plumber mike
Adventurer
Good idea….but…
That won’t fit in the back of the pickup truck he likely already has. Plus he might like to tow something heavy.
Are there dealers with models actually on lot somewhere?
- Thread starter urbex
- Start date
That won’t fit in the back of the pickup truck he likely already has. Plus he might like to tow something heavy.
vintageracer
To Infinity and Beyond!
A 1500 van can pull the same as a 1/2 ton PU.
vintageracer
To Infinity and Beyond!
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vintageracer
To Infinity and Beyond!
Truck Camper Magazine reports LOT'S of slide in campers on display to Expo Northwest. This could be close enough to the OP's Arizona location.
www.overlandexpo.com
www.truckcampermagazine.com
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Oh, you mean like the one that's already parked out back, that I mentioned in the 2nd sentence of my post, and said "needs have changed"?
Yep...that's a big part of it. Lack of 4WD on the van, and lack of ambition to do yet another 4WD conversion are also parts of it...Then needing to register, insure, and maintain yet another vehicle...
And the E350 chassis van I already have is limited quite a bit compared to the Ram sitting next to it...both of which far outshine any 1/2 ton chassis.
Yep...talked a dealer, and was immediately got exactly what I expected out of a dealer - "Truck campers are garbage, and that's why you don't see them anywhere. Come check out these much more versatile class As we have over here...." It wasn't too different than when I went truck shopping - "I have a 3500lb camper that I NEED a 1 ton long bed for", and all they wanted to show was was short bed 1/2 tons with a flip out bed extender..because it tows the sales guy's row boat just fine and apparently, a flip out bed extender somehow alters the laws of physics.
I tried to avoid getting into specifics that I want, intentionally. Ask 10 people what "simple and basic means", and you'll get 15 different answers. And this wasn't intended to be a "what camper should I buy?" post.
I was hoping I'd at least be able to able to go see some different models in person, be able to compare next to each other, spend some time inside, get a really good feel for them, and when I have another thought a few days later, I can go look at them again. Sometimes being there in person brings up other thoughts that never even crossed my mind when looking at pictures. Much the same as I do when I go car shopping, when I bought my trailers, and even my boat.
TonyCatmandu
Member
Overland Expo is in AZ every May. Between the show and the folks camping there should be several truck campers to compare. There is also a Truck Camper Rally in AZ every year where you could check out models.
www.truckcamperadventure.com
Folks are going to be way more honest than any dealer would be about the various units. These two events are collaborative in the sense that people who attend are generally interested in campers and most will have no issue with you checking out their rigs. Many will know the pros and cons of thier rig and can compare it to other truck campers. Many have owned multiple brands of truck campers as well.
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Folks are going to be way more honest than any dealer would be about the various units. These two events are collaborative in the sense that people who attend are generally interested in campers and most will have no issue with you checking out their rigs. Many will know the pros and cons of thier rig and can compare it to other truck campers. Many have owned multiple brands of truck campers as well.
vintageracer
To Infinity and Beyond!
Photos and other truck camper slide in stuff from Expo Oregon this weekend.
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Truck Camper Magazine
Truck Camper Magazine. 28,186 likes · 1,242 talking about this. Truck Camper Magazine is for the truck camper enthusiast. We announce new truck campers, hold mod contests, share camping ideas, and...
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2025 deleted member
Well-known member
I wouldn’t look past the palominos. I’ve been researching truck campers a lot. Sure they are a value based model but I think they’ve came a long way with construction techniques the past few years. Sure some stuff is nice but for the price I don’t think the other stuff is twice as nice.
tacollie
Glamper
Our friends have one. If you're open to doing a little bit of work here and there you'll probably come out ahead on the math. They store it inside and it's still not aging well but it did what they needed it to.
2025 deleted member
Well-known member
Whatever I end up with will be stored inside and probably only used a few weeks a year- I totally get the more robust units for other folks though.
I did eventually find some semi local, and found that I REALLY liked the Wolf Creek 890, but had some difficulty with getting comfortable spending $50K on something that realistically is only going to get used _maybe_ 30 days out of the year. Though also admittedly, I really had no idea what prices actually were for truck campers in general....what I _thought_ I was going to find for prices in general (not just for AF/WC, or any other brand in particular) was pretty unrealistic, lol.
I was curious about the Palominos though, and finally found a used 2024 HS-8801 about 4 hours away for half the price. I got bored one day, so decided to go on a little day trip to go look at it. There were some minor bits of interior damage (PO apparently traveled with a dog, and the damage looked like the result of things like dogs trying to get up on the counters), but it was plenty clean enough to get a realistic idea of the differences.
Yes, fit and finish were clearly superior on the Wolf Creek. Things like corner meetups on cabinetry wasn't as clean on the Palomino. Fabrics not quite as nice. The outside compartment doors felt a bit flimsier on the Palomino. Windows not quite as nice. Solid surface counters on the Wolf Creek, laminate on the Palomino.
But at the same time, appliances and electrical seemed to be on the same level on both units. Structurally they didn't seem to differ, except getting an on board generator on the WC, whereas I can't even get a generator compartment on the Palominos.
So yeah, the WC is clearly "better", but $25K better? Nah. But I also realize that's very subjective too. Though what really killed the idea of the HS-8801 for me was the tiny black and grey holding tanks. I am digging the HS-2901 though...now just to find one semi local to at least see it in person.
"Not aging well" is a bit ambiguous. Is it like "structure falling apart", or just things like door hinges getting loose or stickers fading?
I have zero issues with more frequent maintenance, tightening things up here and there, or regularly getting out there to wax the daylights out of it. But if it's things like "windows fell out on freeway", or "roof ripping off", plumbing falls apart after a year, that's a bit different, lol.