noteven
Turtle Island
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Joined: 02/13/2011
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larky - my 820 weighs 1310kg / 2886 lbs as factory equipped and including 138 liters / 38 USgal fresh water. Battery(ies), food, packaged beverages & stuff not included.
The 06 Dodge 3500 handles it fine. The c of g is higher on a modern camper due to quantity of equipment and materials and cargo carried being carried up there off the ground on the Big Trucks.
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larkyblast
calgary
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Joined: 05/28/2019
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Thank you so much for the advice and real world numbers Gritdog and Noteven
Because of the help I've received here, I've narrowed down my choices to two campers, after negotiating I'll be nearly the same cost on both. Phew. This has been a marathon.
The salesman for the Cirrus has come down 8% from the listed price on their website after I said the camper was too heavy for me. LOL
So it's between 2020 Northstar Liberty and 2019 Cirrus 820
Northstar advantages: no added costs to truck suspension, 7' length can tow any of my trailers with camper on with no hitch extension, has extra insulation and insulated window package, cassette toilet, simple for offroad camping, heated tanks.
Negatives: small, forced air furnace, same old camper interior, have to drive to Boise to get it (13 hour drive), resale down the road? Potential lack of support since no northstar dealers in canada
Cirrus advantages: alde heat system, more features inside, more room, better looking, 3 hour drive to pick up, local dealer and tech support
Disadvantages: weight, potential to not pull bigger trailer, added cost of sway bar and timbren, tires, hitch extension. More complex so more technical things to go wrong, black water tank
This isn't going to be easy!!
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joerg68
St. Ingbert, Germany
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Joined: 02/27/2009
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Both are good campers, but with a somewhat different philosophy behind them.
The Northstar is a rather traditional wooden camper. There is a certain simplicity to their design that I like.
I found the build quality very good. It is very rugged and stable, I have nothing but praise for mine.
I have also heard a rumor that they may be changing the interior colors for 2020 to a somewhat more modern look.
The Cirrus has the Alde heater going for it. Other than that, I have never seen one in person.
There are fairly recent articles in TCM on campers from both manufacturers. They have a lot of detail information and give a pretty good impression of the product. There are probably also some walkaround videos around on youtube that may be worth watching.
If at all possible, try to climb inside both and get what you like best.
* This post was
edited 06/06/19 01:07pm by joerg68 *
2014 Ford F350 XLT 6.2 SCLB + 2017 Northstar Arrow
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BradW
Mayor of Flat Rock
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Joined: 10/29/2001
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...
Wake Up America
2019 Lance 1062 and 2018 F-350 CC PSD 4X4 DRW
Tembrens, Rear Roadmaster Sway Bar, Torklift 48" Extention and 30K Superhitch
Our New Lance 1062 Truck Camper Unloading at Dealer Photos
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noteven
Turtle Island
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Joined: 02/13/2011
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lark - suggest you load whichever camper you choose, blow up the rear tires to “max” , front to “recommended”, and go for a trip. If $$$ is needed to be spent on “upgrades” do one at a time if you identify an actual need.
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towpro
Compass PA
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Joined: 02/08/2011
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speaking of northstar, I would be willing to try a cassette toilet in my next rig. I was all for tanks but than we started camping off grid and it sucks emptying into that blue tank and lugging it to the RV dump. I would rather carry a cassette tank to dump in bathhouse once a day over dealing with the blue tank every couple days. Gray water is a little easier to deal with.
Now my life had changed since wemoved to new (used) home and no place to dump. Still trying to figure out where I can flush my tanks clean.
2022 Ford F150
Sold: 2016 Arctic Fox 990, 2018 Ram 3500, 2011 Open Range
Sold Forest River Forester 2401R Mercedes Benz. when campsites went from $90 to $190 per night.
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BradW
Mayor of Flat Rock
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Joined: 10/29/2001
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larkyblast wrote: The tongue weight on my biggest trailer as we load it would be 800-1000lbs. Loaded it will be 4000 - 6000lbs depending on trip(3000 empty).
This will be a problem.
1,000 lb tongue weight
long hitch extension
8' floor length hardside truck camper
srw truck
short bed truck
I would think long and hard before going down that road.
Good Luck,
bradw
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Kayteg1
California > Nevada
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Joined: 06/18/2015
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towpro wrote:
Now my life had changed since wemoved to new (used) home and no place to dump. Still trying to figure out where I can flush my tanks clean.
No matter how much you will flush them, they will still stink.
For new house, you do have toilet in it?
With Sewer Solution you can dump black tank into any house cleanup cap, or even into the toilet.
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lonegunman
Eastern Washington
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Joined: 08/26/2015
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You truck will haul a 4,000lb camper when prepped correctly and you won't die. I regularly haul my Arctic Fox 865 on my F-250 with zero issues.
I bought my F-250 with camper package and heavy duty everything, it is an F-350 in spite of the sticker. The part numbers for all the parts under it are the same as F-350 parts. Contrary to what the weight weirdos here will tell you. Ford and Mopar also, do not make different weaker parts with the same part numbers.
I did some upgrades, airbags of course, better shocks, Torklift bump stops to bring the helper springs in earlier, a stronger wheel and the best Michelin tire available. The truck already had sway bars. The only downside is that ride quality with no camper is a little rougher than before.
I've made several long adventures including two, three week, 5,000 mile plus trips with zero problems. My gross weight fully loaded on a Cat scale is right at max for an F-350.
When I buy my next truck, it will be configured the same way. Who knows, maybe I'll spend the extra $435 bucks for the F-350 emblem?
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jimh406
Western MT
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Joined: 06/11/2006
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lonegunman wrote:Contrary to what the weight weirdos here will tell you.
I think you meant “weight police”. ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/grin.gif "grin")
'10 Ford F-450, 6.4, 4.30, 4x4, 14,500 GVWR, '06 Host Rainer 950 DS, Torklift Talon tiedowns, Glow Steps, and Fastguns. Bilstein 4600s, Firestone Bags, Toyo M655 Gs, Curt front hitch, Energy Suspension bump stops.
NRA Life Member, CCA Life Member
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