?’s: new Hallmark pop up / options / Everest or EXC

[LosAngeles]

?’s: new Hallmark pop up / options / Everest or EXC


Up to today I was fairly sold on Four Wheel Campers (a Grandby slide in)

but a *new* Hallmark Everest (or a Hallmark EXC shell with a bunch of options) would have quite a few advantages (for a higher cost, granted)

We would get a Ford F350 with 8’ bed. Biggest cab. 4x4. Custom ordered for sure, with the most payload possible from the factory. Gasser.

We almost definitely would never tow. We hate towing. (so a 9.5’ pop up slide in would be fine)

No hard core offroading, but yes desert washes, bad Forest Service Roads, dry river beds, rough roads, etc.

Mostly south west USA camping, but would see some snow and freezing temperatures for sure.
3 people in our family… Me, mom + our kid.

Questions:

one) For Hallmark owners - have you been happy with quality / fit / finish / warranty support / etc…. ?

two) Does anyone make a similar 9.5’ long *pop up*?

three) In the very slim chance we wanted to tow something (like a small U Haul trailer) is there a way to safely and legally tow with a hitch extension (with a 9.5’ Hallmark on the 8’ bed?

Four) other than cost, any advantages of the FWC that I have overlooked?
Yes these options add weight, but i think with a custom ordered, max capacity Ford F-350 … and how we travel… we’d be fine.

Five) Generally speaking - if I got Shovel/Axe Kit and Sand Ladders & Bracket Kit - would they be lockable to diminish the odds of theft? (yes I know bold cutters work wonders)

Six) anyone using the ALU Cab Shadow 270 degree legless awning? Looks awesome. I read great things about it. $1,500 plus installation.

Seven) would I want (for $1,200) the Mylar Insulated Soft-Wall option (a Mylar 4th layer to the soft wall) ?

Eight) Hallmark offers a 4.5, a 6 gallon and a tankless (!) water heater. Various prices. Anyone using a tankless?

Nine) Hallmark offers a Grey Holding Tank PVC Truck Tank (not in the camper)
Any downsides? Yes I know it could freeze.

* * * Hallmark advantages: * * * (as far as I know)

Hallmark has a fiberglass (Marine Gel Coat) exterior, with 4 flex joints that use flexible caulking to seal, and plastic board behind, so even if a bit of water got in, no problem. (plus I would be diligent about watching those caulked seams)

Hallmark uses molded fiberglass composite exterior panels. I think this would transmit less cold into the interior, plus Hallmark has more insulation overall (insulation in floor, and a 3 layer insulated pop up fabric … where FWC lacks those things, for example)

Hallmark can be 9.5’ long, no problem. Thus more space in dinette, counter space, etc.

Hallmark offers 3 different bathrooms…. we’d likely get the 1/2 sized (very small) stall with Port a Potty, for the occasional indoor shower plus a bathroom. Yes I know moisture builds up when you take a shower inside, but I do very fast ‘on / off’ showers, and moisture is much less of an issue in Southern California and area. ;-)

Hallmark can be a fixed (no moving parts) north south cabover bed, unlike FWC. This is a huge plus for us. it is an extended nose. 16” $2,000 extra
Our beds almost always stay beds (including the dinette) We are outside most of the time, and if need to, simply sit on the edge of the bed.

Hallmark often does Lithium batteries and they do it at a fair cost. Over time Lithium batteries last 5x as long as AGM, and are very tough, so that would have advantages. Yes I know it needs to be a special controller.

Hallmark would be willing to put in a bigger (side by side Novacool 7.2 CU foot side by side fridge freezer, and an inverter. FWC will do neither of those things.
I think this is the model:
Nova Kool RFS7501 7.5 CU FT AC/DC Side By Side Refrigerator & Freezer

Matt at Hallmark seems extremely nice, passionate, smart, and very willing to make customizations that are possible. Prices seem fair. About a 5 month wait time.

Thanks for any and all thoughts.

J.

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

Still real happy with ours, going on 4 years in. Haven't had any issues with it, although honestly we haven't used it that hard, or at least as much as I would truly like. We have a Supercab shortbox F350 and went with the K2 (Guanella, not really sure what the difference is) which is the 8' model. If I did it again, I probably would go with the Ute/Everest which is the 8.5', that extra 6" does open up some more layout options.

