Truck Campers Only, w/ an Overland & Off-roading theme

[TRAMPER]

Beach vibes….

 

[TRAMPER]

 

[TX03RUBI]

View attachment 153066

Where did y’all head to now? It seems like you’re getting a great idea of just how large Texas truly is!

 

[rwalk]

Down another 3/4" in the rear

 

[TRAMPER]

Where did y’all head to now? It seems like you’re getting a great idea of just how large Texas truly is!

We’re on Padre Island now.

 

[TRAMPER]

Down another 3/4" in the rear View attachment 153070

This is basically your truck now.

 

[TRAMPER]

All tucked in for tonight. I’ve been so thankful we opted for Air Conditioning in this Rig. Even tonight while it’s breezy and mid 70’s the humidity is oppressive, running the AC makes this as good as sleeping at home. Our friends in the Jeep have had a few rough nights, we had two triple digit temperature days on this trip.

Side note leveling in the sand by spinning your rear wheels is great lol. My wife was confused when I did it but we ended up dead level.

 

[gsea]

Has anybody here ever heard of Hotomobil? I just came across a few videos last night and I'm intrigued. A mono fiberglass body in a light weight camper is something I've been hoping for and I keep coming up empty in my search for a truck camper that fits my desires. I was (actually still am) considering a Northern Lite, but they will most likely be right at my GVWR with all gear, and that would preclude me from being able to do stuff like mount motorcycles on the front or back, or tow my car to the track with the camper filled. The Hotomobil Gladiator XL long seems like it would be a good 1000lb under my GVWR full loaded. From a Youtube video with a Hotomobil rep I watched last night, they are out of Germany and are just starting to import these campers. At this time they are direct sales with no dealer network yet with a Houston port of entry.

Hotomobil USA

Hotomobil USA - Innovation, the latest technology, and quality are the cornerstones of Hotomobil Truck Campers

hotomobil.us

Yes. There is a guy who is the sole importer to the US. There are only 2 units currently in the country, and they seem to move around along. I spoke with him for a good hour back in February, but haven't been able to align on getting to see one. It seemed to me that he's still getting settled on options and the overall ordering and import process. You can order one if you're okay being among the very first and potentially experiencing some of the challenges that sometimes come with that.

If you want feedback, you'll have to look for it in continental Europe, and so far from what I've found it is rather mixed on quality.

I'm hoping to see one for myself, because it seems like the exact perfect camper for my needs. If it they check out, it would be top of my list.

 

[gsea]

Southern boarder of NM along the TX boarder. It was HOT lol. At least for a Yankee like me lol.

We were just in that area a few days prior and it was freezing and insanely windy. Crazy the swings this time of year.

 

[gsea]

Awesome!!!!!!!!! Looks amazing.

I’ll give the opposite point at @Chris-DTA I prefer the Tremor steps. Non-mechanical/ electrical so they can’t fail plus they offer a lot of protection from brush scraping along the bottom of your vehicle or the errant door from some asshole at the mall. I can definitely see both sides but for me I like the added protection.

I second that assessment. I've personally seen it stopped a door ding more than once. Also you don't have to worry about it deploying and turning it off when in technical terrain, like flirting with high-centering on a rock. Lastly, when on said technical terrain, it's really nice to be able to open the door and stand on the running boards to see a rock or check your line down the road a bit. I find it very useful overall.

Wouldn't trade for powered steps unless it were 100% a pavement truck and even then, only if I had a lot of small children or was of an age or physical condition that I had difficulty getting in the truck otherwise. I personally don't mind lifting kids up and out every time and carry a folding step stool for times when I have to transport the elderly folks in my life.

For anecdote, my brother swapped his out for powered steps, and does really like them for the convenience reasons I mentioned and it works for his family and his use case, which is just DD truck that will like never see anything more than a gravel road. After using his a few times, it reaffirmed my opinion that the Tremor boards are definitely the way to go for my purposes.

 

[Turnem]

Yes. There is a guy who is the sole importer to the US. There are only 2 units currently in the country, and they seem to move around along. I spoke with him for a good hour back in February, but haven't been able to align on getting to see one. It seemed to me that he's still getting settled on options and the overall ordering and import process. You can order one if you're okay being among the very first and potentially experiencing some of the challenges that sometimes come with that.

If you want feedback, you'll have to look for it in continental Europe, and so far from what I've found it is rather mixed on quality.

