Super Pacific X1 vs. GFC V2 discussion

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.

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Loving the competition in this market space! No matter who is currently making the “best” camper right now, the real winner is the consumers.

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GFC is still quite a bit less expensive. And lighter. I think I was reading on another form that the SPs were coming in around 400lbs.

I still think GFC has their place, just don’t expect it to be a full blown camper with all the comforts and features as some of the other options, but then again, that was never GFCs MO.

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Sometimes it’s advantageous to be second. It seems that SP was paying attention. That’s fine. Solving problems. I doubt the SP is perfect. I really like my GFC V1.75. It’s light and everything this simpleton needs. I’m not interested in solar systems, heaters, awnings, switches, showers, nor hanging gear from every nook and cranny, so maybe I’m an ideal GFC owner. So far, it’s been great. I look forward to lots of fishing, surfing, and mountain biking trips with my GFC.

Peace.

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We’re all still camping right?

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At 7K plus I think it’s called glamping haha

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I was on the fence between the two and here are my thoughts.

  1. Price. Spending $10000 on a glorified truck canopy is hard to swallow. You’re getting into 4wheel camper / truck camper territory. Well used at least. $2500 less is a fair amount. That is my entire power and lighting setup with a Dometic Cooler.

  2. Weight. The main reason why I wanted a camper of this style was the low weight. GFC V2 is even lighter. Not to mention I have a 1 ton so I don’t understand how you Tacoma’s do it.

  3. Ventilation. It’s no coincidence every RV has power roof vents. It’s the only way to solve the condensation problem. Plan on installing one of you do any colder weather camping. This combined with a diesel heater and its game on.

  4. Mounting tracks/ T nuts. The aftermarket has this covered. Buy some from GZila and be done with it. Not a show stopper. The GFC has ample ways to mount anything you desire.

  5. Wire tracks. This is a nice touch for SP. I have not seen a V2 but I’m sure you could add some conduit or track to clean the wires up nicely. Remember it’s the box of your truck. Lots of options to hide wires

  6. Truck sizes. I may be mistaken but the SP bed width does not change between mid and full size trucks? I am a GFCXL so it is nice to have the extra width up top.

  7. Availability. SP was unable to commit to my truck model. So it left me with one choice - GFC.

My opinion is save the money and use it to install a roof vent fan and buy a different mattress. Most importantly is use what you got to get out and enjoy.

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Amen, brother. I agree 100%.

Peace.

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After checking out super pacific in person their fit and quality are miles above my gfc v1 and the v2’s from what I’ve seen (just being honest). Opening and closing the SP doors is a magical experience comparatively along with their tent rear latches, lol.
I’m happy enough with my gfc, but SP would be my first choice now if I was to do it over again.

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There’s always going to be something better …6 million dollar man…blah blah blah

Buy what suits your needs. I own a GFC, I like my GFC. I looked at other platforms, and ultimately decided to go with a lean camper that I could still use as a truck all week. I waited a year to pull the trigger and then another 15 months to pick it up. I also had plenty of time to be concerned about the expenditure I was going to make but still went with the GFC even knowing there were possible issues. My panels failed - sucks, but they did. GFC drove to me and fixed them. I could’ve complained on here or any other forum but I didn’t because they made a commitment to fix it long before mine even failed.

There are a million neat and creative ways build your truck out if you want to - at that point one should be looking at the economy of the purchase. If you want comfort - buy something that is intended to be comfortable, if you want all the bells and whistles, buy something that is built to install the bells and whistles, or even better - buy something with the bells and whistles. This platform is intended to be a tent on a camper. An expensive one, but that’s what it is. It’s still less expensive than the other options.

V1, V2, V3 - whatever. I don’t know many people that can afford to swap these things out every year like a phone so again, buy what suits your end goal.

The choices available are growing every day which as was noted before, is great for us - good thing that the market is hot - if you don’t want to go through with it, you can sell your spot and get on another company’s waiting list for a year.

just my 25 cents. see this thread regarding mattress comfort and solutions if needed Camper Mattress!

-Blue

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Would you mind directing me to the forum on the SP website that allows users discuss/or diss their products because I wasn’t able to find it?

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No one is dissing anything! Just a healthy discussion to help any questions people have between the two products. Including myself. I’m in the process of buying.

If it’s not allowed I’ll delete it but I don’t see the harm. I didn’t see a rule against it?

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I think Bison’s point is exactly what you said. GFC is confident enough in their camper to allow comments such as yours in a forum that they host. SP doesn’t seem to host such a forum as this where folks can speak freely. I don’t think anyone here is taking offense to your comments. I certainly am not. I’m sure SP campers are good. As I said before, I doubt that they are perfect. GFC’s customer service is great. I know nothing about SP customer service.

Peace.

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My bad! I misread this.

Anyway, can’t wait for my GFC!

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Hey, can you explain more about the GZilla? They make the correct t-nut shapes?

Yep. He makes various sizes.

https://www.gziladesigns.com/collections/go-fast-camper

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Thank you! It’s probably been mentioned before, but what is the difference with the two different sizes? I can see that one protrudes. Is that one intended to hold more weight?

Yes, for the 1/4” it must protrude to get the standard thread engagement. It would hold more weight between the two. You might need a washer to account for the added length.

I agree here. I had a chance to see the SP in person at an April 2021 Rigs and Coffee meetup. At the end of the day, you pick your sacrifice. Both the owner and I went over pros and cons and we didn’t come to any conclusion on which is really better. I did like how the SP address some additional ability to allow for organized use of bed space. It appears the V2 does something similar. The v1 is less capable in that regard. The v1’s steel tubing, while a good idea at first, ended up not being a great idea IMO given the frame improvements we see in both the SP and v2.

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Yup, the V1 frame is definitely a bit more challenging …as we and others seem to agree, “At the end of the day…” :fist:

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