I would never have expected this from Josh the RV Nerd! But it VERY MUCH impressed me that he did. And, wow, what he said –
First, An intro to Josh the RV Nerd
Josh is effectively the YouTube spokesman for Bish’s RV. Bish’s is a multi-store (27) nationwide dealership. Josh has a very successful YouTube channel. He makes videos that primarily promote the campers on his dealerships lots. Many of his videos highlight Forest River and Thor campers. This should come as no surprise since these two giant corporate entities represent most of the campers sold to consumers in most dealerships.
In my video above, I draw a parallel between Josh and Motor Trend. As a young man, I read reviews of cars in Motor Trend and noted they never offered a negative review. I realized early on that since they accepted advertising from virtually all car manufacturers, a bad review would be “biting the hand” that feeds them!
I believe Josh is in a similar dynamic. If he were to tell you the REAL story on (virtually any) Forest River or Thor camper, he would be creating challenges for his sales staff to sell these campers. This is why when Josh did a 90 minute walk-through of Northwood’s production and manufacturing facility in La Grande, Oregon, I was completely blown away!
A Northwood Factory Tour by Josh the RV Nerd is an EXCEPTIONAL event
Here’s why I refer to it as an exceptional event: Promoting Northwood does very little for Bish’s (or any dealers) bottom line. Northwood is a small manufacturer with limited production capacity. They will never make or sell as many campers as any Thor or Forest River brand.
Northwood produces Arctic Fox, Fox Mountain, NASH and down the street, Outdoors RV trailers. They also make Arctic Fox slide-in campers.
Northwood can not compete with either Thor or Forest River when it comes to “cranking out” campers. But, as you review Josh’s video HERE, you’ll see there are some VERY strong reasons to consider a Northwood camper if you’re looking for a towable.
Let’s get into a few details here…
The Towable Chassis – where true quality construction begins…
I firmly believe if your camper doesn’t have a solid foundation, the rest of it does not matter – even if it has “the perfect” floorplan! Think about it. We have all seen campers that look beautiful on the dealer’s lot, but fall apart within weeks of purchase. IF it leaks or the slide fails, or something isn’t wired right, what good is it?!
THIS is where Northwood truly stands above and beyond. They make their own chassis. Most of the other RV manufacturers, including ALL Forest River, Thor, Brinkley, Alliance and more use Lippert (LCI.)
Since Northwood builds the chassis AND the “box” on top of it, there is naturally tighter integration. Josh points out in his video how that benefits you as the owner of one of these campers.
During the first 23 minutes of Josh’s video, he details the Northwood chassis, how it is built and what makes it different from “the rest.” As I watched this, I was beaming because as you may know, I’m in an Outdoors RV Glacier Peak 5th wheel.
When I first purchased mine in 2017, I wrote a post detailing what makes it a true 4 season camper (I have camped in it down to -40F – really!) I am still in that same camper, now nearly 9 years later – and it is holding up quite well. I detail HERE how it looked and has performed after 8 years of full time living.
Northwood – Excellence does not end with the chassis
As I noted in my own posts and videos linked earlier, there are several aspects of the design and construction of a Northwood that make them worthy of the label “true 4 season.” AND… this is not only important for cold weather campers. Frankly, it is just as important in Texas and Arizona in the summer. Why? Good insulation not only keeps in warmth in the winter, it will resist the external heat in the summer.
As you review Josh’s video, take note of how the roof is designed; the value of dual-pane windows; the pace at which these campers are built (speaks to quality control), and much more.
As an RV Concierge (RV Consultant)
I often find myself recommending Northwood trailers IF they fit the wants and needs of my clients. I always begin my work with a new client as an advisor and consultant. I am not affiliated with any manufacturer or dealer. In fact, most of the time I recommend buying a used camper to avoid the initial STEEP depreciation experienced by virtually all new campers. To learn more about my Concierge RV Buying (and Selling) Service, please check my post HERE.
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