Thinking about a pop-up truck camper...

[04F150]

i have owned several including the 2014 palomino and love them, cold weather was never an issue in any of the ones I have owned they all had thermostat controlled heaters and kept it as hot as you wanted, if you can handle the lack of space there is nothing better, you don't even know they are on the truck and I would still own one if it wasn't for always having 5 people.

 

[Tonkaman]

I’ve been using a Four Wheel Camper for several years now and love it. For how and where we travel its been perfect. It has all the creature comforts that we want and none of the extra junk we don’t care for. As far as your insulation concern goes it hasn’t been a big issue for us. We don’t do much snow camping but desert trips in the winter happen often. I usually set the furnace at 50* at night, use a sleeping bag, and never drain my tank even with using it for cooking. In the heat the white top and a roof fan seem to keep it cool enough but we don’t really spend time in it unless we’re sleeping. The canvas is pulled really tight when popped up and it’s like a rubberized canvas. We’ve had zero leaking issues and I’ve never felt like I was in a tent in heavy winds. The sidewalls have almost no movement.

I’ve never owned a Palomino but having been in your situation trying to justify the cost of a FWC I walked through both models and it made my decision easy to hold out for the FWC. I bought a used FWC Hawk for the same price as a new Palomino and I don’t regret that decision at all.

I assume your using this camper on the tundra not on a Tacoma right?

Four Wheel Campers website says that a shortbed Tacoma like mine is only compatible with their Swift model. The Hawk is considerably larger, do you think the Swift model would have been too small?

 

[Hardcastle]

I assume your using this camper on the tundra not on a Tacoma right?

Four Wheel Campers website says that a shortbed Tacoma like mine is only compatible with their Swift model. The Hawk is considerably larger, do you think the Swift model would have been too small?

Yeah, the Hawk model is on my Tundra. I had a Finch model on my Tacoma. Pretty sure the Swift replaced the Finch.

My Hawk/Tundra combo


my old tacoma and Finch:

 

[Tonkaman]

 

[Corban_White]

No experience with campers, but my trailer is a Palomino and I feel like it is at least as well built as the other trailers on the market if not slightly better. Still has lots of SMH and WTF stuff on it, but at least it's a step above the industry average.

 

[MOODY]

I’ve had roof tents, a tent trailer, and a hard sided bumper pull. Best roof tent was the Columbus hard shelled tent. Tent trailer- may as well just set up a tent. Bumper pulls are fine, but limits you on camping spots. As I have tried a variety of options, I rolled the dice and I just put a deposit on a FWC Hawk to go on my Tundra. Shell model. Front dinette, heater and stove, and camper jacks. I did spring for the silver spur interior and exterior. For the family, it will be snug though the majority of trips I do anymore are solo or with one other person.

 

[Tonkaman]

I’ve had roof tents, a tent trailer, and a hard sided bumper pull. Best roof tent was the Columbus hard shelled tent. Tent trailer- may as well just set up a tent. Bumper pulls are fine, but limits you on camping spots. As I have tried a variety of options, I rolled the dice and I just put a deposit on a FWC Hawk to go on my Tundra. Shell model. Front dinette, heater and stove, and camper jacks. I did spring for the silver spur interior and exterior. For the family, it will be snug though the majority of trips I do anymore are solo or with one other person.

Oh hell yes! I’d love to check it out once you’ve got it set up

 

[TRD270]

https://www.ksl.com/classifieds/listing/46031555

 

[rholbrook]

https://denver.craigslist.org/rvs/d/2004-truck-camper-pop-up/6314389834.html

 

[Houndoc]

Greg, I have a 2002 Chevy half ton listed on here.

 

[MOODY]

Oh hell yes! I’d love to check it out once you’ve got it set up

It will be in my possession the end of November. You're welcome to check it out. I added a slightly taller shackle to the OME leaf packs to compensate for the camper. I'm hoping to keep it light enough I won't need the airbags. I plan to drive it out for the Freeze Your Tail Off event at the Lucin Sun Tunnels in December.

 

[Tonkaman]

It will be in my possession the end of November. You're welcome to check it out. I added a slightly taller shackle to the OME leaf packs to compensate for the camper. I'm hoping to keep it light enough I won't need the airbags. I plan to drive it out for the Freeze Your Tail Off event at the Lucin Sun Tunnels in December.

I look forward to checking it out on the trip [emoji106]

 

[Caleb]

No experience with campers, but my trailer is a Palomino and I feel like it is at least as well built as the other trailers on the market if not slightly better. Still has lots of SMH and WTF stuff on it, but at least it's a step above the industry average.

FWIW, most of the big name campers are the same company. Forest River is the parent company, and then they have tons of smaller (sometimes regional) brands. Palomino, Coachmen, Prime Time, etc are all Forest River brands. That's why you'll often see your exact same floor plan in another make.

Also, the smaller door generally isn't as big of a deal because you are not walking straight in, you are usually walking up a set of stairs stepping right in so if you have to duck, it wouldn't be too much. Something else to think about, while it's 100% doable in a 1/2, as you mentioned it weighs 2500lbs, the payload of a 1/2 Ton chevy is only around 2100lbs. So add a full tank of gas, your gear, you and your wife and you'll probably be 800-1000lbs over your payload.