Editor’s note: Since this article originally published, the Leentu brand has ceased operations.
Leentu’s newly announced Sunzal Utility Pop-up camper will transform your truck into a road-trip machine.
Leentu took the camping world by storm when it released its Carbon Camper last year. As the first sub-150-pound carbon-fiber camper on the market, it filled a niche for lightweight, customizable pop-up campers.
But it’s only available for 2005 model year and newer long-bed Toyota Tacomas. And that leaves out a lot midsize and full-size truck owners.
Until now.
The Sunzal Utility Pop-Up: A Midsize Dream
Announced this week, the Leentu Sunzal Utility Pop-up camper will be available later this year for the Toyota Tacoma and Tundra, the Ford F150 and new Ford Ranger. Leentu also expects to offer fitment for the Chevy Silverado, the GMC Sierra, and Nissan Frontier soon.
The Sunzal is named after a beach/surf break in El Tunco, El Salvador. A place Leentu’s founder Scott Surface spent a good deal of time in the summer of 2013.
Currently taking preorders, the Sunzal will be perfectly suited for extended surf trips to remote locations.
It offers 6-feet 4-inches of standing room when popped up, which is super simple and quick to open. The big vertical height over the bed when popped-up is a big differentiation that Leentu has over most of the competition. The brand constructs each camper with composite sides and a “marine grade” pop-up tent, complete with zippered windows.
When closed the camper offers a sleek aerodynamic design. Combined with its relatively light weight, at under 300-pounds, it shouldn’t hurt fuel economy much.
The lofted bed comes with a memory foam mattress, and every unit comes with interior LED lights and an accessory-ready roof. Plus, truck owners have the option of customizing the composite side panels, with choices ranging from colored carbon waves, honeycomb, and camo prints. Other options include an integrated solar package, roof racks, windows, and a ventilation fan.
Customizable Camper Design
The big difference between the Leentu Carbon Camper and the forthcoming Sunzal is the construction. The Carbon Camper is made from a monocoque mold and has no flat surfaces. Leentu builds the Sunzal with composite panels held together in an aluminum frame, similar to many other truck campers on the market. This makes the Sunzal much easier to make, and much easier to configure to a variety of vehicles. The construction also allows for the mounting of additional accessories inside and out, something not recommended with the Carbon Camper.
The Sunzal also retains the functionality of the traditional truck tailgate, something that is replaced with a rear door on the Carbon Camper.
The interior of the camper will remain simple and open to user customization. The loft area features a bed, but, otherwise, the inside of this pop-up is untouched. This might seem ridiculous to some people, but anyone who’s ever lived in their truck and dreamt about building it out to their personal specifications gets it.
Everyone has different goals for their camper. And the Sunzal allows each owner to create the adventuremobile of their dreams.
As you may know, the most impressive thing about the Leentu flagship model is the weight — or lack thereof. Though the Sunzal isn’t setting a sub-150-pound record, it’s still impressively lightweight with a 300-pound base weight. This is particularly noteworthy considering it fits midsize and full-size trucks.
Sunzal Camper Details
- Weatherproof, marine-grade tent fabric with built-in storage & zippered windows
- 5V USB charge ports, 120V AC receptacle, 12V auxiliary port & ventilation fan
- Warm & soft-colored dimmable interior & exterior LED lighting
- Pre-wiring for solar
- Lofted bed with 80″ x 48″ high-density foam mattress
- Over 6 ft. of standing room
- Reinforced, accessory-ready roof
- $7,599 for midsize trucks
- $8,599 for full-size trucks
- Preorder at Leentu.com
And real road-trip junkies and overland enthusiasts know weight matters. It means better gas mileage and less engine stress. Every pound you save on the camper is another pound of gear you can bring on the adventure.
While it’s not the cheapest way to camp — priced at $7,599 for midsize trucks and $8,599 for full-size trucks — it provides the opportunity to customize the camper of your dreams and the ability to put a lightweight pop-up on just about any truck.
Leentu is currently taking $1,000 deposits for the Sunzal, with the first models shipping out this summer. The deposit is refundable until Leentu confirms the order, which is typically 6-8 weeks before camper completion. Leentu offers free installation and pick up at its headquarters in Indianapolis, or can arrange shipment.
We were impressed with the Leentu Carbon Camper at the Overland Expo West last year and look forward to seeing the Sunzal in at the event in Flagstaff this May.
If you just can’t wait for the new Leentu Sunzal, be sure to check out the wide range of pop-top truck campers that have all recently hit the market: The Lightweight Pop-Top Truck Camper Revolution.
