Arctic Fox offroad?
We currently have a RAM 3500 4x4 with a Livin lite truck camper, and we tow a Wrangler to go exploring around the campsite. Both the RAM and the Wrangler are getting up there in miles (and repair c...
Forum Discussion
Wife has an Arctic fox...(I call the trailer hers and I have my old X-rental Majestic) One reason for Arctic Fox is the frame of our late 90's 5th wheel, with a Lippert frame broke. And Lippert could care less, no help at all. So the less anything with Lippert, the better for us. Google up "lippert frame broke" and you'll understand. Lippert come out with a repair guide for their frames breaking, and they couldn't even get that right. They had go to "revision A". What does that tell you? https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/ACM18731969/RCRIT-11V486-1111.pdf
Although Arctic Fox does use some Lippert stuff. In ours the doors and windows are Lippert, or one of their subsidiaries they own. It is hard to get away from Lippert products 100 percent in RV industry. But we got away from then as much as possible.
While I do think the Arctic Fox frame is stronger the others, I would not call their Rv's "off road". If you crawl underneath and take a look at each, Arctic Fox is just put together better than the others (in my opinion). Our meaning of "off road" is nothing wild. Usually logging roads, gravel forest roads, etc. We have lots of ground clearance compared to others OEM's that we have seen. Never smacked anything because of ground clearance but again we don't get to wild. You can look at tire tracks on a dirt road usually see the types of vehicles that use the road. If all you see a motorcycle tracks think twice.
Four seasons...We've had ours in some pretty cold temps and never a problem. (Believe me, we don't seek out cold temps on purpose) Four season in my opinion is a marketing ploy. Just more insulation value and couple heater ducts near the water tanks. Take a look where the outside shower hose comes inside the rv and tell me about "4 seasons" For me anything 5 or 10 degrees below freezing for a couple hours, is what I call cold and time to move.
Our hitch ball is 29 inches off ground if that is indicator of ground clearance (model 25W, not sure about 22 model). And we tow with about the cheapest hitch set up on the market. Why, because it was free, thought we would get a better set up someday, but trailer tows great, so why upgrade?
You'll have some adjustments to make going to a trailer. I know we did. A small Class C (which we still own, only 3 steps longer than our 01 dodge pick up, with 8 foot bed, quad model) to a 30 foot towable trailer. There will be times you can't pull over anywhere you want. You will need more room. But remember you'll also enjoy the room of a larger RV when you get somewhere. Just cooking meals so much easier now. Having larger fresh, gray and black water tanks is also nice to have.
We also camp on public lands...remember if there are any services to where you are going, there is usually no problems getting in or out. That is because any "services" are usually performed with someone with a pick up truck (trash, etc). That doesn't mean I have not had to back down a few dirt paths that dead ended.
We don't leave trailer unattended in places spaces with nothing around. Campgrounds with any services we've never had a problem with theft.
The only thing I can think of that might be attributed to "off road" was a skylight cracking. That doesn't include stuff falling over in RV.
New truck...we're actually keeping our older 2001 because the new stuff seems to have lot of smog problems. And ours is a 3/4 ton, I did install air bags, but it tows great. Gutless on hills though. Trailer is 8 or 9 thousand pounds, lot more than a 22 Arctic fox. I'm pretty close to max weight for tongue weight for what Dodge installed new. But not hard to put in heavier duty hitch. And I can work on my old "mighty Dodge" myself. But yes, hood has been getting opened much to often last couple years.
Also Arctic fox if you need more ground clearance, there is usually no problem going up in tire size for more ground clearance. But that also means not only different tires but rims also. And as far as "flipping axles" not I'm not a believer in raising the center of gravity that much over what OEM designed.
So yes, compromises in small rv and larger rv's. We love the room in trailer but also love to be able to park in regular parking spot.
Overall build quality is terrible:), but better than others IMO. Sad what prices are. Of course I never thought an new pick up would be $60,000 either.
You can look right here on this forum and read about what problems people have. Some are new models of (fill in any brank you want) that are falling apart. While some manufactures are known for quality some are known for assembling junk. But not all rv's falling apart are the manufactures fault. Many are because of no maintenance. Any RV (Arctic Fox or not) will need maintenance. And honestly we've seen a few Arctic Foxes that I'm not sure the owners knew which end of a screw driver to use. But they got because they like the floor plan and heard they are good.
