RE: Extended living/travel "diesel" class C? Best quality?
Wow! Everyone seems to be suggesting a 5ver. I don't know? We did look at a few yesterday, used Montana's. They were okay, but were so huge! They do seem to have lots of room. My wife is an Air Force nurse. I'm retired Army. We love to camp, love to travel in our own RV. We had a Sprinter Class B, it was way too small, though the MPG was absolutely incredible at 21 plus mpg! But again, way too small. Aside from moving it from assignement to assignment, we do like to go camping, a lot; it's our favorite passtime.
I guess we need to seriously look in to this. Thanks for the advise!
I just was thinking about you folks:
a) Living in it full time
b) Already having a vehicle that is capable of towing.
We have a Sprinter based C and We find it to have ample room inside for the two of us but we aren't living in it full time (I know of people that do however).
I think once you figure out all the stuff you want to have in your "house" you will want something a bit larger, but you know yourselves best. Maybe something smaller than a 5er is the answer, or just a smaller 5er. Some of them aren't so huge...a friend of mine has a smaller one with no slides.
DW and I went inside a few FW this past weekend, they are nice, lots of room, looks comfortable, but, and there's always a butt, I mean but...
they still look intimidating in size, for towing and getting into camp ground spaces. They seem to be a bit better built in quality over TT's too.
Well, I hope to find some higher end ones around here, to see them first hand and get the feel for one.
Thanks!
RE: Extended living/travel "diesel" class C? Best quality?
synergy_58 - Chevrolet stopped building the Kodiak 5500 chassis that might interest you as others have mentioned. There are a number of used ones out there. Gulf Stream Endura (now Conquest) and the Jayco Seneca built hundreds of them. Born Free tried selling some. Here is one a 2006 GulfStream Endura in Tucson.
Here is the Conquest Super Nova on an International chassis -
http://www.conquestmotorhomes.com/products/supernova/images/08-SuperNova-ext-Lux-Redwru.jpg width=450
Thanks Gene!
These look nice! I've looked at a few, on line. It's hard to get the feel for room without actually being in one, but they sure look substantialy made. I wonder why they stopped makin them?
RE: Extended living/travel "diesel" class C? Best quality?
Wow! Everyone seems to be suggesting a 5ver. I don't know? We did look at a few yesterday, used Montana's. They were okay, but were so huge! They do seem to have lots of room. My wife is an Air Force nurse. I'm retired Army. We love to camp, love to travel in our own RV. We had a Sprinter Class B, it was way too small, though the MPG was absolutely incredible at 21 plus mpg! But again, way too small. Aside from moving it from assignement to assignment, we do like to go camping, a lot; it's our favorite passtime.
I guess we need to seriously look in to this. Thanks for the advise!
RE: Extended living/travel "diesel" class C? Best quality?
Why not a 5th wheel? If you will be in one place for long periods.
We thought of that. Never owned one. They look intimidating, size, height, weight???
We have a 2011 Ram diesel 3500, crew cab, diesel, short box, 4x4...but again, 5'ver's look so big!
Extended living/travel "diesel" class C? Best quality?
So we've tried the TC and TT route. Had 2 class B's. Now, we want something with more room, but it's got to be a diesel (more HP, and a tad bit better MPG). I'd prob go for a class A, but holy moly the up keep, maintenance and INSURANCE! OMG, the cost of insurance for a class A would be enough to make me give up RV's all together.
So...what brand Class C comes with diesel's? who/what's the best quality Class C, and do they make one for extended living/RV'in?
DW and I are military. So, we move every 3 years. We have 2 homes (can't sell them due to the economy, go figure), and we're pretty settled on the idea of getting a decent size RV to live out of in stations where we absolutely know we will not buy a home where we are stationed...and live in our RV and just be nomads. Is this a bad idea? I kinda like the thought of it. A lot of military couples are doing it.
Anyway, we thought a TT or Class C...you're thoughts please.
RE: looking for the best 4 season TT for Alaska - which one?
