2020 Northstar Liberty - Expedition Truck Camper Build!

[montypower]

1 - We use the bumper to step up into the camper. Hitch step would be other idea... We don't like "looking" setup... more stealth.
2 - Not really using the truck bed yet... We store the shovel on the side of the camper secured with quick fist clamps. Not sure how much else we will store on the outside.
3 - Check out some of the other videos... we have one showing the bike rack. We store our bikes in the truck cab. Bikes are too expensive to be outside and don't want them in the weather. My next preference would be to attach the bikes to the rear wall of the camper. I don't like swing outs. Too much hassle for accessing the campers.

Have fun with your build!!

 

[longjohn]

Thanks for the awesome ideas and write up .Enjoy

 

[skyfree]

After 1 week of traveling in the Truck Camper we talk about the things we like and dislike about it. There is nothing perfect. Everything has some compromise and trade off. Most of the challenge is finding what works for you! So far, we are enjoying the change to the truck camper. There are plenty of things that take some adjusting to. Keep posted for our next modifications and improvements!

This is great -- been watching all your videos because I'm interested in a similar set up some day.

I have owned several RV's over the years like you. There is no perfect solution out there, but with respect, the "heat after cooking" issue seems self-inflicted due to not having a stove vent. This is one of the most used things in our various RV's. A propane stove puts out so much heat and moisture that you really want to get rid of it even if it's cold out. Try camping in sub-freezing temps and you will experience epic condensation if you don't vent while cooking. You will likely use the roof vent, which is fine until you wake up to 18" of snow on your roof! Been there...

Winter camping is also why I wouldn't delete the gray tank. Even though it's small, it will get you through a couple of days in sub-freezing temps and heavy snowfall. Having an external tank is definitely sub-optimal when it is a full frozen block of ice!

Of course the height and lack of a passthrough are inherent in all hard sided slide-in truck campers unfortunately. We had an Arctic Fox 990 that was over 12' tall and it was basically unusable on anything but the largest forest roads, or areas without trees. We got rid of it because it was just too big and heavy.

Water storage is my biggest issue with the Liberty, as you mention as a negative. Our current Escape 17B has a 21 gallon tank and we have been supplementing it with 1 or 2 6 gallon jerry cans, carried in the vehicle or under-bench storage. The problem with a truck camper is that there is no place to carry extra water, but I'm interested to see how your larger water tank install goes.

My current solution is a Chevy Colorado ZR2 Duramax towing an Escape 17B. This gets about 19 mpg on the highway towing, which is really reasonable and encourages me to use the trailer often. I have an OVRLND popup on order that will be around 300 lbs. The plan is to use the trailer as a "base camp" and overnight 1 or 2 nights away from the trailer in places like Parashant national monument, North Rim of Grand Canyon, etc. The trailer is small and can do light off-road for short distances, but nothing like what is required getting to Whitmore trailhead or Twin Point overlook.

I like having a hard-sided truck camper for winter travel though. Nothing else really compares for that. Towing a trailer on snow and ice is a white-knuckle affair at best. Compromises...

 

[montypower]

Good point about the stove vent. We run the roof vent on low with low hatch door open to help circulate and pull the heat/moisture out. Really glad to not have the stove vent. The one in our Winnebago was obnoxiously loud and like the space being more open. All trade offs right??

We resolved the water storage issue.... 40 gallon tank! Will have a video soon showing the water and filtration system. We also have space in the truck cab for a 17 gallon tank. But will roll with the 40 gallons for a bit.

The Escape trailers look like a solid build. We looked at all the fiberglass units a while back. That's impressive mpg towing! Best I've seen. Trailers are tough for exploring... dead ends and turning around can be really challenging. Doubt we will own one because of that. We are always exploring and getting in sticky situations...

I'm surprised how hard side campers are not more popular in the overland crowd. Popups are not great. So many trade offs. I don't know if we would own another Four Wheel Camper. But then Earth Roamers are cool. Makes no sense. I do think a light, well built hard side camper is really hard to beat. Value, Versatility and Comfort.

Good thoughts! Thanks for sharing...

 

[montypower]

We disliked the dinette in the 2020 Northstar Liberty Camper. It had an awkward layout with the seating area was against the HUGE window so you couldn’t enjoy the view. Plus, a tiny swivel table that might work for one person. It wasn’t function for us.

I had taken measurements and planned to change the layout before we ordered the camper. We transformed the dinette into a usable work space, dining room and place to enjoy time together. Absolutely LOVE the improvement.

Table: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QPW2N52/
Seat Cushions: https://www.cushionsxpress.com/

Backs: 2" - FM5520 X - Firm Feel High-Density Foam - Wrap Dacron - No Welting
Bottoms: 4" - FM5520 X - Firm Feel High-Density Foam - Wrap Dacron - No Welting

What do you think?

 

[svinyard]

That's an awesome tip on cushion express, thank you!

How is the Cassette toilet working for you guys? I've never had to empty one of those but I'm wondering how much of a nightmare it is lol.

Also, what kind of places can you appropriately dump one of those?

 

[montypower]

Thetford Cassette toilet has been working well. So... a couple things to note.
#1 We don't use toilet paper. We use wet wipes. They go in a trash bag not in the tank. This is the same thing we did on our past RV and at home (septic). This makes much less mess.
#2 No poop. At least not yet in the toilet. This may change for snow adventures.

Emptying it has been easy. But we haven't let it get full. 2-3 days and dump it. Extremely easy and clean. We've watered bushes and dumped it in our RV dump at home. Now, if there is a poop mixture it will be toilet or rv dump. I think my wife has dumped more than me so far...

