For those of us on the production list and potential customers, this is one of the (very few) best detailed YT reviews so far. Thank you. The level of detail that goes into this unit can't be overlooked, SP keeps the bar high! Can't wait for liftoff of my X1!
Thanks for sharing this - I was able to visit Super pacific in person at the start of this year. It's a small operation but they took the time to show me their assembly process, climbing in and out of the panels and spoke of their design cues/attention to detail. The only knock I had was that the glass panel behind the cab is fixed - and since my Tundra can roll the rear glass down, that's something I know I would miss as I do use it a fair bit. The did have a modest price increase since January and it's completely understandable - hope they thrive!
i agree and share the same feelings about not having access from camper to cab. If SP doesn't want to offer it I think they could at least make the opening fit a standard slider that you'd get from a leer, snugtop, etc. that the user could modify. I have a tacoma and will be looking at a retrofit for my SP camper.
Yep, hate that they raised the price. It was closer to $8,500, but that’s what they chose to do. For us, it’s still worth the cost difference, for others it may not be. After 3 months of nights in the camper, the larger space, more comfortable mattress, better sealing doors, more clean wiring and mounting points are all worth it to us. If you aren’t planning on using it as much as we do, then it may not be. The other big thing not mentioned in the video is quality. Our friends with GFCs are all experiencing problems with rust, bugs, and really poor powder coating.
@@ScenicCityAdventures Holy mackerel! That's a huge price jump. Sure, at $800, it's a no brainer, but that's ridiculous. Hell, for $13K, you can buy a non running VW Westy and permanently attach a tow hitch to it. :)
Excellent video. The Super Pacific is so well designed. I have been to their shop and the owner walked me through their processes and a camper. Having the extra 10" in length, fully clearing the entire bed when moving the floor panels, ability to fit a full size mattress + room to get up and down, and finally, well thought out water proofing/gutters make it the best out there!
Thanks guys! We absolutely love it! And my wife goes camping with me more than ever now. We just spent our anniversary exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway and living out of the camper. Super strong winds and cold nights don’t matter when you are warm and comfy in the SP!
Definitely borrows a lot of ummm “inspiration” from the GFC however it looks like most everything that was a drawback on the GFC was fixed here. Kudos to Super Pacific for perfecting and making the better wedge camper between the two. I wonder how it’ll compare to the GFC V2 camper.
Definitely! To me, but the V2 is an improvement but doesn’t fix my biggest complaints like the uncomfortable mattress, the no ventilation, the shorter mattress that you have to move to get up and down, and the bars blocking the side access.
Yeah, this beats the GFC……now go check out the Alu-Cab Canopy Camper…..you get a better built product AND you can spec it out with the best awning in the business! Yeah, yeah, you could mount their awning on this too……
@@kronos880 Very true, although I know a few folks with extremely nice taco's running these and they told me it's just a matter of matching the suspension to the weight. I don't have one, so I'm speaking on what they told me and what I've seen them do with those trucks.
@@8654ZuluFoxtrot cool. I'm on my 5th toyota truck, not including land cruisers. My experience is the compact/mid size platform perform heaps better kept light. Sure you can increase GVW, and I do, but if adding a lot of weight is your jam you'd be better off in a full size rig. There's a lot to be said about off roading a lighter rig verses a weighted down, large vehicle.
I love the design features of the X1 Camper, especially the fully open sides, square channel framing to add accessories and the biggest of all the slick features on the tent like the multiple layers and those window vents are money.
Compared to the Alu-Cab Canopy Camper, which is a tried and true bullet proof and proven product, this looks like a decent attempt to compete with them. At $12k this is about the same price as the Alu-Cab. I do like the slots all around the inside of this to be able to attach those panels, that was very clever. Not sure what the roof on this one is rated for, but the Alu-Cab you can actually walk on the roof, load up a bunch of gear on top and STILL lift the tent canopy up! I dunno man, if this had come in at under $10k I’d consider it over the Alu-Cab, but not at the current price and how much better built and tested the Alu-Cabs are.
I was pretty set on a GFC V2 once they were available for new F-250s… however once these guys catch up with model availability it’s definitely a better choice (unless you’re launching your truck often).
3-4 times the wait and nearly twice the price it had better have lots of ‘features’-which it does but not sure I would wait a year unless I already had some kind of unit to use while waiting for the upgrade.
