HELP NEEDED: Truck Campers for fultiming? Models, considerations, etc.

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VallAndMo said:
Howdy everyone,

Starting to answer our own question, we just finished going through the models listed at the URL Skyhammer pointed us to (thanks again, Sky!) and we found out the following:

a) The Northern Lites are unfortunately off: they have models with dry baths *or* cassette toilets, but *not both*;

b) We found the Northstar 12STC and, after reading these manufacturer specs and this review/interview we were able to find on Google, we are in love ;-) Seriously, it seems to be exactly what we want.

So, does anyone know anything about, or has any experience with, Northstar campers in general? What about the specific model above? Any and all comments welcome.

Also, if anyone can point us to any other TCs with dry baths and cassette toilets we may have missed, we would be much obliged. Ditto for answers/tips/pointers to our other questions, above.

Cheers,
--
  Vall & Mo.

North Stars are very good campers. The main problem I can see is the small tank sizes, 41 gallon fresh, 20 gallon grey and 13 gallon black.For full timing, you may find yourself emptying and filling tanks quite often.But RVing is all about compromises.
 
Gods Country said:
Man that's one pricey truck camper. When I sold my old TC the guy that purchased it said the new one's were getting really expensive.

There are definitely some advantages to a TC.

As far as campers go, I would call the 12STC moderately priced. You should expect to get 15-20% off retail price.
My campers base price was $39,100, I added $16,539 in options, retail was $55,639, paid $43,887.
 
Hi Skyhammer,

skyhammer said:
North Stars are very good campers. The main problem I can see is the small tank sizes, 41 gallon fresh, 20 gallon grey and 13 gallon black.For full timing, you may find yourself emptying and filling tanks quite often.But RVing is all about compromises.

Sure thing. We're ready for more frequent refilling/emptying runs as we will be picking up a unit with the cassette toilet (so just 3.5 gal black water instead of 13).

skyhammer said:
As far as campers go, I would call the 12STC moderately priced. You should expect to get 15-20% off retail price.
My campers base price was $39,100, I added $16,539 in options, retail was $55,639, paid $43,887.

Thanks for the numbers. One question, when you say "retail price" you mean the MSRP, right?

Cheers,
--
  Vall.
 
donn said:
The last thing I would consider is cost per sq ft of room.  Aa decent quality 10 foot camper is going to cost 35+ K or roughly $3,500 per foot of floor space.  A decent quality fifth wheel might set you back 70K, but thats for 35 to 40 feet of floor spade, or roughly $2,000 per running foot. Just seems to me a decent fifthwheel is a far better choice.  A fifth wheel gives you  a decent sized bathroom vs a cramped wet bath in a camper.  A fiver can have room for a washer/dryer so you dont have to spend hours a week at some dingy laundrymat.  A fiver can have a fill queen or king bed at normal bed height vs having to crawl onto the bed. A fiver can have a nice place to relax in the evening vs a campers only seating is at the dinette. A fiver can have a nearly real kitchen vs cooking next to the toilet.  A fiver can comfortably seat 4 or 5 for occasional guests,vs a campers cramped for two.
Believe me sitting outside,mor in the great outdoors is wonderful and works well for a weekend or maybe a week.  But month in and month out you will want times when you can go inside, and sit in a nice comfortably chair and relax. Maybe read a book or watch a few minutes of TV.  Not to mention a nice hot shower before bed.
We have either owned,rented, or borrowed every concievably type of RV except a DP and a class C over the years.  Our fiver is by far the most comfortable, livable RV we have ever owned.  If DW would, I would sell this house and be a full timer in my fiver.

I don't think you looked at new camper lately.
I have a King bed and my closet is 8' long, 3'wide and 4' high.
My bathroom is a dry bath, has a tub, shower, toilet, vanity with sink and cabinets. Two people can and have easily fit.
As far as seating goes, I have two recliners and a couch for 3. The table collapses flush to floor when not needed.Washer and dryer were options.I also have a full stereo system and 2-32"-40" TVs and an electric fire place.
My kitchen has nearly everything a home kitchen has. Double sink, huge counter top, microwave convection oven, regular oven and lots of cabinets.
Depending upon what state you live, no license fees. Insurance is cheap, as long as it is on the truck, the truck policy covers it. I have an additional policy for when the camper is off the truck, less than $200/year.
I take my camper off the truck every chance I get, takes 10 minutes by myself, on or off. With camper off, I can use the truck as I want.I tow a 20' jet boat where ever I go, most states don't allow you tow a boat with a 5th wheel.
 
