Forum Discussion
joerg68
Dec 04, 2018Nomad III
Why is Hallmark not on your list? Too expensive? They are just around the corner from Outfitter. They will use whatever material you are willing to pay for.
Conventional wood framed campers have their own advantages and can last a long time if they are well maintained. The last (new) Palomino camper I saw did not look bad for the price. My current (hardwall) Northstar is very well built.
Customer service can be a problem for all of the manufacturers to a certain degree - due to the simple fact that they are small and without a service network. On the other hand, they usually have good service if you are nearby. IMO it is a huge advantage if you are handy and can take care of minor issues yourself. Usually that will be much less effort than taking the camper to a repair facility...
A popup with an indoor shower and sleeping capacity for three is not going to be at the small/lightweight end of popups. You will be pushing the payload capacity of the truck. Are you planning to pull a trailer or carry sports gear? Bicycles?
In case you are not sure about axle capacities and what they mean for truck campers, read up on the topic beforehand.
Whatever you do, be wary of any weights stated by the manufacturers. Only a scale will tell the truth. TCM have a fairly good formula on their website to calculate the true "wet" weight of a camper.
Conventional wood framed campers have their own advantages and can last a long time if they are well maintained. The last (new) Palomino camper I saw did not look bad for the price. My current (hardwall) Northstar is very well built.
Customer service can be a problem for all of the manufacturers to a certain degree - due to the simple fact that they are small and without a service network. On the other hand, they usually have good service if you are nearby. IMO it is a huge advantage if you are handy and can take care of minor issues yourself. Usually that will be much less effort than taking the camper to a repair facility...
A popup with an indoor shower and sleeping capacity for three is not going to be at the small/lightweight end of popups. You will be pushing the payload capacity of the truck. Are you planning to pull a trailer or carry sports gear? Bicycles?
In case you are not sure about axle capacities and what they mean for truck campers, read up on the topic beforehand.
Whatever you do, be wary of any weights stated by the manufacturers. Only a scale will tell the truth. TCM have a fairly good formula on their website to calculate the true "wet" weight of a camper.
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