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Need some advice on an appropriate truck camper?

32K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  samsmith 
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#1 ·
Hi Folks -

I'm looking for a good truck camper for my 02' Nissan Frontier 4x4 (compact truck). I've scoured the web, but all I've found is the Northstar TC700. It looks like a nice unit. Does anyone have one, or know of another compact truck camper which would fit my truck?

Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
You have lots of options. I assume you're looking at a pop-up like the TC-700. There's also the Northstar MC-600 (a little shorter) in that lineup. www.northstarcampers.com

I like the Sun-lite Skyhawk and Skyhawk SB www.sunvalley.com.

If you want higher end, there's the Outfitter Caribou 6.5 www.outfittermfg.com.

Palomino makes a nice package that's usually more affordable than Northstar. I believe it's the B-600. www.palominorv.com.

Phoenix campers makes mini truck sizes, as do their cousin company Coyote. Look at the Phoenix Wigwam and the Coyote C6M. the Coyote's are lower-priced. www.phoenixcampers.com

Lite-craft makes real nice ones like the mini-Timberline www.lite-craftcamper.com.

If you want the light-weight advantage, look at 4-wheel campers. The Eagle 6' weighs 690 lbs. Most other mini-truck campers are 1000-1200 lbs. They also offer the "shell" models that start at 530 lbs with an empty interior that you can use as you wish. www.fourwheelcampers.com.

Have fun and good luck. I used to be obsessed with mini truck pop-ups. I was convinced I could get one in my early 4Runner. I've sorta given up though, but someday I'll get a mini truck and a camper, that's for sure.

Eric
 
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#3 ·
Here's what not to get ....

When I last posted to this forum, I has listed the issues with my APEX 8, (See: below) and then was contacted by Bob at Apex and asked what I would like to make it right.
I told him I wanted either what I ordered, or a refund for the difference in what that was and what I got.
I was promised by him that a refund "was in the mail" two weeks ago. When that didn't show up I contacted APEX to see if there was a problem.
I was told that they did not do as they promised because they won't do a "check run" until the 20'th of April, but if I wanted they would send me the check right away.
I replied that I wanted it sent ASAP.
Then Brian sent me a curt e-mail saying it would be sent on the 20'th.
I had previously offered to exchange the camper they sent, for the camper I actually ordered, and I told them that if they had other ideas to make this right I would listen.
Brian now says that I will have to pay for another delivery chage ($1100) for them to provide what I paid for, or take the check whenever thay are good and ready to send it.
But after today, I only want exactly what I ordered form them, for the money I have already paid.
Now I know that this will really get some other APEX owners angry, but the fact is, that the list I made is correct, not exageratted, and I stand by it, and the following is what the owner (Brain) said to me today regarding their failings to do as they said they would.
Brian told me on the phone that they would not do as they promised because he was angry that I had reported the facts in an earlier post.
He said the situation was my word against his, and that the options not being correct were not his problem, that he has "delivered an APEX 8, and that options being wrong didn't count".
He also said that the interior that I ordered was right, but then got curiously silent when he discovered he was wrong, and his own paperwork proved that.
He was obnoxious, called me a scammer, and said he would only do warranty work and then only if I drove from California to Colorado.
I told him I didn't need warranty work, I just wanted what I ordered, and that he could shove the refund.
I paid to have items installed that I had to install myself.
I've made repairs to the camper without asking for anything, but Brian has seen fit to over-rule any of the promises that the other people in his company have made, and has become quite a nasty person to deal with, refusing to do as they said they would.
He indicated (as did Bob) that the issues with my camper were not his doing, but instead the failings of the people that work for him, that can't speak English or that were sick, when I made my order, and that is why it was wrong and that is not his problem.
So .... for those that are interested I have all the e-mail between myself and Outfitter documented, and will have pictures of the delaminations on the walls, and list of other issues and incorrect parts that might be of interest to those of you that are looking for a camper like the APEX.
I will post these and a link to the pictures over the next couple of days (I need to find a place to host the pictures).
I wish that I could have been posting a more favorable follow up to my original post, but it's probably better that the truth of what really happened, evidenced by pictures and copies of e-mails, tell the story for themselves.
As far as Brain, I feel he is not the type of person I want to do any business with and would advise anyone stay clear of this person, Outfitter and their product.
To those that have PM'd me asking about the final resolution of this mater, now you know.
Any new camper is prone to issues, its the integrity and quality (some might say breeding) of the people that 'should' stand behind it that is seriously lacking in this case.
Brian is beyond difficult to deal with, and I suspect that because it was only a little over a week between the time I made my order and the time they said they could send it to me (which coincidently was the same time that Bob needed to make a visit out here) that what really happened was he just stuck me with whatever was standing around from shows (it looks used in certain areas) and tried to pass it off as completely built in that time .... with the wrong rack ... with the wrong interior ... with the missing pre-wiring ... and all the other problems from my first post.
More to follow ....