I'm hoping to see one for myself, because it seems like the exact perfect camper for my needs. If it they check out, it would be top of my list.

After now owning a NL 8-11 for 3 years and seeing of all the potential problems that some NL owners have and that I may have some day, I’d be hesitant to buy this unit you are considering. Warranty, resale would be two main ones. My dry weight is only 1000lbs more at 2750lbs. My F-350 tremor carries this NL camper fully loaded even with a dirt bike on the back with no issues. I’ve added upper and lower Stableloads and that’s it. Yes, I’m over gross vehicle weight but so what. These trucks easily are underrated for what they are capable of.

 

[gsea]

After now owning a NL 8-11 for 3 years and seeing of all the potential problems that some NL owners have and that I may have some day, I’d be hesitant to buy this unit you are considering. Warranty, resale would be two main ones. My dry weight is only 1000lbs more at 2750lbs. My F-350 tremor carries this NL camper fully loaded even with a dirt bike on the back with no issues. I’ve added upper and lower Stableloads and that’s it. Yes, I’m over gross vehicle weight but so what. These trucks easily are underrated for what they are capable of.

Not really a weight thing (the whole reason I stepped up to an F350 from a series of F150s) for some of us. The reason that majority of mainstream camper options don't appeal to me in particular are:

1) Footprint. There are very few truck campers w/ shower in a 6.5' configuration. Many people don't want something like a NL8-11 which would hang over 2 feet past the end of the truck. I want to be able to keep my tailgate on and closed, ideally, so that the footprint of the truck is no bigger than it already is. Fits in normal parking spots, same approach angles for trails, and makes it easy to tow without further alterations or extensions. Additionally, being more streamlined in external dimensions -- not being overly wide so as to create more issues down narrow forest roads, and tying down to bed anchors (as opposed to obnoxious external tie-down systems that grab every branch on the trail). Lastly, I like to be able to drop my camper off and then use the truck as normal to hit trails or just to get around a destination where I'm staying for a while, without having to pack up camp just to run to the grocery store for some ice.

2) Maintenance. I hate all my traditionally-constructed travel trailers as it feels like a constant, non-stop chore of never-ending resealing and leak-management, and falling trim, failing buytle tape... and it gets worse, fast, when you leave the pavement. Seamless fiberglass is a huge appeal in this regard, despite having some of it's own issues as you alluded to.

3) Design and component choice. The majority of the mainstream truck campers use the exact same interior design elements and system components as they did 20 years ago. NL in particular was in the category until very recently, IMO, and Bigfoot still is (as the only two major fiberglass offerings out there). There's not much innovation in the traditional RV camper segment in this regard, so the European style and componentry is a breath of fresh air for some of us (NuCamp is one of the few US manufacturers incorporating these elements like Alde radiant systems and radius cabinetry).


Of course, most of this doesn't apply the overland-oriented campers, which are a different category altogether.

I do certainly agree on the resale value. NorthernLite and Bigfoot, as examples, hold their value remarkably well. You'd have to be sure you really like the Hotomovil and won't be needing to sell it anytime soon, as you're unlikely to get your value back out of it.

 

[Turnem]

Not really a weight thing (the whole reason I stepped up to an F350 from a series of F150s) for some of us. The reason that majority of mainstream camper options don't appeal to me in particular are:

1) Footprint. There are very few truck campers w/ shower in a 6.5' configuration. Many people don't want something like a NL8-11 which would hang over 2 feet past the end of the truck. I want to be able to keep my tailgate on and closed, ideally, so that the footprint of the truck is no bigger than it already is. Fits in normal parking spots, same approach angles for trails, and makes it easy to tow without further alterations or extensions. Additionally, being more streamlined in external dimensions -- not being overly wide so as to create more issues down narrow forest roads, and tying down to bed anchors (as opposed to obnoxious external tie-down systems that grab every branch on the trail). Lastly, I like to be able to drop my camper off and then use the truck as normal to hit trails or just to get around a destination where I'm staying for a while, without having to pack up camp just to run to the grocery store for some ice.

2) Maintenance. I hate all my traditionally-constructed travel trailers as it feels like a constant, non-stop chore of never-ending resealing and leak-management, and falling trim, failing buytle tape... and it gets worse, fast, when you leave the pavement. Seamless fiberglass is a huge appeal in this regard, despite having some of it's own issues as you alluded to.

