The Ford Maverick is a sensible return to small trucks. Something alike to the small, short height trucks of yore from Chevrolet, Mazda, Toyota and Nissan. While the Maverick sadly doesn’t come in a single cab, long bed configuration, it’s still a practical vehicle. Now, Go Fast Campers wants to make the Maverick even more practical with its latest GFC Platform Camper, which combines a camper shell and rooftop tent to turn the Maverick into a pretty neat basecamp.
GFC claims that a base model Ford Maverick and Platform Camper cost a combined total of $28,695. That’s nearly $20,000 less than the average price of a new car in the U.S., which is now $48,043. The company says a Maverick with a Platform Camper buys you a more useful and practical vehicle with a decent-sized bed (4.5-foot,) enclosed cargo area and a rooftop tent — for much less.
The GFC Platform Camper costs $7,700 by itself, which is still a lot. But at least it’s not cheaply-built, and it’s made in the U.S.A. The camper has an aluminum space frame made to distribute loads evenly and securely. The shell has locking aluminum panels with billet aluminum hinges, and an extruded aluminum T-track along the top outer edge to attach lights, awnings and tools.
The camper weighs 255 pounds in total, but its roof will carry up to 500 pounds when closed. If lighter loads like mountain bikes, boards and boats up to 75 pounds are on the roof, owners can open the camper without having to unload any equipment.
The rooftop tent has a sleeping surface of 50 x 90 inches, and 7.5 feet of standing height when measured from the Maverick’s bed to the highest point of the open tent. Despite the roomy space, the camper matches the Maverick’s bed without adding length or width, and only adds 6.5 inches to the truck’s height.
GFC says the height is mostly about clearing the Maverick’s sharkfin antenna, but a shorter antenna could bring the total height down for drivers who worry about parking garage clearance. It’s not like the Maverick is tall to begin with, but every inch counts when you’re building a practical, low-profile rig.
The price of a Maverick and GFC Platform Camper is about the same — if not less — as a base model Subaru Outback, which makes these compelling and a good value at a glance. But that’s assuming you could find a base Maverick in the first place, while avoiding dealer markups on its $20,995 sticker price.
