GFC vs. Vagabond

[spressomon]

All good but I’ve never seen an OEM tailgate with 1/2 hatch shell seal effectively for dust & water ingress. Whereas ARE, Knapheide, BrandFX, Caravan, etc with full door frame, bulb seals & full size door(s) thereby removing the OEM tailgate from the sealing equation with 95+% sealing...

But full size rear doors add build complexity, less universal application, more challenging and expensive to ship, etc. Just too bad none to date have decided to offer swing out doors as an option.

 

[kalieaire]

All good but I’ve never seen an OEM tailgate with 1/2 hatch shell seal effectively for dust & water ingress. Whereas ARE, Knapheide, BrandFX, Caravan, etc with full door frame, bulb seals & full size door(s) thereby removing the OEM tailgate from the sealing equation with 95+% sealing...

But full size rear doors add complexity, less universal applicatio

Well, I actually had a pretty good experience w/ my SnugTop Rebel. It had an overhang on all sides so that the only water that came in was through a corner where the bulb seals outwardly facing flap had folded underneath itself and created a small spot that allowed for capillary action water to come in. As far as actual issues with water/dust/mud intrusion, it was really only the cavities between the bedside and the bed, the two drainage holes in the bed, and the rectangular holes in either side of the bed for the mechanical pickers to place the bed onto the chassis at the factory.

With the actual tail gate, I was able to rinse off my trunk and directly spray at the gap and most of the water would just drip straight down. The biggest issue was making sure there was a lip over all 4 sides for when rain came down.

 

[kalieaire]

Now that Overland Expo is over and I got a chance to look at everything there I am going with these guys, the website doesn't do the final product justice.
And if it wasn't for the small size of the windoors of the AT Summit I might have gone for that enough it is more $$$
https://snapoutfitters.com/product/snap-truck-camper/

What features did you like about the Summit?

 

[1leglance]

What features did you like about the Summit?

My favorite thing about the AT Summit is that it is made by Mario/Martin and the crew at Adventure Trailers. Great people and top quality work.
For me personally I just don't like the bare aluminum look on a new Tacoma, I need more side access and the Treehouse just really seemed cool to me.

I will post more info once I get the Treehouse and about my experience ordering/picking up

 

[revbillyg]

Now that Overland Expo is over and I got a chance to look at everything there I am going with these guys, the website doesn't do the final product justice.
And if it wasn't for the small size of the windoors of the AT Summit I might have gone for that enough it is more $$$
https://snapoutfitters.com/product/snap-truck-camper/

I really liked this product too. I thought attaching the tent via velcro wasnt the best and some of the stitching was rough, but the overall design was well thought out and the barn door option was really nice.

 

[kalieaire]

My favorite thing about the AT Summit is that it is made by Mario/Martin and the crew at Adventure Trailers. Great people and top quality work.
For me personally I just don't like the bare aluminum look on a new Tacoma, I need more side access and the Treehouse just really seemed cool to me.

I will post more info once I get the Treehouse and about my experience ordering/picking up

 

[PHeller]

After looking at all the pop-ups in the sub-$8000 range at the Expo, I think my favorites were in this order:

1: OVRLND's bare bones cab over full-length poptop. It's basically a lighter, more utilitarian FWC. You can still use it as an everyday truck shell. He's a neighbor, so I'm biased, but not so biased that I can't overlook the pricing - it's a bit much. I may work with him on that topic...but in terms of overall design a full-length pop-up is the only option that turns a truck shell into what feels like a camper.

2: TREEHOUSE - Semi-Custom and willing to make the cabover longer, the shell higher, change the door styles, all that. Great pricing for Semi-Custom. If someone stole $7k from me and dropped a camper off at my house, I would want it to be this one.

3: A TIE - Summit and Vagabond - both committed to taking full advantage of the cab-over length. We'll see if the Summit is under $8k though. The guys from Vagabond are super open to crowd-building the full-size version, so it may come with some definitive improvements - ie more side entry doors, longer cab over, etc.

4: GFC - I was stoked on their initial offering, being cheaper than the rest, but I can't get on with the lack of length and cabover. It sucks having to move panels out of the way in order to get out of the camper. Seriously, if you and your bed partner are sleeping up there, you'd better hope they are ready to get up when you are because otherwise you're trapped.

I still think a full-size adaptation of Tyler Thompson's Hardside Tacoma Pop-Up would be my favorite, though.

I've got a few pictures to post one of these days...

 

[inv3ctiv3]

After looking at all the pop-ups in the sub-$8000 range at the Expo, I think my favorites were in this order:

1: OVRLND's bare bones cab over full-length poptop. It's basically a lighter, more utilitarian FWC. You can still use it as an everyday truck shell. He's a neighbor, so I'm biased, but not so biased that I can't overlook the pricing - it's a bit much. I may work with him on that topic...but in terms of overall design a full-length pop-up is the only option that turns a truck shell into what feels like a camper.