3) Design and component choice. The majority of the mainstream truck campers use the exact same interior design elements and system components as they did 20 years ago. NL in particular was in the category until very recently, IMO, and Bigfoot still is (as the only two major fiberglass offerings out there). There's not much innovation in the traditional RV camper segment in this regard, so the European style and componentry is a breath of fresh air for some of us (NuCamp is one of the few US manufacturers incorporating these elements like Alde radiant systems and radius cabinetry).


Of course, most of this doesn't apply the overland-oriented campers, which are a different category altogether.

I do certainly agree on the resale value. NorthernLite and Bigfoot, as examples, hold their value remarkably well. You'd have to be sure you really like the Hotomovil and won't be needing to sell it anytime soon, as you're unlikely to get your value back out of it.

Wow! You’ve made some very compelling points about things I don’t like about the NL. I seriously considered the Supertramp pop up camper but since I use mine primarily in the winter months as my base ski pad I didn’t want canvas sides with plastic windows. It appears you may have come across something I would consider giving up my NL for. I’ll do more research on this camper. Remember although it may be seamless there are still protrusions in the shell that can create problems. It would be helpful to see one in person if any are in the US.

 

[toximus]

View attachment 153114
All tucked in for tonight. I’ve been so thankful we opted for Air Conditioning in this Rig. Even tonight while it’s breezy and mid 70’s the humidity is oppressive, running the AC makes this as good as sleeping at home. Our friends in the Jeep have had a few rough nights, we had two triple digit temperature days on this trip.

Side note leveling in the sand by spinning your rear wheels is great lol. My wife was confused when I did it but we ended up dead level.

How much battery life are you getting on the AC? I still haven't used mine.

 

[TRAMPER]

How much battery life are you getting on the AC? I still haven't used mine.

This is the last 3 weeks I’ve been on the road, until tonight I haven’t been plugged into a campground so mostly the batteries are back to 100% by the end of the day but the last almost week hasn’t quite caught up because we weren’t moving as much and Big Bend was HOT so we used the AC a lot. If you’re asking how long I can run the AC so far the answer is as long as I need too. Haven’t run out or really gotten too close yet. The biggest miss for the Supertramp is 10000% charging. This system NEEDS more solar, a larger MPPT controller and WAY more DC/DC charging. I plan on doubling the solar and a little more than tripling the DC charging. Then I’ll never even have to consider it again. FWIW we have been running Starlink 24/7 and that is a pretty large draw. We basically haven’t turned it off for weeks.

 

[toximus]

View attachment 153196
This is the last 3 weeks I’ve been on the road, until tonight I haven’t been plugged into a campground so mostly the batteries are back to 100% by the end of the day but the last almost week hasn’t quite caught up because we weren’t moving as much and Big Bend was HOT so we used the AC a lot. If you’re asking how long I can run the AC so far the answer is as long as I need too. Haven’t run out or really gotten too close yet. The biggest miss for the Supertramp is 10000% charging. This system NEEDS more solar, a larger MPPT controller and WAY more DC/DC charging. I plan on doubling the solar and a little more than tripling the DC charging. Then I’ll never even have to consider it again. FWIW we have been running Starlink 24/7 and that is a pretty large draw. We basically haven’t turned it off for weeks.

What capacity?

 

[TRAMPER]

What capacity?

I have 400 Ah of battleborn LiFePo’s… and the 12V Dometic RTX2000 Air conditioner.

 

[Chris-DTA]

The Hotomobil definitely have potential. I looked at those early on, but at that time it was up in the air how to get one into the US and a few other things. Main issues for me were power and solar. I think if they would stretch the longer model to a full 8 ft. and provide a little more internal storage and upgrade the Diesel tank for the heating and show that they are upgradeable for more power and solar, that they would be able to take a big chunk out of the market. If they would go flatbed, definitely a winner compared to FWC.

I liked this walk-through:

 

[Chris-DTA]

I have 400 Ah of battleborn LiFePo’s… and the 12V Dometic RTX2000 Air conditioner.

Now that you used it a few times - what are your thoughts about the noise? I am sure you watched my video about it.

 

[TRAMPER]

Now that you used it a few times - what are your thoughts about the noise? I am sure you watched my video about it.

I truly didn’t mind it…. But……. I’m a shift worker so I like white noise to drown out background noise. It didn’t even bother my wife that much, besides making her cold. Lol. It’s definitely not quiet…. But in comparison to trying to sleep when it’s hot or humid I’ll take it! Hahah. Of course I watched your video! I’m your biggest fan! Hahaha.