Live in the PNW and actually haven't done a lot of camping in the rain (or at least what we consider rain anymore, it's just liquid sunshine). Have camped in the mid-teens, first night was outside of Durango at ~15*, and haven't had any problems. We haven't had any condensation issues, the composite walls do a good job (that's an area that I always here about from people with aluminum frame campers, the framework transfers cold through to the inside and you get condensation along those lines). We didn't do the extra Mylar layer on the softwall, they told us we wouldn't really need and for our use they were right.

With the shortbox, there is an overhang. We will flat tow a jeep behind it, and have towed a large, over packed U-Haul from Seattle to Austin. When we tow the Jeep, I have a 14" extension bar that I use, it just creates more space for tight turns (we also have the rear storage boxes which stick out a little farther). I don't think we used anything on the U-Haul, the tongue was long enough. No issues at all with the truck being able to handle the weight (I do have the diesel, and a GVWR of 11,500).

The rear storage boxes are one of the best options I feel. Being able to keep the dirty and oily stuff outside, camp grill, vehicle fluids, hand tools, etc is great. We carry a Honda 2k generator and the box is designed for it (or the Yamaha, probably most others too). I typically carry a chainsaw, so having a place for oil and other messy stuff is great. We did get the Shovel/Axe Kit and feel it's secure (it's lockable), but as you say, there's some industrious scum bags out there.

We opted for just a rear awning. probably wouldn't do it again. We've used it a couple of times, and because I went with the cheaper simpler one, it's a pain to set up. I have added footman loops along both sides and then just use a Kelty Shelter for shade. Usually we have a pop up shelter and just use that, bulky but flexible for placement, etc.

We have a 12gal gray water tank. Nice to capture sink runoff and not have it in your campsite, or attract wildlife. Haven't had it freeze, but when we've been out in colder temps, we tend to be more of a dry camp and keep the tanks empty so they don't freeze. We opted for the cassette toilet so no need for the black tank. The cassette works well for us and has a decent capacity (unless I'm doing the cooking), nice to be able to empty in any toilet. We have the typical ~6 gallon (?) propane water heater, fits our needs. Does take some time to heat up, but not bad. Have heard mixed reviews on the tankless ones, especially if you're going to shower with it (hard to regulate temp). We only have the outside shower and carry an enclosure, haven't used it much.

We have the N/S bed, couldn't imagine not going that way. There's a lot of storage under there. Problem is if you store your clothes there, you can't access if someone is in bed, or when you're traveling and the top is down. You learn to adapt and keep necessary items out and make sure to prep what you need for the next AM before you go to bed. An added benefit is that if full of clothes, towels etc, it adds insulation under the bed, you can feel a difference on a really cold night. We always keep stuff in there for that reason in colder temps. We have ended up leaving the dinette down as a bed and use it as a flat surface that gets cluttered up. We added a travel net to secure camp chairs, etc while we're moving. Easy clean place to have lighter items without cluttering the floor.

One of the things I really like is the lift mechanism. We have the super manual lift and use a screw gun to raise lower it (also used on the camper jacks). Easy, no drama up and down. Couldn't get behind the idea of having to manually lift the roof, especially if you ever put anything up there (canoe, kayaks, etc), or a good dump of snow.

We did the 200w flexible solar panels with standard golf cart batteries. They work well, but because of where we have used it, they can be problematic. Between tree cover, low sun angle, etc it can be a challenge to keep topped off. Open clear areas, it works great. We did have an occasion in the Big Pine area where it was so hot the panels were really struggling to keep up with the fridge, a double whammy - low efficiency and over worked fridge. That's not a Hallmark issue though and rare, for us at least.

Because they build to order, you end up with a lot of decisions to make. We hadn't had a camper for years so didn't have a lot of strong opinions about what we should do for options and layouts, so we stayed pretty much with their standard design. Still not sure I would change much.

The whole Ward family is great to work with, and very knowledgeable. They've been in the business a long time (Outfitter is a brother and spun off years ago, not so friendly). They did contract manufacturing years ago for some of the other well known campers as those companies progressed through their many different owners. Hallmark has had the same family ownership since inception I believe. The biggest complaint anyone has with them is their responsiveness. They don't respond to e-mails. You call them it's all good. Send them an e-mail and it's crickets.

