Outfitter or Hallmark?

[JCMatthews]

Nope I've owned a Palomino, 3 Lite-Crafts, and a northstar. I am pretty sure Lite-Craft is out of business. If I were to buy now it would be a Northstar, hallmark or FWC.

Right now it's a tacoma and topper. Keeping it simple for the next few years.

What are your thoughts on the Palomino?

 

[phird05]

I researched all the major manufacturers for two years before I pulled the trigger and bought a 2009 Hallmark Milner LX two years ago. I couldn't agree more with all of the positive comments about Hallmark posted previously. The folks at Hallmark are bar none, some of the most customer oriented people I met during my search. In my opinion, the quality of the camper itself far exceeds those similar in price and or size. I still call Matt or Bill at Hallmark if I have a question or need advice on different things regarding the camper. They are always welcoming and don't make me feel like I am interrupting their day. Unlike so many people that purchase a slide in truck camper, I did not want to purchase something and then turn around and spend a lot of my time doing a bunch of modifications to suit my needs. I just wanted to get the options I thought I would like and be done with it, so I could be out there enjoying it. Purchasing the Hallmark accomplished exactly that. I was very close to purchasing a different brand of camper, but how I was treated over the phone and the distance to the manufacturer should anything go wrong made my decision an easy one. I am 110% satisfied with the camper and the staff at Hallmark. I would certainly recommend whatever Hallmark product you are looking at. You won't be dissappointed!

Good Camping,

Paul

 

[OTR]

I want to thank everyone for the excellent feedback and suggestions. I ended up going with a Northstar 650 that I found almost new and for a really good deal. I put it in the back of my Tundra Crewmax (5.5ft bed) with the tailgate down and added some airbags and E-rated tires.

My wife and I spent almost 2 months in it last summer. We traveled from Ohio to Alaska going up through Seattle. We spent most of our time traveling around the Kenai peninsula where it was chilly (avg low was around 45 & a high of 60) and rained 4 days a week. We took the camper on every major highway in AK and additional several hundred miles of gravel roads. We also took the camper 90 miles into Denali Park to Wonder Lake last September.

Conclusion:
Camper: I'm very happy I decided to go with the Northstar. The extended cab-over and north/south bed with under bed storage and bedside storage compartments is a major plus. I'm 6'4" and I slept very comfortable all summer even with 2 small dogs. I added a Norcold 12v fridge/freezer which was a great addition. We used it as an extra fridge on the way up and as freezer to freeze the fish that we caught. I also bought a small electric ceramic heater to use in place of the propane while camping at campgrounds. It saved us a ton on propane and would heat up the camper nicely set at 50% .
I love the windows in the canvas and gave us great opportunity to see the surrounding landscape. My only complaint with the pop-up is the lack of sound insulation in campgrounds. We had zero water leaks from the roof or sides, 1 problem with a drawer that I rebuilt, and a leaky water pump and faucet that I replaced. The only upgrade I would want in my next camper will be a bathroom.

Truck: The truck handles the camper very, very well. The brakes on a newer Tundra are huge. I think they are about the same size as a Ford Superduty. The engine had more than enough power and would hold any speed at any grade that I felt comfortable. The truck felt very comfortable on all the mountain passes, over the frost heaves, and on gravel roads. We hit a lot of wind in the Plains states and the truck did great and much better the a few dually trucks with larger campers. I averaged about 12 mpg and a worst of 8 mpg with a very strong head wind. I felt very comfortable with the truck knowing that I was a few hundred pounds overload. With the addition of the airbags and E-rated tires I feel that this truck can comfortably handle the additional weight. I believe that Toyota engineers the truck to so it can be driven at max payload capacity 75% of the time.

 

[zidaro]

I want to thank everyone for the excellent feedback and suggestions. I ended up going with a Northstar 650 that I found almost new and for a really good deal. I put it in the back of my Tundra Crewmax (5.5ft bed) with the tailgate down and added some airbags and E-rated tires.

My wife and I spent almost 2 months in it last summer. We traveled from Ohio to Alaska going up through Seattle. We spent most of our time traveling around the Kenai peninsula where it was chilly (avg low was around 45 & a high of 60) and rained 4 days a week. We took the camper on every major highway in AK and additional several hundred miles of gravel roads. We also took the camper 90 miles into Denali Park to Wonder Lake last September.

Conclusion:
Camper: I'm very happy I decided to go with the Northstar. The extended cab-over and north/south bed with under bed storage and bedside storage compartments is a major plus. I'm 6'4" and I slept very comfortable all summer even with 2 small dogs. I added a Norcold 12v fridge/freezer with was a great addition. We used it as an extra fridge on the way up and as freezer to freeze the fish that we caught. I also bought a small electric ceramic heater to use in place of the propane while camping at campgrounds. It saved us a ton on propane and would heat up the camper nicely set at 50% .
I love the windows in the canvas and gave us great opportunity to see the surrounding landscape. My only complaint with the pop-up is the lack of sound insulation in campgrounds. We had zero water leaks from the roof or sides, 1 problem with a drawer that I rebuilt, and a leaky water pump and faucet that I replaced. The only upgrade I would want in my next camper will be a bathroom.

