Aliner’s Switchback truck camper is getting its own line at the company’s Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, factory.
President and CEO Brett Randall said the company is in the process of setting up a 25,000-square-foot area devoted strictly to Switchback production.
“When you bring out a new product, you want to get it out there and kind of get a feel for it,” Randall said. “When we got some traction with it, which was good, we said we need to make the investment.”
Randall said Aliner saw interest almost immediately after Switchback was introduced in August. The foldable, 375-pound slide-in truck camper fits any truck and offers a no-frills shelter that Randall said is often in demand by hunters and fishermen. When mounted and folded down in the truck’s bed, it fits under 7-foot garage doors for easy storage.
Moving the Switchback to its own manufacturing line, Randall said, will help the company meet anticipated demand.
“When you get a new product out there, and people get eager for it, you have got to get it out there,” Randall said. “The thought was, ‘Let’s set it up on its own line so that it does not compromise the core product portfolio,’ but also that we can get enough out there to meet consumer demand.”
Consumers first saw the Switchback at America’s Largest RV Show in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Randall said the truck camper will be a prominent part of Aliner’s display at consumer shows in the first half of this year.
He said the company is not surprised by the truck camper’s success but was surprised by how quickly consumers responded. The company originally planned to make 150 Switchbacks.
“We have exceeded that,” he said. “The reception has been good through the dealer community.”
Randall said the Switchback costs significantly less than many traditional truck campers. Many potential truck camper competitors are roof- and bed-mounted fold-out tents. Randall said some campgrounds are moving away from tents and canvas-based accommodations.
“The Switchback is a nice option because everything is hard-sided,” Randall said. “There are no restrictions on where you can take it. We see it as kind of a unique product.”
The bare-bones truck camper features two lockable 60-inch drawers for secure gear storage. Randall said the feature was important to hunters and fishermen.
The Switchback can be upgraded with a furnace, air conditioning or solar power. It includes a 30-amp converter with standard interior 12-volt and electrical outlets. The insulated Switchback includes front and back windows. A 60-by-72-inch bed can be used as a full-sized bed or two twin-sized beds.
Randall said he wanted to keep the product simple and leave room for consumers to customize the truck camper to fit their needs.
“What we are seeing so far is that these types of customers are fairly innovative,” Randall said. “They figure out what they want in their unit, and they accessorize it accordingly.”
Randall said consumers interested in the Switchback ranged in age from 20 to over 60.
“We are really excited about it,” Randall said. “We are fairly bullish on 2026. We think the backlog is definitely a lot better at this time of year than it was a year ago. I think the industry is going to be up a little bit.”