Yep, valid points. When I bought mine the wait was less than 6 months and the price was more comparable. That being said, having spent close to 6 weeks in mine I could never go back. Luckily competition in the market has pushed GFC and others to step it up.
Those fuselage channels for cable routing are a great idea. Curious if they have a solution for routing solar panel cables from the roof into the camper.
They absolutely do! Just under the overhanging portion of tent where it mounts to the camper shell are holes that are plugged from the factory but are set up to have a wire gland attached for running solar cables
Wow. This is an amazing product. I have a GFC RTT on my 4runner that I love. But if I had a tundra/Tacoma I would be buying this product forsure! Great informational video.
Love the video! New subscriber, I have the same tacoma and also in red lol. I've been using a canopy and love it. I live on the oregon coast and was thinking of getting the same topper, it's just pulling the trigger on $13k and whatever accessories afterwards. Probably close to $20k when done, but it's so nice though! 😅
Oh trust me! It hurts pulling the trigger, but everytime you use it, it’s worth it! It all depends on how much it will get used. 5 times a year, probably not worth it, but a few times a month the cost gets more tolerable.
@@ScenicCityAdventures yea I live off the nestuca River, and do alot of steelhead fishing and camping almost every weekend, truck bed camping is addictive, so yea it probably would be worth the price. Thanks for the comment.
Wow nice job with the waterport. It was such a pain when I had my LEER shell to work with. Didn't realize how easy it is to access with the X1. Will work on that this weekend.
@@ScenicCityAdventures Good idea. Takes the weight off the mounting. I dont have fancy second gen bed rail so will probably use the rivnut from the x1 side.
I seriously thought about the SP X1 but I just can't justify the price. at nearly 19k CAD I was able to buy a new GFC V2 AND an 07 27ft Cherokee holiday trailer that's renovated for 20k lol. Now I have my topper for when I go out by myself and the trailer for when I take the family. There's ALOT and I mean ALOT to like about the X1, but they've priced themselves into a corner of the market where this conversation will continue to be brought up over and over again. This just plays right into GFC's favor since their purpose was to build a somewhat affordable topper to get you out camping.. mission accomplished. I love the blue of the X1 though lol.
From watching this video, it should be fairly obvious that you get what you pay for. While you're correct from a pure pricing structure, the overall value is debatable and quality of the SP over the GFC identifies it as being a better overall choice. And cost is relative - we're also looking at the Rossmonster Lagom.
Hey this was a great review. Very thorough and touched on many points/questions I have as part of making a decision. One thing I don't recall hearing any comments on is the wind noise. I suspect that since you're coming from the GFC you might be used to any noise but just curious about your general thoughts or comments about it. I'll coming from a standard snugtop shell with prinsu rack front to back so I already have some noise.
You know I haven’t really thought about it. Like you said I spent so long with the go fast camper that I guess I’m just used to it. I occasionally hear a little bit of wind buffeting between the underside of the camper and the top of the cab. Previously I had a roof rack that was sloped in the front that definitely helped reduce the wind noise. But to be honest I hear more road noise coming from the back of the truck where I remove the rear seats than I do wind noise from the camper.
Sure! I can definitely do that. I’m editing video from our last two week trip across Wyoming, but once that’s done I’ll do a long term review on the awning and X1.
Thanks for the great detailed walkaround. I love the design of the Switchback, but living in Massachusetts, the thought of driving out to Oregon to get one installed is pretty daunting. I'm looking at a similar wedge truck camper that's made closer to home for me. I'm considering mounting an OVS 270 awning like your did on your GFC. I notice you don't seem to have it any longer. Did you sell it as a package deal with the GFC? I'm curious if you ever experienced issues with the awning.
@@ScenicCityAdventures I hope V2 of the SP gets you Project M style opening and a solution for dust entry from the tailgate. Some smart people worked on this SP!
Awesome! Never seen this camper before we were looking into a GFC but now we are really considering this one ! Does the tent have side doors to also run a ladder if wanted
Excellent made but what are your thoughts on it costing 9.5k plus tax? Would it not be a better investment to just spend 3k more to get an actual Camper like an AluCab Kaya?
It’s all about weight to me. It’s more than I’d like, I believe it’s still quite a bit less heavy than the AluCab. I built out my own interior that’s water proof and removable so I can convert it back to a truck when I need. If you aren’t concerned with weight, and don’t mind a dedicated rig then the AluCab is a great option! They make a great product.
