Used truck camper

[bgm1956]

I am approaching retirement age and am starting to look for a used truck camper for my wife and I to enjoy. We also have two small dogs. We want to use it for travel and fishing trips. At this point I don't see us doing serious boondocking. We will be towing it pontoon boat on the fishing trips. I currently own a 2004 Chevy Silverado 3500 with a Duramax. I am currently considering the following campers. Lance 1172, Host Everest and Arctic Fox 1150 with the order listed being my current order of preference. How have these campers stood the test of time? How much more usable floor space does the above the bed rail design of the Host Everest give you over the Lance 1172? How bad does the extra height hamper mobility especially in high winds? How big of a problem is the rear entry door on the Arctic Fox 1150 when towing a trailer? Any other thoughts or suggestions you can offer would be appreciated.

[SideHillSoup]

We have a 2017 GMC 3500 Duramax , SWD, short box with a 2018 Northern Lite 8-11 EXSE Dry-Bath. We ordered our camper from the factory, so we got the options we wanted, the three biggest items were a second 100 watt solar panel, no A/C, and a U shaped dinette.
I know you have said second hand camper, however with the NL campers weighing much less than stick built with slides I thought you should also consider Northern Lite on your list. Northern Lite does not make campers with slides, and our camper only weights approx 2700 lbs dry.
We added a Torklift Super Hitch reviver with a Torklift 48” Supper truss extension to haul our SXS & Trailer, as well as set of Timbren SES overload springs on the truck.
We have no issues with towing a trailer or hauling the camper on our truck. I have also hauled my son in-laws 21ft Bayliner, which is much heavier than our SXS and Trailer behind the truck and camper in the mountains of B.C. with no issues.
95% of the time we are outside the camper, so interior size for us wasn’t a big deal. We do have all the creature comforts in the camper and we have spent a number of days inside, like last summer when we were up in the Bella Coola area of British Columbia and cats and dogs landing on the roof. ( grin)
The first year we had our new camper we put just over 42,000 kms on it, with just over 2 months alone in the Yuma area boondocking, and we didn’t find the camper “ cramped” or second guessing ourselves on “ did we buy to small a camper”. We have owned different types of RV’s during our adult life, and we both started camping with our parents back in the 60’s. We went from a 35 ft 5th wheel with 3 slides, two lazy boys, a electric fire place, 42” flat screen TV, and kitchen island etc.... to this camper, and we still don’t find it to small, but that’s just us.
I made sure we followed all the weight and towing restrictions & regulations for the vehicle as well as for my drivers license here in British Columbia. When it comes to weight and towing ability, It all boils down to being safe on the road as well as making sure if something does happens on those roads your insurance isn’t null and void because you are breaking a regulation, law or a rule.
Enjoy what ever you buy.
Soup.

[mkirsch]

Unless there are a lot of those models around for sale all the time, don't limit yourself. Look at what's for sale, what's in the best condition.

When you find an older camper on really nice shape, any question of "good or bad" is already answered for you. So is "How do they hold up?" Also "any problems/weak points?"

[Grit_dog]

^ Assuming, as always, when someone is talking about using an old truck to its abilities or possibly over its "ratings", that the truck is actually in good enough conditon to operate as reliably and safely as when it was a much younger version of itself.

[Grit_dog]

trail-explorer wrote:
The campers in your original post will ALL put the truck well over the GVWR.

Appreciate the public service announcement, but in all practicality that truck will carry well over the payload that brings it to its milquetoast GVWR. And do it with authority and safely.

[Grit_dog]

deltabravo wrote:

zulu52 wrote:
If you have a trailer you can't see, simply carry a 10' piece of PVC and tie red flags to each end. When it comes time to back up, lay the PVC across the end of the trailer. You will be able to see it.
If you are hauling a trailer, you can find a space for a piece of 1/2" PVC.
Zulu

Riley01 wrote:
I love this idea! I'm currently shopping for a truck camper and was wondering the best way to solve this problem as I'll frequently have a small enclosed trailer for my motorcycle.

Thanks,
Rick

Only way the pipe trick will work is of the trailer has a flat roof, and you devise some way to secure said pipe, otherwise it will never stay put as you are maneuvering around.

I can think of about 10 different ways to affix a tattletale to the back of most any trailer. Not the least of which is duck tape.
We are talking temporary, right?

[Kayteg1]

Ford 360 cameras with trailer mode makes it all child's play.

[specta]

Try googling "trailer flags for backing up".

