It Raises - It Lowers Hydraulically
The Alaskan’s “Top Up – Top Down” patented design, where the top of the camper raises and lowers hydraulically, was the initial outstanding feature of the Alaskan Pickup Truck Camper. The Alaskan camper design provides significant features which sets it apart from conventional truck campers and popup campers.
Though this system is expensive its benefits are many:
- While driving with the top lowered there is less wind resistance. With less wind resistance fuel mileage is increased.
- The lower profile not only improves fuel mileage, but it also improves the handling and feel while driving. By lowering the center of gravity, putting the weight of the camper closer to the road, the Alaskan does not demonstrate the “rocking and rolling” motion of the conventional truck camper.
- The insulated “Solid Wall” design has the obvious benefit of a safer interior (no bears or intruders coming thru canvas walls), a warmer interior in the winter with minimal heat loss and a cooler interior in the summer.
- The full raising top means you have a full height door which means you don’t have to stoop over to get inside the camper. And it also means you have large eye level glass windows, not plastic.
- When driving in windy conditions the truck and camper is not pushed around as in a conventional truck and camper.
- Through the years the system has received significant improvements. An Electric Hydraulic pump was introduced in 1990 to improve the ease of raising the top. In 1994 Stainless Steel pistons were added, this reduced the possibility of inadvertently bending the pistons. The size of the piston diameter was increased in 1999 to provide more lifting power.
