I bought a Northstar 850SC TC last fall and I was very happy with it. It drives beautifully and it's very comfortable. When I bought it I told the dealer that I wanted to add an AC, rear ladder and removable skirts to it the following year. Now I find out that I have the high lift version of roof system, not the standard one, and that you shouldn't add an AC on top of in (Small Polar Cub 8500-9000). The first few cranks would become quite hard and I'm not a strong person. I'm working with the dealer on a trade. Should I get a Northstar 650SC or the small hardside Liberty? I expect I'll have to pay some difference in either case. The popup is great to drive, but is a bit low on storage. Also would be nice to be able to use the washroom, while travelling. ( without having to first crank open the roof and then close it again afterwards) Once you get older, it may be getting too hard to get in/out through that low door? With a popup I don't have to worry as much about unexpected low bridges or other obstacles. Taller TC, more worries, but it's ready to use the minute you park your vehicle. Other pros, cons on either option? I don't do any off roads or back woods camping.

I am partial to the hardside TC with no basement. I have never had an issue with unexpected low bridges or other obstacles. Like anything else, you just pay attention with where you are at.Wayne

It sounds like a small hardside is in your future. The good part is it's always set up. Just pull down the steps and camp. If you do no adventure XTC-ing (code for extreme truck camping) size is not a problem.We do a lot of off-roading in a 7 foot wide hardside XTC and have only dragged tree branches (and some Joshua trees) along the sides top actually scraping off side lights, vent covers, refrigerator top vent and half of the top storage rack, and added some desert pinstiping . Oh, and one puncture recently which I patched with some waterproof duc tape. Other than that, no harm no foul. It just looks like a dogs dinner.If you do get a small hardside, consider getting the 4-season insulation package with dual pane windows. This will increase the comfort level thru hot and cold.jefe

If you call them "worries" you probably shouldn't buy that particular camper. Camping should be worry-free. When you're constantly worried about plowing into a sudden low bridge around every blind corner, it's no longer fun and relaxing.There are a couple ways to address that:1. Get the popup.2. Drive like you know what you're doing, quit worrying about it, and be confident that you can deal with the situation should it arise.

Are there a lot of really low bridges and other obstacles in the Ontario area that are lower than a standard hardside? For someone who doesn't do off roads or back country camping I don't see the main advantage of going with a pop-up.I've had both pop-up and now a hardside. I see two main reasons for getting a pop-up: A)you boondock / offroad with your camper in more extreme conditions B) you have a 1/2 ton truck and your pop-up is really light.

Have you talked to Northstar about this 'high lift' roof system that won't support a roof AC? I don't see any such option on their web site, and a roof AC certainly is an option.In any case, a roof AC will make the roof heavier -- again, I would talk to Northstar about how much harder it will be to crank the roof. Unfortunately, I don't see an electric lift option on their site.

Pop-up or 7ft wide hard side TC with no basement?

TomG2
Explorer
Jun 17, 2014
Redsky wrote:
......snip...........................
Unbelievable dumb comment. A hard sided camper is going to require less than 12 feet of clearance even with gear on top of the roof. All overpasses and bridges are a minimum of 13'6" above the ground. Go to any state website where they post areas with clearance problems to alert commercial truckers and see if you can find a single problem on a state highway or interstate. They don't exist.
Lots of cities streets, and roads off the state and Interstate system have clearance under 12'

If I stop for groceries on a trip or my wife or I want to use the toilet we do not want to have to raise the camper before we can go inside. We carry camera gear in the camper and we can stop at a pullout and get inside and grab what we want in minutes without having to first raise the camper. When we are done we head back onto the road without having to first lower the camper.
No problem accessing anything in my 2014 Palomino with the top down, including the toilet.

Talk about worries, with the popup we would be worrying about the crank mechanism breaking or worrying about leaving it up if we left the campsite for a hike or worrying about it up in bear country or worrying about leaving it up by accident and driving off with it raised.
Any mechanical device, including lift systems, are subject to failure, but the newer models are pretty reliable. If a bear really wants in, he will get in to any camper.

The one place where a popup helps is when going on offroad trails with no real road as such. Then the lower center of gravity is a definite asset. But that applies to less than 1% of the people who own and use a truck camper.Doesn't the lower center of gravity also affect handling characteristics of the vehicle for the better?
Redsky
Explorer
Jun 17, 2014
mkirsch wrote:
If you call them "worries" you probably shouldn't buy that particular camper. Camping should be worry-free. When you're constantly worried about plowing into a sudden low bridge around every blind corner, it's no longer fun and relaxing.

There are a couple ways to address that:
1. Get the popup.
2. Drive like you know what you're doing, quit worrying about it, and be confident that you can deal with the situation should it arise.

Unbelievable dumb comment. A hard sided camper is going to require less than 12 feet of clearance even with gear on top of the roof. All overpasses and bridges are a minimum of 13'6" above the ground. Go to any state website where they post areas with clearance problems to alert commercial truckers and see if you can find a single problem on a state highway or interstate. They don't exist.

