FWC vs All Terrain Camper

Larry

Bigassgas Explorer
I am in the market for a Grandby FWC for my 2005 Silverado HD and ran across an All Terrain Camper today. What is the difference between a Four Wheel Camper and an All Terrain Camper? They both have a striking resemblance to one and other but it appears as if the All Terrain Camper has less frills. Both of their websites are equally as sucktastic so they must be part of the same company right?

Sorry if this is a redundant question. I did a search and didn’t come up with anything.

www.allterraincampers.com

www.fourwheelcampers.com
 

Larry

Bigassgas Explorer
Wow, great link! Thanks for that. The few hours I have been looking around over there confirm what I originally wanted for my needs, which is a FWC Grandby. Now, just need to wait 6 more months until a few things are paid off so I can get one. :drool:
 

Stan@FourWheel

Explorer
Here is a good link to see just SOME of the differences.

http://www.fourwh.com/FWCvsATCcomparison.htm

Remember, these are just a few of the changes, there might be about 5 or 6 more differences I haven't had time to note, but will be addressed on our new web site, soon.

:wings:

At a first glance the 2 campers look similar, but we do put MUCH more into the campers and use some of the BEST parts parts and materials in the construction of the FWC campers.

We are making tons of positive & exciting changes around here that past few months.

If you are looking at buying a truck camper and are comparing the ATC vs. the FWC, you really owe it to yourself to check them both out !

And yes, you are right, our web site stinks (at the moment).

Hang in there -- check the four wheel camper site in about 1 1/2 months.

We have one of the best web site developers in the Bay Area working on a new web site for us right now.

We are investing in the future of the product and our company.

Yes, we are busy, so it could take us a day or so to get back with you if you have specific questions.


:sombrero:



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Stan@FourWheel

Explorer
:(

I know we are not perfect here at FWC, that is for sure. We are human.

We get busy, we get swamped, we get burried with calls, walk-in's, and e-mails each day.

We have thousands of campers running around out there (35 years worth) and we are trying to support those customers by answering questions on used campers, fit, parts, pieces, repairs, quotes, etc, etc. etc.

All of us here at FWC know we make a GREAT camper using some of the best parts and pieces available.

We try and do our best with customer service, the best we can with what we have to work with.

I love helping anyone I can about the four wheel pop-up campers because we are passionate about our campers. We believe in the company and our products.

:wings:

----------------------------------------------------------------

Check out
http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum

I would say go for the All Terrain Camper, they are a smaller company but the customer service will probably be better due to the fact that they are a small company.

Good luck





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Larry

Bigassgas Explorer
Stan,

Thanks for the information. I ran across the comparison sheet on WTW as well, which is a great tool to help people determine which camper fits their needs the best. I ran across an ATC the other day on the back of a newer Tacoma sitting at a Lowes parking lot here in Pueblo, CO. While I believe ATC builds a quality camper (looked 100% better than my buddy’s Palomino Bronco) and Ben is a great guy as I read, there were many things I saw just from walking around the outside of the one parked at Lowes that didn’t tickle my personal fancy. Especially the width. WOW, it is noticeably wide! That would not work for me, as I tend to weasel my rigs into pretty tight places. Perhaps, places a full size truck shouldn’t go.

I had never heard of ATC before I saw this one and when I got home I jumped on here to find out the story. At first, I thought ATC was a FWC with a different marketing strategy similar to Chevrolet/GMC or Kia/Hyundai arrangements. After researching the differences I went back to my original plan which is a FWC Grandby.

A few months ago I printed the downloaded the price list from your website and figured the options I want with hopes of giving you this order spring of 2010.

We will be talking in the future!
 

Kodachrome

Observer
The fact that the ATC Bobcat was a whopping 4 inches wider helped me go with an ATC over an FWC. The price, the quality and the ability of them to work with me on custom work specific to my needs as a *professional* user of a pop-up camper made the decision a no brainer. The width really does not affect my ability to off road professionally at all but it does help me have a 15 gallon water tank and a larger bed with a standard extended cabover.

Over the weekend, I drove my 2005 Tacoma up Imogene Pass to camp and photograph all day at 13,114 feet. The road was rated at 4/10 and was steep in places. My truck has been built up with both a TRD Supercharger and a fully built suspension to deal with this kind of thing, *professionally*, consistently. Three times I had to pass people in narrow spots and it was fine. Overall, my setup "Greased" it.

