Manufacturer Recommendations for new truck camper

[astn]

Currently investigating my options and recommendations for a new hard-side truck camper. I got some good feedback from another thread so I'm hoping for a repeat.

Interested in a 11'-11.5' side-entry truck camper with a large bath. We're going to be putting it on a F550 with either a utility bed or a flatbed. We do have some significant ideas that add some difficult to the decision, primarily: (a) Casette or composting toilet. (b) Diesel systems. (c) Very well insulated. I'd say "build quality is paramount" but from all the research I've done and questions I've asked, I'm hoping for "I don't want to have to fix too many mistakes". Another possibility is depending on the size of the shower, we may want the larger (dry-size) bathroom built out as a wet bath (similarly to how they are on ships in the oilfield).

Best floorplan I've seen is the S&S Ponderosa 11 FBSC or the Lance 1191. Wife really likes the slide of the 1191, even though I've explained to her that it's going to cost us in maintenance, heating, and cooling. Honestly, I can't disagree with her--the space would be nice. I don't want more then one slide, would very much like the side-entry, but can sacrifice either if I need to.

Many other thoughts, but looking for feedback at this point. What manufacturers should I be looking at? To address one vein of comments, I'm more flexible then I was on using propane, but it still seems like a waste. Unless it's ridiculously priced, if I'm buying new, I'd like to just get it the way I think it should be done. I may also just find that I should come up with another plan; the more I learn the more confused I am, sometimes.

Thanks in advance.

[cnynrat]

I have not looked at new campers for a while, but based on what I saw back when I was shopping it's hard to beat the build quality of the Bigfoot campers. Easily better than Lance IMO.

They aren't going to meet your other requirements (diesel systems, cassette toilet, etc.), but I'm not aware of any that do.

[Yellowkayak]

My pick would be the Lance. I've been looking a those...even the wife likes it....until......the price tagged hit her like a rock. She looked at me and ask...what does our 2007 popup (bought new), that folds out to 26+ feet, can't do that that one does. She right, I'll stick with my popup with shower, toilet, stove, oven, slideout dinette, two king size beds, heater, A/C...lots of storage, all for $15,000 new out the door, retail for $21,600 with all the options. Did I mention solar and generator also!

If I were single and no pets...I'd go with the Lance though, smaller, less to worry about also.

JJ

[astn]

Thanks for the feedback. I did hear promptly back from a Lance dealer (Mike @ XTRV, who did boblynch's camper) who advised that it can be done, but it's all dealer-work and can't be ordered that way from factory. Certainly an option and I will probably talk to them about it, but it's not unlikely that you then get to pay for everything twice+: The propane furnace and regular blackwater system, then again for the system you want, and finally one more time for the cost to modify everything. Pretty inefficient. Plus I've seen some images of the basement of Lance campers that indicate to me that they don't really give a damn about anything you can't see. That's part of buying anything now, but less then ideal, of course. I'm hoping that someone might be willing to do a build with the customizations in place; particularly given we're in the off season and RV sales probably still haven't recovered (but that is a guess).

I do like Bigfoot, but they don't do slides and looking at their website I'd thought they were 'clearing out inventory' rather then building new stuff. Thinking about that critically it may not be the case, so I will give them a call/send an email.

A fifth wheel or bumper pull trailer would be cheaper for sure, but then we can't tow a trailer (at least -I'm- not double towing, even if it may be legal in some states).

Thanks again, and hoping for more ideas.

Austin

[cnynrat]

Bigfoot is recently back from bankruptcy. My sense is they have cut back on their model line up to concentrate on what sells well for them, but I don't think they are just clearing out inventory. Pretty sure they used to offer a model with slide outs, but it looks like that one is gone now.

Despite my belief that they are among the highest quality campers in the market, there are some legitimate concerns about them: Will they make it over the long term? They have a limited dealer network compared to Lance. Perhaps others.

[Capt Eddie]

Check out a Company call Livin Lite Ithink. I spoke with a dealer at a sports show. I was Extremely impressed with the unit they were showing. He saw my camper and said that they could build a flatbed unit like mine. Side door and what ever options you want. I would surely look at then hard if i was doing it all over again. All aluminum construction also. No rot like my Lance. Two years old and the dump area is already coming aprt. I cleaned up after every dump, but that was not enough.

[jpzeroday@hotmail.com]

My experience:

2000 Lance 815: Awesome light weight camper.
2001 Lance 920: Awesome mid-weight camper. Side couch layout maximized floor space.
2009 Lance 1181: Majorly lame. Huge step up to slide. Lance does not have a good layout large TC: no basement, crappy use of floor space, cheaper materials. Sold it after 3 mos. Handled like crap as compared to the next two.
2009 Host Everest: Good. Triple slides. Great capacities. Good reliability.
2012 Chalet DS116RB: Best layout ever. Great capacities. Reliability TBD: just got it.

[wirenut]

Eagle cap makes a side entry, maybe 2. I think they are the 1160 and 1165. Also, the Host Everest is a side entry.
I love my side entry camper. If you're willing to go older models, mine is a Fleetwood 11x.

[dare2go]

Thanks for the feedback. I did hear promptly back from a Lance dealer (Mike @ XTRV, who did boblynch's camper) who advised that it can be done, but it's all dealer-work and can't be ordered that way from factory.

WHAT? So you're supposed to pay TWICE for things? First for the fittings you don't want, and then again for a time-consuming re-fit with the stuff you really want... What sort of customer care is that? I thought the RV-industry is still struggling...

Northstar builds nice truck campers, too, and I know (from talking w. owner) that they are open to some custom work, but I don't know if they have any body in their line up which matches your ideas (eg. side entry). Bigfoot's quality — don't get me started to list all the bits which fell apart in ours in because they were either only stapled (not screwed) or screwed in with too much torque and the timber had split. Northern Light is a Canadian off-spring from Bigfoot staff, but again: they don't make a model w. side entrance!

I wouldn't put such a long camper on anything but your choice of base vehicle: the 550. Hence the market segment is too small to be of interest to most manufacturers...

[redthies]

I will second dare2go and recommend Northern Light (Lite?). They are incredibly well made and have awesome interiors. If the side entry is mandatory, you will be limited. But I think you know that already.