If I stop for groceries on a trip or my wife or I want to use the toilet we do not want to have to raise the camper before we can go inside. We carry camera gear in the camper and we can stop at a pullout and get inside and grab what we want in minutes without having to first raise the camper. When we are done we head back onto the road without having to first lower the camper.

Talk about worries, with the popup we would be worrying about the crank mechanism breaking or worrying about leaving it up if we left the campsite for a hike or worrying about it up in bear country or worrying about leaving it up by accident and driving off with it raised.

The one place where a popup helps is when going on offroad trails with no real road as such. Then the lower center of gravity is a definite asset. But that applies to less than 1% of the people who own and use a truck camper.
Majku
Explorer
Jun 16, 2014
Update: I got the Northstar Liberty. After driving down to the States to look at campers in heavy down pour (for 3 solid days), I decided a solid hard shelled camper would be a lot more conveniant than a pop-up.
Thanks for all yourhelp and suggestions
Old_Days
Explorer II
Jun 07, 2014
My 1603 has been a good camper with only a few things to fix. It heats great in 30 degrees and you stay cool in 75 degree nites with the canvas open and fan on. Plus after a long trip to Yellowstone and Colorado we got 14 MPG with the half ton truck, so I am happy.
Gr8life
Explorer II
Jun 07, 2014
WVbassmistress wrote:
Gr8life, how do you like the 2014? .....snip.........

Workmanship is still not what one would want, but the improvements and low price make it a good deal. There is no comparison to the older Broncos with the two piece doors and lower sidewalls. The electric lift works perfectly and my 1500 has full access to everything with top down. I seldom raise the top if I am only spending a night on the road to somewhere. The lcd lighting is a big improvement also. I do not work for Palomino, but I think the 2014 models are worth looking at. Especially if you only want to spend $9k-$15k for a brand new unit.
WVbassmistress
Explorer
Jun 04, 2014
Gr8life, how do you like the 2014? Quality seem to have improved? My husband has put alot of work into a totally new roof on our ol' Bronco, so we will not be getting one this year, but I have really checked them out online. (no TC dealers nearby period...much less one that has the Backpack Editions I would like to look at)
The Northstar 650 would be my 1st choice, but at half the price I would more likely end up with the Palomino.
Majku
Explorer
Jun 04, 2014
Thaks for all your inputs. My Northstar 850SC has an interior height of 6' and just a fraction under 11". Northstar does not recommend putting an AC on that roof lift system. On the standard 6' 4' interior height, NO problems. The Northstar pop-ups can be unloaded while camping. I wouldn't though - Too much of a pain with the real tight fit on my truck. The Northstar 650SC claimes you can use the washroom with the roof in the down position, but the interior height is only 5'1'', so unless you are shorter than that, I can't see how it would work. You can have either a roof or rear mounted AC on that model. I like it, but I don't see any storage space for food, excluding the small fridge. The small cabinet under the sink would be used for pots, pans and dishes. You are all probably right that I might be better off with the hard side Liberty. I'm not getting any younger and I definitly don't do any back woods rough camping. I'll hopefully get used to driving the Liberty. My husband always drove all the diffrent rigs we had over the last 30+ years. Now I'm learning to do it on my own. I still would like to go some of the places we had planned to go to after we retired.
Gr8life
Explorer II
Jun 03, 2014
I realize that Palomino campers have a lot of critics on here, but one reason I purchased a 2014 was to get the electric lift. Pop the four hold down brackets and press the button. Also, with their new higher sidewalls, everything is available with the top down.
Redsky
Explorer
Jun 03, 2014
My hard side has an AC and it is 12'6" above the ground. Bridges or overpasses that are lower than 13'6" few if any exist on the highways. Check the states websites as they provide information on low clearance areas on highways for the trucks so they don't get stuck and shut down the road.

The hard sides will not affect your fuel economy if you stay at 60 MPH or slower when traveling. At 65 MPH or higher speeds the fuel economy will be hurt as the air drag increases with the square of your speed. This includes any head winds as well.

I would only go with a popup to have the lower center of gravity for serious trail running that is truly off road. Otherwise the drawbacks so well covered by the OP are what led me to go with hard side campers.

The Northstar Liberty will provide for AC, easier access for quick stops, and a more storage space. We use the cabover space of the hard side camper for all our personal gear so it is easy to get to and this includes clothes in duffel bags, photo gear, laptops, etc. and this provides more room in the cabinets for other stuff. At night most of this is put on the dinette so the bed is clear.
work2fish
Explorer
Jun 03, 2014
805gregg wrote:
Why would you want an A/C on a tent?

I use mine even when I'm working on the camper while parked at home, from what I can tell these darn campers seem to attract heat! Also, as mentioned, I do not want to be opening a vent when it is raining outside and would prefer to keep the camper closed up but still stay cool.

Super_Dave wrote:
Unless I was a complete off road commando, I'd pick hardside everytime. Unless I'm mistaken, which is quite possible, one can't take a pop up off the truck while camping. I like leaving my camper in camp when I'm camping.

Yep, you are mistaken about that. Northstar even specifically highlights that these campers are designed to be used off the truck.