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kerry4951
Member
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#1 Posted: Wed Jan 13th, 2010 00:54 |
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Hello everyone
I am a new member to this site. I just spent the last 3 months researching all makes of TC's. I took atleast 5 road trips to various dealers , some being quite a distance away. But I wanted to see them all. I eventually narrowed down the selection to either the Lance 1181 or the AF 1140. Well, the AF 1140 finally won out. I love the ozite ceiling, the extra storage and cabinetry in the sleeping area, the 8 cu ft frig, and I just thought the unit had so much more storage with its cabinets and wardrobes. I also felt the constructiion of the AF was excellent overall. Thats not to say I did not like the 1181. It had lots of quailty I thought and even some nicer features then the AF. I do not like the new drawer slides that Lance just went to, They work on friction only to keep the drawer from coming out. There is no positive latch on the drawers. I just felt that could be a constant area of adjustments to make them right. The 1181 bathroom is exquisite for a TC, but I learned quickly that anytime you get something in a TC you have to give up something else. Overall, I just felt the AF1140 would meet our needs better. Another plus is that I found an AF dealer about 15 miles from where I live, so any service should be rather convenient. I got a good feeling for the dealership as it is a "ma and pa" set up, which I like. My order went in today with expected completion towards the end of February. Im looking forward to all the great advice from this forum.
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2009 Chevy 3500 DRW with Duramax/Allison
Loadlifter 5000 air bags, Firestone in cab dual air controller w/ on board air compressor, Supersprings, Torklift stable loads, front Timbrens, Hellwig rear sway bar, Bilstein shocks.
2010 AF 1140 on order
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oregonbear
Member
| Joined: | Mon Apr 10th, 2006 |
| Location: | Gladstone, Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 246 |
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#2 Posted: Wed Jan 13th, 2010 02:03 |
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| Welcome, I am sure you will love the camper. We found ours after acouple years of visiting RV shows. This site has given me great help and I learn things once and awhile. Go back thru some of the older posts regarding campers and many questions will likely be answered But, if you do have any Qs start asking. Nice people here to get information or opinions from.
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01 Ford F350 Lariat 7.3 Powerstoke/ Auto/ CC/ 4x4 Off Road/ SRW/ Firestone Air Bags Rear/AFE air intake
02 AF 990wb Camper with AC and Gen
08 18ft Alumaweld 200hp Intruder jet boat
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DesertFox1
Member
| Joined: | Fri Jan 2nd, 2004 |
| Location: | Tacoma, WA, USA |
| Posts: | 609 |
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#3 Posted: Wed Jan 13th, 2010 05:23 |
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I love the ozite ceiling as well. Cabinets - wow, they are as nice looking as the ones in my kitchen in the house.
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Doug
09 Chevy Dooley D/A LTZ
10 AF811
05 Aveo (DD)
04 Jeep Rubicon
02 Suzuki DR-Z400S
92 Wells Cargo toy box
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pbgsho
Member
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#4 Posted: Thu Jan 14th, 2010 07:33 |
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I also have an Arctic Fox 1140 and have very been well pleased with it. Depending on the bath type I doubt that there are many campers with the amount of interior storage space in the 1140. Our 1140 has the wet bath which I believe provides more shower space than the dry bath. One thing that I did not want to do is to give up the large cabinet with the four drawers below which you lose with the dry bath. I am always amused at some people who talk about bowing the curtain rod out like a Holiday Inn because the curtain sticks to their wet behind. The main advantage that I can see is that the dry bath does give one a place to dress which provides more privacy.
Since the 1140 does not have a vent to the outside for the stove area, one suggestion that I would make is to have the factory install a better fan ahead of the A/C unit. The one that I had was almost useless so I removed it and installed another Northern Breeze. I found this fan to move an incredible amount of air, was quiet and has an infinately variable motor and is reversible. Decided to forgo the rain sensing feature since I planned to put one of the new Maxxair ll covers over it. The plan did not work for me since hole for the fan was too close to the A/C unit so the cover hit the A/C shroud. If the fan hole is move about 2-3 inches further forward the cover will fit. I did however put one over the fan in the cabover and it works great.