I bet I would be VERY happy with an FWC Eagle as I am VERY happy with my ATC Bobcat. But as the sole source of funding for a very well known project, I had to consider price and I got WAY more than I paid for with my ATC in my professional opinion.

You can read about my experience with the ATC Bobcat on my blog:

http://www.Kodachromeproject.com/blog/

The one thing I do not like about the internet is that there is a nasty tendency for it to be the only place people discuss things and do so with various levels of bias. I am willing to bet that if price were no object, one could look at the specs of each company's products and find them to otherwise be very similar.

There is no reason to knock either product, no reason to say that the lack of internet spokesperson from ATC is a shortcoming. Just pickup the damn phone and get off of the internet, you get all you need, the good old fashioned personable way.

Life is good man, take your pic, they are great campers and great companies. Talk to me at the end of next year, I will have over 250 days and nights in my ATC Bobcat.

Sincerely,

Daniel Bayer, Creator / Director of the Kodachrome Project
 

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marty

New member
You won't see anyone from ATC spending hours each days answering questions used campers and aftermarket modification (for free) to people on the Expedition Portal or WTW.

I wonder why ?

The reason you do not see ATC on these forums everyday answering questions is becouse we are working. We do not employ a professional salesman. We build them we sell them. Here at ATC we do not charge for estimates or answering questions.
Marty atc@allterraincampers.com 800-446-1003
 

dzzz

With any of these products get specific fitment for your truck. Are there shims? Will it overhang? Is it too narrow? Standard sizes are a compromise of the ideal size for a specific truck.

One thing I really don't like about FWC spec. is the 3 way fridge. In 2009 it's time to offer a DC/AC with a real compressor. Propane fridge/freezers do nothing well.
 

Stan@FourWheel

Explorer
Some of the most recent camper changes we are excited about ...

Eagle, Finch, Falcon, Fleet, & Ranger Models now have 6' 4" of interior headroom.

The Finch, Eagle, Fleet (wide body eagle), Hawk, Kestrel, Ranger, Grandby, & Keystone Models all have a 22 gallon fresh water tank.

Most all of our camper models have room up under the front couch / settee for 1 or 2 deep cycle batteries. We have made extra room because many of our customers these days are wanting dual camper batteries.

We now have a "wide body eagle" model available called the "FLEET MODEL" for customers that might want a little extra room inside their camper. The Eagle Model is 69" wide. The Fleet ("wide body eagle") is 75" wide.

Now we can install the hot water w/ the outside shower option on either the Eagle Model or the Fleet Model. So if you have a small truck like a Tacoma, we can now put hot water & an outside shower on it. Yea !

We are using 6 gallon aluminum hot water heaters now. No anode rod required. These new tanks hold more water and are lighter than the older hot water heaters we used in past years.

We are installing hot water bypass valves and a low water drain in the campers that have the hot water system. So if you want to easily winterize and not fill the hot water heater because the weather might get below freezing, it is very easy to winterize the camper now.

We are now offering a small opening drivers side window on the Ranger, Grandby, and Keystone Models.

We are now an authorized distributor for the Engel refrigerators and can install the Engel compressor refrigerator/coolers in most any of our campers if the customer would prefer this over a 3-way refrigerator. Please call or e-mail for current prices.

We can now install a 2-way "compressor" refrigerator/freezers in most all of our campers if the customer would prefer this over the 3-way gas absorption style refrigerator. Please call or e-mail for current prices.

We are installing a high quality 30 amp marine plug on the side of the campers so you can hook the camper into your garage, generator, or shore power when available. All the campers (except the shell model) come with an IOTA 30 amp power converter inside the camper as standard equipment.

We now have 4 different fabric colors available for the interior couch & bed cushions.

All of our kitchen cabinets and small storage cabinets are now hinged and can be pulled / flipped open. We don't use any of the slider cabinet doors any longer. We have found the new hinged door more user friendly.

Most all of our campers now have a LED entry light to provide comfort and easy of entry into the camper as you get inside. Once inside the camper you can then turn on the interior lights.

We are now using a nice Wedgewood propane cook stove. This new stove has one large burner in case you have a big frying pan, and the second burner is the average size. This gives you more cooking flexibility depending on the size of your cooking pots and pans. It has a stainless steel stove cover for it.

