ur recommendations on slide in campers!

[GOgle]

ok... I live in knoxville, TN and only have a lance dealer near me... I want a camper that will keep me warm up north in the winter... . what do you think? thanks in advance... Garth

 

[gonzo2]

I don't know about finding dealers, but by casual obsevation around the ski and snowmobile trails the pecking order seems to start with Bigfoot.

Bigfoot link

 

[Mike Ellis]

Lance makes a mighty nice camper, and there are some good-sized dealers in your part of the world. Access to service should something go wrong is a very important consideration.



For cold weather use, the Bigfoot, Northern Lite, Arctic Fox, and Snowriver campers were designed specifically for that market. With good insulation, Lance or any of the modern campers will do a great job for you. If you are a fan of slide-outs in a camper, the Arctic Fox is mighty impressive, it has a full-wall slide that gives a lot of extra room when deployed.



First thing to keep in mind is your truck, if you are driving a 2500 or 3500 SRW you may need to put on airbags or helper springs, and stouter tires to handle the bigger campers. Most of them will run 4,000 lbs when loaded, and a few will push 5,000. For all but the heaviest, a standard dually works pretty darned good.



I am pretty pleased with my Bigfoot, after using it quite a bit I can offer the following observations:

- Extremely well insulated, works great in Texas heat or mountain cold

- Generator is a nice option if you are boondocking much, a good solar panel setup can be better though and much quieter.

- With a bit of care battery life is not a problem, if you want to run the furnace and such all the time it will run down QUICK.

- Fantastic fan is truly fantastic.

- Gray and black tanks fill up pretty quickly, on some campers they are VERY small so be forewarned

- You don't have to carry full freshwater tank everywhere you go, on some of these campers a full set of tanks (fresh/black/gray) can push 1,000 pounds. If you are close to your GVWR, running with mostly empty tanks can make your ride much more pleasant. Just fill up near destination.

- Except for pop-ups, the average truck camper and truck make for a VERY tall package. Watch overhanging tree limbs and stuff closely.

- Loading one into the truck is very easy if you take your time and pay attention to alignment. If you rush around you will do something stupid and bitterly regret it later.

- Take good care of your electric jacks, they are your good friends and are very expensive to replace

- Regardless of brand, pay CLOSE attention to your caulking and sealing around vent penetrations, windows etc. A leak can cause you a LOT of problems. This is applicable to all RV's, not just truck campers.



Good luck!