Arctic Fox to Introduce a Triple-Slide Camper

[brholt]

I wonder if this is bringing back a modified AF1160 or a new design.
Given the weight of their other campers I wonder what this will tip the scales at.

"Among the new layouts was a prototype of a three-slide Arctic Fox truck camper floorplan that features a cathedral roof with island kitchen, dinette and rear-sofa slideouts.
”We’re really were just throwing it out there to get our dealers’ input,” Cochran said. ”They suggested that we change some small things, and we found some ways to improve it.”
The new floorplan will be available next spring. ”We had some dealers who wanted to order it, but we want to hold off until we come up with the final floorplan,” he said."

Northwod annual dealer meeting

[skyhammer]

KKELLER14K wrote:
More slides, more room, more structure, more weight, more maintenance, more leaks and delam, more truck to haul it all,(450 at least), and your going where with it? Just down the paved highway most likely. How often are you going to take that Beast off the truck while out there to use just the truck? Most likely when you get back home... I get it and nice to have that option but if it is room you need...buy a class C or bigger then. I think the idea of bigger is better is not always the niche. Large and heavy is loosing the appeal to get a truck camper into places you can't get a conventional RV into. Ok, you can use your class C or bigger as a daily driver, but think of what these things will cost! Really by the time it is all said and done with a new truck and a TC of this size, go out and find something a few years old that will fit the truck you got and save your money for other things. Most all of us use our trucks as our daily drivers but who wants to stick to the pavement?? Not me anyway... that's not what I had a TC for. This just my opinion but this is certainly geared for the non off road crowd who do not use 4 wheel drive from time to time....OK my figures are out of breath now, it's your turn.

Explain to me how it is harder unload or load a large camper? You either drive under it load it or drive out from under to unload it. In either case, you only have to push one button on the remote, doesn't matter what size the camper is. I unload/load my camper at every campground.Oh, and I use 4WD all the time.

[2BLAZERS]

it all depends on how you define ''off road''

We go off road all the time on Forest Service Roads. Basically am off pavement for every ATV ride, sometimes 5-10 miles off road. And Forest Service roads can be anything from a mucky rocky mess to smoothed out gravel I could take a car down.

A triple slide out TC wouldn't change where we could take a TC. I'm not taking it on the Rubicon trail, that's what quads and the RZR are for.

The guys most concerned about offroading with a TC are going popup with no overhangs anyways.

This is why we have 100 different types and sized of RVs, Trailers, and TCs.

[KKELLER14K]

I really think what would open this market up to a larger demographic of people with existing trucks is that they need to get a grip on the weight concerns. If you want innovation heck lets go carbon fiber construction both inside and out if money is no issue. How much weight would that trim off? Where is most of the weight coming from in the first place? I tried carefully to word my opinions and I didn't rule out that you can't get a TC that size off road. I said you "most likely" would use it differently than a smaller less heavy one. Most likely most of us, even the people who have a 3500 dually wouldn't, or couldn't even carry one of these. Now if money is no issue sure go for the upgrade...just be sure and send lots of pictures...we love pictures.

[2BLAZERS]

mkirsch wrote:

2BLAZERS wrote:
Well, everyone use to weigh in at 14K on a 12,000 GVW rated dually. Now we complain about 14,200 on a 14k rated dually. LOL. perspective.

1. No we don't.
2. If we did we would be justified. The 14K rated duallys are no stronger than the 12K rated ones. Same axle ratings front and back, just less "slush" capacity that we used to get by adding up the axle ratings.

I still see lots of heavy 12 foot campers with slides on 10 to 15 year old trucks.

We can agree to disagree. But my 2016 Ram 3500 has a ton of changes compared to my old 2011 Ram 3500 and compared to my 2005 Ram 3500. All have been dually 4*4, crewcabs. My 2016 handles my 2011 AF 1150 much better..... The GVW and axle ratings increase is quite real. The AF 1150 has been the same since like early 2000s...trucks have changed big time.

[mkirsch]

2BLAZERS wrote:
Well, everyone use to weigh in at 14K on a 12,000 GVW rated dually. Now we complain about 14,200 on a 14k rated dually. LOL. perspective.

1. No we don't.
2. If we did we would be justified. The 14K rated duallys are no stronger than the 12K rated ones. Same axle ratings front and back, just less "slush" capacity that we used to get by adding up the axle ratings.

