Outfitter or Hallmark?

[davidv]

I bought the K2 and put it on a '08 F250 diesel. So far I'm very happy with both purchases

http://s890.photobucket.com/albums/ac108/davidvolat/?action=view&current=K2img1.jpg&newest=1

I had always assumed that smaller and lighter was better of road but am amazed at what 5 tons does for traction.

I looked at the Tundra also and came to the conclusion it wasn't enough truck. Fully loaded your over payload and then to make it work off-road. I think your asking for trouble putting anything more than a FWC on the Yota.

The twin turbo Ford is a beast and now that i have airbags i have to look in the mirrors to remember the campers is there.

 

[zidaro]

Good bud of mine has an Outfitter with a serious roof separation with leak, was used but not in an abusive way. He now hates his and for good reason.

I happen to have a new Tundra 6.5'bed and am seriously torn between the Northstar TC650 and the Haulmark Milner.
Haulmark appears to have better construction durability and nice features.
Northstar has the extended bed area and the rear bumper wraparound that is nice.
FWC gets in there too, but really seem to be BAREBONES in design comforts and weigh the same once you add on any features.

All poptop options will be at MAX rated capacity of 1575# or just above for my Crewmax . The quandary!!!!!

 

[Regcabguy]

In our local Craigslist here in San Diego there was a 2005 TC650,loaded and in like new condition for $7,000,asking price. My 2000 Northstar TC800 has been on my old '98.5 CTD and now in it's second life on my '07. It's weathered 33 Baja trips(admittedly basic Baja service roads) and several desert runs. No leaks,every component still works and it's home away from home. My Thuren/Carli suspension allows an excellent controlled highway ride and sucks up the bumps offroad.

 

[NothingClever]

I've never been in an Outfitter.

I've been in one of Hallmark's full size rigs....their comfort and finish work are quite nice.

 

[Togwotee]

Depends

I'm local here in Colorado and have been to both factories. The service at Hallmark was much better. Outfitter also undersells the weight. An Apex 9.5 used locally was actually close to 2800 lbs when weighed. The Hallmark had a more finished look and feel. That said, the Hallmark has almost NO storage space nor were they excited about modifying the unit. The Apex 9.5 I looked at had almost as much storage as an Eagle Cap 950 and Outfitter says they are willing to modify their campers. Lastly, aluminum is a conductor of heat while wood is an insulator. My $.02

 

[Mycopsycho]

I'm surprised. When I recently visited Hallmark & explained my requirement for a larger dinette sleeping area, they were ready to completely modify the bathroom to create a 6'2" sleeping area. Maybe a slow economy is changing things.

Bernie

 

[anthonyca]

I have seen pictures of people sitting at the dinette of an outfitter with the top down. There are also reports you can use the bathroom and make lunch or sleep on the dinette with the topdown. Is this possible with a Hallmark?

 

[Mycopsycho]

I have seen pictures of people sitting at the dinette of an outfitter with the top down. There are also reports you can use the bathroom and make lunch or sleep on the dinette with the topdown. Is this possible with a Hallmark?

When looking at Hallmarks at the plant recently, that was one of my questions so I had them lower the roof of a Cuchara while I sat at the dinette. With the roof down:

• There was plenty of light inside from the windows;
• I could sit at the dinette comfortably and not feel claustrophobic;
• I could get up and go to the refrigerator and use the sink;
• I could easily go in and out of the rig through the door;
• I didn't try the toilet .

 

[anthonyca]

When looking at Hallmarks at the plant recently, that was one of my questions so I had them lower the roof of a Cuchara while I sat at the dinette. With the roof down:

• There was plenty of light inside from the windows;
• I could sit at the dinette comfortably and not feel claustrophobic;
• I could get up and go to the refrigerator and use the sink;
• I could easily go in and out of the rig through the door;
• I didn't try the toilet .

Thank you. I would need to be able to stealth camp and go the next day.

 

[ArtC2]

Hallmark versus Outfitter

I recently purchased a Hallmark Ute 8.5 (with bathroom) which I use with a 2009 Dodge 2500 diesel 4x4 short bed truck. I did a ton of research and was pretty much sold on the Outfitter when I decided to actually visit both facilities.

I started with Outfitter and I almost felt that they were annoyed that I was there even though I had made the appointment weeks in advance and had traveled from California specifically to see them. I left definitely discouraged.

