From Truck Camper to 5er and now back to a Truck Camper!

[flyguidemike]

Just thought I would reintroduce myself to the forum, everyone on here has been a great help in the past, I started out with a 2014 Lance 950s and loved that camper, but decided to sell it and buy a 2015 Montana Mountaineer 42' 5th wheel, which we traveled around living in it full time for a year, and really enjoyed the travels but we decided it was just way too big. so we just sold the 5er and bought a 2016 Arctic fox 996, and I don't plan on switching rigs for along time to come, I am glad that I have experienced the different kinds of rigs, and after all that I appreciate my truck caper even more now. We Just took the new Arctic fox out for the first time over the holiday weekend, we ended up camping in Leavenworth Washington at a thousand trails campground. It was cold but I was incredibly surprised at how warm the camper stayed in the cold temps, it dipped down to about 10 degrees at night but we stayed nice and toasty inside. I am looking forward to many more trips with my family in this camper, and thanks again to everyone on this forum, you guys and gals are always so helpful on all sorts of different topics.

[getpower1]

flyguidemike wrote:
The SRW handles this camper great, I was a little concerned about the weight so before I bought I talked to the Arctic fox rep ( Think his name was Doug) and he said that the combo with the air bags and the 1 ton SRW with Rickson's is a more than adequate combo, he also mentioned that with the kitchen slide being forward of the Center of gravity, I know that we are over on the GVWR but I feel with the extra modifications we are O.K. I have not weighed the camper, I can tell you that the Sticker on the outside of the camper shows it at 3900 wet with added extras, so it is not light but the truck handles it great. As far as having a 5er and a truck camper, I think if money was no object I would definitely have a 5er and a truck camper. We are planning on going full time again in the future, once our son is out of the house, and it would be nice to have a smaller 5er to go fulltiming, although I think I could full time out of the truck camper, but it could get a little cramped.

Thanks for the response. Makes me feel like my combo is a little more "normal".

That camper looks great. I checked their website out after I saw this.

[Bedlam]

With the 225/70R19.5 tires, you probably have close to 4000 lbs capacity per wheel even thought the Rickson rims are rated at 5000 lbs. My 811 could push the rear axle weight past 7000 lbs and when I towed my enclosed trailer was closer to 8000 lbs. I went 245's to get more tire capacity and some reserve so I did not have to worry about weight. I'm sure your boats are lighter than my 8000 lb enclosed trailer, but you may want to run the front and rear axles across a closed weigh station to get some real numbers.

[deltabravo]

flyguidemike wrote:
I just went out and looked in all the cabinets and did not see one anywhere.

Maybe it's only on the trailers that they weigh them as they come off the assembly line.

[flyguidemike]

I just went out and looked in all the cabinets and did not see one anywhere.

[flyguidemike]

I haven't seen one in the cabinets I will have to go look for that.

[deltabravo]

Northwood started putting "weight as built" stickers in one of the cabinets, have you seen that sticker yet?

[flyguidemike]

The SRW handles this camper great, I was a little concerned about the weight so before I bought I talked to the Arctic fox rep ( Think his name was Doug) and he said that the combo with the air bags and the 1 ton SRW with Rickson's is a more than adequate combo, he also mentioned that with the kitchen slide being forward of the Center of gravity, I know that we are over on the GVWR but I feel with the extra modifications we are O.K. I have not weighed the camper, I can tell you that the Sticker on the outside of the camper shows it at 3900 wet with added extras, so it is not light but the truck handles it great. As far as having a 5er and a truck camper, I think if money was no object I would definitely have a 5er and a truck camper. We are planning on going full time again in the future, once our son is out of the house, and it would be nice to have a smaller 5er to go fulltiming, although I think I could full time out of the truck camper, but it could get a little cramped.

[jmcgsd]

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
I'm currently in a PUP but looking at 5er's (30' range) and more recently TCs. I've considered a variety of two RV plans for retirement - one that is highly mobile and small and one that is bigger for when I'm making longer term stays.

If you had storage space for both, would you see yourself going back and forth from the 5er to TC to suit individual trips?

I have both a 28' TT and TC (see sig). They both have their advantages and disadvantages. I had traded my earlier TC for the TT and realized I missed the convenience of something that was smaller and able to go where the TT couldn't.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

Thanks all - it wasn't my intent to hijack this thread but I wanted feedback from the owner of both a 5er and a TC. I too am a fisherman so pulling a boat with a TC is part of the appeal but that wouldn't be all trips.

[CAJW]

Great choice in a AF camper, (this coming from a current 996 owner), glad it works well in the cold. We've only seen temps a little below freezing, but have been in 118 in AZ where the genset & A/C unit paid for themselves in one trip. Welcome back to the "handiest way to travel " forum.

[VTLee]

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
I'm currently in a PUP but looking at 5er's (30' range) and more recently TCs. I've considered a variety of two RV plans for retirement - one that is highly mobile and small and one that is bigger for when I'm making longer term stays.

If you had storage space for both, would you see yourself going back and forth from the 5er to TC to suit individual trips?

We currently have both and use the pickup camper for touring and fishing and the 5er for when we are going someplace to stay. Switching back and forth is easy and only takes about 45 minutes.

[bfast54]

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
I'm currently in a PUP but looking at 5er's (30' range) and more recently TCs. I've considered a variety of two RV plans for retirement - one that is highly mobile and small and one that is bigger for when I'm making longer term stays.

If you had storage space for both, would you see yourself going back and forth from the 5er to TC to suit individual trips?

Yes...I personally would.....I have had truck campers and now a 5er...
But the OPTION to GO BIG ---or go small...... is very apealing to me.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

I'm currently in a PUP but looking at 5er's (30' range) and more recently TCs. I've considered a variety of two RV plans for retirement - one that is highly mobile and small and one that is bigger for when I'm making longer term stays.

If you had storage space for both, would you see yourself going back and forth from the 5er to TC to suit individual trips?

[getpower1]

Yes congrats. And I am wondering the same thing.