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StirCrazy's avatar
StirCrazy
Moderator
Oct 12, 2021

Looking for options

So we did our first real trip in the camper (usaly use the 5th wheel and the camper has been for my solo travels) but the wife loved it. not enough to get rid of the 5th wheel but enough to look at a newer caper with a north south bed and bigger bathroom and so on. I max my truck out at about 4000lb and I was looking at the artic fox 865. everyone has told me that they are one of the bestbuilt on the market but thats just from what the people I know are saying. I would like to get as much bang for my buck for a 4000lb or less wet weight camper. I do have a long box if that makes a huge difference. anything else I should be looking at? we do camp in colder weather, not crazy cold but I dont want the wether to stop me from traveling.

thanks
Truck Campers
  • ICamel's avatar
    ICamel
    Explorer
    Oct 14, 2021
    StirCrazy wrote:
    we realy do like the 992Steve

    Going on 6 years with our 992 in a 2005 F350 SRW. To each their own:)
  • Kayteg1's avatar
    Kayteg1
    Explorer II
    Oct 14, 2021
    mkirsch wrote:
    120 over gvwr is pretty good.

    You'll find that it is quite common for folks in here to ignore gvwr and just use combined axle ratings. Some will even just say "rear axle is rated for 10,000 by its manufacturer so put bigger tires on it and pile it on."

    GVWR is taxable number and has very loose connection to truck capacities.
    With TC rear axle weigh rating is the only that really matters.
    Once you weigh it and read the label, you know what camper you can slide on it.
    Obviously you will always find guys who go overboard and they apply dually axle capacity to SRW, just becouse the axle has the same model number.
    But the same model number comes with different gears, different shafts and different bearings.
  • Geo_Boy's avatar
    Geo_Boy
    Explorer II
    Oct 14, 2021
    StirCrazy wrote:
    Geo*Boy wrote:
    Steve, Northwoods recommends a dually for all their AF TC’s, you maybe ok with the 865 with minimal gear and empty tanks. I would definitely run a set of Timbren double convolutes as insurance and get a Roadmaster sway bar.


    no with the heavy gvrw package of my truck if it is fully loaded to max I am 120lbs over my gvw including myself the dog and the wife. I have a couple friends that have that one on there SRW and no issues either, but ya I agree every other one I looked at just got heavier. a new truck may be in the books in 10 years but not now and I dont need the slides if it is a good unit.

    as for the timberen's what are double convolutes? I had timberns on my old truck. and ya a rear sway bar is already on my radar.

    Steve

    Steve

    Timbren makes two kits, the severe duty kit and the regular, double convoluted, kit. Don’t use the severe kit.
  • mkirsch's avatar
    mkirsch
    Nomad II
    Oct 14, 2021
    120 over gvwr is pretty good.

    You'll find that it is quite common for folks in here to ignore gvwr and just use combined axle ratings. Some will even just say "rear axle is rated for 10,000 by its manufacturer so put bigger tires on it and pile it on."
  • StirCrazy's avatar
    StirCrazy
    Moderator
    Oct 14, 2021
    Geo*Boy wrote:
    Steve, Northwoods recommends a dually for all their AF TC’s, you maybe ok with the 865 with minimal gear and empty tanks. I would definitely run a set of Timbren double convolutes as insurance and get a Roadmaster sway bar.


    no with the heavy gvrw package of my truck if it is fully loaded to max I am 120lbs over my gvw including myself the dog and the wife. I have a couple friends that have that one on there SRW and no issues either, but ya I agree every other one I looked at just got heavier. a new truck may be in the books in 10 years but not now and I dont need the slides if it is a good unit.

    as for the timberen's what are double convolutes? I had timberns on my old truck. and ya a rear sway bar is already on my radar.

    Steve

    Steve
  • Geo_Boy's avatar
    Geo_Boy
    Explorer II
    Oct 13, 2021
    Steve, Northwoods recommends a dually for all their AF TC’s, you maybe ok with the 865 with minimal gear and empty tanks. I would definitely run a set of Timbren double convolutes as insurance and get a Roadmaster sway bar.
  • StirCrazy's avatar
    StirCrazy
    Moderator
    Oct 13, 2021
    Geo*Boy wrote:
    Is your truck a dually?


    No, thats why there is realy only one artic fox I could buy. the 856 is the one that I could carry. the others would be pushing my max a little to much. we realy do like the 992, but thatvputs us up around 4500 lbs which I dont know how crazy being 500 lbs over on a 14 F350 is (have the heavy payload option on it)? I know 20 years ago guys were hauling 5000lbs campers on trucks that were only rated for 3800 - 4500 lbs

    Steve
  • jimh406's avatar
    jimh406
    Explorer III
    Oct 13, 2021
    Geo*Boy wrote:
    Is your truck a dually?


    Probably not if his max is 4000 lbs.

    I’d add Host to the list. Maybe not current models, but they also made small TCs and single slide models a few years ago.
  • Bedlam's avatar
    Bedlam
    Moderator
    Oct 12, 2021
    Northstar, Bigfoot and Northern Lite are some additional brands you should compare.

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