Gary

First Post:

Posted: 03/19/05 12:31am

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I ordered my Apex 8 a few weeks ago and much to my pleasure, it was delivered well ahead of the promised date, but much to my displeasure it was not what I ordered at all.
I ordered a ladder and basket rack, it was delivered with ladder and standard rack.
I ordered one interior and it was delivered with a different one.
The bed mattress cover fits so loose that it looks like hell.
I was told that they would wire it for so my generator would plug in to a receptacle in the generator bay. they didn't.
In fact the shore power is on the passenger side, which is a poor design considering all the parks have the facilities on the driver's side.
The fresh water fill and city water hook-up are on the Driver's side, and although the fresh water fill is behind a locked door the city water fill is just attached to the outside wall and the cap keeps coming off allowing road grime and whatever to contaminate the inlet.
The generator slider was mounted in a way that I couldn't slide it back in with my generator on it.
The slide was built for the exact generator ( Honda 2000) the I am using.
I needed to remount it so that the door could close with the generator on it.
The locking mechanism that keeps the generator slider form opening during a turn needed to be modified to work at all.
The camper was pre-wired for electric jacks but I needed to tear out the water fill to repair the jack for the remote hand paddle.
The sides are delaminating in a few areas, and the cab over has many de-laminations as well as big warps in the forward area above the driver where the front panel meets the roof.
There is no way to completely close the curtain for the pass-through window.
The clamps for the blinds above the counter have two different clamps for the blinds. one is right and fits properly, the other is for a much smaller thickness system and does not fit at all.
One of the bottom clamps for these same blinds was too far to the outside to work and moving it to the proper location left a hole in the wall.
The pictures on the Outfitter web site shows a sprayer in the bathroom that it does not come with.
The rear awning is mounted an a slant, high on the driver's side and low on the passenger side.
The Jacks are used.
There are no provisions for relocating your license plate.
The "new and improved" rear plug in system interferes with using a hitch mounted tray for extra storage under the camper, and worse, it's hole through the wall sealed with a grommet designed for sheet metal. the trailer plug and this cable inter fear with opening the door all the way, and the trailer plug is not sealed with anything to keep water form seeping into the wall.
There were and are other issues with this camper, and after a more foul ups with simple instructions, I did get them to send a set of hinges for the jacks so they wouldn't damage the fender flares (as they did when the guy mounted the camper on my truck) free of any additional charges, but when I ask for detail technical questions I'm left with the impression that they don't have a clue.
Maybe this is why I see no RVIA sticker on it.
At a price of over $21,300 I'm left a bit cold, especially since I haven't even been out in it yet.
I'm sure there will be more issues with it once I start using it, and believe they just delivered whatever they had on their lot, taking advantage of the fact that the guy who delivered it was making a trip this way anyway.
And I really should have declined the delivery, but didn't see all the issues until after he left.
I'll work for my purpose, but I couldn't recommend buying one to anyone at all.

* This post was last edited 04/01/05 06:19pm by Gary-h * View edit history


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2005 Beaver Patriot Thunder
Dodge Ram 4X4 QC Toad, w/Pop-Top Camper for back country getaways
 
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#4 ·
I have a 1999 Palomino Bronco 600 for sale in the Atlanta area. I use it on my 2001 Nissan Frontier king cab with the tailgate down. It works great. In very good condition. Hardly used. $4,995.
 
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#6 ·
If you're looking for appropriate truck camper, then Adventurer Truck camper is better than others because it has more movable wall sections. These sections known as "slides", and it increase the interior living space. Some contain only the dinette, others, called "full wall" slides, may contain the dinette, the fridge and other appliances.
 
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