37 replies to this topic

[DirtyDog]

By the way Aaron, your trip reports make me so jealous and home sick!


Has anyone here had first hand experience with Coyote RV / Phoenix Campers?
I like the idea that their campers are all custom made. When I contacted Stan a while back he didn't seem too receptive of the ideas I had for customizing. I think a modified Hawk layout would work well for us, with a 54" cabover (no slide-out bed), and some changes to cabinet/appliance layouts, and maybe a few extra inches in floor length. I think with a stationary bed and a little more cabinet storage so that we wouldn't be digging under the couch constantly, we would be pretty happy.

The other thing I wanted was for the cabover to come down closer to the cab so there was room for bedding with the top down. Looking at Aarons old Hawk on his F150, there was a lot of space between the cab and the cabover section that I would want to utilize inside the camper.

I've heard mixed things about the Phoenix campers - I'd do a lot of digging around about them if I were you. Not all FWC campers are going to have that extra space above the cab - that was a situation caused by the deeper than normal bed on the F150, which was accomodated by FWC by building a false floor under the camper.

I think the storage under the couch is pretty useless because its hard to access when you are in the camper. A drawer system would work better there.

[DirtyDog]

I should add about the Phoenix campers - I emailed them a couple years ago and tried to just get an approximated base weight for their campers to compare to other manufacturers. They refused to give me a weight until I had gone through the process of specing out the camper how I wanted it. I just wanted an approximate base weight for comparison - this info is available from every other camper manufacturer. I was left with the impression that it just wasn't a very professional outfit.

[pods8]

It is wood construction and aluminum sided,

Might want to ask around how well that rig holds up offroad, it my be fine but better check before you assume all campers handle it. Main reason my of us have FWC and they resale high compared to a "skamper" for instance is one isn't going to shake itself into pieces going down washboards.

Are there times or situations when any of you wish you had a hard-sided camper?

There are times I wish I had a shower, room services, etc...

What kind of things do you find to be a hassle when traveling in a pop-up for an extended time? Lots of shuffling your gear around? I don't mind throwing a few bags or containers in the backseat of the truck, but I like to keep things organized.

Any rig that is moving around you're going to have to stow the stuff so it doesn't fall all over. I don't find the aspect this is a pop up rig to alter that too heavily other than making up the bed.

Is it difficult to keep the inside of the camper dry if you are camping in it for a week in rainy/snowy weather, while traveling and opening/closing the camper every day?

I think any camper is likely going to have some issues here if the weather is that rough. Hardside would provide better insulation and condensation protection to be more efficient but I don't see it eliminating the issue.

Can you realistically sit up in a Hawk with the top down? I'm imagining staying on the Mountain for a few days while snowboarding and trying to picture how tolerable the camper is with the top down.

Yes. I've sat in the back reading a book w/ the heat on while waiting for an hour long construction delay before.

[brianjwilson]

Aaron I can understand about the weight issue from Phoenix. I think that when you buy from them you are rolling the dice on weight since they are all one-off units. And yes, it is slightly discomforting considering a lot of big name pop-ups are heavier than similar hard-side campers.

I think the average Hawk camper will sit that way on an 04-08 F150. Either way I would like more efficient use of the space and it didn't sound like they were willing to work with it (or the 54" cabover) much. I haven't talked to ATC yet. It may not be a deal breaker anyhow, I'm just over-analyzing a bit as usual.




Okay guys I need more aggressive off-roading pictures to convince me that a hard-side can't get around, after finding these pictures from the White Rim Trail...

This thing is much longer, wider, taller and heavier than anything I would ever want. I bet he got some funny looks!

[brianjwilson]

Might want to ask around how well that rig holds up offroad, it my be fine but better check before you assume all campers handle it. Main reason my of us have FWC and they resale high compared to a "skamper" for instance is one isn't going to shake itself into pieces going down washboards.

There are times I wish I had a shower, room services, etc...

Any rig that is moving around you're going to have to stow the stuff so it doesn't fall all over. I don't find the aspect this is a pop up rig to alter that too heavily other than making up the bed.

I think any camper is likely going to have some issues here if the weather is that rough. Hardside would provide better insulation and condensation protection to be more efficient but I don't see it eliminating the issue.

Yes. I've sat in the back reading a book w/ the heat on while waiting for an hour long construction delay before.

Their construction is definitely something to look into. I'm trying to track down owners before considering it too much. I tend to air down and do other things when off road to soften the ride, but I definitely don't want to be worried about shaking it apart. I prefer aluminum construction much more, but I also know that a well-built wood camper can last for years and take some abuse.

And I agree that any camper is going to have moisture and condensation issues. However I am not one to worry about the weather, but I don't want to find pools of water when I raise the top or when I wake up in the morning.

That is good to hear that you can sit up in the camper with the top down. It doesn't have to be extremely comfortable, just doable.

[DirtyDog]

Okay guys I need more aggressive off-roading pictures to convince me that a hard-side can't get around, after finding these pictures from the White Rim Trail...

Two things to consider:

1. A lot of the photos posted here depict off-road conditions rougher than they appear in a photo.

2. Regarding that big camper on White Rim - sure you can take just about anything anywhere but you are increasing the chances that you have some kind of serious incident and you are likely going to cause serious damage over time to the camper. Not to mention there is the part about how enjoyable the drive is. The drive is half the fun of these trips for me and I wouldn't want to be hauling a huge hard-sided truck camper in off road, off camber situations etc.

There's an old hippy school bus at Usal beach. That doesn't mean I want to drive a bus off road

[brianjwilson]

Two things to consider:

1. A lot of the photos posted here depict off-road conditions rougher than they appear in a photo.

2. Regarding that big camper on White Rim - sure you can take just about anything anywhere but you are increasing the chances that you have some kind of serious incident and you are likely going to cause serious damage over time to the camper. Not to mention there is the part about how enjoyable the drive is. The drive is half the fun of these trips for me and I wouldn't want to be hauling a huge hard-sided truck camper in off road, off camber situations etc.

There's an old hippy school bus at Usal beach. That doesn't mean I want to drive a bus off road

I wouldn't want to take a hard side on that trail either, I just found it amusing.

I am generally more exciting about the journey rather than the destination as well, definitely another point towards a pop-up.

[SunMan]

This shot sure looks familiar...didn't think hugging the outside would allow a camper that big through, i'm sure the "oh $hit meter" was pegged going through there.

Ditto on what DD says about pics not truly portraying certian pics...they never seem to do them justice.

[RJones]

The pucker factor had to be intense on that trail with that rig!

[brianjwilson]

The pucker factor had to be intense on that trail with that rig!

I bet it was! I thought you guys might find those pictures amusing though, I know I did.


And believe me, I know what you guys are saying about pictures not doing justice. I have a hundreds of pictures from different off-roading trips that never look the same on the computer as I remember them.