Which pop-up truck camper could best exploring offroad?

All of the 4 mentioned vendors have offered to do a side entry for this build of a popup.

We like the idea of a side entry for several reasons.
Option to tow.
Other pickup truck campers we have borrowed tend to get quite dirty on the back.
We would like to place an 8 foot awning over the side entry door for weather and sun protection.



I am clueless
if aluminum framing is better than wood?
if Lamilux outer skin is better than aluminum or fiberglass?
what customer service is really like after you buy your camper?

All opinions are welcomed.

I like the XP. Marc really engineers his products to perform and they seem to have quality built into them. I was impressed with how much room and functionality the XP-V2 has on small truck frame.

There is a big following of Four Wheel Campers for hardcore offroad truck camping. But IMO, just crawling in and out of a FWC one time was enough to turn me off of them.

One of your wish list items that caught my eye was the passenger side entry. Are you planning on towing? XP and Outfitter's Juno are the only one's I know of with standard passenger side entry.

Seldomseensmith brought up a good point about side entry departure angle. The Juno will have a bit more overhang. The XP still has great departure angle and passenger side entry.

To my way of thinking one of the primary advantages of the pop-up TC is a lower profile and lower center of gravity to negotiate more difficult roads. That said, you would probably lose some maneuverability with a side entry unit that has a big rear overhang.

Departure angles mean a lot when traversing dry wash beds, particularly if it's a long bed crew cab. I think the flatbed idea has worked well for some, but make sure you are realistic about what kind of off-road capabilities such a rig would offer.

MANY comments have been made through the years on the pros and cons of all the manufacturers you have listed so I won't repeat any of it here except to say my next pop-up TC will come from Hallmark.

Best of luck.

There are many offroad camping forums where you will find current owners and a lot more information. I would be less concerned about the overall build quality than the soft side and lift mechanism reliability and the type of equipment that is used inside.

Manufacturers compete on price and there is a tendency to cut corners. I would not want a water pump or fridge to fail because the company used a less expensive version. House battery storage is also more important. My Lance hard sides has a nylon strap as a battery hold down and it would be relatively worthless for serious offroading.

The capacity of the holding tanks will be a big factor in how far afield you can go and that varies greatly between models.

A good manufacturer's website to get you started is at fourwheelcampers.com.

If I were doing serious trail running I would be getting a Toyota mini-truck with 4WD and a popup camper. I had that setup and could go anywhere my friend went with his Jeep CJ7. For more space a full size 1/2 ton is as far up as I would go as lighter trucks are going to handle the stress on trails a lot better than the heavy duty 3/4 and 1-ton trucks used by the majority of people on this forum.

Xp all the way, if you are open to a good off road Non Truck Camper check out Tiger or of coarse Earthroamer....

I would go with either Hallmark or Outfitter the two companies have been in the business a long time.
Really depends on your needs posted and agreement with Hallmark/Outfitter to what you want constructed.
I am sure some of the Outfitter and Hallmark people will pop in to give there personal Experiences with their Campers.
Good luck in your search.
Scott