Inspired by his father’s rig, Jeremy Haymore commissioned a unique half flatbed, half slide-in Hallmark RV and Sherptek rig. Here’s how this half-and-half truck camper rig offers the best of both worlds.
Without truck bed sides consuming truck bed space, flatbed truck camper designs offer more floor space, floor plan possibilities, and storage than traditional slide-in campers.
This might lead some to believe flatbeds are a superior option for truck camper rigs, but flatbeds remain a small fraction of the total truck camper market. In fact, most camper manufacturers don’t even offer a flatbed model.
The reason is one of the core appeals of truck campers; compatibility with a standard pickup truck. As the pitch goes, ‘If you have a pickup truck, you’re half way to a truck camper’. And a lot of people own and love their pickup trucks. We sure do.
Above: The passenger’s side is a flatbed
With all of this in mind, imagine our surprise when Jeremy Haymore contacted us about his half-flatbed, half-slide in truck camper. Our first reaction was, “What?” Our second reaction was, “Why?” And yes, the third reaction was, “How?” Talk about an obvious lead-in for a Truck Camper Magazine story.
Above: The driver’s side is a slide-in
Jeremy had some fantastic answers that challenged our assumptions about flatbeds versus slide-ins and had us asking, “Why not both?” Jeremy also revealed the process of commissioning his Hallmark Nevada pop-up camper and Sherptek flatbed, and the details that needed to be considered. This was definitely not a half-hearted effort by anyone involved.
Where did you get the idea for a half flatbed, half slide-in truck camper rig?
The original design came from my father, Bruce Haymore. He had a custom Alaskan Camper designed and built as a half flatbed, half traditional slide-in.
My dad was a general contractor and was accustomed to having a service bed. His half flatbed, half slide-in design approach allowed for extra tools and gear storage on the slide-in slide. The flatbed side allowed for the dinette and bathroom to be significantly bigger.
Dad’s camper (pictured below) is amazing for storage, but it’s also low to the ground. My build has less storage, but much better ground clearance.
Above: His dad’s Alaskan with the half flatbed, half slide-in floor plan
How did you approach Hallmark and Sherptek about this idea?
I was already focused on Hallmark flatbeds for the improved interior and exterior storage they offer. I talked to Sherptek about Dad’s half flatbed, half slide-in concept. They said they could do a hybrid flatbed and storage bed.
Then I reached out to Matt Ward at Hallmark about my dad’s design and he said that it was possible. I knew from my dad’s design that it would work. It’s really the best of both worlds.
At that point, I had my slide-in Hallmark. With our Hallmark slide-in, there was a ton of gear in the back of the camper; especially when we went camping with our kids. We had an aisle of chairs, gear, and kid stuff. Then we’d go somewhere and have to pull it all out.
The half flatbed, half slide-in floor plan eliminates that. Now I have a ton of exterior storage on the exterior driver’s side. I also have the outside kitchen, chairs, and an inflatable kayak. The aisle of junk is gone.
I love the outdoor kitchen and do most of my cooking out there. That’s been wonderful. I also have water accessible because the outside shower is on the driver’s side of my camper. It makes cleaning up easy and saves the smell of cooking inside.
Which Hallmark model did you start with for the half-flatbed, half slide-in build?
The Hallmark Nevada. It’s their 8.5-foot flatbed model. Hallmark started with the Nevada fiberglass panels and then cut the driver’s side to be a slide-in.
Did you have to make adjustments to the Hallmark Nevada to make it work as a half-and-half design?
Yes. My camper has the Truma VarioHeat and AquaGo systems. I got the separate systems instead of the Combi because of a space issue. The Combi would have gone under the dinette where propane is now. It was important to keep that space, so I went with the two systems.
The Truma components are fabulous. The VarioHeat features a three-stage heater and is more efficient than other furnace systems I’ve had. I use a lot less propane now. It’s also quiet. On the lowest setting, I can’t hear it when I’m sleeping. It maintains the heat in the colder places we camp.
