Northstar Campers launches the GMAX, a pop-up truck camper for the Jeep Gladiator and mid-size trucks. This camper packs a whopping 280Ah of lithium, 400-watts of solar, and a 3,000-watt inverter standard—but that’s not what’s most shocking. Northstar’s all-electric revolution has begun!
Over the past few years, Rex Willett, President of Northstar Campers, has been on a mission to revolutionize not just Northstar’s pop-up and hard side truck camper line, but the truck camper industry itself. It’s not unusual for Rex to be fired up about a new idea he’s working on with game-changing potential. Many of these initiatives are improvements to production efficiency, new sources of components that alter the value paradigm, and bold strategies to navigate the ever-changing economic cycles.
Rex’s latest idea is all-electric. The new 2025 Northstar GMAX literally forgoes propane appliances and tanks in favor of a 280 Ah lithium battery system, a 3,000-watt inverter, and 400-watt solar panel system—standard. With an optional second battery, the GMAX has 560 Ah on board. That’s a stunning amount of power for a 6 foot pop-up camper designed for mid-size trucks.
Upping the GMAX power move, Rex has selected two new truck camper products that operate at efficiency levels we have rarely—if ever—seen before. First up, the Freonic Freo 6,000 BTU air conditioner is stated to operate at 2.04 Amps. With the huge lithium battery bank the GMAX has on tap, Rex claims the Freo can run 24/7 keeping your camper cool and comfortable all summer long. That may sound too good to be true, but so do many disruptive ideas when they break cover.
The second eyebrow-raising product is the Heat Storm HS-1000-WX infrared heater. The Heat Storm is reported to operate on 1,000 watts (high) or 500 watts (eco mode) and heats up to 100 square feet. Rex states that the Heat Storm heats up the GMAX quickly and only pulls 4.16 Amps in eco mode. If the HS-1000-WX proves itself in the field, it will definitely turn up the heat on the propane status quo.
Listening to Rex, the GMAX is more than just all-electric. He believes it represents a paradigm shift that will impact the broader marketplace as consumers plug into the possibilities of more lithium power and remarkably efficient electric appliances. That’s certainly a bold statement for a bold new design.
For more information about the 2025 Northstar GMAX, we talked to Rex Willett, President of Northstar Campers.
Above: The 2025 Northstar GMAX floor plan
2025 Northstar GMAX Specifications
The Northstar GMAX is a pop-up truck camper made for the Jeep Gladiator and other mid-size trucks. The interior floor length of the Northstar GMAX is 6’3”, the width is 6’5”, and the interior height is 6’11″.
The Northstar GMAX has a 17 gallon fresh tank and room for a porta-potty. It can accommodate two 280-Ah lithium batteries, up to 800-watts of solar, and has a 3,000-watt inverter.
The base weight of the Northstar GMAX is 1,255 pounds without jacks, and 1,360 pounds with jacks. The base MSRP for the 2025 Northstar GMAX is $28,475. Click here for a free Northstar brochure.
The GMAX is Northstar’s first all-electric camper. Why did you go in that direction for the GMAX?
The GMAX started with the focus of making a more comfortable camper capable of being off-grid for a longer period of time. People want to be comfortable after a day of climbing, skiing, riding motorcycles, or hiking. The ability to return to an air-conditioned camper and sleep in an air-conditioned area is huge. That was the beginning of it.
The GMAX is based on the Northstar 600SS. It shares the same fundamental platform and floor plan as the 600SS, but we adjusted the design to work on a Jeep Gladiator. There’s a growing following with the Gladiator and we wanted to reach that segment with something more capable than what they have available now. The GMAX pushes the envelope in comfort, affordability, ruggedness, and features. And you don’t need to carry propane.
Can the GMAX also fit mid-size trucks beyond the Gladiator?
Yes. It fits the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, and Nissan Frontier. You can even leave the tailgate on like I did in the photos. You can’t close the tailgate, but you can leave it on.