VallAndMo said:
Hi Skyhammer,

Sure thing. We're ready for more frequent refilling/emptying runs as we will be picking up a unit with the cassette toilet (so just 3.5 gal black water instead of 13).

Thanks for the numbers. One question, when you say "retail price" you mean the MSRP, right?

Cheers,
--
  Vall.
Yes.
My tanks are 70,40, 40.
One thing to consider is many manufactures will build you camper to your specs. If something is not on the option list, as them if they will put it in.
Host campers is happy to make any changes you want. It is rare to see any two Host campers built the same.
North Stars are below the bed rails, so you won't have a basement for storage(my basement 5' long X4' wide.My camper sits above the bed rails so I have a 12' wide floor. With the camper above the bed rails, I also have access to my tanks if there is a problem, plus all the tanks and basement is heated. But... because of this I am 14' high.
 
skyhammer said:
I don't think you looked at new camper lately.
I have a King bed and my closet is 8' long, 3'wide and 4' high.
My bathroom is a dry bath, has a tub, shower, toilet, vanity with sink and cabinets. Two people can and have easily fit.
As far as seating goes, I have two recliners and a couch for 3. The table collapses flush to floor when not needed.Washer and dryer were options.I also have a full stereo system and 2-32"-40" TVs and an electric fire place.
My kitchen has nearly everything a home kitchen has. Double sink, huge counter top, microwave convection oven, regular oven and lots of cabinets.
Depending upon what state you live, no license fees. Insurance is cheap, as long as it is on the truck, the truck policy covers it. I have an additional policy for when the camper is off the truck, less than $200/year.
I take my camper off the truck every chance I get, takes 10 minutes by myself, on or off. With camper off, I can use the truck as I want.I tow a 20' jet boat where ever I go, most states don't allow you tow a boat with a 5th wheel.

Yes, agree.  The TC's of today are not your Dad's TC, especially with single, double & triple slides.  My wife initially said no way on a TC until she saw the triple slides we have seen and now leaning towards.
 
Wow, full-timing with a truck camper for two people. You must have a great marriage, congratulations!

If at some point you find it too small, you can always get a travel trailer to supplement the camper. Of course the TC allows one to get off road and into places a TT just cannot go, which is why I chose a TC. Of course it's just me and my dogs... ;-)
 
Howdy DWJoyce,

DWJoyce said:
If at some point you find it too small, you can always get a travel trailer to supplement the camper.

This is actually one of the alternatives we're exploring. In fact a few days ago we came across this TT for sale on PPL which seems to be exactly what we would want (a "man's cave" for Vall's projects plus a way to transport an ATV/motorcycle, and added fridge/storage/tank space plus a second bathroom and backup appliances in case any breaks down in the camper. And the total length should still be less than the truck pulling a single 32-35' 5thWheel behind.

Our main question right now is, when we camp at parks/resorts (provided we can fit it all in a single campsite, of course), do the truck+camper+TT combo counts as 2 RVs or does it still count as a single one?

Of course the TC allows one to get off road and into places a TT just cannot go, which is why I chose a TC.

Our thinking is that, on a camper + 21' TT scenario, we would not be worse off in the "off road" department than we would be with a 5thWheel... And we could always park the TT somewhere before going into the really rough parts.

Cheers,
--
  Vall.
 
I think you're heading for a disappointment planning to take a large TC  off the beaten path. We do a lot of less travelled roads and find that even large 4WD pickups often have problems staying with us. Trees and branches can be a problem in wooded areas and rocks in the more open ones. In both the slope side to side is often quite steep. I'd suggest some research before relying on the assumptions you have made.

A final thought is that if an empty 2WD pickup can't make it, a heavily loaded 4WD won't either. And don't forget the winches if you do try this!

