UPDATE: The NEW Glacier Peak’s have been spotted! If you’ve already read this article, scroll down for PHOTOS and a quick first impression…
Dateline: Late March 2016. I had just left my winter playground in McCall, Idaho where I ski and ski instruct almost every day all winter. I was “enroute” to my summer RV sales position in Casper, Wyoming, so naturally I headed WEST to Oregon!
My journey to Oregon had 3 goals – to tour the Outdoors RV factory in LeGrande, to visit Portland and in particular a CruzBike dealer (more on that soon), and to visit Brookings – a beachfront (and I DO mean beach FRONT campground) – where I caught a few days of rare March sun and warmth!
My focus today? The Outdoors RV factory tour – and what I saw at that time that may well be the answer to my wants and needs – a new Glacier Peak Fifth Wheel designed for RV’ers who spend lots of time (or live) in their “5er”. I shot video at that time, but held it back as to not “let the cat out of the bag” until Outdoors RV was ready to reveal this model to the world.
Full disclosure: I work for a RV dealer in Casper Wyoming that does sell the Outdoors RV trailers. That said, when I purchase my next fifth wheel, I’m going to buy the best for my money – whether its from my dealer or not. Just ask Steve, our sales manager, he will confirm I am an “independent sort” (he might phrase it as a “SOB”!)
Why I’m looking for a new fifth wheel
I’m in a 2011 Crossroads Seville, its a VERY nice trailer – but – its simply too long (38ft) for me. As I travel through the inter-mountain west, I found several camping areas where a trailer like mine simply can’t fit or negotiate the roads.
A likely solution in the NEW Glacier Peak Fifth Wheel
First, watch this video – then I’ll explain below what has me so excited…
A few thoughts on what I’ve found important (and perhaps you as well) in a fifth wheel – (and I expect the Glacier Peak will have ALL of these)
- A custom chassis (that is designed for the floor plan above it) that is WELL INSULATED, pulls well, and has a LARGE fresh water tank (80+ gallons)
- Shock absorbers on the axles, strong oversized axles, MOR-RYDE suspension, and REAL tires (NOT china-bombs!!) – This is already “standard fare” on all of Outdoors RV’s travel trailers and the current Glacier Peaks, so, I expect it to be present on the new “flagship” models
- Deep dual opposing slides in the living area – important for room to move about
- Fiberglass EVEN UNDER the slide (you should see what some manufacturers use for the base of a slideout!)
- 2 Inch Thick foam insulation – in ALL walls, including the slides! (I winter in my RV in the mountains!!)
- Additional storage bays – note the rear of the prototype above, and in the video above, note the drivers side storage in the rear slide
- An East – West bed alignment allowing for the front cap to be a full width closet (with few exceptions, this is a deal breaker for me)
- A large (double door) refrigerator (as seen in the prototype above) and a convection – microwave (I anticipate this will be an option)
- A build quality that is commensurate with all of the design and engineering features detailed above. With well over 80% of the available trailers made by TWO companies (Thor and Forest River), Outdoors RV has a unique opportunity to show themselves as a “cut above” and a reason to wander away from the pack.
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Will Glacier Peak meet and exceed expectations?
In summary, I’m anticipating (which is more than “hoping for”) the BEST from Outdoors RV. If you look at their Blackstone line (their top of the line travel trailers), you’ll gain some insight as to what they’re likely to build into the Glacier Peak – which will certainly be their flagship. I’m told there will be 3 models (3 different floor plans) – each built upon the same size box (about 33- 34 ft). This size to me represents a great compromise between the 40 ft giants which are amazing to live in – but truly limit where you can take them and the 25-30 foot fifth wheels that can go virtually anywhere but are truly minimalist in terms of living space and storage.
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A brief but important note…
**A brief note – regardless of what I purchase next, I WILL carry an “extended service contract” to protect me from just what I saw this morning at the local campground here – an RV’er crawling around under his slide which was clearly not closing properly and apparently needed a technician to repair it (NOT the rv owner!) Unfortunately for him, he did not have a plan and since Saratoga is no where near any rv repair – even mobile rv repair, he’s in a bad sort. Contact me (RVAcrossAmerica@gmail.com) if you wish to get this IMPORTANT protection for your current RV – honestly, one event could save you the cost of the policy.**
NEW Glacier Peak Models Spotted at So. Cali. RV SHOW…
I was contacted by a reader, Scott. He was kind enough to share his thoughts and photos. You can see the photos below. Scott and I had a 20 minute conversation yesterday and one of my greatest take-aways was when he said “there were 1300 trailers at this RV show, and the Glacier Peak stood out above the entire pack of trailers he saw”.