And if someone wants the GMAX concept with a traditional propane furnace and water heater, they can get the Northstar 600SS. It also fits mid-size trucks, but not the Gladiator.
Above: The main living area inside the 2025 Northstar GMAX
What did you change from the 600SS to create the GMAX?
We removed the propane furnace, propane water heater, propane tank, and grey tank. The result is a lighter camper that fits the Gladiator and other mid-size trucks and has all-electric capabilities beyond the 600SS.
For $28,475 retail, there’s a lot of equipment included. The GMAX has a 280 Ah lithium battery and 400 watts of solar standard. We want to offer the off-grid enthusiast a level of comfort that has not been seen before.
“We want to offer the off-grid enthusiast a level of comfort that has not been seen before.”
Above: An interior access door accesses the front interior tie-downs and turnbuckles
Tell us about the GMAX tie-down and turnbuckle options.
The GMAX has dual tie-down points for both internal and external mounting. You can remove a few bolts and move the tie-down points inside or outside depending on how you want to tie down the camper. Jay at Torklift informed me they have options available for the Gladiator.
Above: A Torklift external frame-mount tie-down receiver tube (center) on a Jeep Gladiator
Pop-up campers don’t typically have rear ladders. What’s the thinking there?
A built-in ladder gives people the opportunity to reach roof-mounted canoes and kayaks and provides a tie-down point to hang gear.
You can delete the rear ladder when you place your order and get a telescoping ladder. Our telescoping ladder stores flat under the cabover bed. The beauty of the telescoping ladder is that you can move it around.
We have customers who use their telescoping ladder to help get in and out of their cabover. That surprised me, but a lot of the ideas we offer are customer-driven.
Above: The standard Renogy 3,000 Watt inverter and 280Ah lithium battery
The GMAX has quite an electrical and battery system. Tell us about it.
The GMAX can be expanded with a second 280 Ah lithium battery for a total of 560 Ah onboard. What’s incredible is that the two batteries fit and don’t use up too much space.
With the lithium battery system, the GMAX comes standard with a Renogy 3,000-watt inverter that can handle up to 25 Amps. There’s a Renogy remote to turn your inverter on and off. In addition, the GMAX has a lithium-compatible converter. If needed, you can plug the camper into shore power and charge your batteries.
Can you add more solar panels?
Two 200-watt Renogy panels (shown above) are standard for 400-watts, but you can double that to 800 watts. That might be overkill given how efficient the onboard components are, but it’s possible. You would need to either add an additional 30 Amp controller and have a second system or upgrade to a 60 Amp controller to add more solar panels.
We use MPPT connectors for our solar panels with 10 foot leads that go directly to the controller. There are no butt connectors or splices from the solar to the controller. It’s easy to add additional panels if desired.
We’ve never seen a Freo air conditioner. Why did you choose this unit?
The Freo is an air conditioner that has a 2.04 Amp draw. It’s also the right size, has a remote control, more than enough capacity for the size of the GMAX, and a built-in dehumidifier.
I also like the aesthetics. From the inside of the camper, you can’t tell it’s an air conditioner. It’s located on the ground rather than on the ceiling. I call it ‘floor air’. When you turn the Freo on, the louver comes down and it directs air toward the remote.
A lot of truck camper people travel with their pets. Think about your cat, Cosmo. Imagine that you want to go into a museum, but it’s 90 degrees out. With the Freo, you don’t worry about it. You could literally leave the air conditioning on 24/7 and keep your camper cool.
That seems almost too good to be true.
I did the testing with one 280 Ah battery. I ran the air conditioner for four days non-stop.
The Freo checks all the boxes. Instead of a roof air that needs 8 to 8.5 amps, it’s 2.04 amps. And it’s quiet. And it’s only 28 pounds.
We’ve also never seen the Heat Storm HS-1000-WX heater. Tell us about that unit and why you selected it.