Ernie
 
donn said:
The last thing I would consider is cost per sq ft of room.  Aa decent quality 10 foot camper is going to cost 35+ K or roughly $3,500 per foot of floor space.  A decent quality fifth wheel might set you back 70K, but thats for 35 to 40 feet of floor spade, or roughly $2,000 per running foot. Just seems to me a decent fifthwheel is a far better choice.  A fifth wheel gives you  a decent sized bathroom vs a cramped wet bath in a camper.  A fiver can have room for a washer/dryer so you dont have to spend hours a week at some dingy laundrymat.  A fiver can have a fill queen or king bed at normal bed height vs having to crawl onto the bed. A fiver can have a nice place to relax in the evening vs a campers only seating is at the dinette. A fiver can have a nearly real kitchen vs cooking next to the toilet.  A fiver can comfortably seat 4 or 5 for occasional guests,vs a campers cramped for two.
Believe me sitting outside,mor in the great outdoors is wonderful and works well for a weekend or maybe a week.  But month in and month out you will want times when you can go inside, and sit in a nice comfortably chair and relax. Maybe read a book or watch a few minutes of TV.  Not to mention a nice hot shower before bed.
We have either owned,rented, or borrowed every concievably type of RV except a DP and a class C over the years.  Our fiver is by far the most comfortable, livable RV we have ever owned.  If DW would, I would sell this house and be a full timer in my fiver.

You obviously have not looked at the 3-slide truck campers, where there are comfortable places to sit to read, enjoy a movie, where the kitchen is not right next to the toilet and if a couple needs their separate space from time to time, there is space to do that as well.  They have all the necessities of life and a few luxury features as well, albeit in a smaller space, but then again it becomes more efficient use of space.  Granted a 5er has more room, but at least for us it always comes down to just how much room does one really need to live comfortably for some that may mean mean a Mcmansion, others a studio apt, a 45' plus fifth wheel or motorhome, that is fine.  We do not require a lot of space to be happy & value more, the freedom to go almost anywhere that we would loose with a 5er. 
 
Hello Ernie,

Ernie n Tara said:
I think you're heading for a disappointment planning to take a large TC  off the beaten path. We do a lot of less travelled roads and find that even large 4WD pickups often have problems staying with us. Trees and branches can be a problem in wooded areas and rocks in the more open ones. In both the slope side to side is often quite steep.

Our idea isn't do to crazy rock-crawling 4WD off-roading with the camper, but just to go further than 5thWheel would allow us to.

Also, trees and branches aren't a real concern as we like much more to camp in desert areas than in heavily forested ones.

I'd suggest some research before relying on the assumptions you have made.

Thanks for the suggestion, but would one go about researching that? We have no 4WD experience... our plan is to try it out with the camper first, and if we find it doesn't work for us (or don't buy us enough out-of-the-beaten-path capabitilty to offset its restriction inconveniences) then we can always sell the camper later and buy a 5thWheel, all the while keeping the truck, right?

A final thought is that if an empty 2WD pickup can't make it, a heavily loaded 4WD won't either. And don't forget the winches if you do try this!

Good tip re: the empty 2WD pickup rule. Alas, we do plan on having a winch (plus carrying around shovels and a couple of 4x2s plus a  ground/sand anchor) to help us get out of eventual mishaps... but our first rule is to use 4WD to get us *out* of trouble, not *into* it.

Cheers,
--
  Vall.
 
Host Campers "Mammoth" model. About 11'6" or so. 4000lbs. Probably the nicest camper we've seen, built in Bend OR.

Follow your retirement dream any way you desire!


 
The Host Mammoth & Everest are nice and among the 3-slide TC's.  We have pretty much settled on the Eagle Cap 1165, also a 3-slide unit.  It sounds like the OP does not want to go this large with slides, but for us because of our two large dogs we need more floor space which the 3-slide units offer.
 
ValandMo,

Have you looked at the Adventurer TCs? They have models made for trucks that don't require a dually. And then they have the lux models that do need one. Quality-wise, they are similar to the Arctic Fox. We just love the Arctic Fox models and were looking at the Arctic Fox 1140. However, the Adventurer 116DS is a dual slide and it also has a California King size bed, plus it has recliners & a separate dinette. I absolutely love the layout. It's a wet bath, but the shower is on the other side of the sink, so you're not right on the toilet to use it. I'm usually opposed to wet baths, but I would actually use this one.

We actually found the Adventurer had some models that would work for a short-bed, 1/2 ton truck as well. Not as big an investment up front. Even the models with no slides are still very nice (like the 89RB). (I could be wrong about this, still a complete newbie!)

