Arkto G12 Review and Discussion

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

Hello G12 owners. I am debating buying one and Aaron (the owner) has probably been the most patient, responsive and helpful person I’ve worked with, so I would like to support his company and product. The G12 with the spec I’d like would be nearly $60k USD (plus 10% sales tax in my state)

That said, I am also considering a conqueror UEV-490 that is used and about $30k. It is also well specced (lithium battery, diesel heater to replace the electric AC/heat).

My question to you all: is it really worth $30k for a better made and better supported camper? I’m coming from a Scout truck camper which had lots of issues (although Scout - Adventurer was great to work with to fix them)…so I am a bit gun shy about rv quality (and scouts are US made, so this is not a NAM vs. Chinese manufacturer issue in my opinion)…but $30k is a big chunk of change.

Use case: family of 4, 3+ season camping mostly off grid, prefer simplicity (e.g. no black tanks, easy winterization, small size for towing and so everyone is “forced” to be mostly outside.

Appreciate any input on this.

Considering how much a used Chinese made trailer depreciate compared to a brand new Arkto that 30k is reduced. Say you need to sell in 4 years that Conqueror is going to be worth alot less. The Arkto is better insulated and my guess is a ton better speced. Can you even get insurance on a used Conqueror?

 

[telejosh]

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate folks taking the time to help with our decision. I think some of the depreciation is already considered in the conqueror since it is used (as a % I would think the arkto would depreciate more, but they may be so rare in in demand that might not be true).

In terms of the insurance, I think you can i sure any used camper trailer…I had no issues insuring previously used campers, but if something has changed in the insurance industry that you know of?

 

[Kennykustom]

I almost bought one of those repo 490’s. Only thing that stopped me was the fact I could not import it to Canada without a recall clearance letter from the manufacturer ( non existent) I even contacted as far as aus and Africa. lol.
Glad I dodged that bullet.
Picked up the Arkto instead. Couldn’t be happier spending more for the G12


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[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

I almost bought one of those repo 490’s. Only thing that stopped me was the fact I could not import it to Canada without a recall clearance letter from the manufacturer ( non existent) I even contacted as far as aus and Africa. lol.
Glad I dodged that bullet.
Picked up the Arkto instead. Couldn’t be happier spending more for the G12


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes I agree your much better off with the Arkto

 

[foxintheforest]

Hello G12 owners. I am debating buying one and Aaron (the owner) has probably been the most patient, responsive and helpful person I’ve worked with, so I would like to support his company and product. The G12 with the spec I’d like would be nearly $60k USD (plus 10% sales tax in my state)

That said, I am also considering a conqueror UEV-490 that is used and about $30k. It is also well specced (lithium battery, diesel heater to replace the electric AC/heat).

My question to you all: is it really worth $30k for a better made and better supported camper? I’m coming from a Scout truck camper which had lots of issues (although Scout - Adventurer was great to work with to fix them)…so I am a bit gun shy about rv quality (and scouts are US made, so this is not a NAM vs. Chinese manufacturer issue in my opinion)…but $30k is a big chunk of change.

Use case: family of 4, 3+ season camping mostly off grid, prefer simplicity (e.g. no black tanks, easy winterization, small size for towing and so everyone is “forced” to be mostly outside.

Appreciate any input on this.

So here’s my camper math on this. And I was a bit nervous to buy a new camper cuz the saver in me was screaming my head off lol.

Assuming by off-grid you’re doing some more rugged roads, you’ll beat up anything cheap that you buy.

The Arkto is our 3rd camper. We went cheaper with our first two and we were always breaking things from bumping down dirt. (Both were used). Plus we had to do a lot of mods to get things to be useable for us.

Essentially, each of our campers would last 4-5 years before we would either sink a bunch of money into them or they started to fall apart.

Of course, it’s a toy at the end of the day so I don’t expect ours to be perfect forever and things will need to be dealt with. And I don’t look at it as an asset either.

