Upcoming 2021 Arctic Fox Changes

Mote wrote:

brholt wrote:
We went to the Seattle RV show. We upgraded our 1150 to a newer one but because of Northwoods production schedule our new camper will not come until July when it will be a 2021 model. Several of the changes:

Light Gray color with black trim like the current Legacy models. You can see a 990 here:

Legacy AF990

They are getting rid of (even on current AF's) the sliding window facing the truck rear window and replacing it with a solid window. Supposedly for leaks but we are going to miss that window since you could leave it open at all times when you were set up.

The ladder will be the bigger "tube" model, also seen in the current Legacy.

The Legacy models (they are also doing a Legacy 1150 run around March) features the new frameless windows but we were assured that would not be a standard feature of the 2021 models.

Howdy Brholt,
What made you decide to get a new camper ?
Are you getting the same model ?
We've been looking at the 1150 as we like the ability to get a sofa, the large tanks and being able to access the inside with the slide in. (for quick bathroom and snack breaks)

Our current camper is 7 years old and has served us well. Everything works if a bit used over the 410 nights we have spent in it. However, my wife just retired and I will retire in June when we will move to full time living in it. Given the age of the unit we were a little bit worried things would start to break and by moving to a new unit we could avoid that while still getting pretty good value on the old one.

In addition we really like the higher overhead space in the bed (ours was the last year where the bed area sloped) and they eliminated the shelf that ran across the bed area that I would hit my head on. The "cathedral" ceiling in the camper also really opens up the feeling of the camper (though at an increase in height - we ordered the low profile AC). There are a number of additional changes that are nice too. The "bad" changes are the elimination of the slider window to the truck and the closet next to the refrigerator getting smaller.

Yes, same model. We really like the 1150. We looked at Lance, Eagle Cap, and the Host models, (Cascade, Mammoth) at the show and came back to the 1150 with a wet bath which feels very spacious inside.

Yes, those are all advantages. We did not want the sofa because it forces you to look inside the camper instead of being able to look outside (we try and orient the camper to give us a good view) but I can understand the appeal (We replaced the cushions in our current dinette with much firmer ones, that made it much more comfortable)

I only had water come in once on my 2012 AF through the front window and it was in a heavy downpour with fierce side winds. Unlike some of the other comments, mine did have a screen and we would use it for circulation. I did find driving with it open could draw in road dust, so I only kept it open when stopped.

My sliding window did not open enough to pass an adult through and it did not line up fully with the truck sliding window, but it did provide enough room to pass a drink or food between the camper and truck cab.

I agree about the gray interior and exterior colors. At least where I live, it is 9 months of gray, so I look for lighter colors and plenty of windows when choosing a RV.

I also am not a fan of frameless windows and prefer the sliding models. I heard that Hehr windows (which is what I currently have) was bought by LCI and shut down:

https://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/news/2019/10/10/newton-glass-supplier-lays-off-more-than-100-in.html

https://www.lci1.com/archive/2018/02/16/lippert-components-acquires-window-and-glass-business-of-hehr-international/

I would not buy TC without sliding window, who not only allows dogs to walk there in wet weather, but with added boot, it recycles truck cool or heat into camper, so when you stop for a lunch, you don't need to enter 130F inside.
I wonder why TC don't use the low-profile AC. Not only that makes basement models on 4WD reaching 13 feet of height, but my 12' camper looks like having ballon mounted on the roof.
The $150 higher price for low-profile AC should not bear much on $50-80,000 camper?

My window slides, but I never use it since there is no screen. My truck does not have a slide window. I think the TC slide is to get access to the truck, but not many owners will crawl through and fewer want to put weather seal between the two and rub off all the truck paint. "Leaks" is a lame excuse, in reality, few want or need it and is a feature that is near the bottom of the list and a good place to save a few bucks for something few use…

The smaller btu AC is a good move, TCs have such small cubic feet that it takes little to cool them down. My 9,200 cooled TC down in minutes in hot summer and compressor did not have to cycle that much.

brholt wrote:
They are getting rid of (even on current AF's) the sliding window facing the truck rear window and replacing it with a solid window. Supposedly for leaks but we are going to miss that window since you could leave it open at all times when you were set up.

I've been seeing a of recent built AFs with the solid window in the front.

brholt wrote:
We went to the Seattle RV show. We upgraded our 1150 to a newer one but because of Northwoods production schedule our new camper will not come until July when it will be a 2021 model. Several of the changes:

Light Gray color with black trim like the current Legacy models. You can see a 990 here:

Legacy AF990

They are getting rid of (even on current AF's) the sliding window facing the truck rear window and replacing it with a solid window. Supposedly for leaks but we are going to miss that window since you could leave it open at all times when you were set up.

The ladder will be the bigger "tube" model, also seen in the current Legacy.

The Legacy models (they are also doing a Legacy 1150 run around March) features the new frameless windows but we were assured that would not be a standard feature of the 2021 models.

Howdy Brholt,
What made you decide to get a new camper ?
Are you getting the same model ?
We've been looking at the 1150 as we like the ability to get a sofa, the large tanks and being able to access the inside with the slide in. (for quick bathroom and snack breaks)

brholt wrote:
Is this with your F550?
We ordered the low profile 8.9 BTU AC. I am kind of wondering what the height will turn out for our F350

I have the truck in my signature.

On the Arched roof AFs, the height from the bottom of the side wing (which is 1/4" or so LOWER than the bottom of the camper) to the top of the A/C is 115" = 9' 7"

Subtract 4" for the reduced height of the low profile A/C


Add that to the height of your truck bed, subtract what the truck squats with your current camper loaded and that will give you the new camper height.

The low profile A/C probably won't have the 20 watt solar panel on top of it.

The measurements I posted above are what I measured at the dealer in Spokane on two campers Saturday.

GeoBoy wrote:

towpro wrote:
what the sliding window was good for was it allowed you to run you fantastic vent fan when it was pouring rain (and you had a lid cover on your vent).
Try to open a side window and do that in a wind driven rain storm

X2

x3

towpro wrote:
what the sliding window was good for was it allowed you to run you fantastic vent fan when it was pouring rain (and you had a lid cover on your vent).
Try to open a side window and do that in a wind driven rain storm

X2

"I'd like a new AF too, and got all hot to trot last Friday, then I had suspicions they'd bee too tall for my shop.

Saturday I went to the local dealer and climbed up on the roof with a stick of wood, 4' carpenter's level and my tape measure and measured them. YEP, TOO TALL.
Mine used to be 11'11" until I switched to a low profile A/C back in 2018.
It's now 11'7". (reduction of 4")

A new AF on my truck with the normal 13" tall A/C would me 12'6" - 12'7".

The increased height totally rules out a new one with all the upgrades they have compared to my old school 2010 relic."



I suspected that with the domed roof, but hoped they shortened the sides or something. Guess not.
You #'s sound spot on. Back before I unintentionally removed the AC (standard height, not low pro) from the 860, it wouldn't quite get out my 12' opening with the bags aired up. If I let the truck do the Carolina squat, it would just clear.
I'd say not very good on AF's part to blow out of the 12' tall limit, but on second thought, probably very smart. Planned obsolescence...less people that can get them inside, the quicker they go to ____ and rot out = sell more campers!