Hard side TC vs pop-up

[Happyjax]

I know that pop ups are the main point of discussion here and I think they are great for back country travel, many of them being outstanding campers.

I am curious though, for someone who wants to travel off road but not necessarily White Rim Trail version of off road would a normal, non-slide, hard side be that much of a detriment?

I have seen a few that looked very nice without being to humongous, and had a few more amenities and better storage than the beloved pop-up.

Any hard sided owners floating around?

Just thought I'd stir a hornets nest....lol

Thanks!

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Jackie, I have both a hardside and a popup (which is for sale BTW, so I can get a smaller popup). There are places that I will take the popup, that I would never dream of taking the hardside. That's from a standpoint of weight and clearance. I like both, but each has it's pros and cons. I would choose a popup if limited to just one.

Ouch, was that a hornet...?

 

[enelson]

The hard side Four Wheel Camper is light and probably quite durable. Hard sides do look tall on the road though. My favorite hard side is the Northern Lite made for the Tacoma. Sadly, the molds burned up for the small Northern Lite campers. Here's a used one that may be for sale still. http://www.usedpqb.com/ReportSelectUsedAdPhoto2?used_ad_id=27458963&position=1&hb=9

 

[Happyjax]

I like the looks of the new version of the Capri Camper. The new owner says they are trying out solar now. The middle version Maverick is only 6ft tall inside so not nearly as tall as some of the Camplite and Lance hard sides.
It is light and quite reasonably priced. I hope to tour several factories next spring and sniff and kick the tires on some of these.
I am trying not to have tunnel vision and really look at pros and cons to find what fits me the best.
As I am planning on long trips I will likely go 8 ft length for the space, 3/4 ton truck for the payload and whatever ends up sitting in it will be awesome

 

[alaskaguy]

The best of both worlds may be a hard sided pop-up. Alaskan campers seem to hit a nice middle ground. There's also various other examples of hard sided pop ups. Unfortunately though, they all seem fairly expensive. The Alaskan camper is the most reasonably priced, but in my opinion it is very heavy and outdated. I don't need a composite build... I could live with aluminum... but it's hard for me to consider a wood framed camper in this day and age. I wish Alaskan made an aluminum framed version.

 

[Happyjax]

I think a well built wood framed camper is fine.
The wood gives so if properly joined it is not going to have many issues. It also does not sweat like aluminum so I would think is warmer. Of course it can rot but shouldn't if the exterior is well maintained and I have seen aluminum frames with cracked and broken welds so nothing is perfect.
The Alaskan is a nice camper and is high up on the probability list but there are many good campers out there and I would be remiss if I did not research thoroughly I am hopefully going to spends lots of time in the one I get so lets get a good one!

 

[verynice]

Hard side under 2k lbs- First and foremost, it's quieter inside when camping. I've had nice lightweight hardside that was fantastic and was only hindered by height and Jeep trails.

Alaskan- Tons of character and beautiful woodwork but a little tight inside, you really can't even have two people standing in one. Not that heavy when you consider some of the comfort pop ups like Outfitters, ...Mine was 1500ish. Very cozy in cold weather.

Pop Up- A little noisy if you're not out in the middle of nowhere by yourself. The only REAL positives are the low wind resistance and low height off road. Weight can vary so widely on these that unless you're into the ATC/4Wheel at under 1k lbs you're still gonna be in between 1500-up to 2900 for a pop up with comparable amenities to say a Northern light or 1500 series Bigfoot.

A lot also depends on what you're putting it on... I'd love a Toyota with a 4-wheel camper, A Dodge with an Alaskan and a dually with a nice Northern Lite...............................Good Times in any of them

 

[longhorn1]

Northern Lite re-built their plant and have been back in operation. New mold designs were done during the constuction of the new plant.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Wander The West mobile app

 

[enelson]

The new designs are all big with nothing like the Lite Series offered. For the off-roading we do I like to have a camper with no overhang off the back. We already have a bike rack hanging off. It seems like they should offer a 1/2 capable design since that is a big market.

 

[Happyjax]

Looked at Northern Lite buyers guide. Lowest camper they have is 94" exterior height. Add 36-38" to that and you are almost 11 feet high, more if you put a rack and stuff on the roof. Not only that, the dry weight of their lightest camper is 2200 lbs. Hoping to stay lighter than 2800 lbs wet weight..... (I err on the heavy side to be safe)
Want to be under 10 feet if possible which the Capri Maverick should do, as of course any pop-up. Don't want to drive a big sail but do want storage, warmth and security.
The Alaskan is very nice but it is tight inside and twice the money, good storage though and pretty.
Hallmark is nice but also pricey and probably not as warm and quiet.
FWC/ATC just a bit spartan for me but very nice campers and if the right one (any of them) came along at the right time who knows what I would have....lol
Sooo many good choices.
All advice considered! I am always learning

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Jackie, my Northern Lite came in at 2725 dry out the factory door, and on the F350 it's just under 11 feet. We are about 3350 wet weight. I am putting airbags on the truck to level it out, but the truck handles it nicely as is. There is quite a bit of storage for a 9' 6", non slide. So far, my only whine is the bathroom is tight for someone my size (6' 2" and 200 lbs). I won't take this camper into the wild and woolly, but my Ranger towed behind it would let me do quite a bit.