Just me on ours, faucets, shower head, and some other odds and ends are junk, just like any other RV, as in "rv quality" and cheap plastic, not to good. Those items were the first thing we replaced. Now we can fill our coffee pot with our kitchen faucet. Beyond that overall very happy with Arctic Fox.
OK good luck
Although Arctic Fox does use some Lippert stuff. In ours the doors and windows are Lippert, or one of their subsidiaries they own. It is hard to get away from Lippert products 100 percent in RV industry. But we got away from then as much as possible.
While I do think the Arctic Fox frame is stronger the others, I would not call their Rv's "off road". If you crawl underneath and take a look at each, Arctic Fox is just put together better than the others (in my opinion). Our meaning of "off road" is nothing wild. Usually logging roads, gravel forest roads, etc. We have lots of ground clearance compared to others OEM's that we have seen. Never smacked anything because of ground clearance but again we don't get to wild. You can look at tire tracks on a dirt road usually see the types of vehicles that use the road. If all you see a motorcycle tracks think twice.
Four seasons...We've had ours in some pretty cold temps and never a problem. (Believe me, we don't seek out cold temps on purpose) Four season in my opinion is a marketing ploy. Just more insulation value and couple heater ducts near the water tanks. Take a look where the outside shower hose comes inside the rv and tell me about "4 seasons" For me anything 5 or 10 degrees below freezing for a couple hours, is what I call cold and time to move.
Our hitch ball is 29 inches off ground if that is indicator of ground clearance (model 25W, not sure about 22 model). And we tow with about the cheapest hitch set up on the market. Why, because it was free, thought we would get a better set up someday, but trailer tows great, so why upgrade?
You'll have some adjustments to make going to a trailer. I know we did. A small Class C (which we still own, only 3 steps longer than our 01 dodge pick up, with 8 foot bed, quad model) to a 30 foot towable trailer. There will be times you can't pull over anywhere you want. You will need more room. But remember you'll also enjoy the room of a larger RV when you get somewhere. Just cooking meals so much easier now. Having larger fresh, gray and black water tanks is also nice to have.
We also camp on public lands...remember if there are any services to where you are going, there is usually no problems getting in or out. That is because any "services" are usually performed with someone with a pick up truck (trash, etc). That doesn't mean I have not had to back down a few dirt paths that dead ended.
We don't leave trailer unattended in places spaces with nothing around. Campgrounds with any services we've never had a problem with theft.
The only thing I can think of that might be attributed to "off road" was a skylight cracking. That doesn't include stuff falling over in RV.
New truck...we're actually keeping our older 2001 because the new stuff seems to have lot of smog problems. And ours is a 3/4 ton, I did install air bags, but it tows great. Gutless on hills though. Trailer is 8 or 9 thousand pounds, lot more than a 22 Arctic fox. I'm pretty close to max weight for tongue weight for what Dodge installed new. But not hard to put in heavier duty hitch. And I can work on my old "mighty Dodge" myself. But yes, hood has been getting opened much to often last couple years.
Also Arctic fox if you need more ground clearance, there is usually no problem going up in tire size for more ground clearance. But that also means not only different tires but rims also. And as far as "flipping axles" not I'm not a believer in raising the center of gravity that much over what OEM designed.
So yes, compromises in small rv and larger rv's. We love the room in trailer but also love to be able to park in regular parking spot.
How is the overall build quality of Arctic Fox? Their trailers are pricier than Jayco and others.
Overall build quality is terrible:), but better than others IMO. Sad what prices are. Of course I never thought an new pick up would be $60,000 either.
You can look right here on this forum and read about what problems people have. Some are new models of (fill in any brank you want) that are falling apart. While some manufactures are known for quality some are known for assembling junk. But not all rv's falling apart are the manufactures fault. Many are because of no maintenance. Any RV (Arctic Fox or not) will need maintenance. And honestly we've seen a few Arctic Foxes that I'm not sure the owners knew which end of a screw driver to use. But they got because they like the floor plan and heard they are good.
Just me on ours, faucets, shower head, and some other odds and ends are junk, just like any other RV, as in "rv quality" and cheap plastic, not to good. Those items were the first thing we replaced. Now we can fill our coffee pot with our kitchen faucet. Beyond that overall very happy with Arctic Fox.
OK good luck
