Newbie Lurker - TC Arctic Fox for Year round Living

Thank CSG....

Yah, I went through this for 6 months, changing, it seemed, every 4 hrs but the thinking is this.

I'm fairly new to the Buggy riding, 1 yr, but have been camping/backpacking for over 25yrs and love exploring stuff. I used to Cold Water dive up here in Seattle, WA & Canada on dive camp-outs. Gave up CW diving after 25+yrs and ORV is replacing that. It's still outdoorsy stuff and something to do. I also like photography and will trip for that too.

The TC with a flat bed will allow me to move around a little easier example:

When I get the to the campsite, set the camper down and then if the buggy ride is some 20 miles down to the staging area, I can just load up he buggy of choice on the flat bed and go into rougher roads.

I don't have to load up the long trailer and drag that along.
I currently live in a small 800sf condo, just myself and while it is nice, I don't really need all the space etc. I go out in my little Tear Drop trailer and luv it. I can do rain or wind, but not both together. I'll just pack up and leave when they both happen for any length of time.

With the monsters, heheh, I think of it as "The Beasts" I don't thing I'll get cabin fever as long as I can go outside or have something to do, riding etc. I'm 68-yrs young and at this age there isn't enough time to explore it all including Canada... so I'd be slowly moving around.

Winters in the SW states and as every thing thaws, heading northward. Summer has a lot of different buggy rallies and that would keep me busy.

My mindset is pretty much independent in that I can and have gotten along without any permanent company, so being around people isn't really needed.

Game plan would be to stay at various locations for a few weeks more or less for the good riding spots. Like UT or AZ or NM NV

I also like taking Dive trips to the Caribbean or South Seas and that can break things up. Usually try to do 2 10-day trips a year.

Now, does that mean I won't say enough already? nope.. but then I'll find a place, current thinking is Bend, OR with a small cabin/mfg home and use that as a home base. The rig will still be needed, so I'm not loosing on that end.

I need a 4-season camper to enjoy the snow temps and a truck that doesn't creep up a grade. I'm thinking the RAM Diesel and Arctic Fox can do that.

Does that help? a Toy hauler or 5th wheel would be too big and not able to go over rougher roads etc... Plus, i don't want to pack it up if I have a staging area 20-40mi down the road.

heheh, anyway,that's my thinking as of this moment, subject to change on a whim.. That's why I'm looking for experienced people who have done or better, are doing it.

thanks for the heads up, interesting...
appreciate it..

I think I can do this.. and if not, then I buy again.
Gotta try it right? heheh.. running outta time.



and as they say:
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming... WOO HOO.. What a RIDE!"

fun...

Curious. For your desire to maybe full time, why the TC vs., say, a toy hauler, small Class C/B, etc.?

In 1992, my wife and I sold most everything, stored the rest and moved into our 1989 Lance Squire 4000 TC (9.5'). We made it about six months before calling it quits and going back to our lives. Understand, we were pretty young and the journey was open ended more than a commitment to the fulltime RVer lifestyle. Point here is, that living fulltime out of a small RV of any kind requires a very different mindset.

Seems to me you're looking at a monster truck and monster TC along with hauling a 20' trailer housing a couple quads. I think that's gonna get very old in a hurry. I could be wrong but I'd suggest looking into alternatives.

Whoa, kewl.... thanks for the heads up.
(going through Apache in Everett, WA - good to know on the tiedowns, Torqlift)

It's just me, single, so I think I could find places for stuff I absolutely needed and too old to try to impress anyone, heheh. I'd have the truck's Crew cab area to hold some plastic bins if needed... and the front of the V-nosed Enclosed trailer.

A Flat bed was actually in the end game.. I wanted to get another RZR XP1 and it won't fit into the truck bed so planned on getting a flat bed, put the AF on that and still tow the enclosed trailer with both buggys in there and a little storage, not much mind you.

The flatbed would be more for at the campsite. If the buggy ride staging area is down the road, I would carry the XP/ACE on the flat bed and not mess with the trailer. The ACE of course, being smaller would also go onto the flat bed.

As noted above, with the flat bed I can store along the side with movable bins, not sure how that will work yet, but to carry other things

It would be along this line, Pic below, long enough for the XP and i suspect a little room in front? don't know quite yet where the CG would be.



Well, that's the game plan, subject to change at the next post..heheh, but the flat bed is key. I can't do it all at the same time so the truck bed will work for awhile.

Initially, end of year, when I get the truck, i'll get the ACE which does fit well in the bed and then I can tow my little Tear Drop.
When time comes, sell/trade the TD for the AF and get either the long trailer or a temp little one for the ACE.

When the dust settles on all of that stuff, I'll order the XP1k, get the flatbed and then the bigger trailer...

Sigh, it wears me out just thinking about it, but it does start with the truck heheh...learned that lesson..

Thanks for all the info, if I could hear from some who have are doing the Full time annual living, that'd be great...

Standing by.. and yes... confusing, and I can confuse myself very easily, LOL... but that's what I"m good at...

cheers and thanks..

(I was looking for notices to any posts, but didn't get any so just happen to check this thread - oh, I just saw the little option below, got it)

Having aot of room for all my stuff was always a bad thing for us getting a truck camper. I have always thought the Truck Camper was for me over the years however.

I definitely would have to tow a Jeep to run around around in after getting setup somewhere...

Since I would be towing the JEEP then I would would not be able to tow a small utility trailer for all my other stuff...

For us I would almost have to go with a flat bed truck with the TC mounted just behind the truck cab. Then I could fill in all this space with cabinets and doors much like these google photos perhaps...

Flat bed trailer


Flat bed truck


Perhaps after going through all of this it would be easier to just get a suitable TT setup...

Downsizing all my camping junk and two way radio junk is not an option...

Roy ken

Instead of paying for a box your going to dump buy a flat bed or C & to begin with. Campers are nice but full time in one? Heck no! Just not enough room for clothes or anything else.

fpoole wrote:
Ps. I read the thread on the "Cost of outfitting truck" so I'm figuring a little under $5k which includes tires etc.

When I bought my camper, Apache Camping Center included the truck tiedowns. Last I knew, they were still doing that.

I had to specify to get the rear tiedowns that mount to a SuperHitch, since I already had that item.

Based on my experience, with my AF811, I don't think I could full time in a camper that has a slide which pretty much blocks the door when the slide is in.

The 990 is the same way. The slide blocks easy access to the bathroom when retracted too.