Went looking...getting a little closer

[COBOZ]

Well, this weekend we went and looked at/walk thru a bunch of campers. Taking in all the advice from this forum. Looked at some BFs, Wolf Creeks, Arctic Foxes, Northern Lite, Eagle Cap, and Adventurer. We have a 2016 Chevy 3500 SRW CCLB, D/A...we weighed the truck on the way to the camper places...figured with our tire capacity we could handle 4200 lbs...but that not factoring in my boat which has a 150 - 200 lb tongue weight...so figure 4000 wet ready to roll to be safe. Arctic Fox was nice, wife loved it...but I knew this was too heavy from reading here..even though the sales person showed us his on a 2007 Chevy SRW and said it handled it fine. Of all the others we looked at, we liked the Adventurers. Really liked the 910FBS, but crunching the numbers, I don't think I can get under 4K loaded...so next best was the 86FB. I think wet and rolling, this will be around 3200. Didn't get a chance to look at Lance yet..the only two that might work are the 975 (again, looks to be too heavy wet) and the 850. By the pix, not really sold on the dinette..plus we like the mid bath plan to make the cabover like a cave. AF dealer did say he was getting in a couple 865s at the end of the month that we will go look at. Anyone have real world numbers..wet..on the 865?? Will it be under 4K?? Any opinion on that vs the 86FB? I guess I didn't think of this till just now, but I'm sure some of these campers will put weight on the front axle also...Sorry for being so winded. Thanks for all your help and advice.

[billyray50]

COBOZ wrote:

Mattyd wrote:
COBOZ- The 865 is a great unit. We looked at one a few years a ago. You might look at the NorthStar brand. They are lighter in weight and well made.
I hear you on the rear kitchen floor plan. We like the concept but not much offered with it. We were close to pulling the trigger on an Adventurer but cooled off with hearing of quality issues and I took it to heart when one of the well respected dealers in the north east discontinued offering them.

This is interesting because most people that have Adventurers are very happy with them. Numerous posts on this forum and others. My dealer here sells Eagle Cap, Adventurer, Northern Lite, Host, Northstar and they said for the price point and features, Adventurer is pretty good. Granted, with every brand there will be issues.

X2 in regards to Adventurer. Owned a 2012 Adventurer 86 FB and wish I kept it. Will look at them again soon.

[Vinsil]

COBOZ wrote:

Vinsil wrote:
What tire/wheel combo gives your 8400 lbs of capacity?

Did you weigh your rear axle empty? I only ask because I ended up with 19.5's (which have a wheel limit of 9000 lbs and my tires have 12,800 lbs) so I just want to clarify that point first and foremost.

I could not find wheels or tires that gave me 8200 lbs of capacity (which is my real world Wolf Creek 840 weight ready to camp with my Polaris RZR on the flatbed....

just be sure your numbers are acurate as I thought I would be 6500-6700 lbs going by posted numbers.

Not sure if this was directed at me...but nowhere did I say my tire combo was 8400...I said 7400. Tires are 3700 apiece...minus my 3200 current axle weight, I have 4200 of weight I can safely add.

It was, sorry I missed your explaination of the new tires. Are your wheels rated for the 3700 of the new tires? I know...I had 3500 rated tires and wheels were rated at 3600....your just going to be running right at the limit of the tires and/wheels. Just something to consider when you load up you will start to question everything you put in your camper...

[Ski_Pro_3]

I started off just like you, decided I wasn't happy with the ride and beefed up suspension. This parts put my rear axle weight too close to my tire load limits of 7400, 7200 I think it was. So I got 19.5's, which added even more weight, but I know I'm safe now and that makes me a lot less anxious while driving. The ride is incredible now too, with the enhanced suspension and tire/wheels.

[COBOZ]

Mattyd wrote:
COBOZ- The 865 is a great unit. We looked at one a few years a ago. You might look at the NorthStar brand. They are lighter in weight and well made.
I hear you on the rear kitchen floor plan. We like the concept but not much offered with it. We were close to pulling the trigger on an Adventurer but cooled off with hearing of quality issues and I took it to heart when one of the well respected dealers in the north east discontinued offering them.

This is interesting because most people that have Adventurers are very happy with them. Numerous posts on this forum and others. My dealer here sells Eagle Cap, Adventurer, Northern Lite, Host, Northstar and they said for the price point and features, Adventurer is pretty good. Granted, with every brand there will be issues.

[COBOZ]

Vinsil wrote:
What tire/wheel combo gives your 8400 lbs of capacity?

