Looking for options

[StirCrazy]

So we did our first real trip in the camper (usaly use the 5th wheel and the camper has been for my solo travels) but the wife loved it. not enough to get rid of the 5th wheel but enough to look at a newer caper with a north south bed and bigger bathroom and so on. I max my truck out at about 4000lb and I was looking at the artic fox 865. everyone has told me that they are one of the bestbuilt on the market but thats just from what the people I know are saying. I would like to get as much bang for my buck for a 4000lb or less wet weight camper. I do have a long box if that makes a huge difference. anything else I should be looking at? we do camp in colder weather, not crazy cold but I dont want the wether to stop me from traveling.

thanks

[Kayteg1]

Both of my campers are listed as 3900lb, when at one time or other, I drove via scales to calculate 6900lb load on my truck.
But I load heavy items like water, extra beer and collection of rocks inside truck cabin.
For me RV suppose to be about comfort, not sacrifice.

[StirCrazy]

Reality Check wrote:
Wife and I love the 865... it's an awesome model. The kitchen, dinette in back, windows on three sides. It's open, bright. Just think it's an awesome unit.

I'd throw it on a 1 ton and go play.

I did like the wrap around view of the back, we also have a puppy, well a 90 lb lab, so I liked the idead of a slide but we can live with out one.

Steve

[StirCrazy]

burningman wrote:
Every 3/4 or one-ton pickup out there will haul a 5000 pound camper.
It’s all about what your rear tires are good for.

Don’t believe camper weight specs, they’re 100% always unrealistically light.

oh ya the weight they list is 2641lbs, but then there is the mandatory option package weight of about 600 lbs so thats up to 3250ish now. take the weight of water, propane, food cloths and such and that fills up to about 4000ish.

Steve

[StirCrazy]

mkirsch wrote:
120 over gvwr is pretty good.

You'll find that it is quite common for folks in here to ignore gvwr and just use combined axle ratings. Some will even just say "rear axle is rated for 10,000 by its manufacturer so put bigger tires on it and pile it on."

oh I know, and thats what I go by also. that and tire weight, but I also use front axel weight as some of the weight goes there also. I have 4K available on my rear and about 1000 on my front. GVW is nothing here unless you are a comercial truck, aside from determining how much regestration you'll pay....

Steve

[Reality_Check]

Wife and I love the 865... it's an awesome model. The kitchen, dinette in back, windows on three sides. It's open, bright. Just think it's an awesome unit.

I'd throw it on a 1 ton and go play.

[burningman]

Every 3/4 or one-ton pickup out there will haul a 5000 pound camper.
It’s all about what your rear tires are good for.

Don’t believe camper weight specs, they’re 100% always unrealistically light.

[greenno]

Haulin my 2019 AF990 with a SWR rig to. 5100 lbs loaded up.
Got some mods on my rig. To each his own.

[ICamel]

StirCrazy wrote:

ICamel wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:
we realy do like the 992Steve

Going on 6 years with our 992 in a 2005 F350 SRW. To each their own:)

did you modify anything?
Steve

Per my signature "19.5" Tires + LoadLifter 5000 Rear Air Bags"

If I had to do it over again, I would go with "All Terrain" 19.5" tires instead of the "Highway" tread, as the Highway tread doesn't provide sufficient traction on wet ground.

[sweeperman210]

my 2008 af 990 clocks in at 5200 lbs full water and propane

[StirCrazy]

ICamel wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:
we realy do like the 992Steve

Going on 6 years with our 992 in a 2005 F350 SRW. To each their own:)

did you modify anything?

Steve

[ICamel]

StirCrazy wrote:
we realy do like the 992Steve

Going on 6 years with our 992 in a 2005 F350 SRW. To each their own:)

[Kayteg1]

mkirsch wrote:
120 over gvwr is pretty good.

You'll find that it is quite common for folks in here to ignore gvwr and just use combined axle ratings. Some will even just say "rear axle is rated for 10,000 by its manufacturer so put bigger tires on it and pile it on."

GVWR is taxable number and has very loose connection to truck capacities.
With TC rear axle weigh rating is the only that really matters.
Once you weigh it and read the label, you know what camper you can slide on it.
Obviously you will always find guys who go overboard and they apply dually axle capacity to SRW, just becouse the axle has the same model number.
But the same model number comes with different gears, different shafts and different bearings.

[Geo_Boy]

StirCrazy wrote:

Geo*Boy wrote:
Steve, Northwoods recommends a dually for all their AF TC’s, you maybe ok with the 865 with minimal gear and empty tanks. I would definitely run a set of Timbren double convolutes as insurance and get a Roadmaster sway bar.

no with the heavy gvrw package of my truck if it is fully loaded to max I am 120lbs over my gvw including myself the dog and the wife. I have a couple friends that have that one on there SRW and no issues either, but ya I agree every other one I looked at just got heavier. a new truck may be in the books in 10 years but not now and I dont need the slides if it is a good unit.

as for the timberen's what are double convolutes? I had timberns on my old truck. and ya a rear sway bar is already on my radar.

Steve

Steve

Timbren makes two kits, the severe duty kit and the regular, double convoluted, kit. Don’t use the severe kit.

[mkirsch]

120 over gvwr is pretty good.

You'll find that it is quite common for folks in here to ignore gvwr and just use combined axle ratings. Some will even just say "rear axle is rated for 10,000 by its manufacturer so put bigger tires on it and pile it on."