It took exactly 3 months from order to delivery, but on Feb. 1 we loaded my '04 AF860 for the last time and took it to Smith RV, and picked up our new AF992.
We ordered it with all of our desired options (and that as usual included most of them) - thermopane windows, generator, TV/DVD, Fox landing, electric rear awning plus side awning, oven delete (but convection oven/microwave), 150 watts solar, 2 Type 29 batteries, 3-way frig, etc. In addition we got the full wardrobe on the curb side, the rollover lounge, and Dekko 12V/110V tank heaters.
About all we've done so far is organize and load all the normal "stuff" - I haven't loaded water in it as yet (high of -3 coming up on Wednesday), but after crawling through it and organizing over the weekend, my first impression is: VERY well built. I haven't found a single issue with fit & finish at all, with the very minor exception of TV cables tied back too tight, making them pull out of the TV when you swing it around to watch from the sofa (easy fix). Oh, and one of reading lights in the cabover is a tiny bit loose. No loose screws, no carpet cut wrong, no bad joints or glue drips, no nothing. VERY well done. I'm sure I'll find something - just not yet.
I ran the unit all yesterday and last night unplugged, with the furnace running, high of 25 yesterday and down to 15 last night - the battery showed 12.3V before sunrise today, with only about 45 minutes of generator use yesterday, and it's now charging. I think I'm good on power.
The only real issue I see is the lack of access to the fresh water tank area in front - there's no access under the step, or in the bathroom, to any of the plumbing. Since the bathroom isn't heated, I'm wondering also whether the pipes will freeze in the cabinet under the sink, but I guess time will tell. About all I can do is fill it up, keep it heated and see what happens. I'm sure there will be other areas that I will find and insulate (the valve compartment, for instance, is insulated except for the tail light, which might not work in really cold weather) but all in all, I'm very happy with it.
The roll-over sofa is outstanding. It's very comfortable, easy to convert to a bed (76" long), and much more spacious than the dinette, which I've never found to be a comfortable place to hang out. The table slides in/out easily; it's not as quite solid as a dinette table, since it's on 2 stick-in legs, but is easy to remove.
I like the new nose. They got rid of the slant on the front roof, giving 4" more headroom in front, and it's much more spacious. I like the "separate bedroom" feel of the 992 - some don't. With the full-wall wardrobe, there's much less light than the 860 with front and 2 side windows in the cabover, but the 992 has both a skylight and Fantastic fan in addition to the exit window, and it's not too dark. I don't miss the "open" feeling of the 860 at all - the rollover lounge really opens up the main room, and no more storage miscellaneous******on the bed and have it in full view. That, and the additional storage, makes it much neater.
Compromises? Well, coming from a '94 Lance Squire 3000 and then the AF860, this is my first "overhang" camper - and since I commonly tow up to 10,000 lbs (3-horse trailer), I'm in Superhitch territory. From my measurements, I'll need about a 32-36" extension to comfortably haul a trailer. I liked the shorter campers - easy to park, easy to haul. But the extra space and storage sure is nice.
Plus this floorplan doesn't allow access to the bathroom or bed with the slide in, a bit annoying after the 860, which was useable (although tight) with the slide in and allowed for stealth camping. Not a huge deal, when weighed against the very nice dry bath.
On the way back from the dealer, before moving any "stuff" into the unit, I stopped by the scales. With full propane and no water, the AF992 tipped the scales at 4,445 lbs. Apples to apples, it's about 1,100 lbs heavier than the 860. I figure it will be about 5,600-ish lbs going down the road. I'll be over gross on my 13,000-lb GVW 2011 Crew Cab Denali dually by about 1,550 lbs (before trailer), but both axles will be well within limits.
Time to start planning the first trip!
- Clay
Near Casper, Wyoming
2014 Arctic Fox 992
2015 GMC 3500HD Denali dually, Stableloads/Firestone Ride-Rites
2017 Haulmark ALX 28โ enclosed trailer for all the toys
2024 Aluma 18โ flatbed for one of the toys