As I studied the photos – and the floor plans, the RKS (rear kitchen) and RLS (rear living room) models were represented at the show; the RDS (rear dining) was not. Personally, I’m leaning towards the RDS as it has a center island – which to me always spells more food prep space AND more cabinets/drawers. Read on beyond the slide show below for additional thoughts and insights.
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Glacier Peak Brochure (Click to open a PDF flyer detailing the floor plans and specs on the new Glacier Peak’s)
Considering among the BEST of today’s mid-sized fifth wheels…
Continuing my discussion with Scott, he was struck by the build quality of the Glacier Peak’s. In particular, the use of shocks on the axles; the use of an arched roof (which helps improve the quality of insulation in the roof), and in general the “fit and finish” of the trailer. For me, I’m looking at a few competitors to the Glacier Peak. These include the VanLeigh Vilano 325 and the Augusta Ambition 33QS. Both appear to have a superior build quality and I like the fact that (as with Glacier Peak) they are built by small independent companies who appear to be focused upon building a quality 5er. I have serious concerns regarding the Vilano as its fresh water tank is only 54 gallons (the Glacier Peak is 82 and the Ambition is 79).
Other contenders in this size and quality class may include the Mobile Suites 32RS3, but with a MSRP of about $115,000. it better be a whole lot more 5th wheel than a Glacier Peak for $80,000 – 85,000 MSRP! I’m certainly open to looking at others, but I’m highly inclined to stay away from the Forest River (especially) and Thor “super brands”. As always, I welcome your thoughts and input – use the reply option below, and feel free to subscribe using the box above.
UPDATE… Here is my NEW 5th Wheel Purchased 10/16/2017… https://rvacrossamerica.net/outdoors-rv-glacier-peak-4season-5thwheel/
I’m curious, is the Glacier Peaks GVWR not more than 15,000lbs due to the lack of a washer/dryer option? That is one of the main differences between the Artic Silver Fox 29-5T weighing 15,700lbs.
Thank you!
Do any of the Glacier Peak Outdoor RV’s have the option to hook up and install a washer/dryer unit?
Short answer – no. Their philosophy is to make a heavy duty off-grid capable camper and a w/d simply does not fit in with this outlook. From a realistic perspective – only the 30RLS and 30RKS are *borderline* large enough to properly accommodate a w/d. From my personal view, even when I had a larger camper, I opted against the w/d for these reasons: 1) they are expensive and NOT very efficient 2) they add unnecessary weight 3) they take up valuable space 4) they result in more water running in areas that would otherwise not have water running – hence a greater risk for leaks and freeze-ups. I personally visit a laundramat weekly for a minimal cost.
You are not married to my wife who doesn’t want to go to a laundromats. Therefore, unless outdoor RVs adds this as an option in the future, that alone is a knockout point preventing me and others from purchasing their 5th wheels.
I’m curious, is the Glacier Peaks GVWR not more than 15,000lbs due to the lack of a washer/dryer option? That is one of the main differences between the Artic Silver Fox 29-5T weighing 15,700lbs.
Thank you!
All around the GP is built better than an AF. As to avoiding laundramats… I’d call that a “first world problem”. Al
We will be going full time next year (2018). We are considering the Glacier Peak F30RDS. I follow ORV owners on Facebook and I am starting to see quality control issues. That concerns me. If you have now taken ownership of your unit, how are you finding the quality control of a new unit?
Thanks,
karen
Karen,
I will be releasing a video shortly (a few days) that details my trailer. I’ve had it now for about 2 weeks, I’m VERY impressed (so are others who have visited with me). I’ve been very busy emptying my storage unit that contained all my “stuff” and loading it into my Glacier Peak, so I’m getting quite familiar with the trailer both inside and out. Is it perfect? No. It’s built by humans and a few VERY minor issues were detected and I have corrected. Anytime you have the “human factor”, there will almost inevitably be an issue or two.
You mention concern over quality control – as an owner and as a consultant who has put 30+ people into Outdoors RV trailers, I can say their quality control is about as good as it gets. There are FAR fewer issues experienced by Outdoors RV owners (Glacier Peak, Blackstone, Timber Ridge, Creekside) than what I’ve seen with ANY other manufacturer. Did you know they fully inspect EACH trailer before it leaves LaGrande? Most manufacturers “spot check” – and it shows!
