Northern Lite

[jaxyaks]

I think I have narrowed a camper down to one of the Northern Lite models, any issues pro's and cons I need to be aware of that may not be known to the average google searcher?

I narrowed it down based on the construction, quality reputation and from what I can tell resale value. Anything I am missing?

I have a truck thread in the truck area of the forum where I am narrowing down a hauler if anyone has any insight there, or you can add it here as well. I didn't want to put it in the wrong place.

Advice selecting new HD truck (camper hauler)

With the risk of a diesel vs gas or SRW vs DRW debate I'm going to throw this out there with the hopes of some new insight. I will be selecting a new truck camper hauler in the not so distant future and I am always up for advice from those who know more than I do regarding different reasons...

expeditionportal.com

Thanks for all the insight so far!

 

[montypower]

We originally wanted a fiberglass camper. Biggest issues were the BIGNESS. They are so wide and long. And heavy. Just not ideal for off road type travel. Wish they made a small version 80-84" wide. So just depends on how you plan to use it. I think these campers are best suited for dually type truck that is more on road and gravel road type travel.

 

[NOPEC]

Northern Lite and their cousin (by geography) Bigfoot are both great campers. I had a Bigfoot and now have their long, extinct cousin, a Kodiak. The NL are big and heavy but are very well appointed for the more upscale, RV crowd. Basically, the Bigfoot is the same except they still have a couple of models that are reasonable in size and weight. The NL lineup seems to be getting heavier due to their dropping the smaller and lighter models and adding more and more luxury type features on their current larger models.

I was going to pitch one of these companies a few years ago to build me a custom, stripped down version of their lightest production model and they would have none of it. These are mass produced cookie cutter campers with limited options and with a track record in sales and success that is hard to argue with, so why break the mold? Fair enough. They are road and mild off road friendly so I guess it is all about what you want. I honestly got bored with my camper because it was so "RV". Much of it was "frou-frou" and contained entirely the usual, predicable "stuff". Again, hard to argue with if the company is making lots of money and the customers are happy and resale is good. I don't get the feeling that things are changing that much because their market is probably not your typical EPortal reader and there is no need to evolve either in design or selection of componentry. It seems there are becoming more and more camper builders both in the US and Canada that are sensing the "custom camper" market is growing and are rising to engage customers in the design/build process which is great.

Don't get me wrong, I love my fiberglass camper(s) and I took my Bigfoot (smallest, modern version they make) to Tuk and all over hell's half acre in North America on a 1 ton SRW with no issues. I would not touch one of the larger Northern Lite (or Bigfoot) without a DRW truck.

However, if you are looking for a starting place to do a "gut job" and rebuild, the older versions of these campers are a good option, as long as you don't get skinned by the current prices!

Just a few opinions...........

 

[wild1]

We originally wanted a fiberglass camper. Biggest issues were the BIGNESS. They are so wide and long. And heavy. Just not ideal for off road type travel. Wish they made a small version 80-84" wide. So just depends on how you plan to use it. I think these campers are best suited for dually type truck that is more on road and gravel road type travel.

We have a 2019 Northern Lite 8 11 exse , I have had a half dozen different campers from an 8 foot Alaskan to an 11 foot Fleetwood Caribou. The NL is head and shoulders above in quality and comfort. Considering the content level and capacities I think that the weight is reasonable for a 1 ton SRW. I have 4050 pound rated Coopers and Tiburon heavy duty bump stops and the camper rides very well on the highway and on gravel backcountry byways. My truck is a Ram 3500 Cummings and power wise it handles this camper and flat toes my JLUR with ease. I think that this would not be a great combo if you wanted to tow a trailer with much tongue weight. I think if you want to tow a boat or trailer I would look at the 9-6 Sportsman and a full size long box.

 

[Alloy]

Might want to talk to Canadream RV Rentals. They sell them out of their rental fleet.