Could never understand why they only furnish three of the wire shelving pieces in the pullout pantry since it can accomodate four which increases the storage by 33%. Do it since you will not be sorry. The eight cubic foot refer with the large freezer is a real joy for the wife since it can hold a ton of stuff. There was a shelf that had not been installed and by adjusting the shelves we were able to pick up even more space. Possibly they have changed but there needs to be more 12 volt receptacles. I only had one in the TV cabinet so am adding more.
I also added a 100 watt solar panel from AM Solar and am so pleased that I just bought another one. They are having a sale with free shipping and packaging for the panel. Since the 1140 is prewired it is a simple job to add solar and it does work well.
The other person who might add some comments is shyoldfox who, I believe, also posts on RV.net. He may also use the name butch50. I had made the fan suggestion to him so he could tell how it worked out. If I think of more suggestions I will add a note. Feel free to contact me by a pm if you have other questions or concerns.
pbgsho
Last edited on Thu Jan 14th, 2010 08:03 by pbgsho
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2006 AF 1140 WB
1997 F-350 CC DRW with full Banks Pkg
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kerry4951
Member
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#5 Posted: Mon Jan 18th, 2010 22:15 |
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| Northwood must of listened to someone's suggestion(s)----My dealer contacted them today and they told her that they do include 4 shelves in the pantry pullout now. I also had her check to make sure the unit would come thru with Cherry wood. They made the switch mid year of last year and they are all cherry now.
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2009 Chevy 3500 DRW with Duramax/Allison
Loadlifter 5000 air bags, Firestone in cab dual air controller w/ on board air compressor, Supersprings, Torklift stable loads, front Timbrens, Hellwig rear sway bar, Bilstein shocks.
2010 AF 1140 on order
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pbgsho
Member
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#6 Posted: Mon Jan 18th, 2010 22:53 |
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Kerry4951, did you get the wet or dry bath? I am always curious about how people make that choice. As I mentioned, the dry bath does give some more privacy so if that is a consideration then it is the better choice. The loss of the storage was a big consideration in my case. My first camper, acquired in November 1968 had a wet bath, so I understood the trade offs that I was making.
Regardless of your decision you will not be unhappy with your choice. We completed a 65 day, 18 state 10,430 mile trip in early July. We never lacked for inside storage room which included clothes for all types of weather.
As I suggested in my earlier post, I would suggest having Northwood install a better fan in area adjacent to the galley to clear cooking odors out more efficiently.
Also I am in the process of replacing the thin aluminum hanging brackets with something that does not have the segments. These bend easily and in some of the lockers makes it difficult to get the hangers into the slots.
The other great improvement is to incorporate Matthew_B 's charging system on your truck. With this your batteries will always be charged. This can be found on RV.net by doing a search. If you are interested but can not find it I can email it to you with a source for the parts.
Enjoy your new camper.
pbgsho
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2006 AF 1140 WB
1997 F-350 CC DRW with full Banks Pkg
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kerry4951
Member
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#7 Posted: Mon Jan 18th, 2010 23:15 |
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We went with the dry bath. I was just too impressed with all the storage in the 1140 dry bath. It put the Lance 1181 to shame. Having a nice dry bath in our old RV was something we were used to. I always had the fanastic fans in my motorhome and never had a problem with them. Dont know if they were the same or not, they had 3 speeds and in/out fan rotation to blow the air either way. I did have Max-aires on both and that was nice in the event of rain. I had one of the fans go out in my motorhome and did a reinstall on a new replacement in just a few hours. Other than that they always seemed to work rather well. We also in our motorhome had a ventless stove fan, so I am used to using the ceiling fan as a vent while cooking.
I do have the oprional 100 watt solar panel coming thru with it. Since I never had solar before I thought I would give it a try. I am pretty handy so I feel confident in making improvements as we go along if need be.
Sounds like you had a great trip last July. We did a similar trip last year also, aound 12 states, in our motorhome. Since sold the RV and decided to scale down a little since its only the two of us anymore. A TC makes sense since we already have the truck. I sure won't miss the insurance and maintenance bills every spring.
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2009 Chevy 3500 DRW with Duramax/Allison
Loadlifter 5000 air bags, Firestone in cab dual air controller w/ on board air compressor, Supersprings, Torklift stable loads, front Timbrens, Hellwig rear sway bar, Bilstein shocks.
