Shopping for a camper...

[Longshore]

I actually joined some time ago but now I'm so close to retirement I can smell it. I have a 2015 GMC 3500 short bed srw. Yup. With the diesel so you all know my tare weight is over 7900lbs with the 100lb bed mat in and full of fuel. Looking at new NL but I will be close to over on the rare times the whole family piles in. Lance is a close second, I can get an 850 and they weigh 2600 or so.

I have 40" from front bed wall to drive axle. So the 850 will COG at 39". All the dealers say that's fine, no problem. My question to you guys is one inch enough difference?


Thanks, Mike...

[JimK-NY]

There are three Northstar dealers in NCal and others in Yakima and Boise. I would check and see if you can put one on hold. You can also order but I would at least want to look at one first.

[Longshore]

Yes JimK the WC 850s I looked at all had the two propane tanks. I do plan on doing some remote camping. If WC had the option for the cassette toilet that would be a huge plus.

As of today the only Northstars I can find are pop ups. There are a few of them in Medford.

[JimK-NY]

Quality of engineering and construction are the reasons two of us have recommended that you look at Northstar. There are several other brands for well made campers but many of them are very heavy and have multiple slides. I would not buy a Lance. You want a unit that will handle all the jolts and swaying that occur with years of use.

I also really like the Northstar cassette toilets. That fits the way I travel in remote areas where dump stations are rare or nonexistent. Also check the propane for the WC. I believe it only has one tank. That could be very inconvenient. My Northstar mattress is a standard Queen. I appreciate the full length and upgrading to a residential foam mattress was easy and inexpensive.

[Longshore]

Okay I got cold feet and didn't want to be the guy that bought the first one I see. I did check out the Northstar Laredo I was going to plan a trip to look at one till it sold yesterday. I did not, although I should have, expect the slim pickins.

Again, yesterday, I was steered away from Lance. Three dealers now, one of them a Lance dealer, admitted to me that the quality is down from what they were before. I looked at a 2016 model and you could see the seems in front and all the potential leak points. It was an 855s and under the slide area there is a big void that did not seal. You could open the seat on the dinette and feel the draft.

Anyway the hunt continues. I still might end up over at the WC dealer.

Thanks...Mike.

[MORSNOW]

Longshore wrote:
Well I think I'm going to get one of the Wolf Creek 850s I looked at today.

My GVWR is 11,500. My tare was 7,940. GAWR rear is 7,050 front is 5,600. They have one with an oven, kind of a must when the DW is along, and it comes in at 2,300 lbs dry. Interior height is 6'6'. They want 33,000 so I know they will take less. You guys think I should start at 28,000 and see their reaction? This will be a straight purchase.

Nice choice! I have nothing but good things to say about my 2014 WC850 after 8 seasons of use (delivered Aug 2013). I've weighed mine a couple times and come in at 3,200lbs loaded and ready to camp. Love our oven too!

[Geo_Boy]

$27,000 out the door, before sales tax. Did you look at Northstar TC’s? Nice camper.

[JimK-NY]

Longshore wrote:
,,,,
There are, apparently from my research, many truck camper rigs that are overweight. I do not want to be one of them. I will weigh things like kitchen ware as I load them. I have a telescope that weighs 40lbs. After all is done, if I need to upgrade the tires I will do it.

You should be OK with the Wolf Creek. It will be a decent sized rig which your truck should carry even if it totals a bit over the GVWR. Timbrens, Supersprings or something similar are low cost and ease to install options which can give the truck suspension a bit extra if needed.

BTW, if you can find one I recommend looking at the Northstar Laredo or Adventurer. They are similar to the WC but better engineered and better built.

[monkey44]

Longshore wrote:
Well I think I'm going to get one of the Wolf Creek 850s I looked at today.