Home

Information about RV Rentals in Canada with CanaDream. Learn about RV types, trip planning, special offers and much more ...

www.canadream.com

 

[NOPEC]

We have a 2019 Northern Lite 8 11 exse , I have had a half dozen different campers from an 8 foot Alaskan to an 11 foot Fleetwood Caribou. The NL is head and shoulders above in quality and comfort. Considering the content level and capacities I think that the weight is reasonable for a 1 ton SRW. I have 4050 pound rated Coopers and Tiburon heavy duty bump stops and the camper rides very well on the highway and on gravel backcountry byways. My truck is a Ram 3500 Cummings and power wise it handles this camper and flat toes my JLUR with ease. I think that this would not be a great combo if you wanted to tow a trailer with much tongue weight. I think if you want to tow a boat or trailer I would look at the 9-6 Sportsman and a full size long box.

Wild1

I should have been a lot more clear with my post. The NL 8-11 series are great campers and a perfect fit for a one ton, I have a couple of friends who have the similar set up. I was thinking more about the full basement models when I made the comment about needing a dually. Like most of us, we often see TCamper combos out there that are way over weight. The point I wanted to make to the OP was that with fiberglass campers generally being on the heavy side, you have to pay close attention to the weight within the model ranges of the various brands, so you don't choose a camper that is too big for your truck. As far as quality and comfort, I couldn't agree more that the NLs are probably at the top of heap and rightly deserve their reputation.

 

[dags]

I owned a NL 10-2 , spent a few years traveling through US, Canada and Mexico. The major issue on the camper is the drain connections into the grey and black tank - due to vibration the drain connectors break off at the tank, which is very hard to fix. If i was buying a used NL i would want to fill the grey tank to capacity and check for leaks by having the camper on a slope and seeing if you have water running through the basement. I've been to the factory and discussed this issue with the owner of NL, he admitted he knew it was a design flaw but didn't seem to really care. This issue could be resolved by fitting rubber vibration dampers in the hard pipe during construction. Having mentioned this issue i would buy another NL, the rest of the camper is great quality.

 

[cobro92]

Northern Lite and their cousin (by geography) Bigfoot are both great campers. I had a Bigfoot and now have their long, extinct cousin, a Kodiak. The NL are big and heavy but are very well appointed for the more upscale, RV crowd. Basically, the Bigfoot is the same except they still have a couple of models that are reasonable in size and weight. The NL lineup seems to be getting heavier due to their dropping the smaller and lighter models and adding more and more luxury type features on their current larger models.

I was going to pitch one of these companies a few years ago to build me a custom, stripped down version of their lightest production model and they would have none of it. These are mass produced cookie cutter campers with limited options and with a track record in sales and success that is hard to argue with, so why break the mold? Fair enough. They are road and mild off road friendly so I guess it is all about what you want. I honestly got bored with my camper because it was so "RV". Much of it was "frou-frou" and contained entirely the usual, predicable "stuff". Again, hard to argue with if the company is making lots of money and the customers are happy and resale is good. I don't get the feeling that things are changing that much because their market is probably not your typical EPortal reader and there is no need to evolve either in design or selection of componentry. It seems there are becoming more and more camper builders both in the US and Canada that are sensing the "custom camper" market is growing and are rising to engage customers in the design/build process which is great.

Don't get me wrong, I love my fiberglass camper(s) and I took my Bigfoot (smallest, modern version they make) to Tuk and all over hell's half acre in North America on a 1 ton SRW with no issues. I would not touch one of the larger Northern Lite (or Bigfoot) without a DRW truck.

However, if you are looking for a starting place to do a "gut job" and rebuild, the older versions of these campers are a good option, as long as you don't get skinned by the current prices!

Just a few opinions...........





View attachment 641782

Which Bigfoot are you referring to? The 1500 series?

Also what is that model in the picture?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NOPEC]

Cobro92

Yes, I had a 1500 series 8.2 Bigfoot.

The camper in the picture is a "Kodiak 8'3" for a short box full size pickup, originally made in western Canada by a company called "Peak Manufacturing" which is long since defunct. They are still around but getting harder to find.