Alaskan Camper Build Up

[Carlyle]

Hi folks,

I'm a refugee from the Expedition Camper forum who has been forcibly transferred over to this forum...Just joking!

I had a thread going on over there that was about the build up of my new camper. I will bring over pertinent parts of the thread to bring you up to date and look forward to your opinions and help:

Well here we go again... Our old slide in camper is trashing another vacation. We were on our way to the Oregon coast for two weeks of fishing and relaxation when our camper decided to shed a portion of its roof. Apparently after 3.5 years it is full of rot despite meticulous maintenance.

After much deliberation and talk to Bryan at Alaskan Campers we mailed a check off yesterday to secure a build time to start late October on a custom ten foot camper. We were planning on waiting one or two more years when we would have purchased an F550 to match, but I need my camper for work as well as play.

We are going to drop the pick up bed off our F350 and bolt it directly to a flat bed that we've not decided on yet other than length and width.

It's not a Hackney rig, but we have neither that time, expertise or money to invest in a camper of that magnitude at this time.


With that base we are going to add the following to start with:

Ten foot full-sided camper suitable for a flat bed truck. Standard flat beds are 82” wide with the camper being 82.5” wide.
Over cab queen size bed with extra insulation under the bed.
Rubber rub rail around outside of camper.
Standard 27 gallon fresh water, unless you can do a little larger with mechanical level indicator. Access hatch in top for cleaning would be nice.
Use Thetford cassette with handle for grey water. Shut off valve above cassette with hose attachment for dumping in sewer or boonies.
Extra Cassette with handle and wheels built into side storage with outside access.
We like the Thetford C-250 CWE model can you install it instead of your current model.
Standard propane furnace and catalytic heater plumbed and ready to hang. Please include and I’ll just attach when it arrives with camper to keep you legal.
Three way 5 cubic foot Dometic fridge with extra 12 volt fan for cooling. Must stay shut when bouncing around.
All double pane windows, including the over cab and cab pass through slide window.
12 volt/24 volt ac such as the DC Airco 8500 split unit: http://www.sunpowertech.com/commercial.htm or http://www.sunpowertech.com/commercial.htm
Electronic thermostat, Atwood or Dometic that controls both furnace and ac.
Two or three ICP solar fans in roof, one over stove and another in toilet area. http://www.solarcharger.com/s.nl/it....2&category=114
Built in 1500 to 2000 watt inverter to run microwave etc.
Battery status monitor such as: Sunsei Charge Controller CC-20000D for later solar add on.
Darkening blinds on windows such as: http://www.vehiclespecialty.com/pleated.html
Sirius antenna mounted to roof, I’ll send the antenna along.
Single large stainless kitchen sink with sprayer for faucet.
Propane hot water tank
Dometic CC05 Ceramic cook top stove with oven under. Built in low wattage microwave under oven if possible.
Three 110 and 12 volt receptacles inside and one of each outside. Additional outlet for future solar install.
36” chairs/couch facing each other in your front dinette model.
Spot to mount flat LCD TV facing one couch. Current LCD is 27” wide on articulated arm mount.
Reinforcement to attach our Carefree of Colorado Awning.
Camper outside corner reinforcement and plates to mount jacks if we decide to later.
Insulated inside battery compartment for four 6 volt gel cells. Warm batteries work better.
Outside hot/cold shower with marine quality fittings, our current one on the Hallmark is cheap and leaks.
Cabinets for cookware that hold plates and cutlery in place on rough roads. Smooth handles on all cabinetry.
High wattage back up lights on rear of camper.
Space to mount our car stereo style DVD player and Sirius player with 12 volt access near dinette.
Muffled or quiet water pump.
Propane and CO detectors running off 9 volt batteries if possible

[Carlyle]

Haven, who is on this forum found this beauty:


I have this flatbed coming from the US dealer at an awesome price and should be here next week. The bed is sans the side rails and headache rack.

Thanks Haven!

[Carlyle]

Charlie, another member of this forum advised the following:

If you are planning long trips, especially out of the country, I'd consider diesel powered heat/hot water, leaving propane for just the stove.

