Palomino RV debuts a new hard side, non-slide, wet bath truck camper to its popular Max series. Kick it up a notch with the Elite Package and you’ve got a serious non-slide luxury truck camper contender.
High-end luxury truck campers are not hard to find. Non-slide truck campers are not hard to find either. But high-end luxury non-slide truck campers? Now those can be hard to find. Over the past decade, most companies have all-but abandoned luxury non-slides as the consumer interest moved towards slide-outs.
Or did it? This year we have seen strong interest in the luxury non-slide category. Some folks are simply not interested in slides, but want to step up into more luxury. Others have had a slide-out truck camper and now want to return to the simplicity, lower maintenance, and lower weight of a non-slide – but they too want a luxury camper.
As dyed-in-the-wool non-slide truck camper folks, this is all music to us. With any luck, this trend will continue and we’ll have more non-slide luxury truck camper options in the marketplace. Speaking of which…
Palomino RV has just announced an all-new luxury non-slide truck camper, the HS-2901. The camper is part of their high-end Max series that includes Rieco-Titan remote control electric jacks, insulated windows, an HD-television, outside shower, and all-LED lighting.
Add Palomino’s Elite Package and the HS-2901 gets solid surface counter tops (similar to Corian), wireless backup camera, motion detector exterior light, and a Line-X sprayed underbelly. That’s a serious luxury feature list from a company that almost entirely focused on the entry-level truck camper market just five years ago.
To find out more about the 2017 Palomino HS-2901, we talked to Pat Hines, Truck Camper Product Manager for Palomino RV.
Palomino HS-2901 Specifications
The 2017 Palomino HS-2901 is a hard-side, non-slide, wet bath truck camper for short or long bed trucks. The interior floor length of the Palomino HS-2901 is 9’0” and the interior height is 6’8”. Palomino RV is reporting the standard build dry weight of the HS-2901 at 3,034 pounds.
The 2017 Palomino HS-2901 has a 45 gallon fresh tank, 6 gallon water heater, 20 gallon grey tank, and 20 gallon black tank. The camper accommodates two batteries and one vertical thirty-pound propane tank. The MSRP for a standard build Palomino HS-2901 is $25,200.
TCM: Before we talk about the new HS-2901, we want to ask you about the HS-2911 double-slide. That model seems to have disappeared from Palomino’s 2017 line-up. Has that camper been discontinued?
Pat: If we introduce a new model we typically eliminate one existing model. To find out which model to eliminate, we evaluate how many of each model were manufactured and sold at the end of the year. This year the HS-2911 had the fewest number of sales, so we chose to eliminate it. For 2017, our new model is the HS-2901.
TCM: That makes sense. At first blush, the new HS-2901 has a very similar floor plan to the HS-8801. Is the HS-2901 floor plan based on the HS-8801?
Pat: On paper the HS-2901 does have a very similar floor plan to the HS-8801, but the HS-2901 is a Max model and offers a boat load of features that the HS-8801 does not. For example, the HS-2901 is a four-season ready camper with an enclosed and insulated basement and insulated windows. In contrast, the HS-8801 is a non-basement model with single-pane windows.
A better comparison for the HS-2901 would be the HS-2902. Essentially, the HS-2901 is a HS-2902 as a non-slide.
We like to give our dealers and consumers what they ask for. Over the past year we had a lot of requests for a four season ready, non-slide truck camper model with a wet bath. With the HS-2901 being a Max model, it also has a lot of luxury features.
Above: The HS-2901 has a 6’10” height and 9’0″ interior floor length
TCM: Does the HS-2901 share the specifications of the HS-2902?
Pat: Yes, it does. The HS-2901 has the same 9-foot floor length, the same interior height of 6-feet 10-inches, and so on. All of the HS-2901 specifications are the same, minus the slide-out on the HS-2902. It was actually a very simple truck camper to design.
Above: As a non-slide the HS-2901 gains additional rear storage
TCM: Since the HS-2901 is a non-slide version of the HS-2902, does the non-slide HS-2901 gain storage in the dinette area that the HS-2902 sacrificed for the slide-out area?
Pat: You gain quite a bit of storage by not having the slide-out including a storage area at the rear entry, a pantry, and closet space.
Above: The L-shaped dinette of the HS-2901 gives you quite a bit of room and storage underneath
You also gain a significant amount of seating area with storage underneath. The HS-2902 is a couple’s dinette at best. The HS-2901 dinette would be more comfortable for three or even four adults to sit.
The HS-2901 also has a larger dinette-area window because the slide-out room isn’t taking up the wall space. However, you lose the floor space that the HS-2902 slide presents when pushed out. Do you want more floor space, or more storage? That’s the big difference between the two units.
Above: The optional fiberglass front nose cap and windshield for the Palomino HS-2901
TCM: Is there anything unique about how the Palomino Max models are constructed?
Pat: The Max line is constructed the same way as all of our hard side models. First, they are 100-percent aluminum framed. Second, all six sides of the campers are vacuum bond laminated including the side walls, floors, and roof. Our pop-up models feature the same vacuum bond lamination, but are wood framed.