Truck: The truck handles the camper very, very well. The breaks on a newer Tundra are huge. I think they are about the same size as a Ford Superduty. The engine had more than enough power and would hold any speed at any grade that I felt comfortable. The truck felt very comfortable on all the mountain passes, over the frost heaves, and on gravel roads. We hit a lot of wind in the Plains states and the truck did great and much better the a few dually trucks with larger campers. I averaged about 12 mpg and a worst of 8 mpg with a very strong head wind. I felt very comfortable with the truck knowing that I was a few hundred pounds overload. With the addition of the airbags and E-rated tires I feel that this truck can comfortably handle the additional weight. I believe that Toyota engineers the truck to so it can be driven at max payload capacity 75% of the time.

Right on! :victory: We have almost exactly the same setup. I scored a used '05 TC650 and have bags, a 3"lift, E-rated Duratracs. We love our rig and concur that the Tundra can easily handle this camper. Havent had the miles you have this year- good for you! but we have had it around Death Valley area and the Sierras, including the wicked winter weve gotten- FEET upon FEET of snow. No leaks or issues with the cold. Added solar and now have complete freedom. I'd love to hear what type of mods youve done to improve quality or comfort on both the camper or Tundra.
Enjoy!
Aaron

 

[GREY.HOUND]

So, to OTR and zidaro, would either of you flinch at putting the next size northstar pop-up, the TC800 on your Tundra? I'm looking at pop-ups myself and own an '07 Tundra DC w/ 5.7. Nortstar website says it's 1375lbs; that's just 100 pounds more than the listed weight of the TC650. So, keeping options similar and camping gear the same, would you feel comfortable with the bigger camper? Oh, and I'm by no means an off-roader. This set-up would be used only on paved roads, easy to access camprounds, and places like state/national parks.

Thanks in advance,
GH

 

[OTR]

So, to OTR and zidaro, would either of you flinch at putting the next size northstar pop-up, the TC800 on your Tundra? I'm looking at pop-ups myself and own an '07 Tundra DC w/ 5.7. Nortstar website says it's 1375lbs; that's just 100 pounds more than the listed weight of the TC650. So, keeping options similar and camping gear the same, would you feel comfortable with the bigger camper? Oh, and I'm by no means an off-roader. This set-up would be used only on paved roads, easy to access camprounds, and places like state/national parks.

Thanks in advance,
GH

I would do it if I had a 6.5ft or an 8ft bed. I would still recommend adding E-rated tires and airbags though. Here is a quick run down of how much weight I have in the truck from a post I did the other day:

Set-up:
Truck: Tundra Crewmax Limited 4x4
WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES Per Toyota
Curb weight (lb.) 5645
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lb.) 7200
Maximum payload [2] (lb.) 1555


Camper: Northstar TC650
Estimated weight loaded with supplies
Camper 1400 lbs
30 gal H2O 250 lbs
cloths and gear 100 lbs
Additional ARB fridge and all food total 150 lbs
misc 75 lbs
10 gal extra fuel 65 lbs
Total= 2050 lbs

I know that I'm over weight by 500 lbs or 33%. I have added E-Rated tires and Airbags to assist in properly balancing the weight. I feel very comfortable while driving the truck and I don't feel that I am over stressing the truck. I have come down some very steep grades in this truck and have never had a fading or excessive heat build up in the brakes either.

I also average around 10-11 mpg or so on the hwy with headwinds and hills/mountains driving 65 mph.
__________________

 

[GREY.HOUND]

Wow, thanks for the quick reply. My Tundra is the 6.5 bed and I already have airbags. Last summer I put LT "C" rated tires. I've been to the N* website and spec'd the TC800 at about 1700lbs for "our needs", YIKES! That's a lot of weight before we get in. Payload is about 1600lbs for my truck. Funnyt thing is the TC850 with "our needs" is only about 50 lbs. more and has an indoor shower.

 

[OTR]

I would think you would still be OK. I also have a winch and Road Armor bumper on the front which adds another 250 lbs of weight that I carry around. It depends on how much gear you carry, the weight adds up quickly. I would still recommend adding E-rated tires, unfortunately it does stiffen up the ride a bit while unloaded. My truck has the TRD package and it rides like a 3/4 ton truck while unloaded, but smoothes out very nicely with the camper on the back.