Almost everything else is the same as a standard Hallmark Nevada. We have a forty-gallon water tank that is below the bench seat. We also have a cassette toilet and a fifteen-gallon grey tank below the sink.
The large dinette area suits our family well. It folds down into a bed. There is a bunk bed over the top of it when all our kids come on a trip. We also have the larger Dometic refrigerator and freezer which is super helpful on longer trips.
The cabover features north-south sleeping and a king size bed. Hallmark installed a skylight over the cabover bed which makes it feel like being outside and even more roomy.
“Being able to cool the down camper and not have a generator is fantastic. The trick is to have a big enough battery bank and enough solar.”
Our 11,500 BTU air conditioner unit has a soft start system on it which allows for it to run smoothly off our lithium battery system. We find we don’t need a generator anymore between the solar system, lithium battery system, and the DC-to-DC charging from the truck. I use it for an hour or two to cool things down before going to sleep. Being able to cool the down camper and not have a generator is fantastic. The trick is to have a big enough battery bank and enough solar.
Sherptek put in a line that goes from the truck alternator to the camper battery system for DC-to-DC charging. When I purchased my truck I got dual alternators; one 250-amp and one 150-amp. I have a relay switch inside the truck. When I hit it, it can charge up to 100 amps an hour into the camper batteries.
What size is your solar and lithium battery system?
I have 610-watts of solar. Under the camper step is our Lithionics 630 amp hour battery. We have an additional 300 amp hour battery for a total of 930 amp hours of lithium.
The two batteries are on separate systems. Hallmark put in the 300 amp hour battery. About a year later, I ran into Lithionics. They are expensive batteries, but their 630 amp hour battery fits in the same spot. I took out the 300 amp hour battery and put in the 630 as my main battery.
One of my storage boxes now fits the 300 amp hour battery, an inverter, and a charger to charge externally from the camper. I primarily use that for my electronic motorcycle. It also serves as a back up.
Sherptek added a high-speed charging system from my truck to my lithium battery system. It allows me to charge up to 100 amps as I drive. It’s a huge help with our large battery system if we haven’t had any solar. It’s replaced my need for a generator.
Wow. That’s a huge set-up for a pop-up truck camper. How did Hallmark work with you on this very custom design?
Matt Ward is remarkable to work with. He has a standard list of questions that he goes through and talks to you about the various options. I’ve owned a Four Wheel Camper and a Hallmark so I knew exactly what options I wanted. At least I thought I did.
For example, I really wanted a 270-degree Batwing awning. Matt said that he’d be happy to install it, but that it would be very tall on the camper and would require a ladder to open and close it. He recommended a Dometic awning instead. He talked me out of spending more money because he knew it would be a bad experience. I really appreciated his expertise.
We rarely see a wet bath with a cassette toilet and a shower in a pop-up camper. Were these features important to you?
I always had an outside shower and brought a privacy curtain with us. However, if it’s cold, showering outside is not feasible. Our Hallmark Guanella had an inside shower, but it was limited for space as a slide-in.
With the Hallmark Nevada, we have a lot more space for a bathroom and shower. There’s also a lot more space for the dinette. Both features make it so my wife is more interested in coming camping with us. That was important to me.
My kids are getting older and starting to leave home. There’s more time for my wife and I to travel together. She struggled with the other Hallmark and wanted to use the inside shower and bathroom. She also wanted a larger cabover with more headroom. The Nevada has a much larger bathroom, a taller cabover, and has a skylight for watching the stars at night. The Nevada also sits a little higher in the truck making it less of a climb into bed.
The interior colors and materials are gorgeous. How did you choose your interior color scheme?
Andy Ward shared a camper with us that was close to our decor. I started there. I wanted a finished look. Molly Ward made sure everything went together well. Interior design is not my strong point so I trusted her recommendations. I told her what I was looking for, and she did a phenomenal job.
It looks like your Sherptek bed can be configured as a flatbed or a slide-in.