Once the Grandby sells, I will probably put an ATC or FWC shell on the Ranger.

Have you considered the 10' Alaskan? We ran into a couple in Arizona with one, and it was a lot roomier than the 8 footer. They spend much of the year in theirs, plus with two German wirehaired pointers. I was impressed.

 

[enelson]

Also, Alaskan is very open to custom layouts. You can make the camper as tight or open as you wish. The trade off is that more open means less storage.

 

[Happyjax]

While a 10' Alaskan sounds roomy that's a lot of extra weight hanging behind the rear wheel. I would do a 81/2 except I am thinking of putting a motorcycle on the back and that would preclude any overhang.....
If I choose Alaskan it will be a custom build

 

[nobueno]

If your primary concerns are noise and warmth I wouldn't worry about the warmth. We came from a very well insulated hard side to an Outfitter and I was shocked at how warm it stayed. We haven't been out in below zero with the pop-up yet but in the 20s and upper teens the softwall was still not cold to the touch. I'm 6'2" so I appreciate the extra headroom as well. Noise is definitely worse but not considerably so and where we camp noise isn't usually a concern. I'm definitely glad we made the switch.

 

[Drew]

I'm very interested in this topic! The minimalist approach of the small pop-ups by FWC/ATC is perfect for me, but due to physical limitations they are difficult for me to open up, also the short doorway on those campers is hard for me to navigate.

I have been looking with great interest at the Travel Lite 690FD: http://travellitecampers.com/truck-campers/travel-lite-690fd/ Base weight is 1095 lbs, old-school wood frame/aluminum sheathing construction with a rubber roof. I really like the size and layout of this TC. Here's a guy running one on a 2nd gen Tacoma: http://www.cheaprvliving.com/boondocking-2/living-off-grid-in-a-toyota-tacoma-pickup-with-a-camper/ Rear airbags are the only suspension mod he's using (I confess I have some doubts about the adequacy of that solution though he seems pretty happy).

Am I nuts to consider one of these campers on a Tacoma for use on moderately challenging roads? I'm thinking of roads like Racetrack Road in Death Valley.

 

[smlobx]

While a 10' Alaskan sounds roomy that's a lot of extra weight hanging behind the rear wheel. I would do a 81/2 except I am thinking of putting a motorcycle on the back and that would preclude any overhang.....
If I choose Alaskan it will be a custom build

We have the 8.5' long Hallmark Everest and are very happy with it. The camper does not extend past the rear bumper.
Some of the things that sold us was the warmth inside on cold nights, the large windows on the fixed as well as the fabric sides, the North/south bed option with the additional storage and finally the great lifting mechanism that is second to none. You might want to check them out...

 

[Happyjax]

With a base price of 32K I'm afraid I'd be spending over 35 to put one on my truck. At that price I would go Alaskan....

 

[Bigfoot]

...I am trying not to have tunnel vision and really look at pros and cons to find what fits me the best.
As I am planning on long trips I will likely go 8 ft length for the space, 3/4 ton truck for the payload and whatever ends up sitting in it will be awesome

Most of the tradeoffs have already been mentioned. If you are tall or there will be 2 or more people then a popup has more head room and more flexibility in bed orientation. Our popup fits nicely in an 8-foot bed with no rear overhang and includes a north-south bed that is very nice; plenty of head room and ease of access for both people are welcome luxuries. The soft sides also provide many extra windows--10 in our case (18 total openings)--for air and light when needed. Less storage than a hard side but plenty for the two of us. A plus is that its loaded weight is perfect for our 3/4-ton truck, leveling the bed and requiring no suspension mods.

On the other side of the ledger, a popup does require more effort to set up and take down--not a lot but it is another step that is particularly annoying when stormy. There is also some added maintenance of the soft sides and lift mechanism. We have not found the door height to be a problem even though I'm over 6 feet, although designs are different so that it something to check.

Hard-sided popups such as Alaskan and XPCamper are attractive but they are also heavy and realistically need a one-ton truck.

Have fun looking for the best fit.

 

[rotti]

The biggest advantage of my FWC and truck combo is that they fit in my garage.

No off site storage hassles/fees, no loading and unloading, no HOA issues, weather proof (my camper would look like the exterior of a golf ball by now in hail country) and I'm free to head for hills at the drop of a hat.

 

[Squatch]

Compared to out west. Here in the east trails and FS roads are often tight and overgrown. I have had to duck my truck under more than one semi fallen tree across a FS road. I hardside will limit you in many places east of the Mississippi.