2014 Chalet TS116RB -the ULTIMATE luxury TC ever??

[HudsonValleyRog]

Yes, I know it's VERRRRY heavy and very expensive (I'd imagine)!! But sheesh...this thing just blows me away!! :E

-An actual shower that someone my size could FIT in (6-1).
-A 650W solar system on the roof.
-SIX batteries on board.
-Radiant heat in floor.
-A kitchen peninsula.
-Reclining leather chair.
-2 large flat screens.
-TONSSS of storage space both inside and out.
-Oh yeah...a washer/dryer!

I do realize that this basic floor plan is already currently offered in certain Chalet models, but IMO the rear slide in this particular model is a HUGE improvement in "usable space" than the rear slide with sofa is.

15min video of the prototype that is for sale in Texas-

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So what's your opinion?

[tktplz]

I'm guessing with a wet weight of 6,000 pounds it won't fit my Toyota Taco with suspension upgrades......LOL! I like many others here do the TC thing to get away and I can't see this thing getting to far away from the pavement. It is pretty and it is super nice. Not my cup of tea but that's why this is the USA, freedom of choice or to each his own. I do like they are trying different things in the TC tho like heated flooring, nicer equipment in the bathroom, like the shower hose, 650 watts of solar. Nice ideas. :B

[jornvango]

We just bought our new TC at Princess Craft a few days ago (we bought a new Livin Lite 8.6 for our upcoming trip through Central America).

While waiting for our new TC at the dealership, we did walk around and had the pleasure of exploring the mammoth TC's with 3 slides. They are amazing and made us think of a 'small' 5th wheel. Not sure why you need all that weight, but if you don't mind, have the right truck (a 450?) and the cash to pay for it, why not ...

Would I buy this? Probably not: even if I wanted the space and luxury, I'd opt for a 5th wheel, unless I needed to tow a boat or 4x4 behind the truck.
Our lifestyle and desires to go off the beaten path make a TC like this with 3 slides very inconvenient / impractical. We prefer the small and light weight Livin Lite ... To each his own! 🙂

[rickeoni]

I would like to get this camper and it is not the $$$$ that worries me and the DW. It is the size, this thing looks huge when sitting on the back of a truck. After being in an 8.5 non slide camper for the last 8 years I might get lost inside this beast.

[sleepy]

I seem to notice a lot of people freaked out at the price.... it's not a big deal.

As someone mentioned there are a lot of retired single users, and even more retired couples.

People that have full retirement pensions,full social security benifits, and participated fully in their employers 401K plans have money

These people should have their primary houses paid for... they will have lots of excess $$$ coming in and not much going out. Their kids are gone, their education paid for.

It's not about being smart... it's about not making mistakes... like retiring too early, expensive bad habits, paying divorce lawyers, etc...

-------------------

The list price on my 2003 truck was $48,000 and my 2003 Lance 1161 was $28,000...

Thats $76,000

with taxes, mods, etc.. it was soon $80,000

I was two years from retirement... everything in place. I never considered quiting early... And wasn't shocked by the price.... I also knew that we needed at least a 1000 nights in our camper to make it pay for itself. (We have now passed 1032 nights :B

Some of the guys I worked with quit at 53 or 55 years old... took retirement. It wasn't long before we'd see them working at Walmart... they'd tell us that they got bored staying home all the time, still insisting they are retired. In reality they are working full time greeting customers, cleaning the bathrooms, stocking shelves for a maximum of $11,000 a year

The benifits that were acruing on the $60K/year job they had previously stopped getting better the day they took the buy-out. They will never have a new RV... a new TC and Truck... dreaming won't make a difference to them... it won't help... they are now about 70 and still working after more than 15 years of low wages and the insufficiant benifit package from their previous well paying job..

I don't think the prices of this super truck camper are out of line with the price increases of everything else

A top of the line GMC truck might be in the $60K range now.

It'll still take a 1000 nights to recoupe the $$$ or a motel would be cheaper over all.

To get to a 1000 nights... you really need to be fully retired... not working part time.

We have met a lot of WM greeters... but none in a truck camper.

