At the end of the month I pick up my new SnowRiver Truck Camper. I just may have the best built camper in North America (for 2 months anyway). My camper is the prototype for a new series of campers coming in 2008, called the "Prestige Signature Series". SR believes they will be the best built campers available on the market. They will not be cheap (anyone want to buy my firstborn?). The past few months they have been taking suggestions from consumers about what they would like to see in a Truck Camper and many of them have been incorporated. Not all were practical, of course and some conflicted with others. I am proud to say that 2 of my own ideas have been incorporated as well (numbers 4 & 5). SnowRiver is betting there is a market out there for people willing to pay for the best camper it’s possible to build. The high Canadian dollar is hurting them as it is all Canadian manufacturers. I just returned from Penticton where my camper is about half way finished. It’s a slow process, Snowriver’s take almost twice the man hours to build as the industry average. I am in the very fortunate position of being able to see my own camper constructed. I took a lot of photos & I have some of my own camper a week or so ago as well. I will show them here & try to explain what you are looking at and why this camper is different. I am not sure I can reveal the name, but basically they will be the same 4 designs as they are now but with lots of extras & a designer interior. They hired a well known designer of yacht interiors to do these. There are some changes, the gray tank size has been increased and the 10.8 will now drain the shower into the gray instead of the black, & I presume that will be true for the 9.6 as well. Since I have the prototype, I guess it’s up to me to tell them what does & does not work. SR campers take twice the man hours to build than the industry average. Mine is taking a full month. Here are some of the innovations:
1)Auto slide closer, if you pull away with it out, it goes in automatically.
2)Real Oak laminate flooring (not fake linoleum like Host uses or used)
3)Tons of 12 volt outlets for things like cell re-chargers, portable vacuum’s, etc
4)Digital thermostat with an off on switch at the bed. This means you can set the temp before going to bed, leave it off, snuggle under a down comforter & turn it on from the bed before you get out.
5)Split A/C plugs. Some AC outlets are split so ½ runs off shore power the other half off an inverter. This is for items like CPAP machines that you can plug in when not on shore power. Or laptops.
6)Reading lights in slide
7)Outside floods on both sides & at the rear so you can safely back into a wooded campsite after dark.
8)TV in door that can be swung to watch from dinette or bed.
9)Convection oven option that will run off a Honda 2000. Polar Cub A/C also for Honda 2000.
10)Touch switch on outside rear (stolen from lance)
11)User adjustable slide mechanism
12)Clear rear door window with built in shade
13)Skylights over dinette & in shower. Solid shower stall door.
14)Shower bypass for boondocking so you can drain shower directly outside into tote tank or on ground without greasy dish water & food particles from sinks in the mix. My wife who is an environment chemist assures me this is OK (She is a tree hugger).
15)Humidistat that will automatically operate fantastic fan briefly overnight to remove humidity due to expiration.
16)Raised doors in bed area, so they clear any added memory foam topper.
17)Wireless backup camera. I am testing this one, but if it works existing SRâ€s can be retrofitted easily. The monitor is any portable DVD player or laptop that can also be moved inside & double as a security monitor.
18)Inside fishing rod storage compartment for Canadians or gun storage for Americans. LOL.
19)Heat ducts all over the place including closets.
20)Reico Titan Jacks
21)All outside screws & fixtures are stainless steel. All screws are sealed with mono to prevent moisture wicking into the frame.
22)New wrap around fiberglass nose cap to prevent front water intrusion. The roof has also been improved to help prevent intrusion.
23)Holding tanks can be accessed from the underside if necessary via separate panels.
24)New richer cabinet color scheme
25) satellite radio antenna on roof. (I supplied)
Don’t ask the price, I don’t know myself yet, but they will not likely be the most expensive on the market, but they will be up there.
The following photo’s are what I will try to convince you with that this is the best built camper out there. On the basis of the 10 or so factories I have visited, I believe it is, which is why I chose to buy one. Especially when you combine that with their reputation for customer service. You will notice it is wood framed. I am not going to get into the aluminum vs wood debate. SR does build aluminum framed Class C’s so they are capable of building an aluminum framed camper but chose not to go that route with their TC’s.
This is my camper a couple of weeks ago, notice the wings are covered with a sheet of fiberglass, this protects the underside from moisture introduced into side panels, the power cord box, etc.
Wiring is done neatly even in areas like this which will never see the light of day, these will be covered by the propane box. What looks a bit like fiberboard is actually wallpaper. This camper contains no fiber or chip board.
This is the former nose arrangement, followed by a picture the new wrap around.
New sink & counter styles & colors
Notice the joint is Sikaflexed as well as screwed, Sikaflex is the strongest flexible adhesive on the market. This is the sidewall at the cabover floor.
The area under the slide is reinforced with flat iron on the outside & corner iron on the inside with the wall area sandwiched in between, the tie downs are wielded to the flatiron. There is no way there will be any sagging under the slide or corner cracking .
This shows the slide adjusters, The owner can raise or lower each side of the slide with just a crescent wrench. It is the only slide that can be adjusted by the owner. The other pictures show the drive gears, the gear rack on the slide underside & the slide motor itself.
SnowRiver has the tightest clearance on any slide in any RV. The following 2 pictures show a dime held up against a closed slide & an open one. This means little air leakage through an open slide. Nearly all other slides you can stick your arm through the rubber flap. The slide mechanism is unique to this camper.