In all of our new campers (except the kestrel model) we are now using 2 smaller 10 lb. propane tanks. These tanks are much easier to find locally if you need a spare or a replacement. They will give you more flexibility on how you can use them. Customers seem to be really excited because they can now leave one tank in the camper to run the campers' propane items, and they can easily use the 2nd tank outside to fuel their outside camp stove, BBQ, lantern, etc.

We have switched over to a 12,000 btu furnace in all of our models. It uses very little battery power to run the fan (the benefit ... your aux. camper battery will last longer) and the new furnaces we are using are quieter than the old Suburban and Atwood furnaces we have used in the past.

We are offering 2 different couches for most all of our models now. We can install the original L-Shaped roll over couch bed, or we can install the new Dinette style with 2 seats facing each other and a table in the middle. There is no cost difference between the 2 styles of couches.

On the Hawk, Grandby, Kestrel, and Keystone Models we are installing quality LED running / marker lights on the outside of the campers. These LED running lights will help to keep you safer while traveling at night.

We have a gas strut list assist available now for all of our campers. This is a nice feature if you are having a hard time raising the camper roof, or if you are planning to leave a little gear on the camper roof and need just a little extra help from a simple roof list assist. We can install this on any new or used FWC camper.

All of our campers are now being constructed with a very modern interior for the walls, couch, & cabinets. We felt the older style Western Oak (oak wood grain) was getting a little outdated. Customers were commenting that the oak grain cabinets looked old. We are now using what we call a "Birch" interior. It is just a little lighter, and has a much more modern look to it. It is of the same quality. We DO NOT use any press wood or particle board in our campers.

All of the new campers coming off the production line will come standard with dual 12v outlets at no additional charge. With todays modern society, we found customers are wanting an extra 12v outlet for running items like a laptop, dvd player, or recharging their cell phone.

In the next few weeks we will have the new "aluminum framed" cab-over (hard sided) campers available for order. So if you might be looking for a light weight cab-over camper and just are not wanting a "pop-up" style camper, please call or e-mail us. We will have these new light weight, hard sided, cab-over campers available very soon !

We are now working on a new Four Wheel Camper Model called the "Classic" for customers that like our campers, but need a camper that is just a little simplier & less expensive.


Other features we have added the last few months:

Removable Front Opening Window available on all models.

We are now using polyfoam insulation on all of our camper models !

The Eagle, Finch, Fleet, & Ranger Models are now available with the "Extended Cab-over Bed"

Optional 3.0 cu.ft. Refrigerator/Freezer (Hawk, Grandby, & Keystone)

More Drawers & Cabinet Storage on most all camper models.

Solar Panel -- Roof Mount -- 85 Watt w/ controller [Available on All Models]





.
 

kjp1969

Explorer
You won't see anyone from ATC spending hours each days answering questions used campers and aftermarket modification (for free) to people on the Expedition Portal or WTW.

What a shame. I've appreciated Stan's answers to questions from curious folks like me.
 

Kodachrome

Observer
What a shame. I've appreciated Stan's answers to questions from curious folks like me.

You quoted the wrong part, he is more than happy to help you out, remember what people did before the lousy-lazy internet? They picked up the phone...
 

Kodachrome

Observer
Rock on Stan, that is quite a list!

Some of the most recent camper changes we are excited about ...

Eagle, Finch, Falcon, Fleet, & Ranger Models now have 6' 4" of interior headroom.

The Finch, Eagle, Fleet (wide body eagle), Hawk, Kestrel, Ranger, Grandby, & Keystone Models all have a 22 gallon fresh water tank.

Most all of our camper models have room up under the front couch / settee for 1 or 2 deep cycle batteries. We have made extra room because many of our customers these days are wanting dual camper batteries.

We now have a "wide body eagle" model available called the "FLEET MODEL" for customers that might want a little extra room inside their camper. The Eagle Model is 69" wide. The Fleet ("wide body eagle") is 75" wide.

Now we can install the hot water w/ the outside shower option on either the Eagle Model or the Fleet Model. So if you have a small truck like a Tacoma, we can now put hot water & an outside shower on it. Yea !

We are using 6 gallon aluminum hot water heaters now. No anode rod required. These new tanks hold more water and are lighter than the older hot water heaters we used in past years.

We are installing hot water bypass valves and a low water drain in the campers that have the hot water system. So if you want to easily winterize and not fill the hot water heater because the weather might get below freezing, it is very easy to winterize the camper now.

We are now offering a small opening drivers side window on the Ranger, Grandby, and Keystone Models.