Sherptek calls the fold-down panels flank sides. The flank sides are custom-made to fit the exact opening of the truck and camper I have. Flank sides lock on a strut that opens and lays flat, like a workspace. Each flank can go to 180 degrees or I can take the whole thing off. The beauty of it is that it’s versatile.
Once the flank is down, the backside of the storage is the camper. That approach creates the maximum storage space possible. Knowing I was going to do that, I had Hallmark put outlets on the exterior to charge devices. I have access once the Sherptek flanks are down.
Sherptek makes an amazing product. Ryan and Rebecca are super nice people. The day I was there to install it, they were with me for six hours to make sure I knew how it worked and that I could get the camper on and off. They were very generous with their time and their follow-up has been good. A downside is they are a small custom shop and it took a long time to get it just as Ryan wanted it.
Given the half-and-half nature of the camper and bed, how does the camper tie-down to the truck?
Sherptek made two different sets of tie-downs for my rig. The flatbed tie-downs are on one side and the slide-in tie-downs are on the other.
I have the turnbuckles Sherptek makes; the springs and the bolts. I’m amazed at how well they have worked. I’ve lost traditional turnbuckles on washboard roads. Sherptek’s system works well.
The driver’s side has springs that connect to channels in the Sherptek bed. The springs give the tie-down and turnbuckle system more flex for moving from side to side.
The passenger’s side has bolts to the bed, but they’re hidden.
Tell us about your outside kitchen.
I converted the slide-in storage space into an outside kitchen. It has a slide-out grill, a spare propane tank, and water from the camper. I cook most of my meals there now.
The outside of the camper has a ton of use for me. I travel with an electric bike and charge it from either the camper or the secondary battery.
Are you concerned that the half-and-half design of your Hallmark Nevada will affect resale value?
My Hallmark Nevada is unique, but it will work on any flatbed truck. Then you could make a custom box for the driver’s side to fill in the space.
I told my wife when got it that it was going to be the camper to end all campers. She doesn’t believe me as I’ve had six of them.
I can see why she might be skeptical. Is there anything else about your unique half flatbed, half slide-in that you’d like to share?
Dad’s camper was certainly the inspiration for this idea, but I was equally inspired by Matt Ward’s personal Hallmark and Sherptek build featured in Truck Camper Magazine.
Once I saw the open Sherptek flanks on both sides, I knew that Dad’s design would work. It all made sense and the lights went on. I just had to get them to do it.
My goal with this rig build was to travel to most places without a trailer or generator. I can do that now. I also installed a Starlink conversion. It sits full-time on the camper but can be removed to a new location if I decide to park under too many trees. It’s been a wonderful addition.
I’ve actually owned five other truck campers before this; four different Four Wheel Camper models and another Hallmark. The last Hallmark I loved, but I needed more space. So I sold my first Hallmark to my brother and ordered this unique Hallmark.
It took us over 2.5 years to order our camper and truck bed, and then have everything put together. I work as a physician, so our time camping allows me to relax and recharge from a stressful career.
We interviewed you in 2016 in “The Biggest Truck Camping Family on Earth” and still haven’t found a truck camping family as big as yours. Is your family still all camping together?
My dad still has his Alaskan Camper. He’s on his third truck with that same camper. Jason still has his Siesta camper. And Neal, my youngest living brother, has my old Hallmark camper. He got excited when I was building my new Hallmark camper. For a pop-up truck camper, Hallmarks are wonderful.
“What I love about Hallmark is that they are genuine and honest people who are deeply knowledgeable.”
What I love about Hallmark is that they are genuine and honest people who are deeply knowledgeable. They have been great to work with for both of my campers.
My brother Neal and I traveled through the White Rim trail in our Hallmark campers. It was an amazing trip. There was tremendous scenery and a challenging off-road course. Camping with my family has always been one of my favorite things to do.
We actually changed all of our license plates to match each other which worked because we live in three different states – Nevada, Utah, and Idaho. They all say SYOPIC. It was my brother Jason’s idea. It means, “Solve Your Own Problems, I’m Camping”.
