Double Slide Truck Camper?

When we "met" our first truck camper with a slide out--some years ago in Canada--we knew this was some kind of innovation. Whenever would American TC builders start building slide outs? It was a simple affair, just a dinette slideout, but after having bummed around in a tiny "import truck" camper, this was like waking up in a dream.

It didn't take long for American manufacturers to "get with the program." Slide out truck campers wound up on every TC builder's menu. Now the double slide mania has begun. Northwood has rolled out its Arctic Fox 1160. Says the promotional release, "When you set foot in the 1160 you will find it hard to believe that you are standing in a truck camper and not a travel trailer!" Well, we haven't personally "set foot" in one, but the photos are impressive. It's rather hard to fathom the seeming width of this big fellow.

One slide is your standard dinette slideout, but the opposite side rolls the entire wall side out in the galley, including an eight cubic foot refrigerator. Want to add some options? How about a gas fireplace? Two televisions? In ceiling a/c ducts? While the 1160 is obviously not your "hunter special" it may be just the ticket for the high-end crowd who craves to get really into the back country and yet take their civilization with them.

With a list price of $40,300 and a scale weight of 4,535 pounds, you'll have to crunch a lot of numbers to decide whether or not to "move up" to this big rig. Meantime, visit the Arctic Fox web site.

Arctic Fox About to Unveil New Model for 2008

You really BIG truck camper fans listen up: Northwood, the Oregon truck camper manufacturer of Arctic Fox is soon to release photos of its new for 2008 double slide truck camper. The company is jealously guarding current photos of the rig, wanting to wait until they have a more formal photo shoot, but we were able to obtain a floor plan and a couple of details.

First, don't count on carrying this new rig on your three-quarter ton. Scaling in at over 4,000 pounds, your standard model pickemups would have to squat to rise--if they even could. Inside amenities of this seeming behemoth include a "neo-angular shower." Neo-angular? Must not be built for Neanderthal "hunter's special" types.

If Northwood's media guy holds true, we may have more details and pictures next week.