comparing Northern Lite and Bigfoot 25c 10.4
Truck campers are expensive so that for me requires trying to pick the best for my money. I have narrowed it down to the aforementioned models. what are the pros and con between the Northern lite a...
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They are both good campers, a tier above most other brands in construction method and execution. A couple of misperceptions however:
The Bigfoot is available as the 10.4 (with forward bath) and 10.6 (with aft bath). They are exactly the same shell, and are both about 11' actual box length. The 10.6 floorplan is virtually identical to the NL 10-2. The NL is about 2 or 3" longer overall than the Bigfoot. So pick the floorplan you like, Bigfoot has both while NL has only the rear bath. I looked specifically for the 10.4 forward bath because I like the panoramic view. The downside of the arrangement is the small dinette. The dinette in the 10.6 is about the same as the NL.
The cabinets in the Bigfoot feature oak doors and drawer fronts, but some sort of simulated would-be-wood for the face frames. The vinyl covering on these does not hold up to much abuse.
You can open the fridge in the Bigfoot 10.4, but the doors hit the bath wall at about 80 deg open. I've never thought it the slightest problem in 5 years of use.
The claimed dry weight of them are similar, within a few pounds. I'm sure, like all RV manufacturers, they both lie about it.
The BF has a flimsy plastic Dometic skylight but glass double pane windows. The NL has a flimsy plastic Dometic skylight and flimsy plastic Dometic windows. The queen bed in the BF is a "travel queen" or 74" rather than 80". This can be a problem if you are tall.
On the heater, the 30KBTU installed by Bigfoot is way more than necessary, if I were ordering one I'd have them put in a 25 or 20Kbtu, unless I was expecting to camp in -40 weather. I swapped mine for the 15/22 dual stage version, not sure they make that anymore after Dometic acquired Atwood. Even 15 kbtu is plenty until you are well below freezing.
The Bigfoot is available as the 10.4 (with forward bath) and 10.6 (with aft bath). They are exactly the same shell, and are both about 11' actual box length. The 10.6 floorplan is virtually identical to the NL 10-2. The NL is about 2 or 3" longer overall than the Bigfoot. So pick the floorplan you like, Bigfoot has both while NL has only the rear bath. I looked specifically for the 10.4 forward bath because I like the panoramic view. The downside of the arrangement is the small dinette. The dinette in the 10.6 is about the same as the NL.
The cabinets in the Bigfoot feature oak doors and drawer fronts, but some sort of simulated would-be-wood for the face frames. The vinyl covering on these does not hold up to much abuse.
You can open the fridge in the Bigfoot 10.4, but the doors hit the bath wall at about 80 deg open. I've never thought it the slightest problem in 5 years of use.
The claimed dry weight of them are similar, within a few pounds. I'm sure, like all RV manufacturers, they both lie about it.
The BF has a flimsy plastic Dometic skylight but glass double pane windows. The NL has a flimsy plastic Dometic skylight and flimsy plastic Dometic windows. The queen bed in the BF is a "travel queen" or 74" rather than 80". This can be a problem if you are tall.
On the heater, the 30KBTU installed by Bigfoot is way more than necessary, if I were ordering one I'd have them put in a 25 or 20Kbtu, unless I was expecting to camp in -40 weather. I swapped mine for the 15/22 dual stage version, not sure they make that anymore after Dometic acquired Atwood. Even 15 kbtu is plenty until you are well below freezing.
