New Arctic Fox 1140 on my rig ?

[JPM]

Everything is mounted up , Superhitch, Heliweg, Firestone air bags, Mopar trailer tow mirrors. Tomorrow I load everything up. The Superhitch and Heliweg will not install together on a shortbed. I had to modify the brackets quite a bit, for eveything to work.

 

[Mike Ellis]

The posts people have made about 5th wheels and C-class motorhomes have some very valid points, but the truck camper is a pretty doggone useful rig within its limitations. In my case, for a full-family campout it is a bit tight and the boys may end up sleeping outside in tents but hey, I can live with that just fine in my large comfy bed with AC . For hunting and other trips with just the boys, it is absolutely perfect.



I just got back from a 2-week vacation to Colorado and Wyoming, first week was at a Scout ranch near Colo Springs (tent camping all week arggh) and then my son and I took the truck and Bigfoot up to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. My truck is still stock (2 wheel drive dually, 5-speed, 215 hp/440 torque, factory camper pack) and it handles the camper great. The only thing not stock is the shocks, replaced them with Rancho 9000X a couple of years back. Truthfully, even with the stock shocks it handled pretty darned good.



We took the camper to the top of Pikes Peak and just about everywhere else we could fit the wheels - no probs at all. With the camper on, it still corners and handles very well, for instance in Colorado on Highway 50 west of Canon City the road is very tight with lots of curves following the river through a large canyon - no "tippy" sensation or worries of flipping over.



During the trip we stayed at various RV parks in Yellowstone etc, and with our truck camper setup was a breeze - drive into the space, jump out and drop the jacks with the remote for added stability, hook up water/electricity/cable, go have fun. The routine takes about 10 minutes. There were a lot of other rigs that were more plush, more roomy, but setting them up in the narrow non-pullthrough sites can be exciting for their drivers. It was funny sometimes watching people have to unhook their boat or toad, jockey the fiver or trailer into position, unhook then move the truck, put down jacks, roll out the carpet, unload the bikes, etc etc etc - setting up for many of these folks is a full hour's worth of work and tempers get frayed PDQ



On the road, the camper is awesome because it is so easy to find a place to park. You can go to the grocery store, restaurants, movie theatres, you name it and always wheel in and around the parking lots with no worries.



The only problems I face with my rig are from the 5-speed and a need for another 50 hp or 100 pounds or so of torque. On roads where the speed limits allow one to keep the truck at the 2000 rpm "sweet spot", it will handle very steep grades no problem at all. Unfortunately, in Colo many of the grades are 50 mph which is way out of the sweet spot in 5th, and "not quite there" in 4th so you find yourself wishing for that extra gear or for enough torque to motor on up in 4th.



Handling-wise, there are a few things you can do with even an extremely heavy truck camper to improve the ride:

- Remember that the freshwater tank represents a lot of weight (as much as 50 gallons), and if you are travelling around with all the tanks full you may have 750 lbs or more that you don't HAVE to carry. Make a habit of dumping your grey/black tanks before you head out for a long drive, and fill up your fresh tank only when you are near your destination. Like in our case, why bother spending the $$$ on diesel to lug 500 pounds of fresh water all the way to Yellowstone, when I can fill the tank up in or near the park?

- Make it a habit to pack your heavy gear near the floor, and NOT in the upper compartments in the cabover etc. The location of the center of gravity of the load in the truck bed has a huge influence on truck handling, and when you put heavy weights up high in the camper you can shift the COG up enough to make a noticeable difference in handling (same is true for ANY RV). Best bet is to use the upper cabinets only for linens/light clothes and such. You can put drinks, water, other heavy stuff in the basement or lower cabinets.

- Drive a bit slower than you normally do. Although a truck handles well with a camper on it in general, the difference in COG and loading has a definite impact upon dynamic response of the rig - it won't react to bumps/turns the same as it does unloaded. With my truck, at 65-70 mph on the highways the handling is much like unloaded, but push the speed up toward 80 and things can start getting exciting. I find my truck is most comfortable in the 65 mph range, mostly because of that 2000 rpm "sweet spot". Keeping it at 65-70, you rarely know the camper is even back there.



Finally, the post about dips and ditches is right on - watch yourself when crossing ditches or entering gas stations etc, or you will drag something you don't want to drag. Also keep an eye on what you are driving UNDER - a camper rig is pretty tall. It is a sick feeling to drive under something and hear "crunch" - trust me on that :-laf :-laf

 

[Stretch]

Great Thread,



I am running a new '05 Dually w/ Ride-Rites and an in-cab controller for them. I have an Arctic Fox 1150 (weighs in at 3600lbs; less than the 1140). The Aluminum Superstructure of the camper helps reduce weight overall. The truck rides like a Caddy, but I think some additional add-ons that have been mentioned here will help out even more.



Can anyone tell me what it the sway bar, shocks, and bump stops package might run dollar wise? I also live in Alaska and finding Ranchos up here is near impossible. I do not have the tools nor the ability to install the shocks myself. I did have them put on my 2500 V-10 though... Nice addition, but a real @$$ pain to find someone to do it.



Thanks for any input,

 

[JPM]

I ended up going to Summit racing for the sway bar and air bags. If you want to get this stuff installed , look at about the same amount for labor as the cost of the parts.

 

[RMH]

Like the old bull said to the young bull... . slow and easy does it. control is every thing when driving a truck camper because of the high center of gravity/weight on the truck. remember , your on vacation relax check out the scenery and have a safe trip