Northstar or Hawk?

[Desert Drifter]

I am really struggling between the 2 for my new camper.

The Northstar 650 has a lot of creature comforts I would like to have. Bigger fresh water, 14 gallon gray water, electric jacks and don't have to unmake the bed before lowering the top.

I can get either with hot water tank and outside shower.

The FWC Hawk is the ultimate for off road. Flexible aluminum frame and super low profile for better overhead clearance.

I really like camping virtually at the end of the road!!! Great high mountain trout lakes around here!! I currently have an older Northstar 800 that is doing a pretty darn good job for me so far. I have had to saw some limbs out of the way to get through.

I would like to keep doing more and more challenging off road stuff but then when I take my boat I really like the idea of offloading the camper in 10 minutes to use the truck to take the boat to the launch.

 

[brianjwilson]

I think the last sentence of your post spells it out, get the Northstar.

I know I've talked to you elsewhere about my feelings about what you get vs what you pay for with the FWC. But the lack of a real floor would probably be a deal breaker for your use. Since the FWC doesn't have a solid floor and can't be used off the the truck, you would have to run around with sawhorses or something to throw under the camper. Having jacks on the camper also kind of negates some of the low profile ideas with the FWC too I think.

So the Northstar is going to be, what, 4" wider? Maybe 6" higher? I don't think that small amount is going to make a huge difference personally.

Having an actual gray water tank would be nice too, as there are plenty of places where you are not "technically" allowed to dump gray water on the ground. It comes standard with a fantastic vent and a screen door, things that seem to be addition cost on the FWC.

Not to mention the Northstar is setup to have a fully usable interior with the bed in use. Maybe an issue, maybe not.

The more I look at the TC650 I start thinking that maybe I should have bought one of them instead of the lightweight hard side I have on order...

 

[kerry]

I like my Northstar (Texson) TS 1000 but I've never owned a FWC. It's a 94 and still holding up quite well.

 

[J Rod]

I looked at the Hawk and the Northstar and after sleeping on it for a month, I decided to order a new TC 650 with teh fold out bed. I looked eveywhere for a used one but couldnt find one except for the east coast. I get it in April, cant wait. The Hallmark was also in the running but the price point was an issue.

 

[knobbytracks]

J Rod,
I am VERY pleased with my Northstar TC800XB. My initial concern was if I really need the fold out bed. It really does come in handy for storage of gear bags and the like. Also, it's a great place my dog can sleep and be out of the way. I don't always pop it out, so one thing I do miss is having a window in that area. I emailed Rory at Northstar to see if it would be possible to put a window in the fold out "door." He sent me a mechanical drawing of the doors structure if I decide to put in a window. Of course, I would need to remove the fold-out material to take advantage of the window but that doesn't look too difficult. The guys at Northstar are great. I wanted to know how the camper frame was built in order to find the best place to mount a couple bicycle racks on the back. Rory emailed me back within a few hours with an attached video of a camper like mine in the build stage showing the wood frame and the best location for mounting into solid wood. I can't say enough about their customer service!

 

[phird05]

I researched all of them four almost three years. I walked through every one of the major manufacturers and spent as much time tearing into the various features they all had. I Purchased a 2009 Hallmark Milner LX. I couldn't be happier. I fly fish, camp and mountain bike at the end of a lot of roads, and have never been turned back due to the performance of my Hallmark. The fixtures and comforts of my Milner LX are top shelf. The big difference for me at that time was the one piece carbon fiber roof and the incredible amount of storage it has. The FWC Hawk (my other consideration) by comparison doesn't come close to the amount of storage of my Hallmark. FWC has followed suit with Hallmark and just come out with a one piece aluminum roof. It's simple, one solid piece, less screws and holes in the roof... less leaks. In my case not one leak in two years. I have seen too many posts here and on other sites of people chasing down leaks they can't seem to find. I also saw recently where FWC is coming out with smooth sided campers. Hallmark already had both of these features when I was looking, so at the time, it was a simple choice for me. In addition, I am a small business owner and I know the value of customer service. When I was through looking and compared the different aspects of all of the campers and the Staff at Hallmark with everyone else I dealt with, there was no question as to where I was going to purchase my camper. FWC makes a great product along with some of the other manufacturers, but this was my experience when it was time for me to make my decision. I guess what I am trying to say with this long winded post (sorry!) is do your homework, don't get fooled by any sales pitches, and get what feels right and what you think will work for YOU.