But the way I see it, I can buy something that’s built well and more expensive with the right suspension, non wood construction, and durability to match our camping style and have it last 10 years, or I can continue to buy cheaper campers that won’t last as long, will require more maintenance/upkeep when stuff gets strained/breaks, and have the hassle of having to buy/trade every few years.

However, we are a family of 3 and we love our G12, but depending on your kid’s ages 4 is a tight fit sleep wise imo - something to consider if your looking at a 10 year time horizon.

A second way I looked at it was calculating how much per night we ‘spend’ from the price tag. We get about 30 nights a year camping. When I broke it down over a 10 year lifespan - random but our hope is it’ll last that long - (and assumed no resale cuz I never really see them used) it came out to a number I could swallow a little easier.

Hopefully that gives a different perspective for you.

 

[Spencer for Hire]

Hi Folks, How do these compare to the EOS12 from Boreas with the cruise master suspension? Is there lots of area for several big dogs? Thank You.

 

[Kennykustom]

Looks like the eos12 has more interior space


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[K9LTW]

Hi Folks, How do these compare to the EOS12 from Boreas with the cruise master suspension? Is there lots of area for several big dogs? Thank You.

I'm not a fan of up-the-middle, galley type accesses like Boreas has. Much prefer side entrances, but that's a personal thing. What I can tell you is that it's my wife, me, a 60-lb Malinois, and a 70-lb Dutch Shepherd and there's tons of space in our G12. If we're all inside due to crummy weather, the dogs happily chill on the bed while there's plenty of seating for the wife and I (and more). Or tons of room to take a nap/read in bed/etc. and move about. At bedtime, our Mal sleeps between us, while the Dutchie gets the long bench to sprawl out on. We, rarely, use the table. And when we're done eating or working on it, it gets stowed on top of the long bench under the cabinet.

An advantage with the EOS is the lower bed height. Easier ingress/egress, with the downside being less storage...the G12 has an insane amount of storage. Conversely, our Mal is over 13 and it's getting harder for her to make the leap up onto the bench, then, again, up to the bed. I also use a collapsible baby gate in the middle of the bed to keep them from jumping straight down to the floor (I do the same in our OVRLND truck camper.

There are a number of reasons we went with the Arkto after first seeing the EOS, but this is, probably, the most relevant dog/interior space feedback I have.

 

[Spencer for Hire]

I'm not a fan of up-the-middle, galley type accesses like Boreas has. Much prefer side entrances, but that's a personal thing. What I can tell you is that it's my wife, me, a 60-lb Malinois, and a 70-lb Dutch Shepherd and there's tons of space in our G12. If we're all inside due to crummy weather, the dogs happily chill on the bed while there's plenty of seating for the wife and I (and more). Or tons of room to take a nap/read in bed/etc. and move about. At bedtime, our Mal sleeps between us, while the Dutchie gets the long bench to sprawl out on. We, rarely, use the table. And when we're done eating or working on it, it gets stowed on top of the long bench under the cabinet.

An advantage with the EOS is the lower bed height. Easier ingress/egress, with the downside being less storage...the G12 has an insane amount of storage. Conversely, our Mal is over 13 and it's getting harder for her to make the leap up onto the bench, then, again, up to the bed. I also use a collapsible baby gate in the middle of the bed to keep them from jumping straight down to the floor (I do the same in our OVRLND truck camper.

There are a number of reasons we went with the Arkto after first seeing the EOS, but this is, probably, the most relevant dog/interior space feedback I have.

Thank You. Looks like the EOS is coming out with a hard top version. Possibly with a different layout. https://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/boreas-campers-eos12.237535/page-8

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

I'm not a fan of up-the-middle, galley type accesses like Boreas has. Much prefer side entrances, but that's a personal thing. What I can tell you is that it's my wife, me, a 60-lb Malinois, and a 70-lb Dutch Shepherd and there's tons of space in our G12. If we're all inside due to crummy weather, the dogs happily chill on the bed while there's plenty of seating for the wife and I (and more). Or tons of room to take a nap/read in bed/etc. and move about. At bedtime, our Mal sleeps between us, while the Dutchie gets the long bench to sprawl out on. We, rarely, use the table. And when we're done eating or working on it, it gets stowed on top of the long bench under the cabinet.

