Going over to the dark side?

[wetcoast]

So I'm thinking of selling my 4WC Falcon and going to the dark side, buying an Arctic Fox camper with a slide out and a 1 ton. Has anyone gone to the dark side and come back, or started there?

The reasons I'm considering it is, I have a family now and we need more space. I can do an ARB Awning add a room but we would also like more comfort, toilet, hot water and warmth. I know all these can be had on a new 4WC or with extensive mods on a Granby, but I don't have the time and a used Arctic fox camper is way easier to find and they are a hell of a lot cheaper.

I know the mileage and maintenance on a big truck will be expensive but my favorite spots are a few hundred miles away or less and when I go cross country I'll be funding it through my company as I'll visit clients.

Thanks for your thoughts and ideas before I do and do something foolish!

 

[alano]

We run with just the two of us. I don't see adding even a small one and making it work in our Hawk. There is surely more than one way to "Wander the West" and an Arctic Fox is as good as any and better than most. I assume you've considered and rejected a trailer or a small motor home.

We're done with kids and now waiting for grand kids, but I can see us opting for something bigger and more comfortable at some point in the future. Best of luck with your decision.

Alan

 

[PackRat]

I see you have a four-door truck so at least you have enough room for the family to travel comfortably and you can probably handle the weight of the Arctic Fox or perhaps a different slide in, hard walled camper with a slide out extra "room".

I think many couples give up the rustic approach as they age (tent camping) and if they have kids they need to graduate to a bigger camper as you are contemplating. Then with the kids losing interest as they get into their teens, or they become old enough to pitch a tent next to your FWC, that becomes an option later on.

Here is a possibility though...have you considered buying a small pop-up tent trailer to tow behind the truck? You can sleep there with the kids and keep the wife in the FWC. This way when they begin to lose interest and are old enough, you can sell or just park that tent trailer and use just the FWC. On trips where they might stay with grandma/grandpa you can leave the tent trailer and you and the wife can go with just the FWC.

Or...get the big one-ton and the Arctic Fox for now and you can downsize later on.

We had an Alaskan NCO and "graduated" to a Lance with bathroom and more "room" but it was big, bulky and a PITA to drive anywhere except to/from home and our camping destination. The FWC or any of the pop-up campers ride just fine and you hardly know they are there, meaning you can use them for more than a camping trip if necessary.

Food for thought...

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

WC, I have to fess up. I have a Northern Lite 9-6 for my F350, but use the Bobcat and Ranger for my solo trips. I am not a fan of any TC or RV with a slide for two reasons. First, it makes them heavier than I want on my truck. Second, I’ve seen people with slides that wouldn’t retract after being extended.

If you want room, consider a travel trailer like PackRat suggested.

 

[Trailbob]

I wouldn't call it the "Dark Side", just a different season. When our 3 kids were young, we had a full sized 8' camper. When they started moving out on their own, we bought a Hawk (in 1999). Now we're on our second Hawk, but also have a TT for longer trips. And we're now in the grandkids season, so that brings additional changes.

So the larger camper makes perfect sense to me given your current needs. In another season, you may return to a FWC (or something similar), depending on your needs at that time.

 

[PackRat]

Hey...I'm guessing the wetcoast is the PNW?
If so, I saw this on CL and it looks pretty sweet....2009 Arctic Fox in mint condition!

https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/rvd/d/2009-arctic-fox-811-silver/6533149524.html

 

[klahanie]

Agree with the "different season" perspective. I haven't owned a hard side so I can't answer your your question directly but I have been in enough to recognize their merit. In fact, if I hadn't saddled us with a custom camper deck I'd prob have a Northern Lite sitting in the driveway right now.

Yes, I could sing the old song, "it wouldn't go where we go now", but I'd look at the change as an opportunity to go to other places and to experience new camping activities. We are blessed to live in a big, beautiful country. Would it be so bad to see a different part of it or to see it in a different way ? With a young family you might be visiting places where the pop up doesn't really have any advantages anyway. Like a provincial with a lake, beach, playground, boardwalk etc. IDK, just saying.

You're looking at a new truck anyway so I don't see that as a risk. Yes fuel cost might be higher - you are paying for room. We have the 1 ton + Granby set up and have survived just fine, if that is your fall back. For a family I think a hard side could add all the comforts you described. Can't recommend a slide out tho - have no knowledge there.

And as always, whatever you get, make sure you have somewhere to store it !

Good luck with the hunt !

 

[wetcoast]

Thanks Guys! I'm on Vancouver Island in Canada, so I'm going to keep my hunt in BC since I can skip 12% tax if I buy privately. I'm keeping my eyes open for a Grandby close by which is the only way I think I'll be able to stay with a 4WC!