2010 AF 1140 on order
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Buz
Member
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#8 Posted: Tue Feb 2nd, 2010 13:34 |
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| kerry4951...... We will be taking delivery of our new AF 1140 WB around mid March. Needed all the storage space we could get, and this unit certainly out does the competition in that respect, and in many other ways also. In regard to how you have outfitted your truck, you state that you are using the Firestone in cab dual air controller w/ on board air compressor. I too am considering this same system, but am looking for some user input as to how well you like the setup before taking the plunge. Where did you have the compressor mounted, underneath the truck or under the hood?? Did you have it plumbed so you can inflate tires also?? Is there a diferent system that you now wish you had gone with, etc. etc.?? I would value your thoughts on this topic. Thanks.
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2010 F-350 Super Duty, 4x4, CC, DRW, V-10, factory certified camper package, Rancho 9000's, Firestone airbags, Torklift tiedowns with Fastguns and locks, stable loads,
2010 AF1140WB, custom factory modifications
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kerry4951
Member
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#9 Posted: Tue Feb 2nd, 2010 14:33 |
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| Congrats on your upcoming new 1140. We too are scheduled to take possesion around mid March, so I guess they will be sisters in production. The storage issue was also one of the big deciding factors that led us to the AF 1140. I initally started to contact some local RV centers to inquire about having an air bag system installed. The more I researced it, I felt that I could handle the install myself. As it turned out, I was able to do the install in my home garage with basic hand tools. I took my time and it was the better part of a whole day to get everything completed. I have a Chevy 3500 and the air bags install now without drilling. The bags mount up relatively easy, using existing bolt holes and brackets. I knew I also wanted on-board air, so I opted to go with the on board air compressor. I debated as to where to install it, and eventually found a nice place behind the rear seat (crew cab). With the shape and size of the air compressor, it fit like a glove, standing upright, and I did not have to screw it fast and make more holes in the body. I ran the air line along the door jams and under the carpet, up to the controller.. The dual controller I mounted under the dash, and to get the air lines to each bag I found an exit point thru a firewall gromet. The little noise that the compressor makes inside the cab is nothing to worry about. For the few times that you have to use it the noise is not deafening and no big deal. I like the fact that its in the dry and protected. I also brought my 12 volt power thru the firewall from the battery complartment. I wired the guage light wire to a separate swithch so I can light up the dash only when I need to see it at night. During normal operation, the gauge light does not come on. I'm sure there are other ways to do the install, but this system worked for me. I have not used the air bags since I dont have the camper yet, but Im sure the system will work well. I do remember I had to purchase an extra piece of air line since I did not have quite enough with the kit. The air line connections at each bag is the easy push-in and pull style, and seem to work well. NOTE: I also broke down and ordered a set of Supersprings. Very easy to install, and I like the feedback I got from another member who told me the SS's hold the weight, and just use the air bags to level the load. That seemed to make good sense to me. Can't wait to try it all out. Good luck with your decision.
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2009 Chevy 3500 DRW with Duramax/Allison
Loadlifter 5000 air bags, Firestone in cab dual air controller w/ on board air compressor, Supersprings, Torklift stable loads, front Timbrens, Hellwig rear sway bar, Bilstein shocks.
2010 AF 1140 on order
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kerry4951
Member
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#10 Posted: Tue Feb 2nd, 2010 14:34 |
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Last edited on Tue Feb 2nd, 2010 14:47 by kerry4951
____________________
2009 Chevy 3500 DRW with Duramax/Allison
Loadlifter 5000 air bags, Firestone in cab dual air controller w/ on board air compressor, Supersprings, Torklift stable loads, front Timbrens, Hellwig rear sway bar, Bilstein shocks.
2010 AF 1140 on order
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kerry4951
Member
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#11 Posted: Tue Feb 2nd, 2010 14:42 |
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BUZ
I forgot to mention, I did not hook up my air system to inflate tires. I think most of those use an on-board air tank as an accessory to inflate tires. I just didnt want to bother with trying to find a place for the tank. Also, I have a very nice light weight air compressor that I carry with me, and its works off of 110 volt. I will just fire up the generator and use 110 out of the camper if I need air for the tires. Kerry
PS: I also considered that using an air tank gives you a few more connections that offer more chances to get leaks. With an air sysytem, the fewer connections the better.
