Hello from the Iverson's

[cniverson]

What a great resource for newbies. My wife and I just bought a 2005 F350 SRW diesel 4x4 crew cab. We are going to buy a cab over soon to live in while we build our home. We are currently looking at Northern lite and Bigfoot. I like the idea of slide outs but have been warned about the extra weight since I do not have DRW. Any advice would be much appreciated. Any ideas on the need for air bags and Rancho 9000's would also be welcome. I want as big a camper as possible (since we will be living in it for a year or so) without exceeding the limits of my truck. Thanks for the help in advance. -Chris

 

[Carl L]

What a great resource for newbies. My wife and I just bought a 2005 F350 SRW diesel 4x4 crew cab. We are going to buy a cab over soon to live in while we build our home. We are currently looking at Northern lite and Bigfoot. I like the idea of slide outs but have been warned about the extra weight since I do not have DRW. Any advice would be much appreciated. Any ideas on the need for air bags and Rancho 9000's would also be welcome. I want as big a camper as possible (since we will be living in it for a year or so) without exceeding the limits of my truck. Thanks for the help in advance. -Chris

Well, Trailer Life lists your rig as having a 14,900#  fifth wheel tow capacity with a gross combined vehicle weight of 23,000#.  Now you play a numbers game in evaluating what you can pull.  Take the gross trailer weight and add 10%, 20% if you will tow in the mountain west.  If the number is less than the 14,900#, you are in business.  If you want to be absolutely sure, weigh the truck and subtract that from the GCVWR.  If your gross trailer weight + the 10-20%, you are doubly in business.

Air bags?  Why?  You have a 4WD  suspension on a F350.  Unless you are really stretching things that should hold you.   

 

[Lou Schneider]

Is there any reason you're considering a cab-over camper (that's carried in the truck bed) instead of a 5th wheel or conventional trailer?  There's not that much difference in price and a trailer will give you much more room and flexibility compared to a truck mounted camper.

 

[cniverson]

Thanks for the info Lou and Carl. I have not yet considered a fifth wheel. I have been told the hitch can be a pain to remove. I have not looked at standard trailers either. The cab over seemed like it would be the easiest to drive with and store once the house is built. I just heard from a friend who bought an Artic Fox. Anyone with good/bad experiance with this brand? Looking forward to exploring our country and your forum will help us sidestep common mistakes. Thanks!

 

[Carl L]

Thanks for the info Lou and Carl. I have not yet considered a fifth wheel. I have been told the hitch can be a pain to remove. I have not looked at standard trailers either. The cab over seemed like it would be the easiest to drive with and store once the house is built. I just heard from a friend who bought an Arctic Fox. Anyone with good/bad experiance with this brand? Looking forward to exploring our country and your forum will help us sidestep common mistakes. Thanks!

For some reason I thought you were looking for a 5th wheel.  I had not considered that you were looking for a slide in camper.  I had always considered them as something that hunters, fishers, or boaters used for weekending and such.  Certainly not living in for the process of buildling a home!

Actually I suspect you would find a travel trailer (TT)  or a 5th wheel trailer to be the better bet for your purpose:  more space, better plumbing arrangements, more storage capacity.  The choice between the TT and the 5W lies in whether you can abide with the hitching mechanism in the bed of your truck as with the 5W.    The TT also gives you more flat space in your floor plan.  Most big 5Ws have a bedroom in a raised low space over the bed of the truck.

Opinions I have heard here give the Arctic Fox good reviews.  If you are going to live in the trailer in cold weather, you might well pay attention to winterization issues.

 

[arcticbaby]

We own an Arctic Fox Silver Fox Edition and are very happy with it.  It is definitely 4-season!