 

[DesertDave]

I started with a FWC Grandby, bought new in 1997. In 2007 I Bought a new Bigfoot 2500 hardside, along with a new F350 to carry it. Needed to do some minor mods on the F350 to handle the hardside weight, even though I was within the GVWR of the truck loaded (scaled it to be sure). In 2014 sold the Bigfoot and went back to a new Grandby. So yes, I have gone to the dark side and come back.

Things I miss about the Bigfoot. It was quieter and more well insulated, so I rarely ran the furnace. It had 2X fridge size so no issues with volumes of fresh produce. I liked having the inside shower always ready to go.

Reasons I went back to the FWC. 1) The Bigfoot had a large presence, so in any place with strong winds, or low overhanging branches, or tight spaces, it was no fun. A strong windy trip back from Yosemite on Hwy 152 by San Luis Reservoir had me swearing to never use it again, and I never did. 2) It was stored outside, and the maintenance to keep it in good condition began to wear me down as the years went by. I sold it to a nice couple who was going to live in it full-time, they used their house sale proceeds to buy it and finance their future travels.

Advice to you considering a hard-side. Manufacturers lie about the weight, and it is hard to find accurate weights even if you see the actual camper in person. The Bigfoot had a build sheet on the inside closet wall that listed the weight 'as-bulit' weight which was probably within 200 pounds of the actual weight. However, the outside sticker was quite a bit lower. This seemed to be the case with every manufacturer, based on what I remember on my research.

So be brutally honest with yourself about the capacity of your truck, the realistic weight of the camper, and also the weight of all the people and stuff you carry. The interwebs are chock full of stories of people who ended up overweight and hating their setup as a result. It takes a lot of research and a lot of 'curbing your enthusiasm' to end up with a system that will work for you.

Good luck with the process..

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

DesertDave... I did something similar..
Your statement: be brutally honest about the capacity of your truck, is SPOT ON.
I'm noticing more and more people buying little to midsize trucks to do big truck jobs.
Just because the manufacturer says it's okay does not make it okay. More times than not if the payload rate is 1k lbs because it's a new truck throw some bags and springs and you're good to go attitude.. sorry, a little off topic.


Mickey

 

[PackRat]

Mickey....is buying a used truck an option to get the price down so you can easily afford "more truck"? As opposed to a brand-new smaller truck you end up modifying in an attempt to haul around what you end up with really wanting to take with you when you hit the road, then maybe you can consider a bigger truck that is a few years old that has everything on it you want and needs nothing more than to mount the camper, load it up, gather the family and go camping. (pending any additions like solar power, etc.)

Considering the cost of a truck with what you need on it, you probably lose $3,000 when you drive it off the showroom floor. There are many threads here that discuss truck mfgers/camper combinations, which engines are better/worse, what transmissions have proven themselves, 4x4 options, tire options...the list goes on.

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

Packrat, like many people with small trucks, I had a 2k Ford ranger, then I decided I wanted a FWC eagle then air bags then gearing..on on it was a great truck but always overloaded and I was always concerned.
Still have the eagle but bought a 150 and never looked back.
I wouldn't if I could buy a new truck, I've always thought it more frugal to find your dream vehicle at the time and make it yours. now I have a 99' 150 just the way I like it.

 

[PackRat]

I hear ya Mickey, I had an 85 F-150 4x4 I carried my 8' NCO Alaskan in and I bought it with about 40k on it. When I went to a bigger Lance, I bought an F-250 4x4 with about 55,000 on it which is currently carrying my 1976 Alaskan 8 ft CO.

I hear you can buy a bottle of "new car smell" on line or at some parts places which saves you thousands of dollars.

I do like the idea of all the gizmos on "new" trucks, but the 88 F-250 just rolled over 112,000 miles which is a whopping 3,700+ miles a year. The OP had it for his 5th Wheel he hardly ever used and I never seemed to have much time due to work for getting away so it is just about broken in for a 460 cu in gasser!

I do miss good mileage as it gets 10 MPG...but that doesn't mean too much if you 4k or so miles per year, does it!

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

Packrat; at your current MPY ( miles per year), @ $3.00 / gal is probably less than one New truck payment. I certainly don't blame anyone not wanting a new truck, they're pretty snazzy.

Mickey

 

[klahanie]

DDave, thanks for posting your experience.

I wonder if a dually truck would have made the difference in handling. No doubt dually is anathema to the group on here but I've often though it would be way to go with a fullsize, "real" camper. Matching the truck to the camper and vise versa while always favouring the truck side of it.

Can't get round the bulk camper size though and the reduced travel speed that it requires.