I wanted an electric heating system with 1,000-watt (8.13 Amp) maximum draw. The Heat Storm is an infrared heater designed to quickly and quietly heat up to 100 square feet. The unit has a digital thermostat and timer. It also offers WIFI control.
Most importantly, it’s safe. It has overheat protection and a touch-safe grill. It’s also lightweight at only a few pounds. It’s easy to maintain and has built-in reusable easy-to-clean filters. Another huge advantage is that the Heat Storm is immune to elevation.
From our testing, it heats up a camper really fast. If it’s 10-degrees—which is pretty cold—turn it on high to heat the camper as quickly as possible. Then, you can put it on eco mode (4.16 Amps). It only pulls 4 amps when cycling.
The Freo and Heat Storm are both potential game-changers. The two kitchen drawers and upper kitchen cabinet are really nice touches in a pop-up camper this size. Were these features a priority during the design process?
Yes. Storage is always a big priority. Since the batteries take up storage space, we added a standard overhead cabinet for extra kitchen storage. The two kitchen drawers are perfect for storing silverware and utensils.
We also upgraded the countertop to acacia wood. It has a real wow factor when you walk into the unit. We upgraded the sink to a Star RV model that’s 8 inches deep. That’s deeper than most camper sinks that I’m aware of. Inside the sink, we provide a teak cutting board.
The faucet is a single lever. As a bonus, we were able to maintain the storage underneath the sink area.
The dark wood countertop is quite striking. Why did you choose acacia?
Acacia is 22 percent harder than oak. It’s sought out for outside furniture for its strength and durability. It’s also stain-resistant and looks great.
Did you change the table top as well?
No. Our table tops are still walnut.
The LED light strip and dimmer above the sink area are more welcome details.
The dimmer feature is basically in everything we build now and we keep adding them. With the dimmer, you can get the volume of light you require.
The GMAX has a lot of usable counter space for a 6 foot camper. When it’s lit up, you have a fantastic work area. The LED isn’t drawing a lot and there are no shadows like when the lights are located higher.
The GMAX uses a 3.5 cubic foot 12-volt compressor refrigerator, but you have two side vents on the camper. What’s that about?
Northstar has installed thousands of compressor refrigerators and learned from Australia where it’s super hot. If you don’t let a 12-volt compressor refrigerator get air, they won’t operate as efficiently and therefore, won’t get as cold.
They have thermal protection, so if the compartment gets too warm it shuts the compressor down and it cycles on and off almost constantly. In our testing, a compressor refrigerator will cycle on and off every minute and a half if it doesn’t get air.
Having the side vents makes the refrigerator more efficient and draws less power. The Star RV fridge vents are standard with the slide-in bug control. You don’t have to worry about getting wasps nests or mud daubers. All Northstar products now have the bug screens standard as we buy the Star RV refrigerator vents.
As an all-electric camper, you’re also using a portable two-burner electric cooktop. What’s the draw of the cooktop?
The smaller burner draws 900 watts. The larger burner draws 1,200 watts. It’s easy to clean and store in the cabover storage area under the bed.
There’s a section of carpet that protects the unit when you’re traveling (shown above with and without the electric cooktop). Another benefit of the electric cooktop is that you can take it outside to cook. And you don’t have to worry about the wind blowing it out.
Why did you decide the GMAX should have a north-south cabover?
Comfort. You don’t need to crawl over someone like you do in an east-west design.
Can you use the GMAX off the truck?
Yes, you can use the camper off the truck. The cabover bed comes 10 inches into the main floor. From the front wall, it extends into the main living area. We build our campers that way for strength and the storage opportunities it creates. You can put two 225-pound people hanging from the front nose and the GMAX won’t tip over.
“Yes, you can use the camper off the truck. You can put two 225-pound people hanging from the front nose and the GMAX won’t tip over.”
We need a video of that! What size is the cabover mattress?
It’s 56 inches wide by 74 inches long.
Above: The black out shade pulled up on the large standard window
The passenger side features a large acrylic thermal pane window. Is that standard?
