The Best Trucker Camper Out there?

jimh425 wrote:

Travels with Yoly wrote:
I can't believe that manufacturers have been building the same 90 degree back seating in the dinettes with no upper back support.

Did you mean to say lower back support? Dinettes in TCs are similar to every other RV.

There have been options for at least 13 years. Some of the issues include having a table and having somewhere to sit four people while still making into a bed. Then there is giving up the storage underneath. There are plenty of examples of minor changes people have made to make dinners more comfortable.

No I meant upper back support. When the back cushion barely extends beyond the small of your back the resulting lack of support for the upper back causes me discomfort. In most cases the cushion may be 3 inches thick and then nothing other than the hard wall or in some cases, window and blinds in your back.

bighatnohorse wrote:
I'm with NRALIFR on this question. I think the old 1121 Lance may have been one of the best designs.

Saying which is best is like trying to pick the best woman out a group of homely ones.

....The one(s) that put up w/ us ol round, slow movin,crippled guys.lol

I'm with NRALIFR on this question. I think the old 1121 Lance may have been one of the best designs.

Saying which is best is like trying to pick the best woman out a group of homely ones.

jaycocreek wrote:
Try Rugged Mountain truck campers..All wood with all the modern materials..They took over Northland and only build one TC a day..Heavier being all wood but lighter than Arctic Fox..

I have looked at Rugged Mountain, and I like what I’ve seen of them a lot. I’d like to see them swap the locations of the bathroom and dinette, and maybe put the dinette and pantry or wardrobe in a slide. I’d sooner buy a non-slide camper like the Rugged Mountaine Granite 11RL than any of the TC’s I know of with the fridge, galley sink, toilet and/or shower in the slide.

I know, I’m stubborn. We all have our little quirks. :W

Also, I’d be just fine with an aluminum framed version of the 1121 or 1161. I was just pointing out that both of these campers were made before Lance changed over to their current aluminum framing. Seems like it would be relatively easy to take those two old wood-frame designs and update them a bit. They were both good sellers when they were the current models. I love the way the dinette slide in both of them opens up the floor space, yet doesn’t completely block off the inside when it’s all the way in. Adding a basement to both of these would also increase the headroom available in the cabover bed area, something that both models would benefit from.

:):)

Travels with Yoly wrote:
I can't believe that manufacturers have been building the same 90 degree back seating in the dinettes with no upper back support.

Did you mean to say lower back support? Dinettes in TCs are similar to every other RV.

There have been options for at least 13 years. Some of the issues include having a table and having somewhere to sit four people while still making into a bed. Then there is giving up the storage underneath. There are plenty of examples of minor changes people have made to make dinners more comfortable.

I can't believe that manufacturers have been building the same 90 degree back seating in the dinettes with no upper back support. Granted there are a few, but very few that offer any form of seating with any recline angle at all (Alaskan is an exception). This is an industry wide trend not limited to truck campers and is half century old. Do these builders ever look around their house ? Do they see any 90 degree straight back chairs or couches ? My guess is no. We all like to spend the bulk of our time outside but there are times of inclement weather where we've been forced to stay inside for 24 hours straight. Now with our 8th camper we finally have comfortable seating but only because I built it myself. I keep seeing reviews in TCM of every new model on the market and they rave about the advances in design. The 90 degree seat backs are about 10 or 12 inches tall and this is just not a comfortable way to sit. I just can't understand why everyone is so willing to go along with this and not say anything. I used to have to bring my zero gravity recliner chair inside our travel trailer just to watch a movie :-) My idea of a perfect TC would be one that you could spend a day in and be comfortable.

All RVs are a compromise. I'm still happy with my decision to buy a Host 12 years ago.

Try Rugged Mountain truck campers..All wood with all the modern materials..They took over Northland and only build one TC a day..Heavier being all wood but lighter than Arctic Fox..

The “best truck camper” for me isn’t made, I’m sorry to say.

I would like a modern version of either the Lance 1121 (like mine) or the 1161 (side entry door). Both were all wood, non- basement campers that would really benefit from the new construction materials and processes. I would also add a “top of the wheel-well height” basement to each one so that the tanks sizes could be increased.

The two nicest features of both of these campers was the ability to use them without putting the slide out at all, and the fact that neither one had any plumbing whatsoever, or the fridge in the slide. I don’t want to slide plumbing or LP lines, and I don’t want the fridge top venting through the wall. Don’t care how often it’s done without problems, I don’t want it.

If some manufacturer would build a camper like that, I’d seriously consider buying a new one. Until then, I’m keeping mine until it falls apart.

:):)

mbloof wrote:
"best" at what? Define "best".

- Weight?
- Quality?
- Room?
- Resale value?
- Holding tank capacity?
- Height?
- Warranty?
- "Bang" for the buck?

This is why the TC industry offers lots of choices as what might be "best" for me might not be "best" for someone else.

- Mark0.

.....X 2, The one that makes you happy!