convenience and structural assurance that you get with each full pop-up camper shell that Ovrlnd builds. It is lightweight to radically reduce drag and maximize payload of one of the smallest pick-up trucks on the market.
Small pick-up trucks are not a rarity, but their build and consumption are pretty localized. Japan would be a good example of such consumption, but out in the US, of course, getting hands on one of these is really a task. The Mini 95 here gets its name from its gross weight of 0.95 tons. It has a payload capacity of about 550 lbs and was incredibly popular between 1965 and 1985, Ovrlnd founder informs.
The Chubby-style layout of the camper atop the Mini 95 provides a double bed width of 55 inches side to side. The pick-up bed ideally measures about 43 inches wide from rail to rail, so the additional 10 inches or so comes at a premium for living inside. The space is spacious enough for sleeping two people, and can pop up to create over 6 feet of head height from the front to back. When you slide out the bed from its platform, obviously, the head height is compromised, but with the windows on both sides, you are not cramped for room at any time.
Ovrlnd says the Mini Pick-up Camper has built weight of about 280 lb. With two people onboard, you are almost surpassing the payload capacity of the Mini 95. But if you’re solo, the company has fitted the aluminum roof with a bike rack to carry your ride along. Interestingly, this would be the only pop-up camper on the market where you can mount and dismount the cargo from the roof without a ladder or climbing onto the tailgate. That should give you an idea of how compact the entire creation is!
