Got the truck, now which slide-in?

[krabman]

Im going to get a camper and have not owned or operated one before. I was curious what brands people are having good luck with. Also if you live in the NW and have had good luck (or bad)with a dealer I would like to know. Limitations I am working with are:I have a 3500 shortbox and would like to keep the weight down to 3000 loaded. I tow a bass boat and I have to be able to hitch it up. I have looked at a few breifly and noticed that the slide out was something I want. Those are the only constraints I have. As far as options I will be using it to park at various lakes and am nearly always going to have shore power available. Because of that I have pretty much made up my mind to skip a generator. If you had to do it again what options would you pass on? Which ones are you kicking yourself for not getting? Any advice you want to throw at me will be welcome.

 

[tandersen]

Krabman I recently bought a Lance and so far really like it. I got all the options so I am not wanting anything else. They have some very nice short box slide-outs. I talked to the dealer in Bend, Oregon and he seemed very knowledable.

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Personally, I would reconsider the onboard LPG-powered generator, as it's always better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it... ...



I can recommend a good Lance dealer in your part of the world (in relative terms at any rate!!) Give Galaxy Campers in California a call and ask for Rhonda Morgan. 1-909-988-4744.



I'm based in Europe and long distance customer service/aftercare was an important consideration for me. Rhonda is very knowledgeable and has been exceptionally helpful from time to time. Even if you decide to shop elsewhere, you'll get a good idea on the relative worth of various options, including some of the lesser well known 3rd party items. Feel free to mention my name.



later.....

 

[dewdo]

Congratulations Krabman:



Welcome to the world of slide in campers. I live just North of Seattle and dealt with Apache RV when I bought my 11. 5 Arctic Fox. They also carry a couple of other cheaper brands and are pretty nice people to deal with. They are located between Lynnwood & Everett on Hwy 99. They also have a facility in Tacoma.



Good luck and happy shopping!



Dewdo in the other Washington

 

[Crazy Horse]

krabman,

I hope you enjoy the new truck and have many trouble free miles.

Lance makes two models that would fit your truck well. The 845 (8'6"), and the 820 (8'11"). The 845 is a "Lite" series, a little bit shorter and without the "frills" that the 820 has. The 820 maybe pushing your 3,000 lb limit once you add the water, propane, and all your gear. I've owned Lances and I now sell them here in Anchorage. I wrote the letter PRIOR to going to work for my present employer. You can go to the Lance Camper Website and read the letter I wrote them on how much I enjoyed my last one. You can click on the link there to build your own custom Lance with the equipment you want on it. You won't find a better built or warranted camper. Enjoy the ride with what ever you decide.

 

[krabman]

Dewdo, I have been considering getting the Mopar Jake brake while the commercial special is still going on but wasnt to sure how much I would need it. Im going to be towing about 3500lbs and the slide in. How do you feel about yours? Would you rate it as a must have for the relatively low weight I will be working with?

 

[BV]

campers

Hey krabman - I liked my Pastime quite well. They are not as rich looking as other campers but they are also 1/2 the price. Apache in Oregon was a great dealer to work with on the purchase and a warranty issue (Jack was low on fluid).



Get an E-Brake if you can afford it - They are priceless when you need them coming off the top of a NW hill even with a little weight.



One concern I would have is going with a slide-out model on a short bed. Doesn't that put a lot of weight behind the axle? I would also take a real good look at how you will need to extend the hitch which I would throw away the factory junk and go with a Class V or a higher.



Good Luck Shopping - Marty

 

[krabman]

Quite a few manufacturers make models for shortboxs. They are smaller and for the most part lighter with the center of gravity moved up for the shortbox. I checked on that much before I got the shortbed. Im not steeped in the lore so I have much research to do before I can make any kind of choice. Since my truck wont be paid for for 2 years I have plenty of time, Im just trying to get an idea of what I should be looking at when I start going to the RV shows, dealers, etc. this spring.

 

[dresslered]

I have a Bigfoot 3000 which I just love, however, it is extremely heavy. The basement design is great for towing a boat or another trailer (they sit higher so even access to the spare is managable). I noticed that you have SWR set-up, so this is really going to limit you as to how much weight you can carry. Most of the major manufacturers offer "lite" models which might provide you with a good comprimise.

 

[dewdo]

Krabman;

My slide in probably weighs close to 5,000 lbs and my fiver weighs 15,000. I have the BD exhaust brake, but it stuck closed last Feb and It was disconnected and I haven't bothered to get it reconnected. I drove across the country to FL and back without it and didn't find many grades where I would need it. dropping it out of overdrive seemed to work pretty good with slight braking required.