Like you, we're new to RVing and are still in the planning stages. We were looking at trucks & TTs, but were intrigued by the TCs we saw. We went to an RV dealer and fell in love with the Arctic Fox 1140. We would love to have the freedom to dry camp just about any where and the TC would give us that freedom.

I haven't yet seen the Adventurers in-person, but we found a dealer that's about 4 hours away. We may take a "field trip" over there to see how they compare to the Arctic Foxes. I just love the construction on the Arctic Fox and it is so incredibly roomy inside with the cathedral arch roof. My husband & I would be quite content in it.

Our debate has been: do we just go ahead and get a dually now and the top-of-the-line TC? Or do we get a smaller truck with a smaller TC and upgrade down the road when we have the ability to RV 3/4 to nearly full time?

I'm excited to see what your final choice will be. Keep us posted!!!
 
Hi SopranoKris,

Thanks for the info on the Adventurer TCs, we've just checked them and their floorplans do look ample & flexible, and having models that work with SRW trucks is certainly a plus. The only thing they seem to miss from our wishlist is the cassette toilet...

We hear you re: the big decision on whether to start out with a DRW or with a SRW and then upgrade later; we never owned either, but lots of folks told us that the extra capacity provided by a DRW is a good thing to have. And we think that, as a TC will be wider than the truck bed anyway (and we plan on having the camper mounted on the truck most of the time), perhaps the "lateral excess" from a DRW will not be as bothersome with a TC...

We will keep looking and planning, and when decide we will post the results here.

Cheers,
--
  Vall & Mo.
 
VallAndMo said:
Hi SopranoKris,

Thanks for the info on the Adventurer TCs, we've just checked them and their floorplans do look ample & flexible, and having models that work with SRW trucks is certainly a plus. The only thing they seem to miss from our wishlist is the cassette toilet...

We hear you re: the big decision on whether to start out with a DRW or with a SRW and then upgrade later; we never owned either, but lots of folks told us that the extra capacity provided by a DRW is a good thing to have. And we think that, as a TC will be wider than the truck bed anyway (and we plan on having the camper mounted on the truck most of the time), perhaps the "lateral excess" from a DRW will not be as bothersome with a TC...

We will keep looking and planning, and when decide we will post the results here.

Cheers,
--
  Vall & Mo.

The answer to the question on which direction to go relative to your intended needs, is do you prefer to trade vehicles in every couple of years or do you look long term and want to hang on to a vehicle as long as possible?  If you do not have an aversion to trading up short term and your intended truck camper does not require a DRW, then likely a SRW will be perfect.  If on the other hand your truck purchase is expected to last a long time, then I would argue a DRW makes sense as it will allow you to step up in the future to a larger TC if you decide to without having to buy another truck and in the interim you will have the added stable platform a DRW provides. 
 
Id invite you to search youtube with full time truck camper keywords. Watched a few interviews (cheaprRVliving channel) about truck campers. One guy had a tacoma with airbags for his truck. another was an F250 with 7.3 for 2 people. so it can be done. Depends on your neeeds. If you dont need a bathroom in it, youll save space and weight.

But to the nay sayers...its very possible.
 
OutdoorFT said:
Id invite you to search youtube with full time truck camper keywords. Watched a few interviews (cheaprRVliving channel) about truck campers. One guy had a tacoma with airbags for his truck. another was an F250 with 7.3 for 2 people. so it can be done. Depends on your neeeds. If you dont need a bathroom in it, youll save space and weight.

But to the nay sayers...its very possible.

Good suggestion, these videos are worth looking at and I agree it is possible.  As a matter of fact when my wife mentioned our plans to go fulltime in a truck camper to her sister, her reply was "you have got be kidding", well yesterday her sister was in town to visit and we showed her our truck camper and she was like "wow, now I get it and see the possibility".
 
Gizmo said:
Good suggestion, these videos are worth looking at and I agree it is possible.  As a matter of fact when my wife mentioned our plans to go fulltime in a truck camper to her sister, her reply was "you have got be kidding", well yesterday her sister was in town to visit and we showed her our truck camper and she was like "wow, now I get it and see the possibility".
luckily you got a dually. endless options!
 
Remember you can always park up and take a tent for a few days if you are somewhere really rough. We have been on several  4x4 roads with our truck that have been very bouncy indeed. Great fun though.

I'm sure some folks here must take theirs off road so hopefully you will get feedback on feasibility of doing that.

Good luck with your search, look forward to the results!!
 
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