Last edited on Tue Feb 2nd, 2010 14:50 by kerry4951
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2009 Chevy 3500 DRW with Duramax/Allison
Loadlifter 5000 air bags, Firestone in cab dual air controller w/ on board air compressor, Supersprings, Torklift stable loads, front Timbrens, Hellwig rear sway bar, Bilstein shocks.
2010 AF 1140 on order
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Buz
Member
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#12 Posted: Tue Feb 2nd, 2010 16:24 |
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Thanks Kerry. You've been quite helpful. I believe I'll proceed with the Firestone airbag setup similar to yours.
I like your idea of carrying a small separate 110V compressor for tire inflation, and operating it off the gen set. We are headed to Alaska this Summer, and want/need a good reliable way to inflate tires. Those Alaskan gravel roads are pure torture on tires, and it is recommended that you carry two spare tires instead of the traditional one spare, along with a good repair kit.
Hope you have many enjoyable years with your new 1140. If you ever take a road trip out this way, feel free to look us up. There's lots of beautiful places here in the Northwest to go see. Buz
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2010 F-350 Super Duty, 4x4, CC, DRW, V-10, factory certified camper package, Rancho 9000's, Firestone airbags, Torklift tiedowns with Fastguns and locks, stable loads,
2010 AF1140WB, custom factory modifications
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trail-rider
Member
| Joined: | Fri Oct 3rd, 2008 |
| Location: | Farmington, USA |
| Posts: | 70 |
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#13 Posted: Tue Feb 2nd, 2010 20:27 |
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Before taking the plunge on Firestone airbags, check out http://www.pacbrake.com airbags.
Most of their systems are "no drill" installation
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Bob
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Kummok
Member
| Joined: | Sun Apr 15th, 2007 |
| Location: | Homer. Alaska, USA |
| Posts: | 21 |
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#14 Posted: Wed Feb 3rd, 2010 19:53 |
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Buz wrote: ...We are headed to Alaska this Summer, and want/need a good reliable way to inflate tires. Those Alaskan gravel roads are pure torture on tires, and it is recommended that you carry two spare tires instead of the traditional one spare, along with a good repair kit....
I'm a big believer in carrying what you need for where you're headed but, unless I'm headed to Kennecott mines, I only carry the stock full size spare wherever I travel up here.
There was a time when the AlCan had hundreds of miles of gravel and it earned the appropriate reputation of a brutal highway. Now however, the only dirt/gravel you'll find on the majority of routes within Alaska is where the perpetual road maintenance/construction is active. I believe that the "Top of the World" highway to Dawson City is still a lot of gravel but the main routes around Alaska are paved....that said, you WILL develop an eye and distaste for what we call "frost heaves" on the paved highways, especially during Spring travel!!
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1999 Ford F350 4WD/DRW, ATS trans w/ Torquelock, chipped, MagHyTec diff and AT pan, AirLift, AlCan lite pltfrm w/ Hellas/DayLighters, Nokian "ice" tires
2006 AF 1150, Torklift w/ Fastgun LRs, SuperHitch w/ SuperTruss stinger
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pbgsho
Member
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#15 Posted: Thu Feb 4th, 2010 03:36 |
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Buz, I believe you are too concerned about the roads in Alaska. We spent eight weeks there and drove over almost every road there and found them to be with some exceptions reasonably good roads. We also drove the "Top of the World Highway" from South of Tok to Dawson City which alternates between a paved and gravel surface. The biggest problem we encountered was the opposing traffic which kicked up rocks and 7 weeks and 5 days into our eight week trip we got a chip in the windshield of our rental camper. There is a person in Whitehorse who fixed it so the rental people could not tell and trust me they looked awfully hard. We did not take the windshield insurance so we held our breath while they inspected it.
I would take Kummok's suggestion about travel to the Kennecott Mine. My suggestion is to take an eight passenger tour bus from Kenny Lake RV Park to the mine as we did and forget about driving yourself. The road is notorious for damaging tires since it was originally a train track and buried rail spikes may work a hardship on a tire. It is a good trip and be sure to take the ranger tour through the mine buildings. Wear some good walking shoes since there is no public transportation although the tour will pick their people up on the McCarthy side of the walking bridge and take you in to town.
Be sure to drive to Homer, a unique little town often described as a "Drinking Town With a Fishing Problem." We fell in love with it and spent twelve days there and stayed at Mariner Park on the Spit. No hookups but only $12.00 a night.
