Hi everyone!
In the next couple of months, I will be in the market for a truck camper and I had some questions.
I am a first time camper buyer, and the camper will be used by my parents for a 3 month trip up to Alaska from California this summer. After returning to California, both my truck and the camper will be shipped to Australia (my home), where it will be used for a few weeks each year on off-road excursions down there.
A new camper is more than I am looking to spend, but I am looking at used campers made in the past 15yrs, up to 10k in price.
It will go on my 2012 F250, 4x4, Crew Cab diesel short bed. The truck is relatively stock, but I will most likely fit airbags in the rear.
Based on what I have researched, read and looking at what is available on the used market, I think my options come down to either a FWC Hawk or a Northstar 850SC.
Both campers seem to be well regarded from both owner groups, and both seem capable of doing what I want them to, with some pros/cons
The Hawk seems to be more expensive on the used market, but has obvious benefits as I see, being light weight/strong for off-road as well as having no overhang on my shortbed truck, and its lower profile/weight should give better fuel economy (I assume).
The Northstar has the North-South sleeping, and internal shower/toilet, but the downside of being heavier/bulkier off-road, as well as having overhang on my shortbed.
There doesn't seem to be a big Northstar owners group, so I am really looking to you guys as people that own and use the FWC's regularly as to whether the lack of internal shower/toilet is important to you for longer trips, and also how much of a detriment the East/West sleeping layout is? I don't think it will bother me and my girlfriend, but with my parents being in their 60's, getting up in the middle of the night is a bit of a given
Any other thoughts you have on choosing between both would be welcomed!
In the next couple of months, I will be in the market for a truck camper and I had some questions.
I am a first time camper buyer, and the camper will be used by my parents for a 3 month trip up to Alaska from California this summer. After returning to California, both my truck and the camper will be shipped to Australia (my home), where it will be used for a few weeks each year on off-road excursions down there.
A new camper is more than I am looking to spend, but I am looking at used campers made in the past 15yrs, up to 10k in price.
It will go on my 2012 F250, 4x4, Crew Cab diesel short bed. The truck is relatively stock, but I will most likely fit airbags in the rear.
Based on what I have researched, read and looking at what is available on the used market, I think my options come down to either a FWC Hawk or a Northstar 850SC.
Both campers seem to be well regarded from both owner groups, and both seem capable of doing what I want them to, with some pros/cons
The Hawk seems to be more expensive on the used market, but has obvious benefits as I see, being light weight/strong for off-road as well as having no overhang on my shortbed truck, and its lower profile/weight should give better fuel economy (I assume).
The Northstar has the North-South sleeping, and internal shower/toilet, but the downside of being heavier/bulkier off-road, as well as having overhang on my shortbed.
There doesn't seem to be a big Northstar owners group, so I am really looking to you guys as people that own and use the FWC's regularly as to whether the lack of internal shower/toilet is important to you for longer trips, and also how much of a detriment the East/West sleeping layout is? I don't think it will bother me and my girlfriend, but with my parents being in their 60's, getting up in the middle of the night is a bit of a given
Any other thoughts you have on choosing between both would be welcomed!