Did you weigh your rear axle empty? I only ask because I ended up with 19.5's (which have a wheel limit of 9000 lbs and my tires have 12,800 lbs) so I just want to clarify that point first and foremost.

I could not find wheels or tires that gave me 8200 lbs of capacity (which is my real world Wolf Creek 840 weight ready to camp with my Polaris RZR on the flatbed....

just be sure your numbers are acurate as I thought I would be 6500-6700 lbs going by posted numbers.

Not sure if this was directed at me...but nowhere did I say my tire combo was 8400...I said 7400. Tires are 3700 apiece...minus my 3200 current axle weight, I have 4200 of weight I can safely add.

[Mattyd]

COBOZ- The 865 is a great unit. We looked at one a few years a ago. You might look at the NorthStar brand. They are lighter in weight and well made.
I hear you on the rear kitchen floor plan. We like the concept but not much offered with it. We were close to pulling the trigger on an Adventurer but cooled off with hearing of quality issues and I took it to heart when one of the well respected dealers in the north east discontinued offering them.

[Vinsil]

What tire/wheel combo gives your 8400 lbs of capacity?

Did you weigh your rear axle empty? I only ask because I ended up with 19.5's (which have a wheel limit of 9000 lbs and my tires have 12,800 lbs) so I just want to clarify that point first and foremost.

I could not find wheels or tires that gave me 8200 lbs of capacity (which is my real world Wolf Creek 840 weight ready to camp with my Polaris RZR on the flatbed....

just be sure your numbers are acurate as I thought I would be 6500-6700 lbs going by posted numbers.

[Otterman]

lonegunman wrote:
I lucked into my camper from a dealer in Washington state who discounts deep as the selling season goes on. It was a great price. The unreasonable Adventurer dealer is still trying to sell the very same camper I looked at seven months ago. He knocked the price down a few hundred bucks.

Where did you buy your camper? We are considering an Arctic Fox, really like the 990 but I am concerned about the weight, so maybe an 865 could be a good compromise.

[GeoBoy]

My wife wanted the slide because we take extended trips but she really liked the AF 865 and if we ever went with a non-slide camper the AF 865 would be the one. AF builds a nice TC.
A large TC only dealer in NH carried EC/Adventurer but dropped them because of QC problems and no help from the Mfg.
We have owned 1 TC, Northstar and 2 TT's Arctic Fox's and the build quality and support at AF is great. Good luck.

[lonegunman]

Mine is a short bed. I think the on-board generator might not fit if it is a long bed camper. The generator eats a small amount of floor under the kitchen sink.

It has a drawer on either side under the dinette seats and you can store some stuff outside under the bathroom sink but it does not have a ton of outside storage. If you can get one with no generator, you have a large storage where the gen usually sits. There is a drawer under the fridge as well. There is a lot of cabinet space too. There is another wardrobe next to the foot of the bed on the passenger side and the drivers has adjustable shelves in a small closet. There is a rack/shelf over the bed with a string of led lights.

With a long bed your overhang will drop to a foot maybe less.

My only real complaint is that to winterize it you have to remove the "spice rack" from under the sink to get to the shut off to the hot water tank. I had to email Northwood's because the location was a mystery to everyone at the local dealer.

The 865 is apparently a once a year run and they are all pre-ordered by dealers. It is not listed on their website but if you email Northwood they have a flyer on them. Winterizing it is not covered specifically in their generic owner's manual. That being said, they answered every email in less than a day, sometimes in only a few minutes.

[COBOZ]

Is yours for a long bed or short bed? Mine is a long bed. Do you have storage drawers under the dinette? Any other outside storage except the slide out tray? I don't want a generator, so if a long bed has the option, I can use that space as storage.

[lonegunman]

The wardrobe is handy and it gives you windows on both sides of the bed. It makes it lighter and easier to look outside, I liked that a lot. Here is a handy tidbit. The hampers on either side of the bed can easily hold two cased rifles.

[COBOZ]

The 86FBS is nice, but it is only 100lbs lighter than the 910. The one at the dealer weighed 3350 as it sat...no batteries, propane, water. The 910 was 3475.

Your AF 865 is lighter than i thought it would be. Truck camper magazine lists it at 3250 dry..and that's without options...like AC. I do like the wardrobe cabinet next to the fridge. The 86FB doesn't have a wardrobe in the main area.

