Picked Up My New Camper

**skyhammer** · 06-23-2011, 10:17 AM

In another thread a few months ago, I mentioned that I had ordered a new camper. I finally drove up to Bend last Wednesday, picked it up and camped at East Lake for a few days.
Only fished 1 day, as I was to busy trying to figure everything out on the camper.
The Camper is a Host Everest 11.5' tripple slide. It has pretty much everything you would want, such as built in generator, air conditioner, 2 golf cart 6 volt batteries, full dry bath with tub, microwave, 24" flat screen, stereo, wireless camera with 7" screen with infra red for some night vision.
The camper sits on a brand new F-350,DRW,CC,4WD,6.7 diesel.
Added Tork Lift Stable Loads, 48" extension hitch(cut back to 40"), air bags with in cab controller with 1 gallon tank and compressor and a front hitch.
When weighed the camper was 4500lbs, with 70 gallons of water, full propane tanks and all my clothes, food etc. I think I have added a few more lbs. since I got home.
Truck, camper and boat bring the GVWR to 13,000lbs, 300lbs under my may weight.
The camper has no sway and I have plenty of power, on the 900 mile round trip I averaged 12.5 MPG, didn't see any difference in mileage with or without the boat. 90% 2 lane roads to around 6500' elevation.
Here are some pictures.
Most were taken at my friends house in Sun River on his sloping street.

**skyhammer** · 06-23-2011, 10:18 AM

A few more.

**skyhammer** · 06-23-2011, 10:25 AM

Some interior shots.
Kitchen, taken while sitting at dinete.

Looking at rear slide, taken from dinete.

Taken from rear slide couch looking forward.

Sitting on corner of queen bed looking to the rear.

**SuperD** · 06-23-2011, 10:27 AM

Wow! Very nice. That's a house on wheels for sure.

**skyhammer** · 06-23-2011, 10:29 AM

Standing near dinete looking at kitchen.

Looking at dinete slide, taken from kitchen slide.

Queen bed in overhead.

**skyhammer** · 06-23-2011, 10:33 AM

The shower.

Bath room sink.

Am now ready to camp and fish without roughing it to much. Will be heading back to Central Oregon around the 10th for 3 weeks.

**skookum9** · 06-23-2011, 08:50 PM

Wow! Looks like a rolling luxury suite hotel to me. The cost of that truck, camper and boat combined is probably more than I've made in my lifetime, and I'm not that many years away from retirement. That's a nice looking rig, I hope you enjoy it much for many years to come. I know you said you only got to fish one day at East but was wondering how you did on that one day. Any size to the fish you caught?

**skyhammer** · 06-24-2011, 09:22 AM

It took all day to get my 5 fish. I didn't measure them, but they went from 12-14" and were a little on the skinny side.
The water surface temp was 48*.
I fished mainly on the deeper end of the lake. I got a little frustrated with the weed fouling my line.
If I wasn't trolling, it would have been OK, but I just didn't feel like sitting still.
Looked like the fly guys and jiggers were doing well on the Browns.

**Targa165** · 06-24-2011, 07:23 PM

Nice camper Skyhammer! We have an 07 Arctic Fox 990 with only 1 slide. The slides sure do make a difference in the size and comfort of a slide in camper. We had our camper on a 04 Chev 3/4 ton SRW last year. I had put the stable loads and air bags on it along with a helwig sway bar and Torklift Super Hitch. After a season with the SRW we decided we needed to move up to a DRW and were lucky enough to find a real nice 05 Chev 3500 DRW and all my accessories switched right over. I found the Chev 3500 LT crew with the Duramax and Allison trans with only 14830 miles on it and it is like a brand new 05 truck. The dually makes a world of difference with a camper that heavy.

I sure do like the way your Host triple slide is set up. I'm sure you will get many years of enjoyable use and comfort out of it. From one slide in camper owner to another, congratulations on your new purchase and I hope it brings you many years of happy camping.

**Full_Monte** · 06-29-2011, 11:23 AM

Very nice camper! I've had a Vacationeer 11'6" for about 20 years. It's too snug with fishing and other gear. Wish I had a slideout model like yours. It's just money, right? Do you know...does Host have an aluminum frame or wood frame? I've never seen a Host down here in Kalifornination.

**Mav186** · 06-29-2011, 08:18 PM

Congrats Sky...that's a great looking set-up!

**skyhammer** · 06-30-2011, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by Full_Monte

Very nice camper! I've had a Vacationeer 11'6" for about 20 years. It's too snug with fishing and other gear. Wish I had a slideout model like yours. It's just money, right? Do you know...does Host have an aluminum frame or wood frame? I've never seen a Host down here in Kalifornination.

The frame is aluminum and the sides are a type of fiberglass.
Host closed their dealer ship in CA a year or so ago. People found it more economic to buy in Oregon and save $5k or so in sales tax.
They only have 3 dealers now, one in Tenn, NH and Canada.
Host isn't a high volume manufacturer, the most they ever made was 79/year.
They only make one model, the Everest now, plus they make a 4WD class C that sits on an F-550.
Will be heading back to the Bend area around the 10th for 3 week of fishing.
Plus I have to stop by the factory and have the porch light fixed and a kink taken out of the fresh water fill hose. Other than those two minor problems, the camper is perfect.