How long did it take to find the perfect camper?

[homefor2]

I have been looking for an Arctic Fox 990 for a few months and have only looked at one so far. It was pretty rough so passed on it. I found one without a gen and air so passed on that. Another was a 2010 but the guy thought it was worth $30,000. Not. I would love to buy new but the sticker shock is just too much for us.

How long did you take to find your gem? I have placed a "Wanted" ad in the local on line RV sections in my area of Vancouver Island. I would be willing to travel to find the right one.

[Geewizard]

3 or 4 months, start to finish.

[BradW]

Took us 3 years to arrive at our first “perfect” truck camper choice. It was a Lance 480. We planned on buying one in the Fall of 1995; then Lance quit making that model before we could get our order in. It was kinda replaced with the Lance 500 (which we bought), but we preferred the 480.

For the last 17 years we have been looking for “perfect” camper number 2 and have yet to find it, but a few years ago, we thought the AF990 WB was very close.

We were buying new in 1995; if you are looking on the used market, you will likely never find “exactly” what you are looking for. You may find one that is very close or can be made to work (like adding A/C or using a mobile generator unit).

Good Luck,
Brad

[B_GAGE]

It took us 2 years to find what we wanted.

[rkortes]

bedrocker wrote:
My first camper was my brothers and he was selling it and
the wife wanted it (I'll never tent camp again) that one was
an 87 Lance squire for a long bed mine was a short bed but
with the tail gate down it worked fine, everything So we talked
about a newer one as the squire was getting old so I looked on
Craigslist and found a 2005 Lance 820 it was unused the guy
got and then had some medical problems it sat for 3 yrs or so
it a garage but he wanted more than I could afford so I moved
on we feel in love with that model so I kept looking and 2 weeks
later I found a 2003 820 fully loaded and cheaper and in very good
shape so we bought it moral of story if it's meant to be it will
come your way so just get what you want and don't lose hope 🙂

Whoa.... that was one big A$$ sentence!! hee hee

[bedrocker]

My first camper was my brothers and he was selling it and
the wife wanted it (I'll never tent camp again) that one was
an 87 Lance squire for a long bed mine was a short bed but
with the tail gate down it worked fine, everything So we talked
about a newer one as the squire was getting old so I looked on
Craigslist and found a 2005 Lance 820 it was unused the guy
got and then had some medical problems it sat for 3 yrs or so
it a garage but he wanted more than I could afford so I moved
on we feel in love with that model so I kept looking and 2 weeks
later I found a 2003 820 fully loaded and cheaper and in very good
shape so we bought it moral of story if it's meant to be it will
come your way so just get what you want and don't lose hope 🙂

[rkortes]

After, coincidentally, selling our AF990 in the Spring of this year, my wife and I set out to find..... are you ready?.... A 2008 Rage'n FA3005 Toy Hauler. Is that specific enough? We settled on a 2007 FA3405 but sold it in 2 months. It was just too big.

We now have that 2008 FA3005 and I couldn't be happier. We new exactly what we wanted, kept our eye on the prize (after a slight deviation) and found our "dream" rig.

IMHO, your quest for a 2006 or later AF990 will yield a very happy camper. We just out grew ours. 2006 was the year of the "Silver Fox" with aluminum construction.

[mkirsch]

This is the problem with limiting yourself to one specific brand and model of a thing... Especially something as much of a niche product as a truck camper.

Finding the exact brand and model you want, in the exact condition you want, at the exact price you want to pay, within reasonable driving distance, immediately, is just about impossible.

You simply cannot have those expectations and be inflexible/uncompromising when it comes to something like a TC.

It's going to take you a very long time, you're going to have to pay more than you want, you're going to have to settle for a lesser unit, you're going to have to drive way further than is practical... Pick one of those.

[scottz]

It took us about 3 years of intermit ant research and visiting of numerous RV dealers. At times we were convinced we wanted a popup, then a travel trailer, then a toy hauler, then a 5th wheel. We had always ruled out truck campers because of price.

We eventually came to the conclusion truck campers provided the best all round solution for us and it's versatility helped us justify the price. Once we were set truck campers it took one visit to all of the truck camper dealers in the area before we settled on the Lance 1030.

