Shopping Tips
When searching for a new RV, make a detailed list for comparison shopping and use it to narrow down your choices. There are too many details to try to commit them to memory.
If you know you'll spend a lot of time in your base-camp RV dry camping or boondocking (camping with no hookups), consider the features that enhance extended stays. Extra-large fresh- and waste-water tank sizes, battery capacity, LP-gas capacity, refrigerator size and general storage space all contribute to a successful long-term camp.
Many RVs have optional insulation packages, which improve the vehicles' cold-climate endurance and help you to avoid frozen water pipes and cold feet-an ideal option for winter waterfowl hunters. If such an option is available, make it a "must" for your shopping list. It's a lot easier to buy it up front than it is to add it later.
Aliner With Expedition Package
Length: 18 ft.
Sleeping capacity: 3 or 4
Gross vehicle weight rating: 2,500 lb.
Cargo-carrying capacity: 1,245 lb.
Weight: 1,175 lb.
Price: $11,400
Four-Wheel Campers
Grandby
Length: 10 ft. 9 in.
Floor length: 8 ft.
Interior height: 6 ft. 3 in.
Sleeping capacity: 3
Weight: 795 lb.
Price: $12,660
Four Winds Fun Mover (Ramp)
Length: 28 ft. 6 in.
Sleeping capacity: 6
Gross vehicle weight rating:
14,050 lb.
Cargo-carrying capacity: 2,794 lb.
Weight: 11,256 lb.
Price: $75,000
Lance Camper Model 820
Length: 15 ft. 11 in.
Floor length: 8 ft. 11 in.
Interior height: 6 ft. 9 in.
Sleeping capacity: 3
Weight: 2,345 lb.
Price: $19,600
A long night in a cold, drafty tent or a sleeping bag laid out in the back of a pickup is a fine learning experience. It helps an outdoorsman understand the
value of an RV as a hunting or fishing base camp.
Comfort and convenience are contagious, and today's RVs deliver the goods. Admittedly, the majority of RVs are aimed at families and generic camping-style activities, but RV manufacturers are giving more thought to those who use their products under rigorous conditions. These hunting- and fishing-friendly rigs have features that can make a big difference in how much you enjoy your outdoor
experience. Dealer lots are full of exciting and functional new RV models. Here's a sample of a few that are well worth noting as potential base-camp rigs.
Aliner
Outdoorsmen with a downsized tow rig may find the Aliner an interesting alternative to the usual fold-down tent camper. Whereas a typical tent trailer has a solid roof that lifts and is joined to the body with a tent surround, the Aliner has solid roof sections that tilt up and sidewalls that likewise fold up into place. The entire setup process takes less than a minute, which is really handy if it's snowing or raining.
The hardwalls give the Aliner extra insulation qualities, as well as make it more secure when it's locked up while you're off on a hunt. The 18-foot Expedition Package also includes a large, lockable 32-cubic-foot storage trunk up front, a heavy-duty 2,500-pound-rated axle, a 6-inch lift and larger 14-inch tires. Three large adults can sleep in this rig, or four smaller-sized.
Contact: The Aliner Company (Department OL, 1 Main St., Mammoth, PA 15664; 724-423-7440; www.aliner.com).
Four Wheel
If maneuverability and light weight are important to you, a Four Wheel Campers pop-up may be the best choice. This unit folds low for travel, measuring less than a foot above cab height, which gives it a low center of gravity and allows it to take on the roughest of access roads when used on a four-wheel-drive truck. At camp its roof raises via a spring-loaded mechanism to provide six feet, three inches of interior headroom.
The Grandby is the company's largest model and is designed for full-size, long-bed pickups, yet the unit weighs less than 1,000 pounds fully outfitted, which leaves plenty of capacity on your pickup for towing a boat trailer. Optional arctic-pack insulation gives the upper-wall fabric section
extra resistance to the cold.
This rig is an excellent choice among less complex RVs.
Contact: Four Wheel Campers (Department OL, 1460 Churchill Downs Ave., Woodland, CA 95776; 800-242-1442; www.fourwheelcampers.com).
Four Winds
This is a "toy hauler"-style Class C motor home that's outfitted with an aft-end garage big enough to house a motorcycle. The 28-foot, six-inch Fun Mover with floor plan 27C includes either an electric lift gate with a garage door or a ramp for easy garage loading. A full bath, galley and dining facilities are likewise standard. Full livability features make up the rest of the vehicle for comfortable camping.
The coach is based on a Ford chassis with a 6.8-liter V-10 gasoline engine that provides plenty of power for hauling along a boat or horse trailer.
Contact: Four Winds International Corp. (Department OL, 701 CR 15, Box 1486, Elkhart, IN 46515-1486; 574-266-1111; www.fourwinds-rv.com).
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