[2BLAZERS]

Hemi Joel wrote:
We looked at the Host and the Eagle Cap triple slide models, and they were very impressive! Worth the weight penalty in my humble opinion. Just beef up the truck as needed. Cost is a factor, these 3 slide models aren't cheap. But what is really holding me back from buying a new Eagle Cap 1165 is the need to open a slide just to enter. If AF or anyone else built a 3 slide, with the great attributes of the EC1165, but that you could get in and at least get to the bathroom without opening a slide, I'd be 1st in line with money in hand. SO yes, there is innovations yet to be designed in truck campers!

Well, everyone use to weigh in at 14K on a 12,000 GVW rated dually. Now we complain about 14,200 on a 14k rated dually. LOL. perspective.

[Hemi_Joel]

We looked at the Host and the Eagle Cap triple slide models, and they were very impressive! Worth the weight penalty in my humble opinion. Just beef up the truck as needed. Cost is a factor, these 3 slide models aren't cheap. But what is really holding me back from buying a new Eagle Cap 1165 is the need to open a slide just to enter. If AF or anyone else built a 3 slide, with the great attributes of the EC1165, but that you could get in and at least get to the bathroom without opening a slide, I'd be 1st in line with money in hand. SO yes, there is innovations yet to be designed in truck campers!

[2BLAZERS]

jimh425 wrote:

mkirsch wrote:
How much "innovation" can you have in a TC, really?

I think a few of us have ideas that haven't been used yet. 🙂 15 years ago, a slide in a TC was pretty extreme, then came the second and third one and the tent drop downs, and more recently the triple slide.

What's next?

What's next....I really hope it's light-weight construction but still as strong. And no carpet, no wood, lifetime roof and seals. If my 1977 K5 truck doesn't leak, why should a RV that is 6 months old cause us to worry?

[2BLAZERS]

That is pretty exciting. I've often said, our next TC will very likely be a side door model. But I'm worried that AF will make it too heavy for even a new dually. If it is any heavier than my AF 1150 I won't.

[jimh406]

mkirsch wrote:
How much "innovation" can you have in a TC, really?

I think a few of us have ideas that haven't been used yet. 🙂 15 years ago, a slide in a TC was pretty extreme, then came the second and third one and the tent drop downs, and more recently the triple slide.

What's next?

[Devocamper]

jimh425 wrote:
There are other reasons to have a TC including towing and occasional truck use that can't easily be done with a Class C. There are lots of reasons to only have a tent as well, but between tent and the largest most complex TCs there are options for everyone! 🙂

Yes like in our case in downsizing from a fifth wheel to a Truck camper will free us from property taxes ,registration fees, 5 less tires and four brakes on two axles to deal with and much easier to clean and maintain I hope. We are not looking to be off road with TC we want to be on the road and see the country in retirement and The Truck camper is appealing to us but you would never find us off road with one. And in our case coming from a 35 foot fifth wheel the TC's with two or three slides are what we feel would work for us .
Mike

[mkirsch]

How much "innovation" can you have in a TC, really?

[_DJ_1]

KKELLER14K wrote:
More slides, more room, more structure, more weight, more maintenance, more leaks and delam, more truck to haul it all,(450 at least), and your going where with it? Just down the paved highway most likely. How often are you going to take that Beast off the truck while out there to use just the truck? Most likely when you get back home... I get it and nice to have that option but if it is room you need...buy a class C or bigger then. I think the idea of bigger is better is not always the niche. Large and heavy is loosing the appeal to get a truck camper into places you can't get a conventional RV into. Ok, you can use your class C or bigger as a daily driver, but think of what these things will cost! Really by the time it is all said and done with a new truck and a TC of this size, go out and find something a few years old that will fit the truck you got and save your money for other things. Most all of us use our trucks as our daily drivers but who wants to stick to the pavement?? Not me anyway... that's not what I had a TC for. This just my opinion but this is certainly geared for the non off road crowd who do not use 4 wheel drive from time to time....OK my figures are out of breath now, it's your turn.

OTOH bka0721 full times in a huge TC on an F 550 and is always off grid boondocking in the middle of nowhere!!

[3oaks]

jimh425 wrote:
There are other reasons to have a TC including towing and occasional truck use that can't easily be done with a Class C. There are lots of reasons to only have a tent as well, but between tent and the largest most complex TCs there are options for everyone! 🙂

Well stated! 😉

To each their own. There is something out there to suit everyone's needs/wants. 🙂

[jimh406]

There are other reasons to have a TC including towing and occasional truck use that can't easily be done with a Class C. There are lots of reasons to only have a tent as well, but between tent and the largest most complex TCs there are options for everyone! 🙂