Lol, who knows. For me the priority is comfort and ease of use which this does much better. I’ll let someone else destroy their camper while we camp for a few weeks in comfort. 😁
That’s a pretty select market… most people watching this video want a lightweight comfortable camper to enjoy traveling in.but if you want to yeet a truck off jumps, find a used 1st Gen GFC.
@@ScenicCityAdventures Geez, you're quite the jackass. I never said I wanted to drive flat out, just offering some insight. I'm sure you don't care, but this is the first, and last, video of yours I'll watch.
Nope! The Super pacific only weighs around 400 pounds. Not enough for the tundra to really notice. Now if you start adding in a lot of additional accessories and water tanks and things you may start bottoming out. Just depends on your build out.
Wheres the spare tire carrier? Any reason you didnt go with the alucab? Price? 12k wow. I would hope you get lighting a fold out awning and water storage for that price. But hey you got tie down points.
My tire is still under the truck. For me, a tire carries gets in the way when I need in the back of the truck, and adds a huge amount of weight far behind the axel. Ya, sadly it’s gone up in price since I purchased mine. It was closer to $9,000 previously. At the time the Alucab was more expensive and heavier, plus I like the side panels that open to access gear.
It probably will be soon! Reach out to them. They are prototyping a lot of different trucks. For me it was only 4 months or so, but they already had the design for my truck. Depends on if they are ready to start production on an f-150 or not.
You mention that there's a thousand things you like about this camper. I do like the build, however, I'd need about 5000 things I like more about it than a GFC. That price makes it a non-competitor. I can buy a GFC, spend a couple grand on upgrades and still have 3 grand in my pocket over buying the SPSX1.
Yeah unfortunately they’ve had to raise their price and it makes it a harder decision. Compared to the first generation GFC it would be worth the extra cost, now with the prices going up and the GFC V2 it’s a harder decision. I still think that for those that will be living in the camper for longer than weekend trips it’s worth the extra money, for those doing weekend adventures I can see them not being able to justify the cost.
@@ScenicCityAdventures I'm looking at installing a GFC on my 2019 Ranger. I'm also thinking of a CargoGlide to improve access to the the gear. I've not seen anyone that has done this. What are your thoughts?
Congratulations! The ranger is a great platform. My best friend has one and loves it. Something like a cargo glide is a great option. My father built one into his camper so he wouldn’t have to crawl in and out to access his gear. For me, I don’t mind reaching over the side to get to my gear, and I wanted to prioritize seating / storage inside for bad weather and working space. The advantage to a GFC / SP is the ability to get to your gear from the outside with the doors, but if the truck is muddy, or on a hill it can be difficult to get to the gear. In cases like that having your gear come out the back to you could be handy. Because our truck isn’t a daily driver, having built in storage is perfect. If it wasn’t, and our gear was in boxes, the. A cargo slide would be a great way to access everything we need at camp.
Awesome video! I plan to get one. Please post more videos of your great topper. They call this a 4 season topper. I notice the lower part of the topper has no insulation. Is it cold in there?
Will do! That’s correct, it’s not insulated, but I run a small diesel heater if it gets below freezing. That being said I’ve only had to do that once and we’ve camped in below freezing weather quite a few times already.
Thank you for you presentation. I came here after watching your video of the OVS 270 awning you had with the panels. Would you know or have you seen this on Older Toyota Tacomas? I have a 1998 Tacoma with very low miles. This seems like a nice options as I have been considering a shell to put on it. What is the weight if this camper shell combo? This seems to take care of 2 issues ( Cover and a place to sleep comfortably) at once with other multiple options with storage.
My pleasure! Oh ya, It looks great on first generation Tacoma’s! And the weight is around 350 pounds. We agree, this solves our sleeping and storage options in a lightweight and very customizable way.
You should have focused less on GFC in my opinion, it felt more like a car salesman's pitch than a product review. Super Pacific in my opinion takes it up a notch, and you get what you pay for. Now the lead times of 1 year vs. 20 weeks is a little depressing but I was sold on SP... from the start.
Does the roof let in a lot of light? It says it is translucent on the website. If you happen to park near a street lamp the roof would be glowing inside. Also how tough is the roof for mounting a solar panel?
