The Insider’s Guide to Buying a Pop-Up Camper

[ripperj]

So here is some more kudos for being seemingly receptive to differing opinions.
"it sounds like you have a lot of your own opinions and you're very pro-Phoenix,"
at this point I am only pro- FAIR

I am very picky, if when I pick up my camper in June and its a POS(not likely), I will be the first to let you and everyone else here know why I think so(and provide hi-res pics to support)

Truth be told, if I had a F250 or 350 truck and wanted an off the shelf type camper I would have gone with Hallmark- they look really nice too. They were my first call a couple years ago. but, I have a 2010 Ram with coils in the back. Hallmark had nothing that they recommended in my truck. So I decided to go custom on the camper(really custom!) I am spending gobs of $$$ on the truck suspension. In the end it would have been cheaper to get a different truck, but that's not the point for me. I hope to end up with a feather weight earthroamer mini that rides well on and off road, AND gets 15+ MPG highway (actually expecting a bit higher). Plus it wont look like a typical bed camper(nothing at all wrong with that look, just not what i want)

 

[18seeds]

I already saw a poster here on another thread linking to the article when a person asked "who makes this camper"- sending a potentially new reader to the IMHO biased review vice the Phoenix web site.( and then stated he agreed with the outcome with no supporting comments)

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/90742-What-make-model-camper-is-this

That was me and I didn't feel it needed an explanation.

I was lucky enough to have lived in Colorado and toured all the local manufactures as well as lite-craft (no longer in business). I agree with what the OP came up with. In the end I ended up owner Lite-Crafts and NorthStar Campers. What makes a good camper is how well it holds up to age. Go look at as many early 2000 Outfitters (i think the first year for outfitter was 2003), Hallmarks & Phoenix and start making your comparisons. I know it all depends on how the previous owners used the camper but after looking at dozens of each manufacture during that age it is clear to me at least that companies like FWC, Hallmark, NorthStar will stand out. I did also to see production models and in production models for Outfitter, Hallmark and Phoenix and my thoughts are in line with the OP.

As it specifically relates to phoenix I think the company has made great strides. I've seen a change in their business around the time where it appeared to me that Cari started to get more involved. They redesigned the nose cone of the camper which seems to me to make sense and started putting out a lot of custom one offs. I thought the Jeep and Grand Cherokee they did was sweet when I initially saw pictures of it. I did get to go see it at one of the expos in denver and I thought the fit and finish was not acceptable.

If you search hard enough on this forum you will find comments on that specific camper and some information about the previous owners.

Again this is my experience and for this price category I would buy a northstar or FWC.

FWIW: There are 3 main reasons why i never owned a FWC
- 1) I was concerned lifting the roof with a snow load
- 2) The pop top fabric is generally single wall and back than most of my camping was winter camping ( i know they sell an arctic pak)
- 3) Finding Newer FWC in Colorado is rare (the current Dealer in Colorado is fairly new)

I'm glad to see that most agree on the XP camper and a lot of you appreciate all the thought that went into his design. When the XP camper was a wet dream, Marc went out and started his design by speaking with as many people as possible. Luckily, Marc found me on RV.net and we exchanged a few multi hour conversations.

Lastly, Does that crazy rocker dude, Randy, still work at Hallmark? Man that guy was a fun to talk to!

 

[Venado]

My research and experience parallels that of Larry. I attended the Overland Expo to do a final comparison of different units and ordered Phoenix. The camper has been fantastic in every way. It has withstood heat, cold, rain, snow, sand storms, vibration, and offroad use. From what I have seen and those people that I have spoken to, all of the campers that Droido disparaged seem to hold up nicely. Rob at Phoenix handled my unusual requests of a large roof hatch (common in Africa for game viewing) and solid surface countertops with perfect engineering, fit, and finish.

Take another look at Drodio's post and then read Larry's. The emperor's clothes reveal that Drodio is the laughing stock. Drodio's self description sums it up: "Lifehacker"

 

[craig333]

A couple things were missing from the review. Resale value. Not important to me but very important to many. Height. Campers based on a flatbed like the xp have some great features. It allows much more in terms of floor plans, yet, they're much taller. Doesn't bother most people but that extra foot of height is a killer to me. Means I couldn't do drive thrus or trails like this.

Thats actually closer than it looks.

Personally, after having a wood framed camper rot out, I'd never have another camper without an aluminum frame. Nice review otherwise, most people don't have the option of touring every manufacturer.

 

[drodio]

@venado, I welcome your and everyone's opinions, no matter how different from my own.

I don't believe that calling anyone a "laughingstock" or other personally attacking remarks are necessary, but that's your decision to make.

Re: lifehacker -- here's the definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_hack

 

[drodio]

@david, no I'm not asking members to post their comments somewhere else per-se, just that I made it really easy to post comments onto the original threads themselves, so loyalists to any of the specific brands could post their support directly on the original post for others to see (something I encourage vs. discourage).

 

[Nimbl Vehicles]

A couple things were missing from the review. Resale value. Not important to me but very important to many. Height. Campers based on a flatbed like the xp have some great features. It allows much more in terms of floor plans, yet, they're much taller. Doesn't bother most people but that extra foot of height is a killer to me. Means I couldn't do drive thrus or trails like this.