Last summer I saw a Tundra DC 8ft bed with a large hard sided 10ft camper on the back. He was getting down the hwy good and very relaxed behind the wheel of the truck.

 

[Regcabguy]

Wow, thanks for the quick reply. My Tundra is the 6.5 bed and I already have airbags. Last summer I put LT "C" rated tires. I've been to the N* website and spec'd the TC800 at about 1700lbs for "our needs", YIKES! That's a lot of weight before we get in. Payload is about 1600lbs for my truck. Funnyt thing is the TC850 with "our needs" is only about 50 lbs. more and has an indoor shower.

I've got the TC800 on my chassis and it's fine but I've also got upgraded suspension provided by Carli and Thuren. This truck has huge brakes and gobs of power. Personally,I think the TC800 would not be a lot of fun to haul around on a gas powered 1/2 ton truck.

 

[OTR]

I've got the TC800 on my chassis and it's fine but I've also got upgraded suspension provided by Carli and Thuren. This truck has huge brakes and gobs of power. Personally,I think the TC800 would not be a lot of fun to haul around on a gas powered 1/2 ton truck.

Actually both trucks have the same size brake rotors at 13.9" each. Also the Tundra can carry the weight pretty well with 381hp/401tq and with the 6spd auto. It won't get the mileage that a diesel will get, but the engine so far is reliable and very cheap to maintain. If you start adding more weight, I agree that a diesel will be better.

 

[DT75FLH]

Actually both trucks have the same size brake rotors at 13.9" each. Also the Tundra can carry the weight pretty well with 381hp/401tq and with the 6spd auto. It won't get the mileage that a diesel will get, but the engine so far is reliable and very cheap to maintain. If you start adding more weight, I agree that a diesel will be better.

The brakes on the toyota are larger than some older 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.

The new tundras and 3/4 ton trucks in 1/2 ton clothing :sombrero:

 

[GREY.HOUND]

Good info everyone, thanks. I did email Northstar and I found out the TC800 won't work for my needs, but the 850SC is still a possibility, just heavy IMO. It looks like Phoenix, Hallmark and Outfitter are more likely. The Hallmark K2 looks like a champ that's for sure, and the Outfitter has a full bathroom, hard to beat. Phoenix will do just about anything which is awesome. The actual purchase is still some time off, but I want to get as much info and advice before jumping to anything.

I'll put a sway-bar on too; what about shocks, anybody have advice there? A lot of Tundra Owners use Bilstein 5100's but I'm guessing HD shocks would be a better idea.

 

[zidaro]

Jumping in a bit late here, I think you would be fine carrying a bit more than a tc650, especially if you will not be doing any real wheeling. I seriously considered upgrading to the 850SC that is on the forum for sale right now- but alas, i have a camper that is just fine. A great condition used camper can help with alot of unknown questions about which brand is perfect and all the other details that get lost when the price is right.
With a 6foot bed you will be great with the added length of the SC, tailgate down.
I would, without question, add E-rated tires to your airbag setup to handle the additional weight.
Shocks are more of a personal preference, they dont help carry weight, they absorb the rebound of your springs going over bumps. You could try stock and go from there as needed.
Sway bar might be a bit redundant with airbags on unless your bags are pneumatically linked. Add air to bags and the suspension stiffens lessening sway.

 

[gregd]

After 3+ months of use I can say I am pleased with my Hallmark Ute XS, but we've had some issues.

Foremost, the tie down scheme provided by Hallmark was a simple chain and turnbuckle setup. We didn't get 5 minutes down the road before the turnbuckles started loosing up. We swapped out the turnbuckles for some Fast Guns hoping this would solve our problem but there was simply too much side-to-side movement of the camper in the truck bed to keep the camper in place. After almost loosing the camper out the back of the truck while driving down a mellow graded graveled dirt road we got in touch with Hallmark and talked through some potential solutions. I installed 2 21/2 inch aluminum angle in the bed of my truck, sparing about 1/8" on either side. I also hooked chain between the trucks tow hitch and the campers bumper to prevent any more than an inch or so of movement aft. So far this fix has worked and I have driven up and down a fairly nasty piece of dirt road. The camper is solid, I just need to work on securing everything else inside the camper.

 

[knobbytracks]

GREY.HOUND

I have an '04 Tundra with a Northstar TC800XB. I also mounted Yokahama "E" rated tires and air bags. I have had no problems with this set-up. There are times I wish I had a little more power, but thats all. I have also pulled a 5'x8' enclosed trailer with 2 dirt bikes, riding gear, fuel, toolboxes and the camper. With just the truck and camper, I found if I keep the speed at 60-65mph on interstate (75mph speed limit), I can get 11-13 mpg.

I think you'll be very happy with a Northstar. I have said it before in other posts that Northstar's customer service is FANTASTIC! The quality of their campers are top notch too.