You'll have no regrets!

Good Camping,

Paul

 

[Regcabguy]

Going on 12 yrs with my Northstar TC800. It has been a gem. There's tradeoffs with everything but the quality of construction,ready made bed,super ventilation and the fact that my wife will accompany me has made it a fine investment. The rear side wings enable me to cram a shovel,axe,broom,ground cloth,snatchum straps,big lug wrench out of the way. Everything's off the floor and secured.

The only other camper that interests me is the ALL TERRAIN Camper,but I don't have a spare $15,000. The big thing is to get out and enjoy what you have.

 

[J Rod]

Good to know that you can change out the fold out bed for the window. I wasnt sure if the fold out would be worth it but I think it was a good choice. Is it possible to sleep two people with their feet into the pop out section? My thought was that my twwo boys could do this and have mo0re room. I know that I would need a few extra cushions to raise it up to the same level as the pop out but i guess i will have to wait until it is ready. does this sounds doable or worth the extra effort?

 

[knobbytracks]

Actually, the window does not replace the door. You would have to get an aftermarket window and mount that in the door itself. I have not done this, just wanted to see if it was do-able.

Yes, two people can utilize the fold out bed easily. Another quality feature Northstar did was to make the extra bed the same height as the main seat. The cushion that is used in the extra bed is thinner to accomodate the transition. This cushion also acts as a back cushion when the bed is not deployed. I use a large bungee cord and small eyehooks to hold it in place with the tent material of the extra bed/pop-out tucked in behind. It will make much more sense when you get yours.

 

[J Rod]

Knobby Tracks,

I am glad to hear that they already made the cushions level. All of the pictures I have looked at look like the fold out bed cusion is about 3" higher. I have not seen a 650 in person yet. This will make a big difference for sleeping my two boys. I thought about not having a window too. But since i have to go with the 650, I figured that the fold out made more sense.

Thanks for this info!

 

[Colby Jack]

For the love of all that is HOLY!!!

All this talk about pop up campers and their pop outs, and no pictures whatsoever!!! I have been looking at a used northstar up here in AK, and wonder if it would be possible to retrofit one of these pop outs to an older unit.

I would appreciate any pics you guys can offer from both interior and exterior.

Thanks in Advance

Colby Jack

 

[J Rod]

Colby Jack,

Are you looking at the Northsatr 800? I have seen a few used with the fold out bed. It is basically a bed that folds out on the pasenger side where the window is. It is 36" wide and 62.5" long. You may be able to modify it and should call Rex at Nortstar. These guys are great and will tell you if it is realistic to do it.

 

[J Rod]

Colby Jack,

check out this link to take a look at the pop out on the Nortstar.

http://www.eastendcampers.com/10-northstar-650xb-27550.html

 

[cort]

You will never beat the quality of an FWC or better yet an ATC (All Terrain campers). Having said that you will give up some creature comforts. It all depends on how you use the camper. If you truly want an offroad worthy camper you have to go with ATC or FWC.....anything else is just going to fall apart.

Cort

 

[zidaro]

You will never beat the quality of an FWC or better yet an ATC (All Terrain campers). Having said that you will give up some creature comforts. It all depends on how you use the camper. If you truly want an offroad worthy camper you have to go with ATC or FWC.....anything else is just going to fall apart.

Cort

What sort of experience do you base your conclusions on?? This is a purdy strong statement with nothing to back it up.

I know of quite a few people with different makes that have been "using" them for years and they hold up. I also have friends with 4WC that have some nice issues i didnt expect.