The Hallmark is going to be a bulkier camper than a FWC or ATC, but that bulk provides a lot of benifts in my mind. Can really depend on the type of camping/traveling you want to do, and as they say - different strokes for different folks. Good luck with your research.

JR

 

[mrfoamy]

I bought a Hallmark 9.5' and was shocked at the poor quality control, horrible engineering and poor service. They are hillbilly engineers that are completely over their heads with design. Do not take your camper off asphalt, it is not designed for that. Four Wheel camper may be over priced and under engineered, but my 2000 Granby was better deal than my Hallmark Cuchara.

 

[fishnski]

I bought a 2014 Hallmark Milner. I’m am extremely happy with the quality. No problems at all. I agree they are slow to respond to email but do respond to phone calls. I’ve only been to the factory a couple of times for service issues (replacement key, latch that I broke, changed trucks so had them install the mounts in the new truck). Got what I needed for no charge except for the installation on the new truck.

The one piece composite roof is such an improvement over the rubber roofs that hallmark used 15 years ago or are still in use by other manufacturers today. No more annual seam sealing. Only around roof vents.

I’ve used it in 20 degree weather and it is very comfortable. No condensation issues. The super manual lift wasn’t available when I bought mine so I crank it manually. But the Milner has a short roof and I have no weight on top, so not too bad.

 

[LosAngeles]

I bought a Hallmark 9.5' and was shocked at the poor quality control, horrible engineering and poor service. They are hillbilly engineers that are completely over their heads with design. Do not take your camper off asphalt, it is not designed for that. Four Wheel camper may be over priced and under engineered, but my 2000 Granby was better deal than my Hallmark Cuchara.

Sorry to hear this MrFoamy.

May I ask - in what ways did you see "poor quality control, horrible engineering" ?

Did you buy your Hallmark 9.5' new or used?

What year was it?

For what it is worth... your negative comments about Hallmark are the first and only such comments that I have seen, across many different forum sites. All other Hallmark comments have been very very positive.

J

 

[mrfoamy]

I’ll try to hastily summarize my experience as best I remember.

I picked up a new 2012 at the factory, but was delayed because the top did not close properly. They sawed some fiberglass off to make it fit. Then they added the accessories I ordered and paid for but they forgot to include. Then they drilled some not very well aligned holes in the bumper to tie it down, but the hard points on the rear of the camper are very weak so bent under load. I later reinforced those.

Because of their delays I only drove a few hours before pulling off the highway to camp, only 1/2 mile down a dirt road… in that 1/2 mile a few things disassembled themselves. A plumbing part fell off, the drawer mount, which was screwed to a piece of Styrofoam (yes, really), fell apart. I was in disbelief that they would use foam for a mechanical attachment (and I’m in the foam business and have great respect for it when used properly). The refrigerator door latch was so delicate that it would not stay closed. I went to take a shower, but the shower door had excess glue so was glued shut. After wedging a knife in the seam and hammering it open I got in to shower…but it did not work. The shower head was defective but obviously never tested. More insulting, it was a major effort to just get them to send me a new shower head.

A cabinet door hinge was so misaligned that it barely opened before obstructing the floor. Later I re-drilled the hinge holes to properly align. That’s all I remember from that first day, but what a shock after paying a premium price.

I sent photos and descriptions of my problems to the owner because Randy was so incompetent, but never got a response. They really do not care, or they would hire an actual engineer. Or maybe they fired Randy, the worthless son-in-law, by now.

Over the years I have reinforced several areas that were disintegrating, and now it seems stable. While they tout the sturdy fiberglass construction, remember that this is just a plywood tub with fiberglass walls, so all the structure is in the tub, and construction is staple and glue.

I would not recommend Hallmark. Better to buy Four Wheel, in that market segment.

The only properly engineered product seems to be XP Camper, but that is a huge price jump. So even though it is over-priced, Four Wheel seems like the best deal. I had a year 2000 that I used for 9 years and it was ok. Not modern engineering or construction, but acceptable.

Or perhaps that new Canadian outfit whose name I forgot. Don’t know anything about them, but the pics look good. Good luck.