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RV review: Northwoods Arctic Fox North Fork 25W

Tony Barthel

Today’s RV review is of the 2023 Northwoods Arctic Fox North Fork 25W. Whew, that’s a long description but this travel trailer could be considered a direct comparison to yesterday’s Grand Design Imagine XLS 23LDE review.

While these are technically the same floor plan, this trailer also exemplifies why I suggest knowing what you’re getting before ever stepping inside.

There are a lot of RV manufacturers that bandy about the term “four seasons.” But the Northwoods Arctic Fox 25W may well suit you if you truly like camping all year long and happen to live where real winter comes a calling.

Northwood is a name you might not already be aware of and are one of the companies headquartered on the west coast in La Grande, Oregon. Founded in 1993, the company builds all sorts of towable RVs including the Arctic Fox line.

Arctic Fox highlights

As some of the hallmarks of the brand, Arctic Fox trailers are built on a house-made steel chassis (most travel trailers source their frames from one of two companies). The company has had the chassis independently certified for off-road use and part of that certification must be the 15” off-road tires and shocks on all four wheels.

Of course holding tanks are heated but the dump valves are also within a heated space so they don’t freeze as well. The windows are frameless ThermoPane design and the roof and sidewalls all feature block foam insulation, though that isn’t unique to this brand.

Yesterday I had complained that there was a refrigerator in the slide room that used a Schwintek slide mechanism. This rig features a through-frame slide room which is what some larger motorhomes use - a much better solution.

However consider that there are three hanging cabinets and six drawers in the slide room so there is absolutely the chance you can weigh it down. This could get you into hot water.

Of course if you do get into hot water you’ll also appreciate the 10 gallons of hot water (most RVs have six) and you can access that with an outdoor shower or the nicely-sized indoor one depending on whether your spouse allows you back in at the moment. Another advantage of this style of water heater is that it can also operate on electric if you’ve got full hook-ups.

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I am a big fan of the Fantastic vents which move much more air than those cheap bathroom fans and this trailer has two, one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom. Speaking of twins, there are also two entry doors so you can literally get directly into the bedroom or access the rear of the trailer into the kitchen.

Rear kitchen travel trailers tend to have actually usable kitchens so if cooking’s your thing this type of floor plan is worth a look. The counter top, which is a one-piece man-made material, offers plenty of prep space. Not the "plenty" most RV companies brag about, but a legitimate usable amount of space. On that same note the oven in this unit is the larger 22” oven, a unit that is actually quite functional.

Even the two-way refrigerator in this unit offers more space at ten cubic feet. There are more and more RVs going with 12 volt compressor refrigerators but people who boondock a lot still seem to prefer the gas absorption style fridge.

We have a podcast episode about RV refrigerator types here.

Outside in the slide is a cabinet that makes me think of a huge medicine cabinet - a somewhat narrow space but great for all sorts of nick knacks and not small in the least.

I’m wondering if there’s an avid fan base for Arctic Fox trailers as they come with logo-labeled camp chairs, a throw blanket, entry mat and even a clock. That’s almost like the umbrella that comes with a Rolls Royce. Well, not quite.

Disadvantages

Of course there are down sides in the comparison as well, the first of which is the weight. The fact that these are built like tanks means you’re likely not towing this with any half-ton truck.

The substrate material on the wall lamination is still Luan which can be damaged if there is water intrusion. The fact that these use frameless windows means that’s less likely and you’re always going to want to be diligent about maintaining the seals in any RV.

If you do want the 12 volt compressor fridge, Northwoods hasn’t started offering those as of this writing.

I also know a few younger travelers who have described the interiors of Northwoods products as somewhat dated. A lot of RV shoppers look at cabinetry designs first and I think this is a big mistake. Also, the cabinet shop at Northwoods does a great job and utilizes hardwood drawer and cabinet fronts, although almost all RVs still use lightweight cabinet walls to save on weight…and cost.

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Tony’s thoughts

A number of manufacturers make a similar floor plan and I like that there is a door to the bedroom and one in the back and the bathroom can be accessed from either door. Even with the slide in this trailer is very usable, another plus.

Comparing this trailer to yesterday’s shows just how different two similar trailers can be. There

There are a lot of trailers that are self-described ultra light and this isn’t one of those but the heavy-duty chassis and welded aluminum framing make for a solid trailer. But all that structure comes at a price as this isn’t a particularly light trailer but that’s the whole point.

And, you get those snazzy chairs and blanket too.

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