Priorities
- wife has to be comfy when sleeping
- your "living/kitchen" space will be outside
- fresh veggies
- camper space is for food storage, and private space for porta potti
- wide range of uses, including off pavement
- some longer trips.
The fresh veggies jumps out at me since that is important to us as well. And if you want to go for some of those longer dry camping trips, you will want a good fridge and power to run it. That usually means bigger batteries and solar. That means weight.
So, maybe this isn't the time to agonize over which model to get, other than to realize both the Hallmark and ATC/FWC campers will be heavier than you think. We bought our FWC shell last fall and I have renovated it to meet our current needs. I look forward to spending time in it and modifying as needed. Eventually, a different camper may make more sense. The quality is there regardless of which of these campers you get.
And remember, the best camper is the one you have.
It all comes down to priorities. What I see from your list is:backcountrydad said:Howdy folks,
Really, really appreciate all the helpful advice. I halfway expected to be blown up in this forum for implying that a FWC might not be the ideal choice. So thanks for all the even-handed, helpful responses. The gist as I'm reading it seems to be that FWC is better geared toward off-road whereas Hallmark includes more comfort-friendly features. Also really like the suggestions to spend time in various rigs imagining life in there.
Question on weight, though: the Grandby 8' base weight is 1,095 pounds, and the Hallmark EXC 8' also appears to be 1,095 lbs (before options). Does the Hallmark end up being heavier with the same set of options? Seems like they're awfully close in weight.
Some additional background on me since I'd rather be doing this than working....
Family of four, with two kiddos (currently 9 and 5) who we homeschool. I'm a climber, skier, backpacker, free diver, anything-outsider-er., and as a family we've been car campers since my first was 2. My wife loves the outdoors but needs to be comfortable, otherwise she doesn't sleep which means my 'vacation' becomes her 'hell.' Hence the move from tent camping to a cab-over.
That said, she'll happily be cooking, eating, and showering outside. The camper will really be for sleeping, food/water storage (fresh veggies are highly valued in our family), and the porta potty.
In terms of use cases: everything from simple state park campground camping, to off-road excursions into the desert, to extended wander trips (prob 2-3 weeks) as part of the homeschool curriculum.
Oh, and our chariot is a 1/2 ton Silverado, 4WD.
We tend to be the types who 'do it right the first time' which often means spending money upfront to get better quality. However, in this instance, given other financial obligations, I'm thinking it makes sense to get into this lifestyle for $10k or less, if possible, confirm it works for the family, and invest in something new/higher quality (more creature comforts) down the road.
Any further input is of course welcome, but this has already been a huge help.
Thanks all!
- wife has to be comfy when sleeping
- your "living/kitchen" space will be outside
- fresh veggies
- camper space is for food storage, and private space for porta potti
- wide range of uses, including off pavement
- some longer trips.
The fresh veggies jumps out at me since that is important to us as well. And if you want to go for some of those longer dry camping trips, you will want a good fridge and power to run it. That usually means bigger batteries and solar. That means weight.
So, maybe this isn't the time to agonize over which model to get, other than to realize both the Hallmark and ATC/FWC campers will be heavier than you think. We bought our FWC shell last fall and I have renovated it to meet our current needs. I look forward to spending time in it and modifying as needed. Eventually, a different camper may make more sense. The quality is there regardless of which of these campers you get.
And remember, the best camper is the one you have.