Escape Trailers, made in Chilliwack, BC offers a thermal window package and heat pads on tanks plus spray foam underneath to enclose entire trailer. with Atwood Everest 8012 furnace which only pulls 2 amps and a solar setup, you are good to go anywhere up north.
Hmmm? It's hard dealing with Canadian dealers. I was looking at the Bigfoor TC's and the dealer wanted about $3000 CDN more just to send a unit to Anchorage from Whitehorse.
I will look at the Escapes though. Thanks!
RE: looking for the best 4 season TT for Alaska - which one?
If you search this forum for recommendations for 4-season TTs, Northwoods Manufacturing, specifically the Artic Fox, is cited the most. And since you already had one, I think you'll find nearly any other brand severely lacking in build quality.
Every RV under $80k has a crappy $100 stereo. Get a $300 car DVD player (like Pioneer 2400BT) and move on.
No question about it, we did/do find that AF rises head and shouldrs above the crowd, especially in the area of interior decorum, with the exception of the carpeting. The quality build was better than their own Wolf Creek, the Lance models, Alpenlite's, and most of the other brands that we were able to shop up here in AK. Even the Adventurer lacked in design quality and build. So...I'm still wanting to check out the Bigfoort brand but can't find any.
RE: looking for the best 4 season TT for Alaska - which one?
...
Some food for thought:
I think the best cold-weather camper would have to be built from scratch. Folks that are now primitive work-camping in North Dakota are finding out. North Dakota is booming economically from oil developement, but lacks sufficient housing. The best easy-to-heat winter campers are turning out to be home-built ice fishing shacks, although they aren't all that portable.
I think the flaw with most all "commercial camper" campers is the lack of vapor barrier on the inside walls. Yet this barrier is a common neccessity on full size stick-built homes in cooler climates. Keeping in mind that the vastly greater outer wall and ceiling surfaces of full size homes can suffer, imagine what the tiny surfaces of relatively smaller campers must bear. It is estimated that each home occupant releases 1/2 to 1 gallon of water vapor daily into the interior atmosphere of any dwelling through cooking, showering, breathing etc.
"Fiberglass" campers built before 2006, with Luan outer skin, tend to delaminate from accumulated humidity moisture, although most newer campers are using moisture resistant Adzel siding panels. But it still appears that all campers are built lacking a vapor barrier to prevent moisture accumulation inside the outer wall cavity during cool/cold weather.
Moisture accumulation can still be damaging even on aluminum framing, and even worse on wood framed campers. Wood framed campers do have the distinct advantage of lower "spot" heat loss, but are subject to rot.
Perhaps the best heavily modified winter-ready camper would be a non-4-season converted aluminum sided unit. Aluminum siding, for purposes of dissipation, does slightly breathe as opposed to a really tight plastic gell-coated outer panel (fiberglass). Most aluminum sided units are built with wood, which helps prevent cold wet spots from forming on inside walls as opposed to metal aluminum frames. Also keep in mind that most aluminum framed campers do contain wood trusses in the ceiling anyway. Ceilings are a greater concern because dry water vapor is lighter than air, and humidity tends to accumulate faster near the camper ceiling. That is the reason that dry water vapor rises to become tiny condensed wet water droplets we call clouds when the dry vapor hits cool upper temps and condenses. The droplets are already heavier and if they combine to become even larger, fall as rain.
The interior outer-wall paneling, and ceiling, can be removed and a vapor barrier (6 mil polyethylene) added next the warm side right under the new or replaced interior paneling. The ceiling may be easier to just add poly and cover with a new thin ceiling panel rather than remove. The vapor barrier slows moisture to the extent that it can escape from a cavity faster than it accumulates. No barrier is perfect. The point is to prevent water accumulation, something that fiberglass campers are unfortunately good at.
The outside, stapled aluminum siding can be removed and the 1-1/2 inch cavity filled with a high grade insulation such as closed cell styrofoam. This includes low-expansion spray foam for best fit/seal and/or foil bubble wrap in areas not filled by block foam. Foil bubble wrap can exceed styrofoam in insulation rating per thickness and is also very lightweight.
