In my search for a truck camper I ran across this Northland grizzly for a fair asking price(6K) 20 miles from the house.He was hauling it on a Dodge 3500 DRW..I asked him how it handled and he replied,really good compared to the Arctic fox 811 I had.My question is:why would there be such a difference in handling between this Northland and the AF 811 on this dodge dually?Are AF campers top heavier or is this year of dodge dually marginal for either?I do not remember the length of this one but it looks like a 9-10 ft with a slide making it comparable to the AF in weight.I just did not want that big of a unit for where I go.

It isn't just the weight, it's also where the weight is. My Bigfoot 10.4 is 700 lbs heavier that the Bigfoot 9.6 it replaced, but the truck handles better. It's just as tall, but the weight is further forward.

jaycocreek wrote:... .I asked him how it handled and he replied,really good compared to the Arctic fox 811 I had. ...How could he compare the two TCs on his truck unless he hauled each of them? Handling is so subjective. Two people can drive or ride in the same rig, and one will think it is great and the other thinks it is lousy. When I first got my truck and loaded the TC, I thought it was great. My wife said it swayed too much. It had no sway bar. I installed a sway bar and she said it was great. For me, it was a tad better, but I was okay without the sway bar. I thought my truck needed new shocks. On two different occasions I had two friends drive the truck. They said the shocks were fine. I had the front end aligned and shocks checked. The mechanic said the shocks were okay. My point is, how a vehicle handles is a personal thing. You can change just about every handling charistic. There are exceptions, but you gotta be specific.

How could he compare the two TCs on his truck unless he hauled each of them? He owned both of them and hauled them on the same Dodge Drw as I posted but was not clear enough in what he said.I do understand how hauling a truck camper and how they feel is really subjective..My wife is the same way,any sway what so ever she replies,why is it leaning.This is from a long list of truck campers we have owned and used.Not so much on our currant combo as I have a smallish camper on a bigger truck with dual wheels.I was just curious if it was a Arctic Fox thing as was written in truck camper magazine about it being tall and heavy(AF 811) to his surprise.This Northland appears to be setup just like the Lance 995 inside,room wise which TCM say's is like 4436 lbs(lance 995) wet while the AF 811 is 4569 lbs.To me anyway,I can't understand why that little difference in actual weight would make any real felt difference in handling other than height or COG loaded on his truck.I do understand the Northland could weigh more or less than the Lance I compared it too but also,not by much.What he said has just stuck with me since he said that, wondering why two comparable TC's in weight would handle different enough for him to make that statement.

Can you load it on your truck to see how it does? That is the only way you will know.

I was also confused about who owned the AF. Adding "" around what he said would clear that up.I'm guessing either the AF is top heavier or loaded more rearward, or maybe some of it is in his head. When you buy a new camper the impression always seems a bit better.

Dodge 3500 DRW handling | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

Gary3
Explorer
Nov 27, 2017
I agree your well within the weight rating of your truck with all those batteries you have lots of boondocking power.
Bedlam
Moderator
Nov 27, 2017
I've added a few items to the rear of my 5500 putting the rear axle weight at 6300+ lbs before I load the 6000 lb Host Mammoth and hitch up my 8000 lb enclosed trailer with 1000 lbs of tongue weight. A 5500 may be too much truck for your 1191, but not my setup.

Rear axle:

Front axle:

Just some of my extra weight:
Gary3
Explorer
Nov 27, 2017
A 5500 is way over kill for any truckcamper I looked at 4500 dodge and 5500 and there both very heavy on the suspension side of thing for a truckcamper.
jaycocreek
Explorer II
Nov 26, 2017
burningman wrote:
Super_Dave wrote:
Doesn't the one you are trying to sell always handle great when asked?

Exactly!!

Not everyone says that..Example..Our local RV tech bought a new Dodge 3500 SRW then later bought the Eagle Cap 960 and put it on..Just one trip up the Elk city highway to his home had him selling it immediately after.This trip is a very curvy road.The first and only paved road I have heard log truck drivers called out mile markers on, right next to the river.

When selling he was very quick to advice this truck camper needs DRW's..I always thought as a RV service tech for many years, he should have known but I see why maybe not,he fixes them and does not drive them.

He was quick to make sure anyone else did not make the mistake he did..
Grit_dog
Navigator
Nov 26, 2017
burningman wrote:
Super_Dave wrote:
Doesn't the one you are trying to sell always handle great when asked?

Exactly!!

Right? Guy who bought our old AF 860 asked what I hauled it with. Told him Dodge 2500. He asked how it handled. I said fine. He dropped it on his 2500 Chevy with only the stock springs. It sank like a rock. He drove it home and ordered some airbags I'm sure......
He never asked what I did to the truck to make it handle "fine." I didn't volunteer the info.
jaycocreek
Explorer II
Nov 25, 2017
Center of gravity has to be the difference felt between the two campers on the same truck.Arctic Fox CG's are all over the board from the AF-811 to the 992 where Lance's are all pretty close to the same except for the 850.

AF-992 "46"COG" Lance-1062 "48 COG"
AF-992 "54.5 COG" Lance-995 "45 COG"
AF-811 "39" Lance-975 "49 COG"
AF-865 Non slide"?" Lance-850 Non slide "39 COG"

The difference felt between the AF-811 and the Northern lite 990 on the same Dodge 3500 DRW must have been the COG difference.There is 10" difference between the Lance 975 and the AF-811 in Center of gravity.

Granted I do not know the COG of the Northland and could not find it but I would be willing to bet it is much closer to the Lance than the AF,,,
towpro
Explorer
Nov 25, 2017
I agree with Bedlam here. That truck in picture had helper springs. If the old camper weighed just enough to have the helper springs just touching, every time they hit a bump the truck would go BANG as the helper springs slam into the frame perches.
burningman
Explorer II
Nov 25, 2017
Super_Dave wrote:
Doesn't the one you are trying to sell always handle great when asked?

Exactly!!
Bedlam
Moderator
Nov 25, 2017
My Ram 5500 handles my 6000 lb Host better than my previous 4000 lb Arctic Fox, but it is because the suspension was too stiff with my AF811 and softer riding with my Mammoth.
Super_Dave
Explorer
Nov 25, 2017
Doesn't the one you are trying to sell always handle great when asked?