Thats actually closer than it looks.

Personally, after having a wood framed camper rot out, I'd never have another camper without an aluminum frame. Nice review otherwise, most people don't have the option of touring every manufacturer.

Campers based on a flatbed like the xp have some great features. It allows much more in terms of floor plans, yet, they're much taller. Doesn't bother most people but that extra foot of height is a killer to me

Craig, The XP sits about 2 inches taller to the vent than your Four Wheel not 12".

 

[craig333]

Actually it doesn't. I parked next to it. Although that was the prototype, is the production version shorter?

 

[NothingClever]

I think for the comparison to be fair, the base vehicles carrying the campers must be in the same exact configuration. Clearly, one vehicle's hood and roof sit higher in the photo indicating a different suspension package and possibly tire size, too.

 

[trackhead]

Funny thread. It's turned out to be more of a "my dad could beat up your dad" kind of a thread.

Chill, it's just a camper.

 

[Ramblinman]

Funny thread. It's turned out to be more of a "my dad could beat up your dad" kind of a thread.

Chill, it's just a camper.

Bahahahahaha ... Well played and well said! Great write up ... take what what want or don't want from it. You have obviously put a lot of time in your search for the right camper that suits your needs - Thanks for sharing.

 

[Brushbuster]

I would agree that Phoenix is very flexible with the designs but the workmanship is terrible at least on our camper we purchased last december,when we picked it up they had to put spacers under the floor so it would not hit the roof? They said ford varies th eheight of f150 beds? Lots of electrical issues improper size wiring when th ewatr pump comes on all of the light flicker and it puts the fridge into a low voltage fault, cabinet issues (holes cut crooked for drawer ,they installed a bathroom type short faucet for the sink you could not do dishes at all. ( a trip to camping world and a twenty doller rv kitchen faucet fixed that it is just the point) the back part of camper coming apart not glued properly. when the top comes down the fantastic fan hits the counter and has worn a hole in the countertop If anyone is in the market for a camper in the sacramento area feel free to get a hold of me to look at my camper . I do love the way it is layed out and how it functions We have spent many nights enjoying the great out doors. Now that we have adressed a lot of the problems it is working fine( work in progress. Actually we just noticed that when the camper is closed their are little brackets for the top slide stops that have worn holes in the canvass guess I need to fix that also . We did have a issue with the canvass on the awning and Rob and Cari were awsome about us getting hooked up with the manufacturer to get it warrantied and repaired. The camper was also way heavier than they had told me it would be? I purchased it for a 1/2 ton ford and it did handle it with airbags but it was way heavy. i have since moved it to a 3/4 ton ford 4x4 and it handles it great.
Should have purchased the FWC

 

[WASURF63]

I would agree that Phoenix is very flexible with the designs but the workmanship is terrible at least on our camper we purchased last december...................

PM sent your way.

 

[Petrolburner]

It was written on the internet, it must be true!

Seriously I thought you had mentioned plenty of disclaimers and I appreciate the information you laid out for me. It's all part of the puzzle and decision making process. No one is going to read your page and then go buy an XP with zero other research. Also I doubt any one will totally write off any of the companies you mentioned without further research. And if they do well then oh well, plenty of idiots living in this world.

 

[Mundo4x4Casa]

Drodio and XP,
While I have no dog in this fight, it is interesting how folks defend their model pop-up to the end, if need be. I really wanted to learn something about pop-ups ( I hard-core, off-road a Dodge P.U. with a small Lance Lite 165-s hard side) and live in Nevada City and see XP Mark and his buddie having dinner at the Five Mile House on occasion. (I live up the street from the Five Mile House, and get a drooling sensation when I see TWO XP's parked there) Alas, I learned only about the size and cleanliness of certain outfits' shops.
Seems Drodio kicked the ant farm here, which may be a good idea. I have no pact with any form of truck camping except form-follows-function, and what I have works for me.
It looks to me that the pop-up forum on here is run by and sponsors 4WheelCampers.
My brother bought a new upscale model of the OUTFITTER! for his Ford F-250 and he has had a lot of woes with it. A lot. It leaks. It gets dusty inside when the wind is blowing across the salt flats. The plumbing was all screwed up from the factory and hard to get to as he has a basement. And electrical issues. He has learned to live with it and likes it a lot, fixing all the woes himself. He paid over $25000 for it delivered to So. Cal.
Au contrare, my little Lance Lite which is lighter than Bro John's OUTFITTER! and about 10" taller, cost $6500 used; it doesn't leak. It does not get dusty inside. In fact, you don't even hear the wind howling at all. The thing is close to air tight. We have long-term camped in it (5 weeks to AK and back to CA), and spent about 250 nights in it since 2002 and find the workmanship is just as Droidio mentioned about large factory units: just good enough to barely pass the consumer smell test.
If money were no object, I would go for the XP in a New York minute. However, I'm retard and this reply-to-thread is as close as I'll ever get to a replacement for the Lance hard-side. I would say too all you pop-up camper afecianados: lighten up and go camping.
Here we are on the Mojave Road last month: click on pic for short vid:

regards, as always, jefe