Some fresh water tanks are naturally inside some campers under a couch or bed, and black/gray water can be moved inside under a raised bath floor or be extraodinarily well sealed underneath between the TT frame rails. A small amount of heat, such as a light bulb will keep well insulated cavities warm.
If you do find a fairly well insulated camper, plan on using a dehumidifier to reduce cavity moisture damage. This is really the simplest plan of all, but moisture control is imperative at any rate.
Wes
...
Wes,
That's a lot of information to absorb, and sounds like a lot of work, to have to pull apart a camper just to install a vapor barrier. I was hoping to find a "quality" built TT with all of those things you mention being considered. I guess I'm SOL.
I will keep checking TT's out, find the best that I can find and then go from there I suppose. I haven't found a Bigfoot brand yet, but I hear they are suited for Canadian winters...maybe?
Thanks!
RE: looking for the best 4 season TT for Alaska - which one?
Synergy,
You do not mention whether you want another TC, or TT?
I have owned one Arctic Fox 860S TC and loved it...two Lance TC..
and now a new Lance TT with the true "4 Season Certification" (dual pane windows, double wall heated holding tanks, and enclosed/heated dump valves. Arctic Fox/Nash are great 4 season campers (but heavy)
So far I really like the quality of the New Four Season Lance TT.
I like the Lance 4Season because the holding tanks are double wall, insulated and heated. Covering the underbelly is not as effective or efficient.
Lots of TC are true four season certified (AF, Lance, Snowy River, Eagle Cap, Bigfoot, Hallmark, etc.
GTKATO,
NO, we do not want a TC. We are considering a TT and even a 5ver, but don't want anything too long and tall, maybe under 32' in length? We want to be able to stay on extended trips, 1-12 months even. So we want it to be very comfortable, yet a true 4 season, especially below freezing temps. I will look at the lance TT's, but I wasn't impressed with the Lance TC's, as compared to the AF's.
RE: looking for the best 4 season TT for Alaska - which one?
Eagle Cap- MAXIMUM 4-SEASON INSULATION!
"Highest R-Values - R-17 in ceiling / R-22 in the floor / R-11 in the wall. Thermal pane insulated windows, 1” insulated baggage doors, easy access winterization station, full ducted basement heat and a 30,000 BTU furnace are all standard making the Eagle Cap cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter and easier to winterize, providing you the best 4-Season thermal insulation package in the industry!"
http://www.amlrv.com/images/ec_construct_cutaway.jpg height=200 width=200
The Northwood Nash TC's have R-18 roof insulation, but a modest R-7 in the walls and floors.
Does Eagle Cap make TT's or 5th wheels? I'm done with the TC scene.
RE: looking for the best 4 season TT for Alaska - which one?
Did you really like your Arctic Fox... why not another one?
I did like most things about the Arctic Fox, but there were things that I did not like at all. For instance, the interior carpeting is dated...3 tone brown colored medium to high pile shag. Also, I had it in the shop 4 times to replace the DVD/CD player, an LED rear turn signal, stuck jacks, and leaking vent. The stuck jacks had me stranded 150 miles in the woods. Northwood's Manuf. does not pay for assistance away from servicing dealers.
I did check out a 30' AF TT and found that some of the plumbing drain lines were exposed to the elements under the TT, valve too.
looking for the best 4 season TT for Alaska - which one?
Greetings all.
So far this year I have purchased a new Arctic Fox 811 TC, used it on 17 trips and recently sold it. It was a great TC for what it's made to do, but DW says she wants something bigger now, and something nice enough to stay in for months at a time.
We have 2 more camping seasons up here in Anchorage, AK and we want something we can keep for the long haul, something substantialy durable, comfortable, warm for winter seasons (LOTS of insulation), roomy enough to move around, but not so long that we can't get in to some of the national park camp spaces.
I looked at a few Airstreams; they're nice, but not as roomy as some other brands, and pricey!
Please let me know what brands are best suited for my needs, which ones are suitable for winter trips, and which one is built the best.
Looking forward to your comments. Thanks!
