The Oregon Camper

[kcowyo]

Passing along info and links -


The Oregon Camper<---link
"Combining the benefits of both styles: the size and comfort of a conventional model, with the lighter weight and lower profile of a pop-up. The best of both worlds - hard sided construction with an expandable roof.

We present to you the Oregon Camper. A unique blend of new technology, advanced materials, superior workmanship, and creative engineering. A smart solution to the inherent problems of soft sided truck campers with the distinct advantages of improved aerodynamics, lower center of gravity, and lighter weight, of the conventional models."





Advantages of the Revolutionary Oregon Camper
-Hard Sided and Expandable
-Aluminum Framed
-Low Center of Gravity
-Axle Forward Weight Distribution
-Aerodynamic Profile
-Remote Controlled Electric Lift System
-Fiberglass Exterior
-Solid Core Insulation
-Vacuum Bonded Construction

Dry Weight:
short bed - 1730lbs
long bed - 1900lbs

[ridefruita]

I love it. Wish that they put the prices on the web site. Any idea of cost?

[kcowyo]

No idea on the cost. I looked at some dealers that carry Chalet RV's but no price was listed for their slide-in. I'm not even sure if they are available yet.

I found a real good article with the history of the concept and several build photos - The Oregon Camper

[Ursidae69]

That thing is slick.

[VikingVince]

I spent quite a while in this camper at the annual Pomona RV show last fall. I can't believe I don't quite recall the price...around $20K I think. I was impressed with the design and operation of the lift mechanism and folding walls. It looked like it sealed well and would be leak proof. I talked to Mike a long time and he "guaranteed" it against leaks. The interior in general is okay...not much storage. however, there were a few issues...the wiring was exposed inside the back of the cabinets and the door to the closet/toilet (however you use it) could not be opened completely. But overall, it's a nice option on the market...gives you the low profile, low COG, and the added protection of hard sides.

[haven]

One interesting feature of the Oregon Camper is the use of the electric jacks to raise and lower the pop-up roof. All other slide-in campers use the jacks just to raise the camper high enough to lift it on and off the truck.

The Truck Camper Magazine article contains this text:

"One of the more difficult challenges was getting the electric jacks to operate evenly. The jacks would often raise or lower at different rates and bind the system. To fix this problem, Mike and Randy ordered electric jacks a dozen at a time and carefully matched them according to their rate of raising and lowering. This worked better, but didn’t completely fix the problem.

Then they found a German manufacturer who was making an articulating carriage for the boating industry. Once installed on the Oregon Camper, the articulating carriage floats on the camper’s guide rail. Now the jacks don’t need to raise and lower exactly at the same rate to keep the roof level to the camper body."

This sounds like a great solution to a problem that all pop-up roof systems have. Raising and lowering a pop-up can be a problem when you're parked on uneven ground, too.

The front panel of the pop-up is raised automatically when the roof is raised. The two side walls have to be manually raised from inside the camper after the roof is up. This could lead to rain and/or dust blowing into the camper during the setup process.

Dimensions of the Oregon Camper are:
Overall roof length: 154"
Floor length: 102"
Body width: 86"
Travel height: 58"
Interior headroom: 84"
Cab-over headroom: 34"
Dry weight: 1730 lbs short bed, 1900 lbs long bed model

The interior height is very generous. The height in the cab-over is enough to sit up in bed. This is most welcome. Some cab-overs make me feel like I'm sliding into a mail slot to go to bed!

Chip Haven

[haven]

The Oregon Camper web site now has specifications, floor plans, and description of the standard and optional equipment.

http://www.oregoncamper.com/

The dry weight of the camper is 1900 lbs, so this hard sided pop-up camper would be best suited for a heavy-duty pickup.

Mike Duncan is the national sales manager for Oregon Camper. Mike can be reached by phone at 541-791-4610 and by email at sales@chaletrv.com

Chip Haven

[Steve_in_29]

I spent some time looking at one of these at an RV Dealer in CO and here are some things I noticed.

There is very limited storage.

The fridge can NOT be run while the top is down due to the lowered upper wall blocking the vents.

If you have the top down when you take it off your truck, there is no easy way to simply raise the roof to prep the camper for a trip. You would have to raise the camper up to put some type of support under it first. You also can't use it off the truck at a camp site unless again some other support is provided under it so that the jacks can raise the roof. Maybe not a deal breaker but definitely something that needs to be worked around.

Bathroom is just a closet with a cassette toilet added and was a very tight fit. No indoor shower capability at all.

Due to the overlaping walls the camper is heavier then a comparably sized/equipped softwall pop-up and is even heavier then some hardwall campers in its size range.

The camper had a closed-in feel to it and felt smaller then it was. The multitude of windows in most softall pop-ups gives a much more open/airy feel.

I don't recall the exact price off the top of my head but its cost was more then a Northstar with a wetbath and close to a basic Outfitter Apex. Either of which provided much more amenities for the money in a similarly sized package.

If they have one at the upcoming Pomona RV Show in Oct, I will take another look to see if they have changed anything.

[chnlisle]

And then there's that extra thousand pounds to deal with.

[Code Monkey]

This camper isn't made/sold anymore?

Was it ever sold?

Neither of the websites have any info on this. The Chalet site has nothing, and the 'oregon camper' site isn't up anymore.