[lonegunman]

I have an opinion. We went looking for the same two campers last summer. Adventurer 86FB or Arctic Fox 865. Both are very similar weights and very similar quality. Both had very nice factory reps to ask questions to when I emailed them. I thought the Adventurer factory guy was great, their local sales guy was a complete idiot and dishonest to boot.

We went with the AF 865 for a couple of reasons. The new style round front gives you about 4" of additional headroom over the bed, I am 6'2" and can sit up without hitting my head. We got a fully loaded AF with an onboard generator, a/c and Fox Landing bumper for less than an Adventurer with no a/c and generator. The dealer we went thru was motivated to sell and more than willing to answer plenty of questions before we drove two hours to see the unit.

I really like the Adventurer quality, foot flush toilet and bumper set up. Beds were about the same, escape hatch was on the roof of the Adventurer, it had a nicer ladder and roof rack set-up. I think the angled sink and counter make it feel like it has slightly more floor space.

With 30lb propane tanks and a 6gal hot water heater and options the AF 865 was heavier. Mine listed a "wet" weight with propane and water of around 2850lbs. On the truck, with full water, full hot water heater, full fuel, two adults and enough gear for a long three day weekend total weight was close to 4,000lbs. My wife really liked the 865. It is tall and wide and I started my TC plans with the idea of boondocking during mule deer season. It is a bit big to haul down narrow, rutty, off camber logging roads. I spend a week in it for the season at temps into the high 20's at night it stayed warm and comfortable, in rain, sleet and some light snow.

This put us at close to max GVWR for an F-350. I was fine with that since my truck has the same suspension. We weighed it in a CAT scale and confirmed the weight. I upgraded to factory 18" Michelins(I think they are a far better tire), air bags and Rancho 9000XL shocks. The shocks were mostly to control the rocking in winds and they work nicely. We do not tow a trailer.

On our 2011 F-250 XLT crew cab, diesel 4x4 short bed p/u we have about 2' of overhang and the CG is centered over the rear axle. The camper has closer to 9'4" of floor, not 8'6". I am still trying to figure out what 865 actually means? I think the 86FB would have had a bit less overhang. I'm betting a loaded 86FB will be a couple of hundred pounds lighter, it has 20lb propane tanks, a 4 gallon hot water heater, slightly less water and less floor length and I do not think it is as heavily built as the AF. That being said they are both 4 season campers.

I lucked into my camper from a dealer in Washington state who discounts deep as the selling season goes on. It was a great price. The unreasonable Adventurer dealer is still trying to sell the very same camper I looked at seven months ago. He knocked the price down a few hundred bucks.

[FireGuard]

I'm in the same boat as you. No pun intended.
I'm looking for a smaller comfortable TC for "travelling" as I use my 5th TH for "camping.
Even with the new 1 tons, there are many campers I wouldn't put on a SRW.
I looked at the Adventurer yesterday and was very impressed with the quality and fit and finish.
I'm looking for a shorter one with the least overhang but it's hard to find one with a roomy interior and especially decent tank capacity.
The Adventurer has 3 models I would consider. The 86FB which is a non slide but still has adequate interior room and a Huge wet bath. Also has a Gen option. The 89RB is 8'9" rear bath non slide with Gen option and I think my favorite was the 86SBS which reminded me a lot of my old Lance 981 with rear kitchen and full wall slide with large U shaped dinette. The wet bath was smaller but you spend much more time in the dinette than the bath. This is 8'6" and No Gen option for the LB, but a lot of exterior storage and 42 gal fresh and 31 gal holding tanks.
The rear "comfort step" was nice, but kind of defeats the purpose of having a shorter camper as it adds approx 18" to the length, so I would probably not get that option.
Another nice feature was the pullout storage tray in the basement.
Also the only manufacturer with a 3 yr structure warranty.
I figure all 3 of these models would be around 3200-3600lbs ready to camp. This would be comfortable with my 4200 payload and would have a good CG being 8-9' long.
I had some questions about the camper being the same for both LB and SB with the side skirts thinking the LB would have them removed or be shorter and the salesman wasn't too convincing, so I called the factory and they were happy to answer any questions and said to call back any time. Seems like great customer service.
Like you said, I think any of the 9' plus lengths as well as the Lance models will be pushing 4500 lbs and just too much for a SRW.
I'll be following your thread as you search. Good Luck
I've always liked Lance but they seem to have left a gap between the 850 and 975. Even though they advertise it for a SRW, I think it's well into DRW territory.
Adventurer defiantly moved near the top of my list after looking.
I