An advantage with the EOS is the lower bed height. Easier ingress/egress, with the downside being less storage...the G12 has an insane amount of storage. Conversely, our Mal is over 13 and it's getting harder for her to make the leap up onto the bench, then, again, up to the bed. I also use a collapsible baby gate in the middle of the bed to keep them from jumping straight down to the floor (I do the same in our OVRLND truck camper.

There are a number of reasons we went with the Arkto after first seeing the EOS, but this is, probably, the most relevant dog/interior space feedback I have.

This is a great post on dealing with dogs. I believe the eos 12 and g 12 are pretty much the same interior dimensions. I think i agree that a side entry is better suited for my personal needs unless thier is any kind of step down or folding steps that take away ground clearance in that crucial area in front of or behind the wheels. Is this the case with Arkto or is there no step down or low hanging fruit below side entry door. This new hard sided Boreas is more appealing then thier pop up was. Man there both great trailers. Tough choice in my book and all comes down to the need for wetbath/ gray tank and or a 8 foot garageable rig. That and the 10-15k extra cost for the Boreas hardsided.

 

[K9LTW]

This is a great post on dealing with dogs. I believe the eos 12 and g 12 are pretty much the same interior dimensions. I think i agree that a side entry is better suited for my personal needs unless thier is any kind of step down or folding steps that take away ground clearance in that crucial area in front of or behind the wheels. Is this the case with Arkto or is there no step down or low hanging fruit below side entry door. This new hard sided Boreas is more appealing then thier pop up was. Man there both great trailers. Tough choice in my book and all comes down to the need for wetbath/ gray tank and or a 8 foot garageable rig. That and the 10-15k extra cost for the Boreas hardsided.

The Arkto has a small piece of the door below frame height that allows for a single, low step inside the door before you step up onto the proper floor. The alternative would've been raising the roof height that much higher to accommodate the door. I'm good with this compromise and the water tank is still the low point at 16". I also appreciate that Aaron and Co. gusseted the frame here. That was a MAJOR detractor to Mission Overland's Approach (which we were extremely excited about...then quickly not). Their door hangs, precipitously, low behind the rear wheel and had no gusseting (at least not when first introduced). I didn't get the tape measure out last night, but ~3"ish. Presumably, you'd bang one of the ARK corner braces before impacting the door frame, and it's never come close to being an issue for us.

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

The Arkto has a small piece of the door below frame height that allows for a single, low step inside the door before you step up onto the proper floor. The alternative would've been raising the roof height that much higher to accommodate the door. I'm good with this compromise and the water tank is still the low point at 16". I also appreciate that Aaron and Co. gusseted the frame here. That was a MAJOR detractor to Mission Overland's Approach (which we were extremely excited about...then quickly not). Their door hangs, precipitously, low behind the rear wheel and had no gusseting (at least not when first introduced). I didn't get the tape measure out last night, but ~3"ish. Presumably, you'd bang one of the ARK corner braces before impacting the door frame, and it's never come close to being an issue for us.

View attachment 882277View attachment 882279

Great information. Yes I agree especially being in front of the wheel. When that wheel crawls over a rock or stump I am sure it helps from that step down hitting. If you ever start hitting your folding stab jacks you could just remove them and use the following. They are light and quick to set up and stow away. No changing tires though.

https://a.co/d/gHrPYk8

 

[K9LTW]

Great information. Yes I agree especially being in front of the wheel. When that wheel crawls over a rock or stump I am sure it helps from that step down hitting. If you ever start hitting your folding stab jacks you could just remove them and use the following. They are light and quick to set up and stow away. No changing tires though.

https://a.co/d/gHrPYk8

If I'm hitting those jacks, I'm somewhere I shouldn't be with it. HA! It sure ain't no Turtleback!

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

If I'm hitting those jacks, I'm somewhere I shouldn't be with it. HA! It sure ain't no Turtleback!

Oh K9 you shouldn't have said that. Next trip that rear passenger jack is going to take a huge hit 😉