Best of luck to those who want what might be the fanciest TC that will ever be built. do a little planning... it's within your grasp.

[bmanning]

Wow that thing is fabulous.

Put that on a Ram 5500 4x4 crew cab, fully loaded & air suspended, then hand me the keys...you wouldn't see me again for months if not a year or 2!

[rickeoni]

Bedlam wrote:

rickeoni wrote:


Personally, I'd rather sacrifice some of that bedroom storage for more windows, though. JMO...

I agree I don't need a mirrored full wall closet cramping the sleeping area. Who needs a mirror to sleep? Who gets dressed lying down in bed. I guess my grandchildren can makes faces in the mirror, until they get too tall to stand in the cabover.

I really don't care if there are windows in my loft/cab over since it is for sleeping (just leave me an escape route). The full wall wardrobe provides good storage in our TC and does make the area darker with less windows. Adventurer uses mirrored doors on their wardrobe, like Chalet. This gives you the impression the space is larger and allows more light for those that do want windows in their loft. I am used to sleeping on a queen sized bed at home which I also have in my TC. I don't need more room to sleep or deal with additional linen sizes between beds - Right now I can use the same bed coverings used at home and TC interchangeably.

I guess thats why there are so many floor plans as everybody had different need and wants.

[12V_Cummins]

I think any newish 1 ton dually is just fine for these size campers. Pretty amazing on how much you can squeeze on the back of a pickup. Anyways ill keep my smaller more mobile truck camper as i enjoy it very much.

[Butch50]

HudsonValleyRog wrote:
I hear you, Bedlam!

I think if I was going to spend $100k or so on an RV, I would have a hard time convincing myself to get a 4,000+lb TC and a 4500/5500 class truck instead of a 24ft Class A motorhome with a turbo diesel 6cyl (Sprinter chassis) that would average around 15mpg and have quite a bit more room inside! I would imagine they are fairly easy to drive as well.

I guess the biggest difference between the 2 comparisons is the 4WD option with the TC setup. Also- whether or not you can utilize the truck sans TC for other things such as work, farming, towing a car/boat/dump trailer, etc.

Not only 4X4 but also if I want to upgrade either my camper or the truck I don't have to upgrade both at the same time and have the full outlay again. Oh lets see I just did that, I got a new Ram 3500 DRW and put the same camper on it that I use to put on my Ford.

To folks that say you would need a F450 for this camper I hope you are talking about a Cab Chassis as the F450 pickup of today has less cargo capacity than the F350 DRW in the same configuration. Now there seems to that the 2015 F450 may go back to the days when it first came out with a pickup bed in the 2008 to 2010 era. Even then the trucks back there had a GVWR of 14500# and the new F350 DRW has 14000# GVWR and they weigh less than the F450.

[Bedlam]

It is almost 8' above the pickup bed rails because of the taller basement.

[gitpicker2009]

I think my 4500 would handle it, but isn't it much taller than an average TC?

[Bedlam]

rickeoni wrote:


Personally, I'd rather sacrifice some of that bedroom storage for more windows, though. JMO...

I agree I don't need a mirrored full wall closet cramping the sleeping area. Who needs a mirror to sleep? Who gets dressed lying down in bed. I guess my grandchildren can makes faces in the mirror, until they get too tall to stand in the cabover.

I really don't care if there are windows in my loft/cab over since it is for sleeping (just leave me an escape route). The full wall wardrobe provides good storage in our TC and does make the area darker with less windows. Adventurer uses mirrored doors on their wardrobe, like Chalet. This gives you the impression the space is larger and allows more light for those that do want windows in their loft. I am used to sleeping on a queen sized bed at home which I also have in my TC. I don't need more room to sleep or deal with additional linen sizes between beds - Right now I can use the same bed coverings used at home and TC interchangeably.

[Bedlam]

~DJ~ wrote:
Can I haul it with my F 150 if I put on airbags?

Yes - It depends on how far and fast you want to go before failure.

[exhaustipated]

I suppose you could DJ if you get the truck out of that big hole you made when dropping the rig onto the truck but I doubt it so you should just go ahead and bury the thing.

[_DJ_1]

Can I haul it with my F 150 if I put on airbags?