Used Camper Shopping

[Henry]

Need a little constructive input on buying a used camper. I want to spend under 13K for a camper under 10'. I need one that is fully self contained as I rarely have hook-ups available. I've poked around a bit and really like the Artic Fox 990 with pop out. The Snow Rivers look nice too. I'm not sure when they started building the pop out versions and if it took some time to work the kinks out. I hunt and fish, sometimes in very cold weather. Weight is also a factor since my truck is not a 3500. I've done everything I need to to get the truck ready (short of air bags). Just looking for suggestions and / or cautions. Any and all input appreciated. Thanks folks!

 

[wcjp]

When I was looking, popouts seemed to add about 500pds on average. Since almost any slidein is going to be overweight I didn't want to go for broke.

 

[NETim]

4.5" lift?

Since you've lifted your truck 4 1/2", I am wondering how a slide in is going to work out on your rig.



Absolutely stock, my old 2500 4x4 sat purty high off the ground when it came time to load my little 8' slide in. The jacks were almost max'ed out to get the camper high enought to get in the truck bed.



I would not be surprised if you have to put your camper jacks on top of some 6x6's or something to get the elevation needed to load up.



Personally, I would not consider a slide in with a slide out on a 2500. As mentioned earlier, they add quite a bit of weight to a camper. For example, the smallest Lance slide out, the 821, is heavier than the their largest standard camper, the 1130, which is an 11 footer. The 821 is over 3K and the 1130 is about 2900. Both are too heavy for a 2500.



Tim

 

[DPelletier]

Henry,

I would have to agree with some of what has already been said. Slide outs are heavy, I haven't seen one yet that I would want to haul on my 3/4 Ton. If you are cold weather camping, make sure to check out R-values and its nice to have double pane or storm windows. Heated and enclosed tanks are a must for sub-freezing utilization of the plumbing systems. Campers using stick frame, aluminum skin and flexible fiberglass insulation are less suitable for winter use in my opinion. The batt insulation has the potential for void areas which can condense and cause the absorbant insulation to collect moisture, which in turn causes the R-value to deteriorate rapidly. This is a generalization and there are obviously quality brands using this construction method that would be OK, but it is a concern. Ventilation is key to avoiding condensation, but adequate ventilation when dry camping places heavy loads on your battery reserves. Plan on at least two T-105 trojan 6 volts and maybe a generator depending on the duration of your stay.

I am biased , but my Bigfoot 25C9. 5 has heated and enclosed tanks, rigid foam R8 insulation, available double pane windows and the ceiling is polypropylene (looks like carpet) that doesn't condense and is moisture and mildew resistant. Mine has a 2354 lb dry weight (2650 loaded, no water) and is as heavy as I would want to go on my 2500. Your lift kit raises the center of gravity of your rig and could make it less stable than a stock height set-up. Happy shopping.

Dave

 

[Henry]

That's the exact kind of input I'm looking for. I've looked at the Big Foot campers and they look to be top notch. I was just hoping a slide out would work because that little extra space makes such a big difference. As for the lift, I'm only about 2" higher in the rear. The front is 4 1/2". This lift has been tweaked significantly and the truck handles like it's on rails and actually better than stock.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Camper

Might want to look at:http://www.rvtraderonline.com/adsearchprocess.html They have 67 units listed all over USA. bg

 

[dewdo]

I have a 4X4 1 ton dually and an 11. 5 Arctic Fox and I had problems with having to run the jacks out to the maximum to load and unload. I added air bags to the rear, but that still wasn't a safe situation. Loading and unloading was a very hairy situation, so I contacted Happi Jax and bought the 6" extensions. Those worked, but you have to be extra careful since they hang down an additional 6"'s which can be disastrous if you aren't VERY careful getting too close to curbs etc. .



I finally gave up and had the Stable Lift Sysyem installed and that solved the problem of loading and unloading as well as tying it securely to the frame. No regrets.



Dewdo in the other Washington