Arctic Fox 27-5L vs 28-5C

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Arctic Fox 27-5L vs 28-5C

I'm looking into purchasing either the 27-5L or 28-5C model. My last AF was a 24-5N which we used for 15 years and about 80k miles. I'm interested in input from owners about the pros/cons of each model. We know they are heavy and more expensive but as we haven't had the usage of one yet, I'd like to know your thoughts.

TV mounted in the bedroom - is it pretty sturdy?

View angle of TV from the couch - is it comfortable? Does it severely limit the size of the TV in the living room?

No, TV isn't the most important thing, but we do watch a lot during inclement weather.

On the 24, we had no issues putting groceries away while in the parking lot of the store. It appears the 27's slide-out blocks the pantry as does the 28's. The 24's Owner's Manual states it is required to have the legs down and trailer level before putting the slides out. Is it the same with the 27 and 28?

The 27's we have seen have a sturdy stair system with strut assist. I think it is a MORryde, but not positive. The upside to this type of stair system is the stability of the stairs as you use them. The downside is the required almost 5' of side clearance when extending or retracting the stairs. If I'm at the storage lot, I won't have the clearance and would have to pull the trailer out to be able to get in. Anybody here have comments on their experiences with this type of entry?

Both come with a MORryde RPB pin box. I've never used one of these before. Good/Bad/Ugly?

We had a dinette in the 24 and, as it was just the two of us, two chairs. What were your preferences between the dinette and the L shaped bench seat in the 28 and why?

On the 28, it appears there is no room to access the kitchen (sink, fridge, pantry) while the slides are in which makes it difficult to pull into a spot for a midday lunch. Again, do we have to land the legs and level the rig before we open the slides to have lunch?

Thanks in advance for your input.

[Gordon_R]

Another vote for the AF 27-5L. We have had ours now for just under a year.

Only 2 issue I was unhappy about was that the shower was not properly sealed. Took care of it myself. Second was that the main slide wiper seal on the back left came loose. That I had the dealer fix. Now good as new. Kitchen/living room is perfect for us. Bedroom is a little tight getting around the sides, but, do able. Also, I put higher rated shock pistons under the bed so access to the storage is better accomplished and added 1" square tubing to the bed frame to stiffen the feel of the bed.

I've got a few other mods in the works for the front storage. But, we have had fewer problems with this unit, by far than we did with our pusher motor home, or our Forest River Cardinal 5er we had before. It is a better unit then any I have looked at, or owned before.

[RollandB]

We have had our 27-5L for over three years and still love it so I’m a bit biased. The 28-5C is a nice floor plan just not for us. We camp a few times with grandkids so the open living area of ours is a bietter fit.

For the TV questions, in the bedroom, plenty of backing to put a mount to. We installed a 24” TV/DVD for the grandkids and not a problem being secure. The living room is a good height. I raised it about 2” to mount a Bose sound bar below it so the sound bar moves with the TV and the shelf remains free.

For the MorRyde steps, carefully determine if they are the best option for you. The factory still special orders the install of folding steps. Ours came with the folding as it was the only option. I installed a Torklift steps over MorRydes due to the space needed for the MorRydes when deploying them. We store our trailer offsite so would have to pull it forward to access inside which we don’t with the Torklifts. Have also been in tight spots the MorRydes wouldn’t work well. It would be a dealbreaker if the MorRydes were the only option.

I’ve had two fifth wheels with MorRydes Rubber Pinbox which I would say help to reduce some of the bad road spots. Probably not as good as an air pinbox but also no babysitting an air bag.

Best part of Northwood rigs is they make their own frames. I’m not so sure there is a better fram pe in the same price point, but you probably know that.

I’d also suggest to only get a 50 amp power system just in case you ever want a second AC in the bedrooms. 30 amp doesn’t get the prewire

Bottom line, between the two models you mention, the best one is the one that works best for you and your family.

[FlatBroke]

It takes mer seconds to slide a slide out just enough to get where you want to go. I wouldn’t think of this to plan my purchase.

[dieseltruckdriv]

I am sitting in our 27-5L right now, watching tv while it rains. The rear pantry is the only thing blocked when the slide is in, the same as our 2000 27-5L which we had for over 8 years.

The tv angle is perfect in this 27-5L, but the tv is limited to 32".
I really like the MORryde pin box. I can't feel it move, but looking at the dust I can see that it does.
We have the older type stairs which work much better for us.

We were also considering the 28-5C, but the tank sizes were a no go for us. Because the slides cut down on space for tanks.

[agesilaus]

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