Yes my bad, thought I had hit reply to you! Any major reasons why yall go for the vagabond when taking one out?
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we have a V1.5762 - so embassy hinges (PITA tour), gen 2 tent material, single side door.
it was on my truck until we found the drifter and went onto Sally’s third gen
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we prefer some of the design elements - i think the tent is better designed (as far as windows and materials) - having a constant open space is super nice (bugs have not yet been a problem, i would imagine living in buggy areas i would want some kind of protection) and it is a very solid platform. very well made.
the GFC i feel we know it now and are careful around it (had an original hinge ripped on a tree branch on day 2 of a 12 day trip last year) - its set up pretty well right now thou thanks to products from shittco, vrnclrsewnstorage and @jedgar (the step ups and magspots are magic)
they are all a compromise is some way. my mate has a superpacific and loves it but isn’t a total fan of inflating and deflating the mattress - its comfy thou. the drifter is comfy and you can store a ton of bedding up there
i have not seen a V2 and would like to check one out. i know people are excited that they constantly are changing things but i also find that disheartening. was my version a dud? after waiting a year to get it - one year later it was completely outdated… is that a good thing or a bad thing?
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Saw this today - Now we need a V2 comparison. Some good features on the SP, but honestly a lot of things I don’t need. It looks like more things to fail eventually.
More interested in long-term use and durability comparison. I like that GFC is perfecting what works rather than adding a ton of features. I’ve always enjoyed letting third parties come up with accessories.
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To be honest, the SP seems pretty dope. I’m
not a fan of the aesthetics of the camper, but it’s clear that the design has a lot of thoughtfulness behind it. No doubt about it, it looks to be a rock solid box.
With that said, watching the vid makes me love my V2 even more. I’ve always taken a minimalist approach to camping. I’m no “overlander”. I prefer a bivy sack in the backcountry over tents and camp kitchens. My GFC is simple and streamlined. It suits my style and looks great on my truck.
I dig the GFC ethos. I love that they’re manufacturing in-house and compensating their employees with a living wage.
Both companies are offering great products to encourage us to enjoy the outdoors. I’m grateful that I can afford something that many others can’t, and inspired by the constant innovation that so many creative individuals are bringing to the marketplace.
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Let’s get superficial for a minute. Compared to the other two go fast has the best name. Consider the following conversations
Guess what? What? It was a long time coming but I finally got a GFC. That’s awesome I hear those campers are great!
Guess what? What? It’s been a long time coming but I finally got an SP. What’s that?
Guess what? What? It’s been a long time coming but I finally got a VD. Oh s***! Sorry to hear that. Do you know who gave it to you?
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SP looks nice. As of yet they don’t have one for a Gladiator. If it’s 20 inches longer like the above video said then it would be difficult maybe impossible to remove the roof panels on the Gladiator. The GFC platform ends several inches before the removable panels, perfect for my application.
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Nice review. I like the lack of cross braces giving you full access to the bed from the sides. Overall the track slots, other mounting points, and the ventilation pop out in the tent are all neat features.
I do wish i could access the bed in the gfc from the top without moving panels around (lots of good reasons for this, kids, heater, less effort etc), but I don’t think I would want another 20 inches am hanging off the front of my truck. I guess that’s a trade off I have to live with.
I’m not sure what the price point difference is now, but as nice as the super pacific is, I don’t think I would spend more than to get it compared to the gfc. I think the reality for me is that spending any more than the gfc period just isn’t something I would want to do. Glad I got mine when I did even if I need the stupid new hinges still
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Definitely will be following this thread
!!
And the Bestop Sunrider fits with the GFC.
Sorry, just still excited it fits. Being able to remove the jeep top checks boxes, even if it is just the front half.
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Personally I like them both, I believe they are both great produce at the end of the day & the consumer is the ultimate winner. I like the sleek design of the GFC V2 a bit more and I like the well throughout interior design of the SP a bit more. SP says there’s is 4 season and V2 doesn’t. They both have full bed access. I do like the Molly inserts for SP and that you can leave a buddy heater below in on cold nights. For the V2 I like it’s lighter weight. I have more thoughts but I feel like I’m rambling on. Would personally love to see a comparison video side by side with both owner’s reviewing the opposite campers of possible and go over the pros & cons they see off 1st coverage. Along with going over there own setup of course. Either way, they’re both amazing if you’re actually getting out there & using them!
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I’m on the fence between the Vagabond Drifter and the GFC. Biggest question I have is how hard are the GFC panels to work on, i.e. adding vents and side sliding windows? I’m leaning GFC, but the sliding screened windows are a must for my hunting dog…
Hey Matt,
No one can answer that but yourself. What may be sturdy for me may not be for you. I suggest you go to GFC prior to buying and have a discussions with them, and see first hand if a GFC meets your needs.
Best of luck!
I think it would be possible to fab some kind of slider windows but it would most likely fubar your warranty. If keeping dogs inside I would make sure I would get white or silver. I am loving my V1. I do wish it had a sliding or pop out window on the front panel so I could clean my back truck window and camper window. Also if doing a lot of dusty roads it would nice to be able to have some kind of positive pressure inside the camper so some kind of side vent up high might be a good idea.
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I just recently saw a customer who added these to his camper side panels for his dog, and it is working great:
Take a look. And just so you know the specs on our metal, it is .080 5052 aluminum, so it’s pretty darn stout.
Let me know if that helps, and good luck in the search. I am obviously biased about both quality and value of our product in the marketplace, but it is nice that there are so many options for the consumer.
And to anyone reading this if you haven’t seen our most recent Instagram stories, here are some of the values we hold as a company: Instagram
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Do you have any ideas or now of any small solar or 12V roof fans that work with the roof panels in a V1? I see some people of used fantastic fans but they seem to be made for a thicker roof panel and I also want a lower profile fan.
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Can’t you buy new side panels? Maybe buy a few extra at pick up?
I’m in portland, so the SP was appealing to me. In the end I ordered a GFC instead. My thinking. I’m a weekend to 2 week warrior, I’m use to doing this in a tent or on a bicycle, thus the GFC will be all I NEED. The cost was a factor as well. The SP is about 3k more. I’d rather get the GFC and a Kinsman 270 and a Lolo Rack and swing out for that price… I don’t find much value in the extra engineering of the SP, I don’t want wire chases etc. My truck gets run and put up wet often - spends all winter full of trail building tools and shutting crews to builds etc, so the more rough and ready the solution the better for me - THUS GFC. That is how I made my decision. If the wait for a SP was 2 months… well, then I probably would have done that but at ~6mo vs 10mo then the 3k looked good
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@jeredbogli I agree with this sentiment completely. Even more so with the SP price increase. It’s 5k more now.
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I have been using a bluetooth remote thermometer to keep track of the temp in the back of the truck under my GFC this summer I have two dogs that I want to keep happy and healthy.
My current solution is that I have been closing the latches on the rear side panel and then closing the panel and latching the front latch which leaves a ventilation gap. With running that set-up what I have found is that when driving around at 45+ MPH the temperature has rarely been more than +5 degrees F compared to what the ambient outside temperature has been. This is almost identical to what I saw with my leer topper that had sliding windows on the sides.
With being in Northern California and occasional triple digit temps what I have gone with is getting my dogs the Ruffwear Swamp Cooler jacket to help with those really hot days. Swamp Cooler™ Dog Cooling Vest | Ruffwear
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