2: TREEHOUSE - Semi-Custom and willing to make the cabover longer, the shell higher, change the door styles, all that. Great pricing for Semi-Custom. If someone stole $7k from me and dropped a camper off at my house, I would want it to be this one.

3: A TIE - Summit and Vagabond - both committed to taking full advantage of the cab-over length. We'll see if the Summit is under $8k though. The guys from Vagabond are super open to crowd-building the full-size version, so it may come with some definitive improvements - ie more side entry doors, longer cab over, etc.

4: GFC - I was stoked on their initial offering, being cheaper than the rest, but I can't get on with the lack of length and cabover. It sucks having to move panels out of the way in order to get out of the camper. Seriously, if you and your bed partner are sleeping up there, you'd better hope they are ready to get up when you are because otherwise you're trapped.

I still think a full-size adaptation of Tyler Thompson's Hardside Tacoma Pop-Up would be my favorite, though.

I've got a few pictures to post one of these days...

As a former Flippac owner and a current GFC owner I can tell you it's not a pain in the ass at all to get out or move a panel. Didn't know people actually like that treehouse thing lol

 

[s.e.charles]

...the website doesn't do the final product justice.
….https://snapoutfitters.com/product/snap-truck-camper/

that's being very kind. for any purchase over $20.00, US, I expect a picture of what i'm getting. not having to guess what it might look like.

 

[sn_85]

As a former Flippac owner and a current GFC owner I can tell you it's not a pain in the ass at all to get out or move a panel. Didn't know people actually like that treehouse thing lol

that's being very kind. for any purchase over $20.00, US, I expect a picture of what i'm getting. not having to guess what it might look like.

I saw the Treehouse in person and wasn't impressed at all. Construction and material wasn't as good as the GFC, Vagabond or the AT-Summit. The two doors on the side panel were meh. The whole thing is just ugly IMO. Lastly and most importantly where is their testing? Have they done any trips and stressed it out? No one knows anything about the Treehouse except what we saw when it was parked at Expo West. Why aren't they on here showing build details, close up pictures, and explaining the process to potential buyers. GFC has tested theirs in Baja, Vagabond in Mojave, and AT well their reputation speaks for itself. GFC, Vagabond, and AT are built from owners/testers that have off-road experience and have been very transparent about their build process on here. Snapoutfitters, well no one knows because they seem to keep mum. They're going to have to market a lot harder on here and social media before they gain any credibility and they need to update their website with more detailed pictures. They have an image problem IMO. Not sure I'd want to give my money to a company that has zero credibility just to save a thousand, if that.

 

[s.e.charles]

agreed. a hundred buck's gamble may pay off, but six or seven thousand is different.

 

[aaen]

How does the vagabond seal for rain? Looking at the pictures it just looks like a simple gasket sandwiched btw the shells. and i have had enough of those types of seals leak that i know they do not seal well, might standup to the trip through a carwash or something. Anyone have any experience of better pictures of the seal?


Steve

 

[Overlanerd]

How does the vagabond seal for rain? Looking at the pictures it just looks like a simple gasket sandwiched btw the shells. and i have had enough of those types of seals leak that i know they do not seal well, might standup to the trip through a carwash or something. Anyone have any experience of better pictures of the seal?


Steve

The CNC formed lower roof is bent up vertically where the bottom of the tent connects. The awning track is attached to that. Older picture. The ends of the tracks are now chamfered and a bit closer together at the leading corners.



The continuous (along each side) keder rope is sewn to the 18 oz. vinyl coated polyester fabric with non-wicking thread. The stitch is below the aluminum lip. There are only small gaps in the the track at the corners so we can slide the tent into the track. The fabric runs to the bottom to prevent water from entering.





Inside view with edge trim on the lip.



The lid has Trimlok bulb seal running continuously around the perimeter.


Belt and suspenders.

We figured out how to prevent water intrusion with our V1 campers, then improved on it with our production models.

If my Flippac hadn’t leaked and cut a few trips short, I would probably still have it.

Preventing water intrusion was the #1 reason for going with a hard- roofed camper. Easy setup and headroom was #2.

 

[PHeller]

In the case of the folks at Treehouse/Snap Outfitters, they apparently own a very successful metalworking/metal supply business, and building of the camper is just a side project they are working on. I think what I heard was that the owner of this metal fab company wanted a camper for retirement, built one, and wants to try copies. I could be completely wrong on all of this, however.

Unlike GFC/AT Overland/Vagabond, the folks behind the Treehouse are about twice the age, and likely only recently discovered Instagram. I also got the feeling it was more of a family affair, and those who build/design the product aren't exactly sales people.

I think some of it is just background and surrounding areas. GFC and Vagabond are decidedly West Coast, Instagram, Forum Heavy companies, largely created by younger guys with a good grasp of media and marketing. You could argue that for a long time, Four Wheel Campers didn't really have good marketing, either, and hell the AT Overland Summit is still a one-off-from-vaporware kinda thing.

 

[kalieaire]

wow, the folks behind treehouse are in their 80s? good for them!