What brand of camper?

[low277]

I see a lot of threads about Skamper popups, is any one brand better or more desirable than another? Years ago I had a Coachman popup, it wasn't in the greatest shape when I got it but the price was right and it served me well for the time I had it.

Any input?

 

[bob91yj]

I think there are just more Skampers out there than the other brands. I have a Sun Lite pop up in my truck, it has served me well. I was a little concerned about the wood frame construction, the intertweb naysayers assured me it would be kindling in short order, that hasn't proven to be the case.

 

[low277]

Thanks for the reply, The old coachman I had long ago had wood frame construction and it seemed to have held up well for its age. What brands have other than wood frames?

 

[tanglefoot]

Aluminum-framed campers include:

Four-wheel Campers http://www.fourwheelcampers.com/

All-Terrain Campers (ATC) http://www.allterraincampers.com/

Outfitter Mfg http://www.outfittermfg.com/

Phoenix Coyote http://phoenixpopup.com/


I don't think brand alone is much of a concern, especially when buying used. It more comes down to the construction style, size/weight, floorplan, features and budget.

For new, wood-framed campers, I think most are choosing Palomino for the budget-end and Northstar for the more upscale end.

Palomino: http://www.palominorv.com/

Northstar: http://northstarcampers.com/


There are not nearly as many current, wood-frame camper manufacturers as there used to be, so brand diversity is much greater in the used camper market. Mine is another defunct brand, Four-Seasons.

 

[SLO_F-250]

Pretty much exactly what the guys above said. :iagree: Seem to be a lot of older used Skampers around. You can find em cheap ($600ish) and can fix them up. There are pro and cons as always to both. You'll read that a lot of guys say stay away from wood framed as your life depends on it. I say it depends on what your goals are for the camper and your budget. I have beaten the crap outta my old skamper and have no complaints. It has held up great and has many more years of life.

So what are your goals for the camper?
Budget?
Usage?
Are you willing to fix it up and spend time on it?
What truck is it going on?
Etc, etc. I would pick the camper based on that.

Good Luck! :truck:

 

[LuckyDan]

I've got an old (87) FWC Grandby with an aluminum frame and plywood bottom. Has worked for me. I lived for a while in a Skamper Travel Trailer. It did a fine job of keeping me warm or cool, depending on the season, and dry. I wouldn't shy away from a good wood framed camper, especially if your budget is less than you would like. Buying used, either construction type of any brand will probably have something that needs attention. With my FWC it was a leaky roof. My brothers Alaskan (wood framed), a bad seal at the roof/rear wall joint. You see Alaskans from the 60's for sale frequently in the NW that are still useable. As had been said, a lot of manufactures are out of business and budget, usage, sweat equity and truck fit should be your guide.

 

[topofpalomar]

I've owned 3 Skampers, the first one was new (1983 070S on a Nissan 4x4) and I currently own a '99 Apache popup fullsize. All of them wood framed. Honestly, the old Skampers were built just like the Apache in design and construction, right down to the lift mechanisms, soft sides, and roof construction. As if they came off the same assembly line. Biggest problem I've had is roof leakage (all stored outside).

Wood construction was never an issue, and I beat the heck out of all of them. I'd say if you find a Skamper that will work for you just check the roof for any indication of leakage as best as you can. Everything else can be easily addressed.

Cliff