There is definitely some light that comes through the roof, but in the three years of the GFC and the few month with the SP the light coming through has never caused me problems. That being said, you can easily cover it in a Vinyl if you want it blacked out. People have used VHB to mount flexible solar panels, but if you want to mount hard panels you’ll want to use the t-nuts in the sides of the roof. Last time I used 80/20 extruded aluminum to create a roof rack. Then you can mount the solar between those. If the solar is below / between the roof rack you can still toss a kayak over it without messing up the solar panels. For this one, I won’t be mounting a solar panel. I park in the shade too much while camping, and my GoalZero charges off the alternator while driving. We have a portal solar panel now that I can use with a 30ft extension.
Nice set up! Can you do a review or comment on how the truck performs fully loaded, on the trails, and highways? Do you think a tacoma (mid size) has enough power, payload capacity, braking, off road articulation, etc for this camper fully loaded? Thank you! I prefer a mid size and am deciding if its the right choice.
That's a great idea. I've had this truck now for a few years and through many different iterations from hammock camping to a Tepui RTT, GFC, and now this. I’ve put 100k miles on it in the last few years with multiple cross country trips. And in short I haven’t found anything I like better. Even loaded down to full expedition weight, around 6k pounds, this truck handles like a dream with the right modifications. For a long time the Bilstein 6100s and 5160s shocks were enough, but as we took on more advanced trails I decided it was time to upgrade to a fully adjustable Dobinson’s suspension. It’s been really enjoyable to dial it in for different terrain, but not necessary. For just my wife and I we find there is just enough room for a 2+ week trip. If our trips were longer, or we had to bring more people a midsized truck wouldn’t work. On the other hand, we take on much smaller and more technical trails than most full size trucks. Both my father and grandfather have f250s we go camping with, and I have to choose the trails more carefully. My only complaint, is fuel capacity. We only get around 220 miles between tanks, and the cost of upgrading is too much to justify the extra 10 gallons when we can just bring a couple of jerry cans. I'll see if I can do a video answering more of your questions soon.
Thanks for a great and detailed review. Been researching wedge campers for months now (2020 Tacoma). But I cannot get an answer to one question: how far above the roof is the highest point of the camper? Trying to figure out if it fits in my garage or not. It looks like you have a 2nd Gen tacoma BTW
There is a great thread on TacomaWorld that might be able to help. It will be a little different for my 2nd Gen, so not sure I can help, but there are a few 3rd gens in their that should be able to get you an answer.
Thanks, I’m 5.11, my buddy who went on the trip with me is 6ft. Both of us slept great in it. Ya, I’ll add a roof fan this summer, and we haven’t found the need for additional insulation on our trips with either the GFC or SP, but it’s always something you can add as well.
Thanks for the good vid and impressions. I'd like to know more about installing and mounting the switch pro. Love my SP and been thinking about adding a Switch Pro in the camper. What gauge wire did you run from the battery? Does the switch pro easily mount in one of the wire covers or?... thanks
Great question. My switch pro switches are mounted in the sun glass holder, in the main unit is mounted under the hood. If I need to do anything I just use the Bluetooth. I’ve heard that it fits easily in one of the wire covers but I have no experience with it.
@@ScenicCityAdventures ok… I’ve seen a walk through and someone has it mounted in one of the panels across from the usb 12 volt receptacle.. not yours? Any way. I have limited mounting options up front with 2021 taco without adding a mounting bracket (sdhq?) below other switches. I also don’t have sunglass holder with the off road crawl control knobs etc. I think mounting in bed could be cool. I’ll figure it out. Anyway cool vids and keep ‘em coming!
When loaded out with similar options it’s Bout 1k more expensive. And yes the style campers are not cheap. But people spend $3000 on a camper shell, another three to $4000 on a rooftop tent, and then add the bed rack and you’re getting close to the same price. And if you start looking into off-road trailers there are some that are $40,000. So it’s all about perspective.
Great question, typically if we are in a buggy environment I won’t remove the floor panels until we are ready for bed. But the long-term game plan is to put screens that are removable on both side doors, in the removable screen over the back door that is magnetic we split in the middle for us to come in and out.