I next visited Hallmark and the difference was startling. The shop was large, clean and well organized. The staff was clearly interested in helping me design a camper that would meet my needs instead of just wanting to make the sale. They have an interesting sales approach, you agree on a price for the base camper and the options are installed close to cost. If you plan on a number of options as I did this will really impact the final cost in your favor.

Beyond the differences in the sales attitude, facility and organization I noticed a number of small quality differences that confirmed to me that Hallmark was built better. For example on the Outfitter the wood under the dinette seat is rough sawn plywood, splinters and all. On the Hallmark it is nicely finished and covered with fabric. The cabinets are nicely finished wood in the Hallmark and in Outfitter there was lots of glued on oak cosmetic strips.

I have had a few warranty issues with my Hallmark but in each case they were addressed quickly and professionally. After 6 months I am convinced that I made the right decision.

 

[Shawnh]

I'm new to this sight but I recommend Hallmark. My camper is a 2004 Guanella LX. I have had it for 2 seasons and have had no problems other than a few roof tears (my fault). I only do dispersed camping, and love the four wheeling part, so I feel I am pretty hard on the camper. My camper is as tight and rattle free as the day I bought it. there are a few pics of the roads I travel on page 9 of the camper and truck photos thread. Good Luck.

 

[Freedom 49]

I'm late to this thread, but I think art@lanlogic.com has really hit upon an important point. If you have time to walk around both businesses, the Hallmark shop is far more like a production line and IMHO quality control is far ahead of Outfitter.

We have an Outfitter and will replace it with a Hallmark when the time is right. Matt Ward at Hallmark has made a big difference to their operation, bringing the business forward into more customization and new features/models. I saw three K2s this year and they are really, really interesting.

Hallmark has a great Facebook page that features camper loadouts; it's a great resource to get an idea of what offered in their campers.

I would seriously look at Northstar too - there's a large following of satisfied customers out there.

 

[dsw4x4]

Last year my brother was shopping for a popup slide in, we looked at both and I agree with pretty much everything that has been said (Hallmark seemed way more professional and manufacturing oriented) however when we went to Hallmark they were not willing to change anything or do a custom build they actually told us to go to outfitter and Phoenix if we wanted something custom. Sounds like the times are a changing. Hopefully Hallmark is going a out of their way to please customers because they seem to make a very nice product. But they sure left a bad taste in my mouth. Outfitter at the time was going through some sort of bankruptcy with their building. I assume that has been sorted out by now. I found it amusing that all three made their roofs in three totally different ways and everyone of them said that theirs was the correct way and the others way were not. My brother went with a Phoenix because of weight and price mainly and hallmark would not work with him. He has not had any roof leak issues as of yet.
Derek

 

[gregd]

I visited both Hallmark and Outfitter last Saturday and can confirm most of what has already been said here. Randy, the salesman I spoke with at Hallmark, was very pleasant, helpfull and he spent nearly 3 hours with us. We talked through pricing, options, delivery schedule, and even an out-of-state delivery option (aka no sales tax).

We had a couple of friends with us that recently fell into a '93 Hallmark Cuchara that looks practically brand new on the inside and in many ways was very much like the current models. I take this as a testamant to Hallmarks quality. Randy said not much had changed because their designs are tried and true.

I conclude that the reason Hallmark is less willing to do custom work is that they have a lot of product sitting on their lot that is 90% complete. This means that from the time of order a unit can be had in about two weeks. In comparison, the fella at Outfitter said he could deliver a unit in May. Outfitter had virtually no prodcut (in short bed form) on his lot and it appeared that he only builds a single unit at a time. The Outfitter operation appeared to be much smaller and hence could easily accomodate custom jobs.

I have purchased a 2009 Dodge RAM 2500 Quad Cab 4x4 short bed and will be ordering the Ute XS within a month. This will be my dedicated camping wagon. My old Tundra will remain for daily use. The Tundra is a pleasure to drive but there is no way I would ever put more than ~1500 lbs in the back of it and do any serious 4wheeling with it. The Ute will be well over 2000 lbs loaded.

 

[sisu]

Thanks for the great write ups by everyone. I wish I could afford a Hallmark, but alas I can't so I'm looking at the FWC keystone, used of course. Can't find any yet, but did find a few Grandbys out there. Maybe I'll hit the lottery before I pull the trigger and then I'll buy a Hallmark.
S