There are so many great things to do in Alaska it is hard to do then all. For a real adventure drive to Talkeetna, which is a cool little town, and take a plane ride around Mt. McKinley and land on the Ruth Glacier. We did this in 1999 and on our recent trip in 2007 found that our pilot with two rangers on board flew into a mountain and all three were killed. Take a trip to the cemetary and see the graves with the broken props as memorials and the totems which honor the climbers who have lost their lives on McKinley.
Take your trip and do not worry about the small things.
pbgsho
Last edited on Thu Feb 4th, 2010 03:38 by pbgsho
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2006 AF 1140 WB
1997 F-350 CC DRW with full Banks Pkg
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mhays
Member
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#16 Posted: Tue Feb 9th, 2010 02:30 |
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We have a 900. Some friends of ours just bought a 2010 Lance 1191, and no kidding, we have as much room in our camper (or at least if feels like it) because the slide-out on the 1191 is so small and the steps inside the camper take up so much room. And we have more fresh, grey and black water capacity.
Their new camper is nice, no question about it. And it was fun to look at. But I can’t imagine going that big and still basically you have a dinette, kitchen, bath and bed over the cab. If I was going to get a camper big enough to push me into a duel wheel truck and exotic hitch set up – I would want two slide-outs, maybe three!
And here’s another interesting fact that I think may speak to quality. The dry weight of our little (less than 10 foot) camper is 100lbs more than the monster Lance.
Like I said and I mean it – their new Lance is very nice. But going on our 4th season, we love our Artic fox and just had that reconfirmed.Last edited on Tue Feb 9th, 2010 02:31 by mhays
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- Mike, Denise & 2 dogs -
'03 Ford 4x4 F350, SRW, C/C, L/B, 6.0 diesel, Rancho 9000X's, 2.5" bump stops, helper leafs all arround, Timbrens and airbags, Torklift frame mounts with Fastguns, 2007 AF-990 (wb). And... a matching toy hauler
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kerry4951
Member
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#17 Posted: Tue Feb 9th, 2010 03:35 |
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I looked at a Lance 1181 before ordering the AF 1140. I agree that the Lance line is very nice indeed. I was a little turned off when the dealer could not get the slide out to go out. They ended up hand cranking it out. Not sure if it was a malfunction or what, but I know it wasnt battery power as they checked that. I was really turned off with the "new and improved" Lance drawer slides in the 1181. They work on friction and are adjusted with two set screws on the side of the drawer slides. There are no positive catch latches. All I could see there was a constant battle to keep enough friction on the drawers so they didnt keep coming open during travel. I may stand corrected later on but I just wasnt thrilled with this new set-up. Overall the quality of the TC was very good, nice fit and finish. I just felt the AF 1140 had much more storage, larger tanks, double slide out mechanisms, very good quailty construction, and who cannot just love that ozite ceiling. AF adds alot more standard features to their units, whereby Lance has very limited standard features and builds in all the extra options with certain convenience packages, just like most car companies. You will get a heavier camper when going with AF, but to me that can also mean that it is possibly a better built TC. I got a very good comparison sheet at one of the AF dealers that I visited. It compared AF to Lance, in many ways. I was impressed to learn that AF also uses much heavier aluminum framing around all their slide out openings. Lance aluminum is all one thickness. Sometimes "heavier is better"!!There were several other very neat comparisons that I was never aware of. They both have their good points but I just fell for the AF overall. The fact that I was able to order it from a local dealer only 30 minutes from where I live is also a big plus!!
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2009 Chevy 3500 DRW with Duramax/Allison
Loadlifter 5000 air bags, Firestone in cab dual air controller w/ on board air compressor, Supersprings, Torklift stable loads, front Timbrens, Hellwig rear sway bar, Bilstein shocks.
2010 AF 1140 on order
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FF1063
Member
| Joined: | Thu Aug 26th, 2004 |
| Location: | New York USA |
| Posts: | 339 |
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#18 Posted: Tue Feb 9th, 2010 12:17 |
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Hi kerry4951,
Wish you well on your AF1140 purchase. Hopefully your experience with Northwood will be a good one, mine has become a disaster.
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98 Ram 3500 CTD 12V / 05 Arctic Fox 990
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