Thanks! Primarily for privacy. I didn’t have the window in the GFC, and I didn’t feel I’d need it in this one. I don’t want people looking into the camper to see me, or my gear. But, I have second guessed my decision a few times. Having the large window looking from the cab into the back is pretty nice. I’ve had a few times where I’ve opened the rear door just to use my rear view mirror when backing into a tight spot. My plan is to replace my rear view mirror with a digital one that uses a camera. They are only $120, and have really good quality. I’ll make a video on that when I do it.
@@ScenicCityAdventures I ordered the rear window option and literally can't see out of it while driving... even at night car headlights are hard to see, and i think it actually weakens the panel a touch. but that said i like the ability to camp in the bed, low profile style, and have a little sense of what's going on outside (is the sun up?). There are certain times where deploying the camper just gives away that I'm sleeping maybe where its not really allowed or i don't want to draw attention.
@@ScenicCityAdventures My plan is to put up a water wall like the one in the alucab since I have an integrated backup camera. If you're looking to go greyman for a night or more, a simple windup clock w/alarm will tell you when It's morning. I am also convinced that a solid structure is more dependable. No leaks, no breaking, no cracks. Just another wall to hang stuff on. In the end what serves your particular needs is all that matters right? Safe and happy camping to you all, and if you have to meet any people out there may they be the best of us!
How is dust intrusion? Also, can you have an electronic system added? Was that water tank a Super Pacific item for purchase? If so, can it heat up water…and if so, by what means? Can you route that water to an outside shower? Looks awesome! Thanks for the video…I just subscribed!
Thanks so much! The dust intrusion is pretty minimal on the camper its self. The truck has a few areas that could be better around the tailgate. I've fixed most of those with foam over the last year. I've never had any dust in the sleeping area, even after thousands of miles of trail use. The water tank is by a company called WaterPort. I've had it a few years and LOVE it. It's on a long hose, and we hook it on the door of the camper for a shower. You might be able to add an inline propane hot water heater, but it's not ideal. I've since changed the camper a lot and added a 16 gallon water tank and propane instant hot water heater. I'll do an updated video soon.
As for electric I use a goal zero battery to run all of my lights and charge batteries. My previous camper I had a solar panel mounted to the roof. This time I decided not to as I often camp in the shade. Now I have a solar panel I can unfold and carry up to 40 feet away from my camper.
Absolutely! I leave a full set of sheets, a down comforter, and an opened up sleeping bag. I do quickly roll the mattress to get the air out to make it easier.
They are both great options. For me, the SP was lighter weight and cheaper with all the features I wanted vs paying for each additional option on the Vagabond. Also, the wait time is less.
Having a vagabond outdoors drifter on my dcsb tacoma, the sp looks very comparable and a great option. I love my drifter but can’t argue with the price or lead time of the sp. Can’t wait to see one in person. As far as ventilation, are you able to add a fan to the roof? It helps with temps a lot. Also, are you able to store bedding and pillows on the bed when closed?
The driver is a great option as well. I’ve seen them in person. They are fantastic. You can absolutely add a fan to the roof just like you can in the drifter. and yes I’m able to leave bedding, and pillows while I close the camper. All you have to do is open the valve to allow the mattress to deflate.
Can the wiring be completed at installation? I’m not “talented” as you and your dad are. I’d like two lithium batteries, wiring and a dometic style fridge freezer. We have a two burner stove, jet boils.would need the water container too.
Install is free if you pick it up at the shop in Portland. They aren’t cheap, but people spend 4 times the cost of this on off road trailers, or nearly equal amounts on a camper shell and expensive tent.
Tell nate to stop shaking the camera and buy my gfc from me so I can move on to the next thing.lol Super looks like a huge upgrades. I'm still debating on what to do next...
I’ve got a friend who Loves her drifter. I think the SP is lighter, and I prefer the side opening doors of the SP. I think the drifter is a great platform for long term travel. It’s got insulation, a fan and some other options. But it’s pricey and heavier than the SP. Check out the BadAssBrunette on IG and RU-vid to see hers.
They were to us. Heck the difference in mattress are worth a lot, the ability to get up and down without messing with the mattress, the ability to run wires, and the endless customization. But, we live in ours for 2 to 3 weeks at a time. So the little difference add up when you are in it for weeks at a time.
If you build a similarly equipped GFC V‐2 (powdercoat color, tent windows, mattress, rear canopy window, install) the price difference is only about $1500. The Super Pacific base model includes all the features that the GFC has as (additional cost) options.