[deltabravo]

bgm1956 wrote:
I currently own a 2004 Chevy Silverado 3500 with a Duramax. I am currently considering the following campers. Lance 1172, Host Everest and Arctic Fox 1150.

I know the Arctic Fox will put that era of GM truck over the GVWR. The other campers probably will too.

Heck, my lightly loaded AF 811 puts my 2009 Chevy Duramax dually over the GVWR, and the 811 is the smallest camper in the AF model line-up nowadays.

[deltabravo]

zulu52 wrote:
If you have a trailer you can't see, simply carry a 10' piece of PVC and tie red flags to each end. When it comes time to back up, lay the PVC across the end of the trailer. You will be able to see it.
If you are hauling a trailer, you can find a space for a piece of 1/2" PVC.
Zulu

Riley01 wrote:
I love this idea! I'm currently shopping for a truck camper and was wondering the best way to solve this problem as I'll frequently have a small enclosed trailer for my motorcycle.

Thanks,
Rick

Only way the pipe trick will work is of the trailer has a flat roof, and you devise some way to secure said pipe, otherwise it will never stay put as you are maneuvering around.

[ppine]

I started with a camper. It is easy to get sold on a large heavy one at the RV show. Great appeal for towing a boat or horse trailer. Don't go too big. I found driving with one even on an F-350 was not good in the mountains on windy roads, especially those banked the wrong way. It was difficult in the wind.

Too small for a long trip and too much trouble for a short trip. They are a compromise.

[Riley01]

zulu52 wrote:

ajriding wrote:
Yes, my TC hides my trailer, so very difficult to back up. Trailer will be too angled to correct before I even see it pop into view. A big wide fat trailer that is wider than everything should be easier to back up.
Yes, big TCs will have more storage than small ones, and plenty of storage to lose many things.
Put a lot of weight on a tire and drive it in the summer and the tire will easily reach over 120 psi, this is from the weight, and a blowout could occur easier than if just driving as a passenger vehicle. Proper tires properly inflated will mostly prevent this, but why think it is not possible?
All the opinions expressed in each post are opinions and experience of each person posting; this is the value of a forum - that readers get varied opinions to consider.It is not a courtroom to decide which opinion is correct or more valid, no need to defend your opinion or attack others.

If you have a trailer you can't see, simply carry a 10' piece of PVC and tie red flags to each end. When it comes time to back up, lay the PVC across the end of the trailer. You will be able to see it.
If you are hauling a trailer, you can find a space for a piece of 1/2" PVC.
Zulu

I love this idea! I'm currently shopping for a truck camper and was wondering the best way to solve this problem as I'll frequently have a small enclosed trailer for my motorcycle.

Thanks,
Rick

[zulu52]

ajriding wrote:
Yes, my TC hides my trailer, so very difficult to back up. Trailer will be too angled to correct before I even see it pop into view. A big wide fat trailer that is wider than everything should be easier to back up.
Yes, big TCs will have more storage than small ones, and plenty of storage to lose many things.
Put a lot of weight on a tire and drive it in the summer and the tire will easily reach over 120 psi, this is from the weight, and a blowout could occur easier than if just driving as a passenger vehicle. Proper tires properly inflated will mostly prevent this, but why think it is not possible?
All the opinions expressed in each post are opinions and experience of each person posting; this is the value of a forum - that readers get varied opinions to consider.It is not a courtroom to decide which opinion is correct or more valid, no need to defend your opinion or attack others.

If you have a trailer you can't see, simply carry a 10' piece of PVC and tie red flags to each end. When it comes time to back up, lay the PVC across the end of the trailer. You will be able to see it.
If you are hauling a trailer, you can find a space for a piece of 1/2" PVC.
Zulu

[specta]

Thanks for the reply.

[ajriding]

Yes, my TC hides my trailer, so very difficult to back up. Trailer will be too angled to correct before I even see it pop into view. A big wide fat trailer that is wider than everything should be easier to back up.
Yes, big TCs will have more storage than small ones, and plenty of storage to lose many things.
Put a lot of weight on a tire and drive it in the summer and the tire will easily reach over 120 psi, this is from the weight, and a blowout could occur easier than if just driving as a passenger vehicle. Proper tires properly inflated will mostly prevent this, but why think it is not possible?
All the opinions expressed in each post are opinions and experience of each person posting; this is the value of a forum - that readers get varied opinions to consider.It is not a courtroom to decide which opinion is correct or more valid, no need to defend your opinion or attack others.