Now you say you’re considering the 30RDS… you need to know it is NOT being built again (and I don’t recommend you try to find one that is currently on a dealer lot – those are from the 1st build from Outdoors RV and as with ANY “first build”, the company learned (think of it as a “beta test”) and has made some significant changes (improvements). They only built a few 30RDS units and then they decided they did not like the layout given its size. That was honestly a disappointment to me as I LIKE center islands and loved some other aspects of the 30RDS, but, the 30RLS (what I purchased) is nearly as good – and better in some ways. I’ve had some folks comment that this trailer is “more open” than my previous trailer that did have a center island and was actually 3 1/2 ft. longer!
I am going to make some modifications to this trailer to personalize it to my needs and I will certainly keep my readers apprised of the changes/improvements.
Bottom line: In this price range, and size, I can NOT find a better trailer. This Outdoors RV trailer is VERY well constructed (again – video coming soon to highlight this), has the dual-opposing living room slides (that I view as VITAL for any full timer – and this is where Arctic Fox is currently falling short in this length, the 29-5 model has only 1 slide in the living area); it has a large (12 cu ft) fridge; large convection/microwave; and the BEST designed bedroom with the most storage I’ve seen, period.
Out of curiosity, what part of the country are you located within?
We live in Alabama. So not any ORVs around here. We did see a ORV TT while camping in Arkansas. Plan to fly to Oregon in Feb. or March to visit the factory (both Arctic Fox and ORV). Will decide then and put our order in.
I will be in Idaho until late March if you’d like to stop by, I’m about a 4 hour drive from the factory. The factory tours will be informative, pay attention to the little things. Also note that at this time, ORV has the better floor plan in a 34-35ft 5th wheel, but offers nothing longer. If you absolutely require longer, the AF 32-5 and 35-5 are good choices. Since you can not purchase from the factory directly, I’d welcome you considering working through me on either an ORV or AF trailer.
Alan,
Sure do enjoy your articles and your videos, happy to hear about your decision to get the Glacier Peak. We purchased a new 2016 GP F26RKS Wallowa Platinum series after a year of research trying to find the perfect balance of size, boondocking capability, 4 season build, off road capability and comfort. Almost settled on the Arctic Fox 27-5L but the Glacier Peak won us over with a little better quality on the interior fit and finish and materials. Also the storage bays as you know are enormous whereas the A Fox has much less storage. The Glacier Peak 5’er is great product which we are proud to own.
Thanks for the affirmation Clint. Yep, I like the GP better than the AF product for those same reasons.
If you decide you want an extended service contract with your GP, let me know, I can get a very competitive quote.
I will be wanting an ESC for my GP when the one year coverage is expiring January next year. I think it’s a must. I will certainly contact you when that comes about. If you thinks it’s prudent to get it before that time, let me know .
Happy New Year, everyone.
We are about to buy a Glacier Peak in the next two weeks, with the deal secured in part by positive comments here, from Alan, and from other intensive comparisons, even though we have a healthy list of warrantee ‘fixes’ before taking ownership. We can see the quality differences.
One item I haven’t been able to figure out on the GP 5’ver is why Outdoors RV would put the propane tanks on the driver’s side instead of on the passenger side, which of course is the living side. It would seem like a no-brainer to have the propane on the passenger side for ease of use for the BBQ, so there must be a reason. I can’t see any impediments to swapping the batteries to the driver’s side. The above would be my one major recommendation to Outdoor RV for future models, but it is too late for us.
Glen, as to propane tanks, you’ll have to contact OR to see why they made it the way they do. Which glacier peak have you settled in on? When you get it, I’ll be glad to get you a great price on an extended service contract (highly recommended!)
If you’re looking for the 26CIS, we have a 2016 leftover (in Casper Wy.) and I’d let it go for a great price. Here is a link to it – http://www.stalkupsrv.com/new_vehicle_detail.asp?veh=486764&pov=4356415
Al
Do they build their own frames? I personally like the 25-30ft range but do not live full time in an RV. I have not found anything better than North Woods to date, we have an Artic Fox 24.5 which has tons of storage for that small of a 5er.
Funny you should ask about the chassis – it is a Northwoods chassis! Outdoors RV was started by Ron Nash in 2009, it has a manufacture plant about 2 miles away from Arctic Fox. The two companies are independent BUT share the same frame and same philosophy to make a solid, 4 season camper. I’ve found the Outdoors RV to have a better interior than the Arctic Fox while maintaining the same high standard arctic fox has set.