Yes, and it includes the shade and screen. It’s the only window type we use at Northstar.
Does the U-shape dinette and genuine Lagun table system turn into a bed?
Yes, the dinette turns into a 35×75 inch bed. The black anodized Lagun is standard.
What’s the fresh tank size in the GMAX?
It’s a 17 gallon fresh tank.
What pop-up mechanism are you using for the Northstar GMAX?
It’s the second generation Rieco-Titan direct-drive electric lift system. It’s a proven and reliable system, but it’s always good to have a Plan B.
All of our lifts are wide open to get to and have a manual override. It’s critical in an off-road camper to have a manual override. None of the other linear actuator systems—that I’m aware of—have manual overrides, so you can’t get the roof down in an emergency.
The GMAX features a SubZero insulation package. What does that include?
We use block foam insulation in the front, side, and rear walls and floor, and a laminated roof with a layer of foam insulation. We eliminated the access doors on the floor because of the truck bed configuration. That also improved insulation. The soft wall is also insulated as is the side window. You can sleep at zero degrees or below comfortably as the enclosure helps hold the heat in or the opposite in Summer holding the cool in.
Is there a space for a porta-potty?
Yes. To the left of the water tank is a spot (shown above) for the porta-potty. You can slide it in there easily. If you don’t want to take a portable toilet, that’s a good spot for a collapsible water reservoir for extra water capacity.
What entry step system and bumper is standard with the Northstar GMAX?
It depends on the application. Do you want to take the tailgate on and off? That would change how you do the steps. You can use a two-step ladder with a handrail. If you take the tailgate off, the Torklift Glow Steps work well.
What is the base weight for the 2025 Northstar GMAX?
It’s 1,255 pounds dry without jacks and 1,360 pounds dry with jacks.
The jacks are 26 pounds each and can catch things while off-roading. You can easily remove them by removing three 9/16 nuts. Or you can leave them on, unload the camper, and take your Jeep, Tacoma, or Ranger deeper into the wilderness. We have built the floor strength necessary to support camping while unloaded.
What options are available for the 2025 Northstar GMAX?
You can get an amplified TV antenna, cable TV inlet, pre-wire for electric jacks, electric jacks, exterior solar hookup, and LED accent lights under outs (pictured above).
There are also a number of accessories available including scissor steps, awnings, a backup camera, a roof rack, a privacy curtain, a 12’ telescopic ladder, a second 280 Ah lithium battery, a clear entry door window, a bunk ladder, and a fresh water tank cleaning port.
I will send you a GMAX PDF that your readers can click on for pricing on standard equipment, options, and accessories.
Where is the center of gravity on the 2025 Northstar GMAX?
It’s 22 inches from the front wall.
What is the MSRP for the 2025 Northstar GMAX with standard build features?
It’s $28,475. That’s loaded with standard equipment. There are only six options.
What is Northstar’s warranty?
Northstar has a 24-month warranty on the main structure. Everything else has its own warranty.
When will the GMAX be available at dealerships?
We have GMAX units in production now. You are going to see some at dealerships by the end of the year. They’re available now for the dealers to order.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about the Northstar GMAX?
Most of us have traveled when it’s hot and needed to find a campground to power an air conditioner. On those days, you can’t pull into a Walmart for the night because you need power. I think everyone has had that experience.
The GMAX cuts those chains. Driving down the road, you can leave the air on all the time. It’s two amps when it’s cycling. When the camper top is down, the air conditioner is not going to go on all that much. I think the GMAX is going to change truck campers.
“Driving down the road, you can leave the air on all the time. It’s two amps when it’s cycling.”
Will you be making more all-electric Northstar campers in the future?
That’s a resounding yes! I’m already prototyping a new hard side camper with floor air. Next up is the 10X. The all-electric revolution has begun.
For more information about Northstar Campers, visit northstarcampers.com. Click here to request a free Northstar brochure.
