New Northstar STC model

I am a former Northstar owner, Arrow 8.5, and I know that they are very well built. I seriously considered the 12' side entry model but the dinette is very uncomfortable. I just can't get comfortable with the very upright seat back cushions. If Rex can improve the comfort of the dinettes in his campers he will have hit a home run.

I have never owned a TC and am looking for my first. There is alot I like about this camper. The dinette and small dinette table was not as comfortable as I would have liked. I really liked the dry bath and with the rotating toilet there is plenty of room to get to the sink and shower. This was the cassette toilet. Tons of storage inside compared to any other no slide/single slide camper I have seen. One thing that did put me off though was all the exposed wood under the rear overhang. I wonder if that is going to be a longer term problem ??

I actually like it. ''light' simple and a side entry. Wonder how much swing out arms are for my dually application.

Although I really like Northstars, i don't care for the length of this one, but those Montaukers know what they are doing. I would rather have the shorter length N*.

I like it.

I like the camper. I have an Arrow U and it is rock solid as I imagine this one will also be.

If you want a modification, give Rex a call. I am sure he can accommodate you. They are very flexible.

realter wrote:
For some reason when I read these posts, I think of Sharktank. Some of you like this model, and others list what you don't like, and then say "I'm out".

I was thinking the same.

IMHO, Northstar faithful will be one of markets for this TC. I don't see it swaying many owners of double and even triple slideout campers to downsize.

Some mentioned some interior layout disagreements (don't we all have our own preferences?) while lack of storage was also noted. Having lived with a N* for a few years, I understand that they are a bit off center from what mainstream TCs have become.

Their designs may seem pretty basic and different- but after sitting down and talking with Bill Penney ("Mr Truck Camper Warehouse") we saw that there are some very sound reasons behind why Northstar builds what they do. Some little things, some big concepts.

One of the big concepts was to keep overall height to a minimum, so no basement. Northstar has been keeping their outside dimensions as small as possible so the tanks are very flat. BTW, our N* 850SC pop-up had a very flat grey tank and we never had a problem.
And if you have never had a cassette toilet, be grateful because then you don't know what you are missing. I wish that our current Lance had one.

Just a few thoughts. But right now I wish we had a long bed truck b/c we would be one of the first in line for one of these campers.

I am glad there are a variety of models to fit different uses but also have my own requirements. Even if a unit may not be what I want, I will still look at it since there may be a feature or layout I may want in a different unit. When we went to the local RV show last weekend, we looked at a variety of RV's to get ideas of what we wanted in the future. As an example: We saw one RV with a flat screen built into a cabinet and a lot dead wasted space behind it. In another RV that space was also there, but it had captive shelves (shelves with lips) to allow additional storage of video media or other items when you swung the TV out.

For some reason when I read these posts, I think of Sharktank. Some of you like this model, and others list what you don't like, and then say "I'm out".

I'll add my $0.02.

NS is known for old-school, well built, no-frills campers and this is true to their designs.

Some comments;
* Not much outside storage for a camper this size?
* The sink in the bath look unusable (straddle the toilet?)?
* Not sure about the comment you "can't" use slide in Montauk. Slides are not desirable on the beaches in the NE as you do rack your truck (off camber) due to the slope of the beach. Most beach campers don't use slides for this reason.
* Another fact of life beach camping is the need for short departure angles when climbing/descending dunes. I don't think that long over hang is going to work on the beach...
* I don't like the step in the kitchen counter. I would sacrifice some cabinet height to keep the counter continuous (near the stove).
* 12 v heaters for the tanks? Better get solar...
* I don't see a coat closet?

Now the good;
* The floor plan is nice and wide open for a non-slide. I do believe there is a market for this type of camper.
* There is a ton of inside storage
* Huge awning
* NS did a good job keeping weight down.