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

[KKELLER14K]

It will defiantly help the 450/550 market...

[jimh406]

KKELLER14K wrote:
What demographic are they shooting for by building a triple slide?

It's clear that they are shooting for F350 DRWs. Otherwise, they'd have "guidance" of something else. Well, we'll see if Arctic Fox says it's for a flat bed F450/550 or similar once they produce a brochure. At least, the last time I looked, Arctic Fox listed the recommended minimum truck.

[KKELLER14K]

I guess the bottom line is if it is big.... it will be heavy. Back to this question...What demographic are they shooting for by building a triple slide? Most of us can't carry one and if you want one your in for a truck upgrade.....but hey they offer it and if it's out there people will be willing to pay that price I guess. Count me out for now.

[mkirsch]

jimh425 wrote:

brholt wrote:
With my AF1150 I'm just under my 6200+ F350 payload rating loaded up. Maybe, with no water in the tanks, no propane, one battery, and one of us driving wearing a swim suit we could be in specs hauling that behemoth. 🙂

I guess it depends on who's specs you are going by. That is, those making those campers know that not all are going to be hauled on flatbed 450 and 550s, so it's within the camper manufacturer design specs to be carried on 350s. 😉

No, the camper manufacturers just plain don't care about weight. They know what the average and maximum payloads are for the various trucks on the market, yet they design campers that consistently exceed the average payload capacities for the trucks they're supposedly designed for, and often exceed the maximum payloads, even after fudging the numbers by using axle ratings instead of GVWR.

[jimh406]

brholt wrote:
With my AF1150 I'm just under my 6200+ F350 payload rating loaded up. Maybe, with no water in the tanks, no propane, one battery, and one of us driving wearing a swim suit we could be in specs hauling that behemoth. 🙂

I guess it depends on who's specs you are going by. That is, those making those campers know that not all are going to be hauled on flatbed 450 and 550s, so it's within the camper manufacturer design specs to be carried on 350s. 😉

[brholt]

deltabravo wrote:
My 811 long bed is over the weight limit of my 3500HD dually, so I can't imagine there's a truck on the market that will have the capacity to haul any triple slide behemoth AF builds.

With my AF1150 I'm just under my 6200+ Pound F350 payload rating loaded up. Maybe, with no water in the tanks, no propane, one battery, and one of us driving wearing a swim suit we could be in specs hauling that behemoth. 🙂

[mkirsch]

KKELLER14K wrote:
OK I'm just throwing this out there but there is no other industry that I know of that when it comes to weight consideration is the aircraft industry. There are so many facets to how they "innovate" new materials to make up a planes structure. Honeycomb structures that are light and strong alternatives to that heavy wood material we keep using to build our RV's with. Think of this...how can a jet go to altitudes where the outside temp is -45 and only be 6 inches thick and keep you from freezing to death??

Airplane manufacturers don't have to keep the cost of their product in a range where the everyday average Joe would be likely to buy it. They can do whatever they want because cost is not an object to their customers. In fact the more it costs the better it sells.

On the other hand, TC manufacturers have to appeal to the everyday average Joe. They're not going to find very many people willing to drop $250,000 on a 1200lb carbon fiber honeycomb 12' triple slide TC. Plus it's going to look like a spaceship inside and out. Most people seem to want a more traditional house-like interior.

[deltabravo]

My 811 long bed is over the weight limit of my 3500HD dually, so I can't imagine there's a truck on the market that will have the capacity to haul any triple slide behemoth AF builds.

[jimh406]

tmartin000 wrote:
:B Spoken like a jealous school boy!

I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean.

[tmartin000]

jimh425 wrote:
I wish they would innovate, but I guess it's ok that they copy Host designs.

:B Spoken like a jealous school boy!

Who cares, copy whoever they want. My hope is that more units out there make for a better used market in 5 years.

[KKELLER14K]

OK I'm just throwing this out there but there is no other industry that I know of that when it comes to weight consideration is the aircraft industry. There are so many facets to how they "innovate" new materials to make up a planes structure. Honeycomb structures that are light and strong alternatives to that heavy wood material we keep using to build our RV's with. Think of this...how can a jet go to altitudes where the outside temp is -45 and only be 6 inches thick and keep you from freezing to death??

[2dedge]

Are there any leaked floor plan pictures?

[Hemi_Joel]

WHere does the weight come from? Plywood and particle board are heavy. And there is a lot of it. Tables, countertops, cabinets, beds. It all adds up. I'm sure there are alternative materials that would be much lighter, but at what cost? We like to see out, but glass is heavy too. How about 2 or 3 TVs, satellite tv stuff, steel sinks, even a fireplace and a washer/dryer in some TC's. Slide mechanisms and drive motors, wiring for them, 2 or 3 batteries, solar panels, controllers and heavy gauge cables. If we like to have all the stuff, we need to accept the weight.
I removed the Dana 70 rear axle from my dually and installed a Dana 80, the difference in load capacity is nice, but the larger brakes are awesome. Stops on a dime now! I also added extra leafs to the rear springs, that helps hold up the weight. Next I'm installing a rear sway bar and better shocks to help the handling with the weight of the AF 1050. If I step up to a 3 slide, I'll be adding a few more leafs.

[KKELLER14K]

Skyhammer..So your truck is a 350 and your camper weighs what? I said NOTHING about how hard it would be to take it on and off.. It's whether your more willing or likely to do it with a larger camper. OK you load and unload yours we all have to do it. Don't take it out of context. So is it getting to the point where I'm defending myself? I have had an 1140 and an 1150 Artic Fox and I know how to handle a large TC but if it was a triple that would be any heavier than one of those I have had previously, I wouldn't be putting it on my truck. A lot of people, including myself, don't even have a 350 that could handle what you got...If I wanted to go that heavy of a TC I would have to re-invest into a new truck and it certainly wouldn't be another 350..it would be a 450 or bigger. Now on to the question of how can the builders keep the weight off of the larger TC's? I heard the word innovation...and again my question is where is all this weight coming from?

[Bedlam]

We have a truck camper so we can have 4wd and 10k+ lb lbs of towing capacity. It''s had to get an RV with that without getting something overly long. Even with a 12' floor TC, you are still shorter than most Super C's and diesel pushers.

Rear axle capacity is an issue with the largest TC's - This is why I upgraded to a Class 5 truck. I now have 9000 lbs of payload capacity on the rear axle and can even stay within my GVWR.

We are very happy with our current Arctic Fox but are wary of first year production designs. We are excited to get our Host next Spring but will watch what AF does with this unit. For us, the dance floor and fireplace are calling....