Camper suggestions

[DBond]

What's in the camper?

SSchang





You said;



"The truck GVWR is 9900#, I'm probably a couple hundred pounds overweight loaded.



The camper weighs 2640#"



Is that 2640# with the camper dry, wet, unloaded, loaded?



It seems way over the 1800# calimed for dry weight

 

[DPelletier]

FWIW,

My Bigfoot 25C9. 5 is rated at 2450 lbs dry and weighs 3217 lbs wet, fully loaded which means that between options (luckily I don't have AC or elec jacks), water, propane, food and gear, I'm carrying 767 lbs over the base dry weight. You'll find that this is fairly common.



Dave

 

[R. Weber]

I have had 35 ft motohomes, 27 foot 5th wheel and a 35 foot 5th wheel. We now own a Lance 1130. I was happy with all where I took them. By that I mean they all had limitations. I lived in the 27 and the 35, travelled in the MH. Advantages of the slide in is no additional insurance, no license fees, smaller foot print - easy parking in any campground, parking in any parking lot to get groceries or supplies, same comfortable queen bed, slightly better mileage, easier cleaning and maintenance due to reduced surface area. I have lower propane, electrical requirements because i don't have the cubic feet of air space to heat and cool so have a more comfortable unit faster. The majority of State and National Parks I had limitations and was compelled to go during off season with the big rigs but can can fit in anytime with the slide in. I have come upon rest areas with the big rigs that I could not get into with the big rigs. No more. I made a sofa by removing the table. Added a folding bar stool. Our family of five camped and traveled comfortably. As the kids grew and migrated from home the Lance increased in size. I can't host a dance inside but we do well outside at the picnic tables. We ski in the winter, and hit the beaches in the summer. I can park right next to the public beaches and enjoy lunch, dinner, a break, and my air conditioning, my own restroom too. If you have a infant toddler or young ones the slide in is a blessing in those minor emergency situations. I should add that we have had many visits to hospitals in and out of state where I was able to stay in the parking lot with the slide in but could never have gotten into any with my large rigs. I probably wouldn't live in my Lance (for a year or more) even though I have stayed comfortable in it from time to time for several months at a time with my job over the years. I installed 4 AGM batteries and a 1800 watt inverter that allows me to microwave, brew coffee, hair dryers, TV, etc for extended periods without running the generator. The gen is just for Air cond now. The solar panels and the occasional trip around town keep the batteries full not to mention long highway miles of travel. I haven't had shore power in years and am a big user of electricity. I like being abel to get where i want to be and enjoy the comforts the camper offers while "camping". Washer and dryer? We use a ice chest, a tennis shoe for the agitator, and the highway motion. Change the water and rinse. We use the "laundry ball" instead of soap. the bigt stuff goes to laundromats or a friend s washer along the route. Happy Trails

 

[dresslered]

Lots of good threads here. We found that the best combination for our needs was the slide-in camper, and after comparing brands, it was hands down for the Bigfoot 3000. Drawback is that it is VERY heavy. If you are considering a slide-in, outfit your truck with some good Tork-Lift camper tie-downs (or equivalent) and take the slide-in for a test drive before you buy. This will let you get the real 'feel' of the way the truck handles before you make a rather expensive purchase. Also, for any slide-in camper, I would strongly suggest a dually.

 

[Grizzly]

Consider a Northern Lite, which is the only 5 star rated camper. Also consider a Lance or Arctic Fox camper, both of which are 4 star rated. Just be sure, as others have stated, you have the right truck under the camper, with respect to GVWR.

 

[Big A]

Northland campers are very nice too. Both my buddy and I have them, and they're quality campers. Their top of the line, is the Polar series. I have the Grizzly series, and I am vey happy with it.

Big A

 

[Grizzly]

I have had 35 ft motohomes, 27 foot 5th wheel and a 35 foot 5th wheel. We now own a Lance 1130. I was happy with all where I took them.







It sounds like you have gone back and forth with RV's just like I have. I started out with a used 10 1/2' Travel Queen cab-over-camper in the mid 70's. In 1988 I purchased a new 29' Holiday Rambler 5th wheel. In 1998 I purchased a new 11' 3" Lance slide-in camper. A few weeks ago I ordered a new 27' Arctic Fox 5th wheel, which we won't get until September. The cab-over-camper certainly does have many advantages as you have stated. Space and storage are not one of them. My wife and I made an 11K mile trip to Alaska last summer with the Lance. In our two month trip, we got a little claustrophobic, plus we were severely limited in purchasing souvenirs for the kids and grand kids. About all we could get were little trinkets, tee shirts and ball caps. Our first trip to Alaska was with the 29' 5th wheel. We had plenty of problems with axles and tires. By the time the trip was over, we replaced both axles and all four tires. We plan on doing the Alaska trip again next year hopefully with a much better trailer and better axles and tires. Also the Alaskan Hwy (Alcan) is much improved from the first trip in 95.