We do miss the Winnebago RV with the 30 gallon black tank. Easily go 2-3 weeks before dumping with poo. I've found RV dumps to be very simple and not a hassle. (note: my wife wouldn't touch the RV dump) But with this camper and small tank... It is much more convenient not requiring RV dumps as the frequency is much greater.

Thetford Cassette trade off is flexibility and less weight but increased frequency.

 

[montypower]

We knew the factory water tank was much too small at only 20 Gallons. Soo small… I guess it works for weekend type trips. But we wanted much more...

The 2020 Northstar Liberty Camper is similar to most small truck campers including all the Four Wheel Campers with its small tank. Thankfully, there was room to fit a larger tank in the original location. How much larger??

40 GALLONS!!! Heck yeah! Now, it wasn't an easy to make this happen. We relocated the batteries to our dinette bench extension, wireless jack controller moved, front wall removal & rebuild, wire rerouting, complete replumbing including fill hose, vent hose and pex piping for water pump. Plus, it took many hours of research to locate a tank with proper dimensions and build quality.

Should you do it? Absolutely.

Ronco Plastics INC - www.ronco-plastics.com
B-309 HD - 39L x 18W x 14H
6" Inspection Plate Clear
Ports: 1.25" Female NPT Threaded (fill port top left), .5" Female NPT Threaded (vent port top center), .5" Female NPT Threaded (pump feed bottom left)

Specs:
Linear Polyethylene
One Piece Seamless Construction
Heavy Wall Density 5/16" Minimum (SUPER IMPORTANT)
Meets FDA for Water

Any questions??

 

[UHAULER]

Good review of your new camper. I'm casually looking at truck campers, i've had 2 Northstar 650's and don't want another popup. There is no perfect setup. The shower looks cramped, i'm about 6'3" , not sure that would work.
I like your minimalist thinking.

 

[socceronly]

Do your bikes fit inside the camper? Curious about security for if you go hiking or something. Can't leave them on the bike rack.... at lease I can't on my Subie and it is one of the reasons I am looking for van/truck/trailer.

Thanks
JM

 

[montypower]

Do your bikes fit inside the camper? Curious about security for if you go hiking or something. Can't leave them on the bike rack.... at lease I can't on my Subie and it is one of the reasons I am looking for van/truck/trailer.

Thanks
JM

I agree. Not a fan of bikes outside the vehicle. We built a platform for the bikes in the back of the truck cab. The platform actually bolted in directly from the Crew Cab to Extended Cab.

 

[montypower]

Good review of your new camper. I'm casually looking at truck campers, i've had 2 Northstar 650's and don't want another popup. There is no perfect setup. The shower looks cramped, i'm about 6'3" , not sure that would work.
I like your minimalist thinking.

So true. It's a tight shower no matter what your height. I've sat on the toilet and washed up (no height issues then). It is inside and worth the hassle for us. Alternatively, you can shower outside. Realistically, if you want a smaller lighter camper this is the trade off. We loved our Winnebago View (Sprinter RV) with the dry bath and legit shower. But showers only take 15 minutes. So limited hassle time wise.

It's great having a bathroom area in the Northstar unlike the Four Wheel Campers. What do you do with a wet shower curtain in the winter? No fun. And having to reconfigure your space to wash up isn't great. Dedicated area for toilet/shower is really nice.

I do think this unit offers the best comfort features for the size and weight. Just need to decide what comforts you want/need.

 

[2chill]

Great Build and Youtube Channel. I would like to do a similar build with a Lance 650...

 

[montypower]

Great Build and Youtube Channel. I would like to do a similar build with a Lance 650...

Awesome! Hope we can give you some ideas and inspiration. I like the Lance 650 size! Very cool.

 

[montypower]

How do you filter water?

I noticed that “everyone” seems to have those blue CAMCO water filters on their hose connections. But… they are JUNK! They only filter down to 20 microns! That’s not enough to be safe.

Those large stainless Berkey Water Filters have gained popularity for RV travelers as well. But they are BULKY. Need to be stored while traveling and take up valuable counter space. Plus, they will clog quickly if using unfiltered source water.

Epic Water Filters are excellent for temporary water filtering solutions. They offer everything from backpack style filters to water pitchers and house filtration. It’s an easy, quick solution.

RV water filter store has some excellent solutions for filtering water as you fill your tank. This keep contaminants out of your tank and plumbing system. Their essential system includes 2 canisters which host a Sediment 1 Micron Filter and a Carbon .5 Micron Filter. This takes care of most all safety health risks.

Water Safe Pro offers fantastic filtration solutions for everything from simple to emergency type use. We use their filters post water tank before the faucet. The Model 212 filter features 2 cartridges. The first cartridge hosts a Carbon .5 Micron filter while the second hosts a 12V UV light system. This essentially ends all bacteria and virus hazards. We will be replacing the Carbon filter with the D-UC Ceramic filter which further increases filtration.

You might also consider a water softener if you have a large RV (extra space) and spend extended periods of time in areas with hard water (think the SW). Hard water minerals will still accumulate even with the above filters.

This is an ideal solution as it allow for clean, safe drinking water from nearly any source.

Product Links:
Epic Water Filters – Pitcher – Nano Water Filter : www.epicwaterfilters.com

RV Water Filter Store – Essential Water Filter System : www.rvwaterfilterstore.com
Pre Tank Filter: 2 Canister System. Sediment Filter 1 Micron. Carbon Filter .5 Micron

Water Safe Pro – 212 UV 2 Stage Filter : www.watersafepro.com
Post Tank Filter: 2 Canister System. Carbon .5 Micron Filter. UV Filter – 12volt.

We will be installing the D-UC Ceramic filter in place of the Carbon .5 Micron filter in the Post Tank system (from RVwaterfilterstore). This filter is impregnated to prevent bacterial growth and higher level filtration than Carbon style.

Any questions??