What separates the Max line are a short list of important design elements, and standard features. As I stated earlier, the Max campers have heated and enclosed holding tanks in a wheel-well height basement. They are four-season units. The Max series also features insulated windows standard, and are 4-inches wider than non-Max hard-side truck campers. Lastly, the Max series can also come with the optional fiberglass front nose cap and windshield.
Above: The rear awning is part of the Elite Package
TCM: How does the Elite Package fit into the Max series?
Pat: The Elite Package is an option available for the Max series. The Elite Package includes solid surface kitchen countertops, backup camera system, motion detector porch lite, Line-X treated underbody panels, and a rear awning. About 40-percent of Palomino Max truck campers feature the Elite Package.
TCM: While we’re on the topic of brand names, what is the Palomino Backpack Edition?
Pat: All Palomino brand truck campers are Backpack Edition truck campers. Backpack Edition is part of the name of Palomino truck campers.
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Above: New decor elements in 2017 Palomino truck campers
TCM: Tell us about the cabinetry and counter tops in the Palomino HS-2901.
Pat: Palomino has debuted an all-new new decor for 2017 with darker walnut cabinetry and new fabrics, countertops, and flooring.
By offering only one interior across all Palomino truck campers, we can offer our customers the best value in the RV industry. It also helps us to maximize efficiency and continuously improve quality control.
Above: The wet bath in the Palomino HS-2901
TCM: The tank sizes on the HS-2901 are the same as the other two Max-series truck campers?
Pat: Again, for efficiency of production and quality control, all Palomino Max-series campers feature the same 45 gallon fresh tank, 20 gallon grey tank, and 20 gallon black tank. The basement designs are identical for the HS-2901, HS-2902, and HS-2910. It’s all part of our Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) philosophy.
Above: Two vented battery boxes are housed under the step up to the cabover
TCM: How many batteries does the Palomino HS-2901 have, and where are they located?
Pat: Two vented battery boxes are located under the cabover step. The battery boxes can fit Group 24 batteries.
TCM: Why does the HS-2901 come with one 30-pound vertical propane tank rather than the industry standard two 20-pound vertical propane tanks?
Pat: A single 30-pound propane tank offers 75-percent of the propane capacity as two 20-pound tanks, while taking up a lot less potential floor space. Having one 30-pound propane tank gives our design team more flexibility. For these reasons, all of our Max-series campers have one 30-pound propane tank.
Above: The battery disconnect and Rieco-Titan electric jack remote are right next to the entry door
TCM: What considerations are given for winterization on the HS-2901?
Pat: It has low water drains, water heater bypass, anti-freeze tube, battery disconnect, and an exterior charge port. The HS-2901 is a fully-featured Palomino, and has all the standard winterization features all of our Palomino truck campers offer.
TCM: Does the Torklift International designed Palomino Landing Pad bumper step system come standard with the HS-2901?
Pat: The Landing Pad is standard for the Max series. It’s been received well. It’s a nice 16-inch bumper with good storage opportunities.
That said, Torklift International is currently designing an all-new bumper for the Max line. We will probably use the new bumper across the board for all Palomino truck campers; hard-side and pop-up. Keeping with our KISS methodology, we don’t want more than one bumper system.
TCM: That’s exciting news. We certainly look forward to learning more about the new bumper. Looking at the floor plan of the HS-2901, the dinette area looks like an L-shape sofa with a small table. What led you to use this design rather than a more traditional U-shape or face-to-face dinette?
Pat: Real estate. With a non-slide truck camper, there is not a whole lot of floor space. With a face-to-face or U-shape dinette, you use a lot of the available floor space. The L-shape dinette gives you the best use of space. You can sit on the end and be somewhat face-to-face.
Above: A Jensen HD-television is standard
TCM: Are there any new options that are available for the 2017 Palomino HS-2901?
Pat: The front nose cap and windshield, an air conditioner, and a rear awning are options. The Max series is really loaded with standard equipment.
As standard, you get Rieco-Titan remote control electric jacks, insulated windows, HD-television, outside shower, and all-LED lighting. It’s a darn nice truck camper for an affordable price.
TCM: What does the 2017 Palomino HS-2901 weigh with standard build features?
Pat: The base weight without options is 3,034 pounds.
TCM: Where is the center of gravity on the 2017 Palomino HS-2901?
Pat: It’s 36-inches front to back.
TCM: What is the MSRP for the 2017 Palomino HS-2901 with standard build features?
Pat: The Max base price is $25,200. Loaded with the Elite and windshield nose cap, the MSRP is about $29,500.
TCM: What is the warranty for the 2017 Palomino HS-2901?
Pat: We have the same Palomino warranty across the board for all of our truck campers; one year nose-to-tail. The appliances have their own warranties from the manufacturers.
TCM: When will the 2017 Palomino HS-2901 be available?
Pat: The HS-2901 should be on dealer lots January of 2017.
TCM: Are there any other new model announcements coming from Palomino in 2017?
Pat: We are currently working on redesigning one of our old models that went away years ago, and we will be re-introducing it. That model will be ready in December. It’s going to be a hard side, half-ton camper with a toilet. We will be debut it here in Truck Camper Magazine.
For more information about Palomino truck campers, visit their website at www.palominorv.com. To request a brochure for the Palomino HS-2901, click here.
The post TCM EXCLUSIVE: 2017 Palomino HS-2901 appeared first on Truck Camper Magazine.