Hard side decisions

[Hunts]

Correct. I've had mine since 2018 and put 120k miles and 350 nights in it. It's been from Tuk to Cabo, cross country multiple times and toured Nova Scotia and PEI. Never an issue other than the normal ones on something that bounces down the road.

Check out their pricing -- one of the best deals in the industry and their customer service is top notch..

Bundutec?

 

[sn_85]

We are pretty set on the Supertramp. Now im stuck between hardside and popup lol Im waiting for info to see if they can figure out a king bed extension for the popup. If they cant, hardside will be our choice.

Good choice. Honestly you can’t go wrong with a Supertramp. They make a very good and robust camper. I don’t think you can do a king size bed in the LT because of where the lift actuators are located. Personally after having a hard side camper it would be difficult for me to go with a pop-up. My vote is for the HT.

 

[Hunts]

Good choice. Honestly you can’t go wrong with a Supertramp. They make a very good and robust camper. I don’t think you can do a king size bed in the LT because of where the lift actuators are located. Personally after having a hard side camper it would be difficult for me to go with a pop-up. My vote is for the HT.

Always good to hear from some who has experience in both. Im definitely aimed more towards HT as I go back and forth. With as light weight as it is I doubt I’ll notice it much.

 

[kmacafee]

Bundutec?

yes. an Odyssey flat bed.

 

[Hunts]

That moment you put your deposit down….

 

[henrys]

Northstar will be launching their first 100% composite camper in June. These are some teaser photos they posted on the FB group. This one has no bath but they said they would release a larger self-contained version next. They indicated that the cost of this one will be around $35k loaded. It should be a hot seller.

 

[deeppurpleman]

Northstar will be launching their first 100% composite camper in June. These are some teaser photos they posted on the FB group. This one has no bath but they said they would release a larger self-contained version next. They indicated that the cost of this one will be around $35k loaded. It should be a hot seller.

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That looks great. Any idea on how much that one weighs?

 

[henrys]

They haven't released those details yet but its all aluminum inside so it should be pretty light!

 

[Blackdogvan]

He uses wood construction. I know many people prefer aluminum over wood but wood is easy to fix and doesn't transfer heat like metal.

I'm not sure what you mean by seams. As with any RV, the sealant dries so I have resealed anywhere that needs it. Initially, I had a small leak in the roof but they fixed it and its been solid since.

Options without wood as a structural or laminated component should be highlighted as a significant delineator of quality when comparing options.

 

[Hunts]

Options without wood as a structural or laminated component should be highlighted as a significant delineator of quality when comparing options.

Just to clarify you are saying TCs without wood components can be superior in quality?

This was my initial impression when looking at different builds…..Durability, longevity, weight reduction, maintenance and a many more perks when you find a suitable replacement for wood.

 

[kmacafee]

I've owned both -- a FWC and the Bundutec. The FWC had a corner damaged by a tree near the road and it was a nightmare trying to find someone who could repair the aluminum skeleton. Any damage to the wood frame in my Bundutec can be fixed much more easily.

Is wood better than aluminum or composites? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on who builds it. Maintenance on wood would be, IMHO, much easier to repair, especially in the field. Composites are definitely lighter and might be stronger but would be far more difficult to repair. Honestly, my Bundutec is a much better quality build than my FWC was.

 

[Hunts]

I've owned both -- a FWC and the Bundutec. The FWC had a corner damaged by a tree near the road and it was a nightmare trying to find someone who could repair the aluminum skeleton. Any damage to the wood frame in my Bundutec can be fixed much more easily.

Is wood better than aluminum or composites? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on who builds it. Maintenance on wood would be, IMHO, much easier to repair, especially in the field. Composites are definitely lighter and might be stronger but would be far more difficult to repair. Honestly, my Bundutec is a much better quality build than my FWC was.

great point!

 

[rruff]

I've owned both -- a FWC and the Bundutec. The FWC had a corner damaged by a tree near the road and it was a nightmare trying to find someone who could repair the aluminum skeleton. Any damage to the wood frame in my Bundutec can be fixed much more easily.

Can you provide more clarification on the damage and repair necessary?

Both of them have aluminum skins and Bundutec appears to be bonded in a single sheet with some backer (luan or azdel or...?). And I'd assume, maybe incorrectly, that the frame, foam, and skins are a bonded unit on all of them. Damage to the outer skin can be dealt with easily enough (bondo), but if the wall structure is damaged how would that be "fixed"? I suspect it would be weaker than the original.

I think composite would be easier actually, since impact damage would most likely only effect the outer skin and foam.

 

[Blackdogvan]

Just to clarify you are saying TCs without wood components can be superior in quality?

This was my initial impression when looking at different builds…..Durability, longevity, weight reduction, maintenance and a many more perks when you find a suitable replacement for wood.

Yes, structural or laminated wood sections makes it cheaper to build but if any moisture makes it into a wall or floor it's just a matter of time before its compromised (or moldy).

 

[kmacafee]

Can you provide more clarification on the damage and repair necessary?

Both of them have aluminum skins and Bundutec appears to be bonded in a single sheet with some backer (luan or azdel or...?). And I'd assume, maybe incorrectly, that the frame, foam, and skins are a bonded unit on all of them. Damage to the outer skin can be dealt with easily enough (bondo), but if the wall structure is damaged how would that be "fixed"? I suspect it would be weaker than the original.

I think composite would be easier actually, since impact damage would most likely only effect the outer skin and foam.

On my FWC, I hit a tree branch I didn't see and it crushed the passenger front corner, doing pretty significant damage to the aluminum frame as well as the outer skin. The repair required finding someone who could strip off the skin and replace the aluminum frame members. I was surprised to find that almost all RV repair places I contacted either had no desire or the skills to fix it. In several cases, they simply said they did not fix aluminum. I finally found a repair shop here that was willing to take it on and did a great job. When I contacted FWC, they were unable to offer any RV repair shops at all to do the fix and said they would look at it but could not provide an estimate on how long it would take. I live several thousand miles away so that really wasn't an option.

I have not had a similar incident with my Bundutec but having spent time at their shop, it's easy to see that a similar accident would be much easier to repair by cutting out the damaged area and replacing the wood and the skin. I have no idea how a composite panel would be fixed in a similar situation as I've never owned one.