With the fiver it is a different story. I wouldn't leave home without it! I do have the heavy duty TC & VB that Bill Kondolay installed about 18 mos. ago. If I do pull the fiver again I will have the exhaust brake repaired before doing so.



So my long winded answer to your question would be save your money unless you plan to pull a heavy boat in addition to your slide in.



Dewdo in the other Washington

 

[Papa Joe]

Hello -

Got my 99 Lance 1120 as a repo at my bank. (Great deal, but I can't recommend dealers. )

Comments... ... . Lance is great. Not the best, but great. Frame mount tie downs are the way to go (Torklift). Propane generator is super convenient (no stale gasoline). Before you hang out too far over the rear, check for receiver extensions. They work great, but are pricey. Power jacks with a remote... the best.



Happy shopping, Joe.



PS If you do this right, it may be your last camper purchase. They're built very well now.

 

[RDecker]

Krabman,

I run a Lance 820 on my 3/4 Ton shortbox it does set the weight back fairly far on the truck & if I remember right the 03 shortbox got shortened a little more for the extra length of the cab. With a weight distribution hitch we haul 4 quads on a tandem axle trailer, the truck definitaly knows there is somthing back there but it runs down the road good. The only option I really wish I got would have been the LP generator. I thought I could get by without but running the cord out to the portable is a pain and it is a little loud in confined camp areas. All in all I don't think you can go wrong with the lance.

 

[krabman]

We are buying this camper just to take over to eastern WA where we park at a few different places and fish. All of these places have full hookups. I wont be RVing in the standard fashion. Our usage will be a place where my wife can go potty, something to throw our gear in so it doesnt get stole while we are fishing and a bed to sleep on. We spend most of our time on the lake. This is why I wasnt worried about the generator or getting a larger camper. On the other hand I would like to make things as snazzy as I can just because Im old enough to know the future is hard to predict and I may want to use the camper for a more traditional type of RVing later. I might be convinced on the generator if it comes in under my weight cap. As I said I have only been in a dozen or so models trying to get a feel for campers in general. There is a lot of stuff to absorb for someone like me but its always fun to branch out.

 

[ddesau]

Campers

You might to check out "Alpenlite" - as they have an aluminum frame rather than wood. They are pretty nice campers. .

 

[L_Rutigliano]

Take a look at Eagle Cap. They make a real nice camper w/ or w/o slide-out.



http//www.eaglecapcampers.com



We love ours. The price was about $8k to $10k less than a comparible Lance.

 

[NETim]

Slide ins

You lucky dog, you're in what I call "The Slide In Capital of the World. " Almost every slide in manufacturer in the known universe is located out on the West Coast it seems!



Here in NE, we do have one 5th wheel manufacturer that I know of, but no slide in builders and very very few dealers that even stock slide ins. I am not in the market for a fiver at present.



I do have a Lance dealer about 2 hours from here though.



When I buy a slide in, it will be a Lance because of dealer location. The Lance is a very good unit, but I think you pay for the name to some degree.



The Eagle Cap, Big Foots and others mentioned here look very good too, but since there are no dealers for these other brands close by, I'll go Lance.



Looking at latest Lance catalog specs, the smallest slide out camper they make, the 821 (an 8 footer) weighs more than any of their "standard" units, including their 11 footer, the 1130. At least with Lance anyway, and I suspect with the other brands, a slide out adds a lot of weight to a camper. Something to consider if you're concerned about weight.



My folks have an older 11 foot Lance they tote around on their 3500. It's a nice camper.



I want a 1030.



Tim

 

[smartineau]

krabman,



I'm like you, out looking for a camper, the used one's I've seen are basically trashed. So the search for new is also going on.



We have really liked the Northern Lite, they have several models to choose from and there is a dealer in Mt Vernon, at the Chevy stealer, Blade. I don't know if they are any good or not on service, I talked to them and the owner of NL at the Seattle RV show a month or so back.



try www.northern-lite.com



The Bigfoot 1500 series is a nice light weight camper, but be careful if you are over 5'8" many of thier beds are not full length.



try www.bigfoot.com



two RV sites that have lots of camper/slide in threads are



www.rv.net

www.irv2.com



I have talked to a lot of people in campgrounds and parking lots, and have seldom ever heard a bad thing about NL.



steve



both the NL and bigfoot are 'boathull' type campers which IMHO are perfect for the wet side of WA.