We really feel we found the perfect camper for us. I visited a few dealers this past summer and still prefer the layout, options, and price (paid for) of our Lance 1030 😃

[usmcshepherd]

For fun my young bride and I would spend our Saturday afternoon's browsing the local RV dealers in Yuma, AZ when I was a young Marine Sgt...that was 1995...we bought our first Lance in 2009 and out second Lance (current one) this year when I returned from Afghanistan. So it took us about 15 years which was due in part to the numerous trips the government saw for to send me on...and partially due to the wonderful paycheck they pay me every month:)!

First off you'll never find the perfect camper...you need to ask you what are the most important things to you and then make a conscious decision on what you will give up to have something else. Because we still have small children we felt it was important to start with a new camper for sanitation purposes (DW felt better about kids crawling in dust she knew vice didn't know). There are many brands out there and you should really invest a trip to a well stocked dealer that carries multiple brands so you can compare. The other major issue you have to face is the truck you plan to carry camper on...long or short bed? Dually or SRW? Diesel or gas? These factors will also drive you towards and away from certain campers.

Lastly...make an honest assessment on how long you will keep it! We bought a rig that we plan to keep for a long time as we think ours is perfect for our requirements. Best of luck and keep asking questions...Truck Campers are some of the most friendly folks you'll meet...you might also consider attending a TC rally and seeing different rigs and talking to folks!

[jefe_4x4]

Some random thoughts on the time it takes to find and purchase a TC:
Most of us, whether lucky to find one or not, do not really know a lot about the nuts and bolts of a truck camper, no matter how much research and discovery we try. I glean from the posts above that some have tried cheap, entry level campers to 'test the waters' and find out what works and what doesn't....for us. How do you get all this input about making an informed decision based on all the components and how they work together? The best way, of course, is to come to this very site and ask those that have used these various TC's for a period of time. What is their take? If you are reading this, you already know this. Another great way to make a good decision is to spend some time in a used version of the very same model you have in mind to buy. In essence, you must 'worry thru' the process, trying to absorb the feel of all the features, good and bad. We bought a new mattress recently and spent in total a couple hours laying on prospects for up to 15 minutes @atime to see what is what. We made a self-informed choice.
However, there is another aspect to all this. If you spend too much time making a decision, your actual personal circumstances may have changed. What if you have another child in the meantime? What if you are now an empty nester? What if you are older and you start getting weak in the knees? What if you decide you really want an XTC and do a little boon docking to get away from the madding crowds? All this has to do with adjusting your outlook to reflect your current needs...which may change over years of looking.
jefe

[Ski_Pro_3]

Took me about a year. Like you, too many sellers wanted near-full price for one. I decided I'd rather pay $230 a month on a brand new camper WITH a warranty, than $15K to $20K cash to someone who is hiding problems from me and no warranty.

I found a dealer in Tucson, AZ; over 900 miles away from me, who sold me my 2012 Lance 855S for an out-the-door price of $23,000.

I am SOOOOO glad I didn't buy used. My camper is and shall remain brand new because I'm taking care of it. Paying $230 a month will do that for a guy.

In the meantime, that $20K I would have paid for a used camper is earning over 10% in the stock market. The growth is almost making the payments.
Good Luck!!

[whizbang]

I've had three campers in 11 years.... still looking for the perfect one...

[kerry4951]

I researched TCs for about 6 months before ordering our AF. It was hit and miss for me since I had RVs before but never owned a TC, and wasnt too familiar with them. As it turned out we love our unit and if I had to buy tomorrow it would be another AF. The only thing I would do different is go out to Oregon, make a trip out of it and save the sales tax and the shipping. Plus getting a better purchase price from a west coast dealer as compared to here in the east would be another plus.

[Joe417]

I noticed a lot of us take about 2 years. I did.

I started looking and liked the 990 from the beginning. No dealers within 500 miles. Bought a clean but cheap Palomino TC to try which allowed us to experience what we like and don't like about a TC. Used it 3 times and sold it.

Visited American RV to see a new 990, where the wife pronounced it acceptable. Yes, I am allowed to have an opinion and I do as I'm told.

Found one on Craig's list only 250 miles away. There are very few in the southeast area. Asked questions and watched it for about a month due to the price. The seller dropped the price to what it thought was reasonable so we headed off to look and bought it.

4 months and 2 short trips(1200 miles)later and no regrets yet.

[campn4walleye]

It took us 2 years. I like to think that we did our due diligence. I read everything I could on this forum. I asked so many questions, I thought that I would be kicked off for overuse. :B

By the time we made our decision, I felt like my head would explode from information overload.

In the end, we are very happy with our choice. I picked the floor plan and it happened to pop up at a dealer a few hours away. I wasn't willing to settle for less.