My GVWR is 11,500. My tare was 7,940. GAWR rear is 7,050 front is 5,600. They have one with an oven, kind of a must when the DW is along, and it comes in at 2,300 lbs dry. Interior height is 6'6'. They want 33,000 so I know they will take less. You guys think I should start at 28,000 and see their reaction? This will be a straight purchase.

I'd start lower - you can always go UP, you can never go DOWN 🙂 Maybe $25K ... that's 25% off. Even if they meet you halfway at $28K offer, you'll be over $30K, but w/offer at $25K, halfway is $28.5K, and if start at $28K, then halfway is $30.5 ... just a thought 🙂

[Longshore]

JimK-NY wrote:
It seems that you are a first time TC buyer so I can warn you that weights get out of hand quickly. For example if you start with a Lance 850, Lance estimates the wet weight as 2835#. First that is the base unit and does not include options such as awnings. Almost all units are going to come with options that bump up the weight by several hundred pounds. Even tiedown brackets and a bed mat add a lot of weight. Next you need to consider the weight of heavy accessories. Unless you are going to have hook ups at almost all times, you will want to look at a generator, a second battery, and possibly solar panels. Maybe you want to consider a better foam mattress... they are also heavy. In any case the 2835# camper can easily grow to 3500#. Then there are all the other necessities: food, cooking and eating gear, a few tools, extra boots and clothing, bedding, laptop/camera gear, etc, etc. You may think I am exaggerating but count on 1000# for these items. My 2400# base weight camper jumped to 4400# and I have looked carefully and don't find much I can do to trim back on the weight. Sadly a short bed pickup greatly aggravates the weight issue.

Yes sir, good points all. I was adding 1,000lbs to the wet weight of any unit I shopped for and you are right...if you're not careful the weight gets away from you. There are, apparently from my research, many truck camper rigs that are overweight. I do not want to be one of them. I will weigh things like kitchen ware as I load them. I have a telescope that weighs 40lbs. After all is done, if I need to upgrade the tires I will do it.

[Longshore]

Well I think I'm going to get one of the Wolf Creek 850s I looked at today.

My GVWR is 11,500. My tare was 7,940. GAWR rear is 7,050 front is 5,600. They have one with an oven, kind of a must when the DW is along, and it comes in at 2,300 lbs dry. Interior height is 6'6'. They want 33,000 so I know they will take less. You guys think I should start at 28,000 and see their reaction? This will be a straight purchase.

[billtex]

Our SB camper COG on SB truck was an inch or two behind axle. Our SB camper COG on LB truck is 2” in front of axle and gives us a nice “trunk” in front of the bed. Love it! Couldn’t be happier.

[MORSNOW]

JimK-NY wrote:
My long bed transfers several hundred pounds to the front axle. That helps considerably. Second a long bed allows selection of a longer camper. With a short bed all the weight is likely to be on the rear axle and if the center of gravity is not substantially in front of the rear axle, the rig is not going to handle well. Look what happens when a trailer is loaded with too much weight in the back. Keeping the weight forward is going to help with the ride.

Short bed campers have the weight centered over the axle also, it's not like they have the weight at the rear unless you put a long bed camper on a short bed truck.

[JimK-NY]

My long bed transfers several hundred pounds to the front axle. That helps considerably. Second a long bed allows selection of a longer camper. With a short bed all the weight is likely to be on the rear axle and if the center of gravity is not substantially in front of the rear axle, the rig is not going to handle well. Look what happens when a trailer is loaded with too much weight in the back. Keeping the weight forward is going to help with the ride.

[mkirsch]

Sorry, a short bed pickup does NOT greatly aggravate the weight issue at all.

A short bed truck does not have any less weight-carrying capacity than a long bed truck of the same type. E.g. a GMC 3500 SRW short bed and a GMC 3500 SRW long bed both use the same axles, springs, and tires, have the same gross axle ratings on the door sticker.

If anything the short bed pickup HELPS the weight carrying issue as it is LIGHTER than a long bed pickup of the same type.

The only thing it aggravates is the space available to carry the weight.