Stan@FourWheel said:
I don't know much about the Outfitter Campers, but that is what I have noticed too.
The Four Wheel Campers seem to be a bit smaller & lighter, lower profile, and more geared towards the durability / utility approach (a few steps up from tent camping).
The Outfitter Campers seem to be geared for the person who likes to go exploring, but have a little extra comfort at the same time.
I have talked with a few customers that own Outfitter Campers, and they all seem to be very happy with the purchase. One guy really liked his Outfitter Camper, but said is was a bit too big and a little too heavy to comfortably do the cruel 4x4 off roads he liked to attack.
It is best to do your homework and see what you like the best. Everyone is going to want something different. Like Wyoming Shooter said, it is nice to have choices !
====================================================
.
Well even though I am new here I guess I will chime in on this since that is a pic of my Outfitter Apex9.5 with me and the wife in front of it.
As far as construction goes, Outfitters are made with welded aluminum framing in the walls, floors and roof that is vacuum bonded to the inner/outer paneling and insulation, with a fiberglass tub section and cabover insert. Besides the cabinets there is almost no wood used in the current models. While it isn't listed on their site they also make a slightly smaller version of the Apex8 that will work on a Toyota Tundra (NOT the Double Cab though) and it retains the wetbath. This can make a nice back country rig on a properly set up truck as several owners over on RV.net have shown.
FWC and Outfitters basically fill two different niches at opposite ends of the pop-up spectrum. Yes Outfitters are larger then a FWC but they also have quite a few more amenities. For example my rig has 44gal of water, dual 20lb LP tanks, a full wetbath with cassette toilet, 4 AGM batteries (440AH), 270W of solar, stove, oven, microwave, water heater, 20KBTU furnace, 4.2cf fridge, A/C, power lifted roof, 60x80 queen bed, can carry and sleep 5 in a pinch, and has enough storage to bring over a months worth of food and supplies. With its heated basement it can also be used when the temps dip well below freezing with no special preparations to its plumbing. Even with all that my truck is barely on the overloads and still sits slightly tail high when loaded for a trip.
As far as capabilities go Outfitters fall between a FWC setup and the Fuso type rigs, while encompassing many of the better qualities of both (most of the off-roadability of the smaller rig with all the amenities of the larger). It is the largest truck camper I would try to take over demanding terrain and even so I feel the stock F350 is most of the limiting factor in its off-roadability. Not to say that a lifted F350 with a flexy suspension wouldn't do better off-road, just talking about a mostly stock truck here that can still support its listed GVWR.
I have 30yrs of wheeling experience, to include the Hammer Trails so I do know a thing or two about off-roading. Capabilities are all relative.
As an example during a trip to Baja with another Outfitter owner we were feeling good about how far away from things we were getting compared to the Class A's and 5'vers we had left on the pavement. That is until we stopped for a beer and had a group of Jeepers that were tenting it even further into the boonies pull up. Of course they were MUCH dirtier and smellier then we were. Now taking the desire for off-roadability to the extreme, a group of dirtbike riders would have been able to get even further off the beaten path while a group on horseback would have put us all to shame.
So if a persons needs lean towards rougher, tighter trails then a Toyota/FWC would be the way to go, albeit with much more spartan nights of camping. For anything short of that an Outfitter will serve just fine and give much more comfortable living conditions while on the trail.
When I feel the need to do the really rough stuff I drive my heavily modified Early Bronco and tent it. And I can guarantee you that it will go places a full size truck with a FWC won't. Does that make that combo bad or unsuitable...no. It just means people need to be honest about what their true needs are. Both as far as off-roadability as-well-as creature comforts are concerned.
As was mentioned....choices are good.