This is the slide open detector switch. If the truck is started & the bake pedal pressed the slide will come in, if open. The microswitch will engage if the slide is in. This is possible because of the tight clearances on this slide. Snow River slides move at about ½ the speed of other slides, due to lower gearing, so if someone is inside, it is not a hazard.
Digital thermostat & humidistat
Bed closet doors are raised to clear toppers.
TV in door, privacy blind
Shower stall & bathroom
Command Seating & skylight
Shower bypass
Closets & outside shower is heated (to prevent freezing)
Fishing rod/gun storage. Notice heat vent in slide.
Polar Cub A/C
Laminate floor
Stainless screws & sealing
1)Auto slide closer, if you pull away with it out, it goes in automatically.
2)Real Oak laminate flooring (not fake linoleum like Host uses or used)
3)Tons of 12 volt outlets for things like cell re-chargers, portable vacuum’s, etc
4)Digital thermostat with an off on switch at the bed. This means you can set the temp before going to bed, leave it off, snuggle under a down comforter & turn it on from the bed before you get out.
5)Split A/C plugs. Some AC outlets are split so ½ runs off shore power the other half off an inverter. This is for items like CPAP machines that you can plug in when not on shore power. Or laptops.
6)Reading lights in slide
7)Outside floods on both sides & at the rear so you can safely back into a wooded campsite after dark.
8)TV in door that can be swung to watch from dinette or bed.
9)Convection oven option that will run off a Honda 2000. Polar Cub A/C also for Honda 2000.
10)Touch switch on outside rear (stolen from lance)
11)User adjustable slide mechanism
12)Clear rear door window with built in shade
13)Skylights over dinette & in shower. Solid shower stall door.
14)Shower bypass for boondocking so you can drain shower directly outside into tote tank or on ground without greasy dish water & food particles from sinks in the mix. My wife who is an environment chemist assures me this is OK (She is a tree hugger).
15)Humidistat that will automatically operate fantastic fan briefly overnight to remove humidity due to expiration.
16)Raised doors in bed area, so they clear any added memory foam topper.
17)Wireless backup camera. I am testing this one, but if it works existing SRâ€s can be retrofitted easily. The monitor is any portable DVD player or laptop that can also be moved inside & double as a security monitor.
18)Inside fishing rod storage compartment for Canadians or gun storage for Americans. LOL.
19)Heat ducts all over the place including closets.
20)Reico Titan Jacks
21)All outside screws & fixtures are stainless steel. All screws are sealed with mono to prevent moisture wicking into the frame.
22)New wrap around fiberglass nose cap to prevent front water intrusion. The roof has also been improved to help prevent intrusion.
23)Holding tanks can be accessed from the underside if necessary via separate panels.
24)New richer cabinet color scheme
25) satellite radio antenna on roof. (I supplied)
Don’t ask the price, I don’t know myself yet, but they will not likely be the most expensive on the market, but they will be up there.
The following photo’s are what I will try to convince you with that this is the best built camper out there. On the basis of the 10 or so factories I have visited, I believe it is, which is why I chose to buy one. Especially when you combine that with their reputation for customer service. You will notice it is wood framed. I am not going to get into the aluminum vs wood debate. SR does build aluminum framed Class C’s so they are capable of building an aluminum framed camper but chose not to go that route with their TC’s.
This is my camper a couple of weeks ago, notice the wings are covered with a sheet of fiberglass, this protects the underside from moisture introduced into side panels, the power cord box, etc.
Wiring is done neatly even in areas like this which will never see the light of day, these will be covered by the propane box. What looks a bit like fiberboard is actually wallpaper. This camper contains no fiber or chip board.
This is the former nose arrangement, followed by a picture the new wrap around.
New sink & counter styles & colors
Notice the joint is Sikaflexed as well as screwed, Sikaflex is the strongest flexible adhesive on the market. This is the sidewall at the cabover floor.
The area under the slide is reinforced with flat iron on the outside & corner iron on the inside with the wall area sandwiched in between, the tie downs are wielded to the flatiron. There is no way there will be any sagging under the slide or corner cracking .
This shows the slide adjusters, The owner can raise or lower each side of the slide with just a crescent wrench. It is the only slide that can be adjusted by the owner. The other pictures show the drive gears, the gear rack on the slide underside & the slide motor itself.
SnowRiver has the tightest clearance on any slide in any RV. The following 2 pictures show a dime held up against a closed slide & an open one. This means little air leakage through an open slide. Nearly all other slides you can stick your arm through the rubber flap. The slide mechanism is unique to this camper.
This is the slide open detector switch. If the truck is started & the bake pedal pressed the slide will come in, if open. The microswitch will engage if the slide is in. This is possible because of the tight clearances on this slide. Snow River slides move at about ½ the speed of other slides, due to lower gearing, so if someone is inside, it is not a hazard.
Digital thermostat & humidistat
Bed closet doors are raised to clear toppers.
TV in door, privacy blind
Shower stall & bathroom
Command Seating & skylight
Shower bypass
Closets & outside shower is heated (to prevent freezing)
Fishing rod/gun storage. Notice heat vent in slide.
Polar Cub A/C
Laminate floor
Stainless screws & sealing
but, I have never priced them. Steve I thought the Lance was top of the line.