camper

American  

[kam-per] / ˈkæm pər /

noun

campers plural

1. a person who camps out for recreation, especially in the wilderness.

2. a person who attends a summer camp or day camp.

3. Also called pickup camper, truck camper.  a trucklike vehicle, van, or trailer that is fitted or suitable for recreational camping, or a pickup truck on which a structure fitted for camping is mounted.

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verb (used without object)

1. to travel and live in a vehicular camper.

   We're going to camper for two weeks during our vacation.

camper British  

/ ˈkæmpə /

noun

1. a person who lives or temporarily stays in a tent, cabin, etc

2. a vehicle equipped for camping out

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• campers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of camper

1625–35; 1960–65 camper for def. 3; camp ¹ + -er ¹

Explanation

Anyone who regularly hikes into the woods, pitches a tent, and spends the night under the stars, snuggled into a sleeping bag, is a camper. People who go camping are campers, whether they sleep under the stars, in a cabin, or in a fancy Winnebago. And if you do have a recreational vehicle, you can say you're a camper who sleeps in your camper! The common colloquial phrase happy camper was coined in the 1980s: when you're a happy camper, you're as content as a kid who's having a blast at summer camp, paddling canoes on the lake and eating s'mores by the fire.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

camper campers

Scott said he bought his own camper van to rival Lukaszuk's Unity Bus.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Blue skies extended to the horizon, and a small colony of tents, camper vans and motorhomes sprawled out across the lush alfalfa fields.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

They initially traveled the country selling performance polos out of a camper van.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

The day after he bought the motorhome, Murrell ordered three guides to "inspirational journeys" around Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland in a camper van or motorhome.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

Worse, a camper van was parked round the side.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Police began escorting residents and campers back to properties and campsites to collect personal belongings on Sunday.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Yet taking advantage of the tax breaks is not as straightforward a task as other camp-related duties — like remembering to label every T-shirt and pair of socks campers bring.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026

And they are not happy campers, you know?

From Slate ● May 12, 2026

In 2022-23, the most recent fiscal year for which statistics are available, the area drew more than 908,000 visitors, including about 126,000 campers.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026

Across the street, the Apollo campers had set up a field hospital to tend the wounded—dozens of campers and almost as many Hunters.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan