2008 F250 Build

[Regcabguy]

I don't have one, but have studyed them, as well as other makes of pop up. They are a good value, but have a lot of partical board in them. Others have said that they off road just fine...but I wonder about the sturdyness of the partical board.

I've owned my Northstar TC800 for almost 13 yrs now and have yet to find any partical board. Drawers and doors close normally. Offroad-wise it's spent the majority of its life on average Baja roads and typical Anza Borrego trails. Baja's definitely easier as far as pinstripes go. IMO a TC800 would bog a 5.4 down.

 

[ktn00000]

300 HP 365 Ft/Lb torque, 4.10's on this F250. Years ago I carried an 11. 5 foot cabover Dreamer with a 210 horsepower V8 (ok I am not young). The Dreamer weighed 2300 pounds. I carried an 8 foot cabover Dolphin with a 150 horsepower 351 on another F250 and an 8 foot Alaskan on a 175 horsepower 283 cubic inch V8 (told you I am old now).

TC800 weighs 1375 dry and the truck has a 2800 pound payload.

I tow a 2700 pound trailer behind this truck and can do 65 MPH up to the Eisenhower Tunnel.

Cannot even fathom 2000 pounds or so (loaded) bogging down a 300 horsepower 365 Ft/Lb of torque truck with 4.10's anywhere. It wouldn't bog down a 150 horsepower V8 if driven properly.

Please elaborate...

 

[ktn00000]

Have you had any issues with the Northstar? Any leaks? Siding hold up? Canvas remains intact?

 

[davidv]

Here is a pic of My 2008 F250 with a Hallmark. It rides on 285 65 18 E rated BFG AT KO and basically stock suspension except for the addition of airbags with in cab controls. I usually drive 3 to 5 hours to get to places I play so I'm fairly sensitive to fuel burn. When my truck was in the shop getting rims and tires I changed my mind on if I should level or not a few times but ended up makeing the decision for better fuel economy. In the end I left the front end alone and the air damn in place. Sometimes I need to choose my front tire placement very well to keep from loosing the the air damn but so far it has survived over some surprising terrain.

Re. Campers. I'm very happy with the Hallmark. It is defiantly heavier then a a 4 wheel pop up and when the trail is very rocky I feel it in the side to side sway. The interior of the campers is night and day and that is a lot of what pushed me towards the Hallmark. My 2 cents is since you live in CO and have the manufacturer in you back yard go local. Offroading advanced trails in a camper means something will break and having factory repair in your back yard can't be beat. Hallmark has a number of used campers on their web-site.

Either way congrats on the build. Looks like you will end up with a sweet rig when your done.

 

[ktn00000]

Thanks so much for the Hallmark info, exactly the kind of info I was looking for.
I notice you have the jacks on the camper, I would imagine that could be a problem off road?
Has anything on your Hallmark broken? I do like the 5 year warranty and the maintenance free roof. We have been up to Fort Lupton once to Hallmark and looked at them at the Outdoor World and RV shows in Denver.
Great photo too.
Thanks again, that was great info.

PS we are definitely going with airbags when we go to a camper as well.

 

[davidv]

Funny you should mention the jacks and ask what I have broken. When leaving the jacks on I rolled onto a log and sheared one completely off. Outside of self induced damage nothing has broken.

This picture was taken on a trip that we camped for 3 days on our way to stay in Mammoth Lakes in a condo. I left the jacks on to unload the camper when we arrived. Unless the trail is very narrow the jacks are not much of a liability.

 

[ktn00000]

Again, thanks for the information. It is much appreciated.

The only downside to a Hallmark is that they are certainly pricey, even when used. On the other hand I guess that says quite a lot about them.

A new Guanella is more than I paid for the truck!

 

[ktn00000]

By the way, it is not just Hallmark but Outfitter and Phoenix in my backyard too.

 

[Humvette]

More pics more pic more pics ...

 

[ktn00000]

Another photo, tonight on Dakan Mountain

 

[ktn00000]

Near Goose Creek, south end of the Kenosha Range

 

[ktn00000]

Wyoming Backcountry Trip

Spent some time exploring the backcountry in Wyoming yesterday. Went to Sinks Canyon, the Wind River Range, South Pass City, Carissa Mill, Atlantic City, Miners Delight, Independence Rock, Devils Gate...

Lots of photos

The sink in Sinks Canyon, where the Popo Agie flows into and through underground caverns

Popo Agie

Pop Agie

Wind River Range

South Pass City

Original Wyoming Expedition Vehicle

Abandoned Mine

Inside the mine (yes I had literature proclaiming it a 'safe' mine to enter)

Abandoned stamp mill

Mill debris

Carissa Mill

Atlantic City

Saloon at Miners Delight

Miners Delight

Mining debris at Miners Delight

Miners Delight

Cemetery at Miners Delight

Independence Rock was a large half-mile long rock about twenty miles north of Muddy Gap on the Oregon Trail. The emigrants on the Oregon Trail needed to be to Independence Rock by the 4th of July to get to Oregon or California before the snows. Half a million people or so camped here. While they camped there along the Sweetwater some of them carved there names in the stone.

Devils Gate was where the Sweetwater cut through rock, the Oregon Trail cut through as well.
For some perspective, that cut is 40 feet wide and 400 feet deep.

All in all a very good day, covered a lot of ground and did a lot of hiking. Good day in the backcountry! Looking forward to getting the pop up truck camper, could spend weeks in the Wyoming backcountry. Endless things to see and do.

 

[ktn00000]

Caught this good little article about a Phoenix camper http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/larry-wittman:-phoenix-rising-on-the-jeep-trails/

Lots of good features in this, makes me wonder about paying Phoenix another visit some time. I think I could come up with something specific to what I want to do with a camper.

 

[r50fj60]

Love the truck. Body style is one my fav's. Dare I ask what mpgs you are seeing? Ive read the 5.4 SDs are notorious for being pigs

 

[locrwln]

Great looking truck.

BDS suspensions has a 4 link conversions for those trucks that can be used on a stock height (it does increase the caster slightly, which isn't a bad thing on a 05+ front suspension). It will increase the travel considerably and maintain the proper geometry throughout the suspension travel, which the stock arms do not.

By the way, I have a FWC and love the fact that offroad, it does not affect the feel of the truck. Mine is a shell, so it is really light, but overall you can't tell it's there even in the off camber sections.

Jack