Northstar 12STC - who has one?

sbryan@vtbryans.com wrote:
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How do you like your Igloo? Any discoveries you'd like to share?

My wife and I along with 2 cats lived in it full time for 2 years. We still use it for a few months of the year. For 2 people I would not want anything bigger. Except for maybe a couple of small kids it would be too small for a family.

I highly recommend dealing with Truck Camper Warehouse. Bill is a straight shooter and a true TC enthusiast. I think our Northstar is at the higher end of quality. Even so we have had some issues.

One issue I am sure was fixed years ago. The kitchen counter tops were not made correctly. The substrate is cheap pressboard....the same material you will find in most household kitchens. The edges of the laminate was beveled but that exposed the substrate which immediately started to swell and deteriorate when the first drops of water hit the countertop edges. I had to seal all of that with epoxy.

Second I had serious water damage due to water seeping in through an electrical connection box for the electric jack motors. The boxes have been installed upside down to keep the wires short and looking neat. Unfortunately water ran down the wires and eventually a small crack appeared and the water ran into the connection box and destroyed the lower rear corner of the camper. I might have noticed this earlier but the issue occurred over winter storage. In spite of the quality construction there are still plenty of areas that are not well sealed and could eventually cause serious damage. Another example is the holes for the electrical wiring for the running lights. None of the holes were sealed and any water getting behind or into the plastic fixtures could do serious damage. Due to the above mentioned issues and a host of other smaller ones, I would give the quality of design and construction a grade of no more than "B+".

Let me know if you have any specific questions or concerns.