We are now an authorized distributor for the Engel refrigerators and can install the Engel compressor refrigerator/coolers in most any of our campers if the customer would prefer this over a 3-way refrigerator. Please call or e-mail for current prices.

We can now install a 2-way "compressor" refrigerator/freezers in most all of our campers if the customer would prefer this over the 3-way gas absorption style refrigerator. Please call or e-mail for current prices.

We are installing a high quality 30 amp marine plug on the side of the campers so you can hook the camper into your garage, generator, or shore power when available. All the campers (except the shell model) come with an IOTA 30 amp power converter inside the camper as standard equipment.

We now have 4 different fabric colors available for the interior couch & bed cushions.

All of our kitchen cabinets and small storage cabinets are now hinged and can be pulled / flipped open. We don't use any of the slider cabinet doors any longer. We have found the new hinged door more user friendly.

Most all of our campers now have a LED entry light to provide comfort and easy of entry into the camper as you get inside. Once inside the camper you can then turn on the interior lights.

We are now using a nice Wedgewood propane cook stove. This new stove has one large burner in case you have a big frying pan, and the second burner is the average size. This gives you more cooking flexibility depending on the size of your cooking pots and pans. It has a stainless steel stove cover for it.

In all of our new campers (except the kestrel model) we are now using 2 smaller 10 lb. propane tanks. These tanks are much easier to find locally if you need a spare or a replacement. They will give you more flexibility on how you can use them. Customers seem to be really excited because they can now leave one tank in the camper to run the campers' propane items, and they can easily use the 2nd tank outside to fuel their outside camp stove, BBQ, lantern, etc.

We have switched over to a 12,000 btu furnace in all of our models. It uses very little battery power to run the fan (the benefit ... your aux. camper battery will last longer) and the new furnaces we are using are quieter than the old Suburban and Atwood furnaces we have used in the past.

We are offering 2 different couches for most all of our models now. We can install the original L-Shaped roll over couch bed, or we can install the new Dinette style with 2 seats facing each other and a table in the middle. There is no cost difference between the 2 styles of couches.

On the Hawk, Grandby, Kestrel, and Keystone Models we are installing quality LED running / marker lights on the outside of the campers. These LED running lights will help to keep you safer while traveling at night.

We have a gas strut list assist available now for all of our campers. This is a nice feature if you are having a hard time raising the camper roof, or if you are planning to leave a little gear on the camper roof and need just a little extra help from a simple roof list assist. We can install this on any new or used FWC camper.

All of our campers are now being constructed with a very modern interior for the walls, couch, & cabinets. We felt the older style Western Oak (oak wood grain) was getting a little outdated. Customers were commenting that the oak grain cabinets looked old. We are now using what we call a "Birch" interior. It is just a little lighter, and has a much more modern look to it. It is of the same quality. We DO NOT use any press wood or particle board in our campers.

All of the new campers coming off the production line will come standard with dual 12v outlets at no additional charge. With todays modern society, we found customers are wanting an extra 12v outlet for running items like a laptop, dvd player, or recharging their cell phone.

In the next few weeks we will have the new "aluminum framed" cab-over (hard sided) campers available for order. So if you might be looking for a light weight cab-over camper and just are not wanting a "pop-up" style camper, please call or e-mail us. We will have these new light weight, hard sided, cab-over campers available very soon !

We are now working on a new Four Wheel Camper Model called the "Classic" for customers that like our campers, but need a camper that is just a little simplier & less expensive.


Other features we have added the last few months:

Removable Front Opening Window available on all models.

We are now using polyfoam insulation on all of our camper models !

The Eagle, Finch, Fleet, & Ranger Models are now available with the "Extended Cab-over Bed"

Optional 3.0 cu.ft. Refrigerator/Freezer (Hawk, Grandby, & Keystone)

More Drawers & Cabinet Storage on most all camper models.

Solar Panel -- Roof Mount -- 85 Watt w/ controller [Available on All Models]





.
 

kjp1969

Explorer
You quoted the wrong part, he is more than happy to help you out, remember what people did before the lousy-lazy internet? They picked up the phone...

Perhaps I misspoke- I meant that it was a shame that ATC didn't weigh in here like Stan does. Education about one's product makes everyone happy. :ylsmoke:

And I have spoken with Stan. On the phone. Next time I'm in Sacramento I'm going to stop by and see what's what. It doesn't get any more old-school than a handshake.
 

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