Arctic Fox 27-5L
I'm seriously considering purchasing this unit, and am curious whether these are still as highly regarded as they seem to have been in the past. I live in Richmond, and it's going to cost me about $30...
Forum Discussion
Our AF is a 24-5N, one of the very first 2004 models. It never had to go in for any warranty service. I'm in California and drove up to Guarenty Chevrolet in Oregon to make the purchase, as nobody nearer were interested in discounting from the mfg suggested price. IIRC, I saved somewhere between 20 and 25% by driving up to Oregon.
Over the past 14 years we have driven cross country several times, up to Alaska 3 times, and many short trips. We full timed for 9 months a few years back. The roads that were the hardest on the Fox were;
2005 - Dalton Highway to Coldfoot, Alaska, in the early spring. Imagin, a nice gravel highway, 40-45 MPH, see a little stick on the side of the highway with a short length of ribbon fluttering in the breeze. I had no clue what it was there for until we were upon a frost heave. I must have hit it at over 35 and could swear we went airborne. Being a quick learner, we slowed way down for little sticks with ribbons. When we arrived in Coldfoot and entered the Fox, we found the dinette table had detached from the wall, came apart, in a neat stack, with all the parts on the overturned table top. Put it back together in Fairbanks in the Home Depot parking lot after buying some deck screws. Table has been no problems since. Oh, broke the glass shelf in the refrigerator but never replaced it.
2010 - Dempster Highway through Yukon Territory to Inuvik in Northwest Territory. It's about 450 miles of gravel highway. Some rain, some mud, some very smooth dirt road. The Fox was so dirty, the sides were solid brown. When we got back to Dawson City, a woman stopped by at the RV park, pointed at the Fox, and said "Dempster Highway, huh").
Anyway, we just got back from Alaska last month again which puts the mileage on the Fox at about 84,000 miles. I've changed the shocks after the first two Alaska trips as they were beat to death on all the gravel roads.
What else have I had to repair? Replaced the thermostat, just replaced the brakes and bearings this year, two hubs this year, bathroom fan blade blew apart one day a few years back (very loud noise that assisted with the reason I was in there with the fan), and replaced a plastic trim piece in the bathroom. Oh, on the second Alaska trip, we stayed at Muncho Lake in BC and after returning from a walk we smelled propane. I tracked it down to a connector where a copper line branches off to the BBQ connector on the side of the Fox. The copper had been beat to death (flattened) and the nut had been hit more on the top part than the bottom, so it was loose. Tightened with a wrench, the copper held pressure till we got home and I removed it.
I've toured the factory a few years back and was very impressed. I looked earlier this year for a new Fox but my DW said why replace it? It is the perfect size for us and we haven't found a Don's Steak House parking lot we haven't been able to get in and out of (naturally, not the drive through). She loves their fries and they are consistent all across the country and Canada.
If we were to purchase again, I'd sure do my due diligence, but would keep the Fox at or very near the top of the list.
Oh, pull it up any hill at speed limit with my 2015 RAM 3500.
Over the past 14 years we have driven cross country several times, up to Alaska 3 times, and many short trips. We full timed for 9 months a few years back. The roads that were the hardest on the Fox were;
2005 - Dalton Highway to Coldfoot, Alaska, in the early spring. Imagin, a nice gravel highway, 40-45 MPH, see a little stick on the side of the highway with a short length of ribbon fluttering in the breeze. I had no clue what it was there for until we were upon a frost heave. I must have hit it at over 35 and could swear we went airborne. Being a quick learner, we slowed way down for little sticks with ribbons. When we arrived in Coldfoot and entered the Fox, we found the dinette table had detached from the wall, came apart, in a neat stack, with all the parts on the overturned table top. Put it back together in Fairbanks in the Home Depot parking lot after buying some deck screws. Table has been no problems since. Oh, broke the glass shelf in the refrigerator but never replaced it.
2010 - Dempster Highway through Yukon Territory to Inuvik in Northwest Territory. It's about 450 miles of gravel highway. Some rain, some mud, some very smooth dirt road. The Fox was so dirty, the sides were solid brown. When we got back to Dawson City, a woman stopped by at the RV park, pointed at the Fox, and said "Dempster Highway, huh").
Anyway, we just got back from Alaska last month again which puts the mileage on the Fox at about 84,000 miles. I've changed the shocks after the first two Alaska trips as they were beat to death on all the gravel roads.
What else have I had to repair? Replaced the thermostat, just replaced the brakes and bearings this year, two hubs this year, bathroom fan blade blew apart one day a few years back (very loud noise that assisted with the reason I was in there with the fan), and replaced a plastic trim piece in the bathroom. Oh, on the second Alaska trip, we stayed at Muncho Lake in BC and after returning from a walk we smelled propane. I tracked it down to a connector where a copper line branches off to the BBQ connector on the side of the Fox. The copper had been beat to death (flattened) and the nut had been hit more on the top part than the bottom, so it was loose. Tightened with a wrench, the copper held pressure till we got home and I removed it.
I've toured the factory a few years back and was very impressed. I looked earlier this year for a new Fox but my DW said why replace it? It is the perfect size for us and we haven't found a Don's Steak House parking lot we haven't been able to get in and out of (naturally, not the drive through). She loves their fries and they are consistent all across the country and Canada.
If we were to purchase again, I'd sure do my due diligence, but would keep the Fox at or very near the top of the list.
Oh, pull it up any hill at speed limit with my 2015 RAM 3500.