My response:

Thanks for the diesel advice, but after pondering and reading and many articles and peoples' discussions on the forums I decided to go with propane.

1. Sounds like propane is available down south even if you have to use a small local tank. widely available in Canada and the US. In addition, less used in warmer climates

2. Water heater and stove will be propane, with a forced air propane furnace and catalytic heater.

3. Diesel heat is expensive and not set up easily.

Hopefully this is not a mistake...

[Carlyle]

Fisher29er, not on this forum advised me to go 12 volt on the fridge and have gone with a Novacool 5.7 liter fridge/freezer with the Danfoss compressor:



This is being mounted by Alaskan with extra insulation around the whole thing for greater efficiency.

[Carlyle]

Why are we switching campers, here is the response I posted on Expedition Campers:

After touring the Alaskan factory last year and viewing the Alaskan campers compared to the Hallmark I would have to say that there is a significant difference in the quality and workmanship that goes into each. The old camper is simply not holding up the way I expected it would. I have had major problems with the lift system from day one and believe that it is simply not doing a good job. I have a longer Hallmark and the rear of the camper needs to be supported by 2x2's in the inside rear corners to keep it from drooping when in the up position. The rear of the camper goes up slower than the front and the edging of the roof seems to catch and that is probably the reason the water got into the roof. Every time the roof goes up and down it bends the front edging and eventually broke the plastic corners, twice now in fact. In addition the side fabric has been ripped in several places by the twisting as it goes up and down. The lift bars on my camper have been replaced twice now and I'm sure it is just a matter of time before they fail again. We had Yakima tracks put on at the factory so that we could put our tandem cycle and ocean kayak on top with Hallmark fully knowing and supporting this. The additional weight caused catastrophic problems and I feel we are now paying the price.

I have considered replacing the roof at $4k, but hesitate to put any more money in this camper as it does not meet our needs.

[Carlyle]

Extras just sent to Alaskan to fit on during the build:

Satellite Radio Antenna


Wifi Antenna


I'm having Alaskan build three of these solar fans into the roof:


AC is a must in hot climates, but I want it off the roof and low consumption that can run off the batteries when driving down the road. Recent anti-idling laws for semi trucks has expanded the AC market. We really like this unit from DC Airco that mounts on the rear of the camper:

[hallmarkrv]

There are times when a customer uses a product so hard and is treated so well by a company that a reponse to a thread like this is a must. If we had wronged Carl and or built an inferior product we would hide our heads in the sand, take our lumps, and go on.

NO WAY

I ask my self why Carl's new camper is not being abused like the old one. Where's the sea Kayak mount on the roof, the roof mounted AC, the 25" inch roof mounted TV, roof mounted bike, roof mountd rack, and more? Lesson learned?, listen to MFG.

This is very sad and we are sorry to lose Carl as a customer, BUT:

At some point when is the consumer responsible for their actions. Carl used his camper hard and exceeded our advise, advertising, and just plain good judgment on how he used his campers roof.

Lets start a list of what Carl put on his roof.
Our rubber roof, which is what Carl had, can hold 1000lbs. evenly distributed in the up or down position, but can only lift 400lbs. due to the welds in the lift bars.

1. Dometic roof top AC
2. 25" Inch TV and steel mounting plate drilled through the roof. (Causing structural fatigue and leak point.)
3. Full rack system with basket using Yakima / Thule track. New Carbon roof designed for track system, rubber roof designed for utility rack system. More holes through roof due to rack system casing leak points and fatigue.
4. One sea kayak custom rack mounts
5. One tandem recumbent bike with custom mount
6. Customers ax and shovel
7. Customers belongings in basket rack

"Meticulous Maintenance"
Roof was abused and customer was advised, we took care of him VERY WELL. Our service manager even took Carl to lunch.
I use this comparison. An off roader uses his jeep axles to there limits. At some point the axles break and a new axle is required. Carl's abuse of his roof finally caught up with him and he was advised that he needed a new roof. Carl decide not to heed our warnings and his result is visible.

