Someone in a Facebook group (RTT Camping, Overland & Gear) gave this review of the Super Pacific Switchback X1 vs. the GFC. See quote below.
“I had a v1 for 2 years. IMO the v2 doesn’t address any of the problems my wife and I had with the v1 camper other than the failing hinges.
Here are a few examples from our experience:
The mattress on the GFC is horrible. We’ve tried adding a topper, changing foam, using camping pads, and just about anything else to make it more comfortable. When you are using the camper for 2-3 weeks at a time, comfort is important. The SP uses a Exped Megamat for a mattress. It’s the top rated camping mattress for 4 or 5 years straight. It’s extremely comfortable.
In the GFC you have to remove a mattress panel to get in and out and there is no airflow between the top and bottom sections. This means you can’t run a heater below and expect the heat to rise up very efficiently. With the SP, there is 2 20 inch panels that can be left out of the rear section to allow you to get up and down / heat to rise.
The GFC has really bad condensation problems in cold weather. That’s something that can’t be fully fixed, but the addition of 4 large closeable vents in the SP allow better ventilation and less condensation. They also have build in awnings to keep the rain away from the vents.
With the GFC, there is no place to run wires for solar, or install any type of switches. the SP has channels running around the entire shell with removable access doors and places to install your gear, this makes cleaning up the wiring much easier and cleaner. They also included 8 tie down points, over 30 screw down points, molle panel attachment points, and slots for installing custom gear.
The GFC uses proprietary T-Slots, where the SP is all generic parts that can be ordered or found locally. They have slots along the top of the camper, the sides, and even under the front. The inside of the camper and tent also include slots. You can customize it to your needs easily.
The GFC poured water on you if you tried to use the doors in the rain, the SP doesn’t. There are no bars blocking door access on the SP… The list goes on.
We used our GFC for 2 years, traveling across the US and up into Canada. We had months of living experience in ours. It’s a good platform, but there was a lot of things that needed to be improved. IMO, GFC v2 still falls short, so I went with what I feel is a better option.”
How would you GFC v2 owners respond?
Is condensation still as bad in the V2? Will GFC ever add vents to help? How are you supposed to get airflow during inclement weather? He said the “Super Pacific blows away the GFC.” This review has some good talking points, but I’m still going with GFC. The GFC’s design is simple, so IMO most of his points aren’t valid as you can easily make aftermarket upgrades to have the same features and he hasn’t owned a V2. I prefer no-frills and upgrading myself. GFC now offers an upgraded inflatable mattress too. I also don’t think it’s fair to compare an older model to a new design. Another plus for the GFC V2 is the weight and price. From my extensive research over the past few weeks, the only issue with GFC that isn’t being addressed is communication. Customer service seems top notch once you reach someone.
With the Super Pacific being closest copy to the GFC in terms of design I think it would be good to get a discussion going for the people comparing them.
