soft side pop up TC and wind

I haven't given storage much thought as it will remain on the truck for most of the year. I only anticipate removing it once or twice a year when I need the truck for a toad carrying the RZR. I don't currently have covered parking so the RV's spend their life full timing out in the elements. I am looking hard to find a decent used option but everything I have looked at is in rough shape.

Storage was also a big issue for me. A HS needs a big building which I have, I kept my Lance in the hay barn but the softside fits in the garage, much easier to deal with. In fact, when it's in the garage I can put the top up which I do. Makes a nice breakroom for hot coffee in the winter.

In the hay barn it was always in the way.

You've probably gotten the idea, by now, that soft wall noise is probably going to be brand specific. OUTFITTER soft walls are engineered to be taut. After hundreds of nights in our OUTFITTER I can't recall ever hearing the soft wall - - it just isn't an issue. We've experienced the higher velocity winds of approaching tornados so we've probably seen it all. I'd venture to say you are more likely to feel the impact of wind from the rocking motions of your truck - - whether in a soft wall or hard sided camper.

The lower profile of a soft-walled camper (...opposed to a hard side) _might_ result in better truck handling at highway speeds when confronted by crosswinds. But I'd really hesitate to pick one over the other based on such relatively unusual events. Most of the posturing between hard sided campers and soft walled campers is pure _bunk_. At the end of the day, what makes sense is going to depend largely on what feels right to _you_ and maybe how compact you need the RV to be for storage.

I'm a 'soft-walled' person and I never intend to have anything else. But I've always said that I have trouble articulating exactly 'why'. The only sure thing I can offer is that it would cost me thousands of dollars a year to store a hard sided camper, when not using it, and the soft walled RV is virtually stored for free on my own property. But I would still prefer the soft wall if storage was not an issue. It is enough to find one's own path without adding to the 'myths'.

maddog348 wrote:
Sidecar -- Thanks for the input. Did look at Palomino TOO much stuff too crowded. Just basic shell did not seem avail. Also weight seemed a little higher. Still looking around for basic nekkid shells. Looking to step back and feel more like Camping. Still have the ClassA for RVing.:) It will be a while yet. But I do like the 'Hawk' & they are in my state. TakeCare Thanks again, Kate

Every non slide TC will be 'crowded'. Not a lot of room inside to put conveniences like a stove top, sink, furnace, fridge and a wet bath / commode. My wife and I use every available space and get creative with storage too. My wife went to Wally World and got some plastic tubs with lids and we have 'his and hers' tubs for clothes and hygiene stuff.

My non slide Lance was the same way, one has to be creative with the space limitations. I weighed my 1500 and dry (no FW, 2 batteries and full propane tanks, it was 2100 and change (advertised weight was 1950). I'm guessing (because I've never weighed it heavy, with the FW tank full, fridge loaded and all our 'stuff' on board, I figure it weighs 2600-2700, or about what the Lance weighed empty, but then I have a 1 ton pickup so I'm fine weight wise.

FWC's are even tighter inside though lighter. I'd have a Grandby if I could afford one, problem is, the used FWC market is non-existent.

We camped in 40 mph winds in our Jayco pop-up without any problems.

Sidecar -- Thanks for the input. Did look at Palomino TOO much stuff too crowded. Just basic shell did not seem avail. Also weight seemed a little higher. Still looking around for basic nekkid shells. Looking to step back and feel more like Camping. Still have the ClassA for RVing.:) It will be a while yet. But I do like the 'Hawk' & they are in my state. TakeCare Thanks again, Kate

SidecarFlip thanks for the info. I am certainly leaning towards the Palomino. I am not giving up the DP but while the wife goes through surgeries and healing it is overkill for me to use the DP by my self. Once she is up and going we will certainly use the DP but even then for day trips and long weekends using a TC again will be nice. Long weekends I will have my cargo trailer or jeep so storage won't be an issue and the wife can stay pampered with a RR and daily shower.

One other thing I have not been able to get confirmed is if the Palomino is usable off the truck. With my old Lance it was common for us to unload the TC to use the truck to run around and not put it back on till we headed home.

I too would love to see a cassette toilet. I have one in my cargo trailer and had one in the old lance and it is by far the easiest.

discovery4us wrote:
I definitely like the Outfitter and Hallmark TC's but a ten year old used one is still more money than a brand new Palomino. The used Palomino's I have seen locally leave a lot to desire but the new model I saw seems really nice. Reviews I have been reading seem to agree that the new models are better quality and still have a low price. With this being a second camping option purchase price unfortunately may become the deciding factor. Also I will be putting this on a 2004 Chevy Silverado so it will be tough to justify putting a $20,000 + camper on the truck. I previously had a Lance squire lite and enjoyed it so that makes me lean back towards another Lance. That being said the lower profile and lower price of the Palomino makes it a strong contender.

I also agree, windshield to the wind. Door is easier to open and less rocking.

When I bought mine, I looked at a couple used ones, the old style crank up ones with the split door and every one I looked at had water intrusion issues where the upper split was in the back plus, they had the tubular aluminum tubes inside ( like Hallmark uses) but I see Hallmark is also going to the electric roof lift and I presume it's a Reico -Titan just like Palomino uses.

With the RT electric roof, there is nothing in the way inside, no aluminum tubes, just 4 rectangular aluminum uprights in the corners and a small box attached to each where the drive motors are. I've had no failures with mine at all. Between that and the solid back end and one piece door, it's a light years improvement. You can opt for a totally remote (key fob) roof ;lift, I didn't. The roof rocker switch is right by the door, very handy.

One thing I changed right away was I went to 2 house batteries. The units come set up for a single Group 27 and my opinion is that isn't sufficient. I didn't get ac either. Who needs ac when the entire top unzips, it's open air camping with screens. They do come with ac prep if you want it though.

All the cabinet faces are hardwood and I mean hard hardwood. I upgraded some hardware and had to drill pilot holes to get the screws to start.

Only thing I'd like to see different is a Thetford Cassette style toilet and no black tank. Interestingly, while there is a grey tank on mine, it's only for the shower. The galley sink empties directly to the outside. I found that odd but it works. I put a bucket under the drain outlet.

None of them come with ovens, just a 2 burner propane cook top and a Dometic side vent, 3 way fridge We had an oven in the Lance and never used it anyway. My wife bought a smaller convection microwave we take along.

Other than a cassette toilet as an option and maybe a compressor fridge, it's pretty well appointed considering the price point.

We (I) really like the low transport height, probably the main reason I bought one (besides the fact that they are made here in Michigan) and I like to support local industry.

Finally, the advertised dry weights are pretty close (unlike most TC's with pie-in-the sky weight figures). Dry, mine stickers at 1950. With 2 full propane bottles and my little generator in the camper, it weighed at 2100. While that is a bit more, it's not stupid more like some units are. I've never weight it dressed for camping but, I would imagine it's around 2600, well below my payload weight with my F350.

My wife and I don't collect rocks like Lucy and Desi did.....;)

No problems here. (I do NOT mean because the top is down)

Never an issue when we had our Outfitter - but then again the winds we experienced there were only moderate...

The new Northstar popups now also have the multi-layer canvas similar to Outfitter/Hallmark. It seems to hold up very well in the wind.