Our answer for the hard core abusers of the of the world. A new one piece Carbon Fiber Roof. Bring ON the abuse. We will put our pop-ups up against anything built today and we will guaranteed come out on top with design, service, and performance.

Carl's camper received a new rubber roof and the new owners are enjoying and very excited to have this great hallmark camper and the other 8,000 hallmark camper owners are very happy as well.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Thanks,
Matt Ward
hallmark mfg.

[capterik]

Originally Posted by hallmarkrv

There are times when a customer uses a product so hard and is treated so well by a company that a reponse to a thread like this is a must. If we had wronged Carl and or built an inferior product we would hide our heads in the sand, take our lumps, and go on.

NO WAY

I ask my self why Carl's new camper is not being abused like the old one. Where's the sea Kayak mount on the roof, the roof mounted AC, the 25" inch roof mounted TV, roof mounted bike, roof mountd rack, and more? Lesson learned?, listen to MFG.

This is very sad and we are sorry to lose Carl as a customer, BUT:

At some point when is the consumer responsible for their actions. Carl used his camper hard and exceeded our advise, advertising, and just plain good judgment on how he used his campers roof.

Lets start a list of what Carl put on his roof.
Our rubber roof, which is what Carl had, can hold 1000lbs. evenly distributed in the up or down position, but can only lift 400lbs. due to the welds in the lift bars.

1. Dometic roof top AC
2. 25" Inch TV and steel mounting plate drilled through the roof. (Causing structural fatigue and leak point.)
3. Full rack system with basket using Yakima / Thule track. New Carbon roof designed for track system, rubber roof designed for utility rack system. More holes through roof due to rack system casing leak points and fatigue.
4. One sea kayak custom rack mounts
5. One tandem recumbent bike with custom mount
6. Customers ax and shovel
7. Customers belongings in basket rack

"Meticulous Maintenance"
Roof was abused and customer was advised, we took care of him VERY WELL. Our service manager even took Carl to lunch.
I use this comparison. An off roader uses his jeep axles to there limits. At some point the axles break and a new axle is required. Carl's abuse of his roof finally caught up with him and he was advised that he needed a new roof. Carl decide not to heed our warnings and his result is visible.

Our answer for the hard core abusers of the of the world. A new one piece Carbon Fiber Roof. Bring ON the abuse. We will put our pop-ups up against anything built today and we will guaranteed come out on top with design, service, and performance.

Carl's camper received a new rubber roof and the new owners are enjoying and very excited to have this great hallmark camper and the other 8,000 hallmark camper owners are very happy as well.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Thanks,
Matt Ward
hallmark mfg.

Didn't see any one ask you a question. Thanks for the advertisement years after this thread was started and for letting us know that the starter of this thread was a liar when he said that he did meticulous maintenance, but actually did the opposite. A post like yours is exactly what I use to pick a manufacturer to do business with..................NOT.

[jamo]

Wow, Hallmark RV has had their feelings hurt by a customer's opinion. Go figure. I'd have to read back through the thread again, but i think Carl was fair to your company in all of his posts, unlike yours. You have no prayer of getting my business, stop while you are behind....please.

edit: after further reading of the post, I can see where you would take offense, but I don't read it that way. His opinion just differs form yours, that would be why he went somewhere else. Either way, high jacking the thread is not the way to deal with it. Your objections are noted and as always, the people on this site will give you your due as Viking Vince does below. Spend some time on the site, it may give you ideas for more products that would fit this segment of customer.... build it and they will come.

[VikingVince]

Hallmark RV,

I really enjoyed reading your post. It's certainly understandable and admirable that you want to defend your product. But you don't have to worry about Carl's comments hurting your business. Most of us with modified rigs "abuse" them to one degree or another...most common being pushing or exceeding GVWR, or having too much weight in one spot or another, drilling holes that cause leaks, offroad terrain stress, etc (but then we upgrade suspensions, reinforce frames, etc) ...so when something fails, it's often due to our mods and not manufacturers design. Another thing...most folk on this site probably aren't in the market for a truck camper...those that are know the differences and the limitations. Thanks for posting...liked checking out your website.