Video Gallery and Information Page for Arctic Fox 5th Wheels
This Arctic Fox 5th Wheel page will bring you a video gallery of AF 5th Wheels, eBay auctions of AF Fifth Wheels for sale, some useful links and the RSS feeds from the AF owners group. If you bookmark or link to this page, it can be a GREAT central hub for your AF fifth wheel information.
- Arctic Fox Home Page
- Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel / 5th Wheel Brands
- Other RV52.com Arctic Fox RV Information Pages
Arctic Fox Documentation and Owners Manuals:
- ** Note – the 5th Wheel and Travel Trailer Manuals are combined into one **
- Northwood Arctic Fox 5th Wheel Trailers 2001 owners manual
- Northwood Arctic Fox 5th Wheel Trailers 2004 owners manual
- Northwood Arctic Fox 5th Wheel Trailers 2007 owners manual
Latest Arctic Fox Videos :
[tubepress mode=”tag” tagValue=” arctic fox rv fifth wheel ” orderBy=”published” ]
Latest Arctic Fox 5th Wheels for sale on eBay.com :
Note from Marlan at RV52 – there isn’t a lot of these on eBay. So this link may be a bit empty.
Gary says
I just bought a 2003 Arctic Fox, 33.5′ 5th wheel. Few Questions:
1) Are the slide out awnings necessary? Any idea where I can get those, or is any RV sales company okay?
2) Is it necessary to have a working battery when using 120v power? I was told if the battery is bad the converter would be ruined. I plan on living it it in one place for next 4 years while in school.
3) Any idea where the VIN number is located?
4) Is it necessary to have it 100 percent level?
5) The entrance door lock is broken and I can’t get in. Can any RV service company fix this?
Thank you
Gary
Marlan at Rv52 says
Gary,
Good questions.
1) I’m not sure on the AF. I do NOT have them on my fifth wheel and it is designed so that water does not drain into the RV. You can find the slide awnings on Amazon. Start you search on Amazon here -> http://rv52.wpengine.com/amazon
2) I DO think that not having a battery would be hard on the converter. The converter is designed to charge the batteries and power is taken off of the batteries. The batteries are like a “smoother” for the power demands. You should be able to find a deep cycle marine/RV battery for around $100 just about anywhere.
3) No. Check the inside of the doors in the basement. Also check around the fifth wheel hitch where it is likely to be stamped into the metal.
4) It doesn’t have to be perfect, but your refrigerator will burn up without being level. Also, you do not want to create a situation where the 5th wheel could move dangerously down a hill.
5) Yes. You might be able to as well. You can find replacements at an RV dealer OR on Amazon.
Good luck.
Gary Smith says
Hello Mystery Person:
Those sure were great tips! Thank you. I have decided to get a service company to come out (if they will) and check all the wiring before I start living in my AF. It only had one battery; although there is a place for two. I took that one dead battery to an auto repair store, and he’s charging it; he told me it looks like it’s going to hold its charge. I’m worried, though, that if whoever I bought it from actually bought it at an auction, they may not really don’t anything about the wiring. Even though when I went to pick it up, they had the 120v plugged in and the lights were working inside and out and the front jack switch was working too. But when we brought it home, the truck that was pulling it didn’t supply enough power to get that front jack switch working like it did when it was plugged into the 120v. And, if it was just sitting around for a long period of time without 120v going to it, then the battery would have normally and naturally discharged. I guess without 120v, it couldn’t have recharged itself – which means (and by the way, I’m only guessing on all of this), that the converter may be good. So, if the battery is charged by tomorrow morning “holding its charge,” then how can I know if the converter is good? When I plug my AF in to the 120v, is the converter designed to keep the battery charged? If the converter is bad, even when the 120v is plugged in, will the power drain the battery too? Should I have two batteries, to purchase another one because there is a slot for a second battery? And just so you can get the full picture, my RV is in our driveway, setup, where I plan on living in it for the next four years, no camping, always plugged into 120v. I hope you don’t mind answering my questions and helping me get used to this type of living. That was smart about the refrigerator needing to be level. That’s like why people say not to lay them on their side, something to do with oil, which is probably the reasoning behind needing the rv level or the refer will go bad. That was another great tip on where to start looking for awnings. Thanks very much!
Gary
Marlan at Rv52 says
I’m no mystery person – I’m Marlan Winter and run all of rv52.com! (check out http://rv52.wpengine.com/about )
From your description above, your converter sounds fine. I don’t think I would bother with a 2nd battery. If this one goes out, just go pick up another one. Temperature, usage, heat, and running out of water are what wear the batteries out.
Here is one article I wrote about battery care: http://rv52.wpengine.com/better-check-your-rv-battery-it-needs-it-and-it-isnt-hard/
Here is a video collection on batteries: http://rv52.wpengine.com/how-to-video/how-to-all-about-batteries/
Here is a video collection on converters: http://rv52.wpengine.com/how-to-video/how-to-all-about-converters/
Here is a fun article about using your battery: http://rv52.wpengine.com/rv-basics-what-can-you-do-on-a-single-12-volt-battery/
With a fully operational converter you’ll usually have one of the following voltage levels – Equalizing (15 vdc), Bulk (14.2 vdc), and Float (13.2 vdc). Most of the time your inverter will be 13.2Volts. You can get a voltmeter at Radio Shack. If your voltages get to be 12 or 11, then definitely your inverter is not working.
I have no idea on how to know if your wiring is good. I guess check every single thing in the RV. But it is really the UNSEEN wiring issues that will get you. For those, I don’t have any idea how to check. Generally they will show up quick I would think – like right after the RV has been moved. That will be a short or something similar. Or a birds nest where it shouldn’t be.
Good luck Gary!
Cheers, Marlan
Gary Smith says
Thank you, Marlin.
I will be sure to watch those videos.
I like your website.
Gary
Marlan at Rv52 says
Thanks Gary. Those kind words go a long way.
If you want to help me out a little – doing any sharing or liking or linking to my pages would be super great!
If I don’t hear from you again soon, have a GREAT weekend.
Marlan
Gary Smith says
Hi Marlan
I have only just begun the awesome adventure of RV living. I am a little intimidated by all the new gadgets of newer RVs compared to the 70s model we had when I was a youngster. However, my wife, 2-year old daughter and I lived in another old tt in 97; I bought it for 1600; it had no air, no heat and mice. She was pregnant at the time too. That 2-year old is now graduating high school this year. Anyway, I am writing you again to tell you that my apprehension to beginning living in an RV while going to law school (need total quitness studying) is real owing to all the buttons, switches, alarms, signals, gauges, along with auto this and auto that found inside my 2003 AF – yes, quite intimidating. However, your website is unbelievably filled with every single unanswered question I have been asking myself (and RV stores) since I started looking a month ago for my new “home.”
Your website is filled with absolutely awesome articles: more informative and knowledge-based articles than any RV store or RV technician could ever know! WOW! I don’t feel as “all-alone” as I once did knowing “if I have ever thought of an issue, the solution to that is in rv52 somewhere!” All I have to do is type in my search question.
To be totally safe, though, I’m going to hire an RV tech to come out and give me a demo of all the fancy junk that’s inside my new home just so I’ll have a fresh, safe, and great start. Then, I plan on reading all of your articles pertinent to my AF. Thank you so much, Marlan, for taking the time to develop such an awesome and “FREE” website!
Your new “hooked” customer;
Gary Smith
Gary Smith says
I have a 2003 Arctic Fox 33.5′ fifth wheel. I live in it full time.
Early this morning, I smelled what normally smells like hot or burning wires. I checked and felt the fusses for heat: nothing there. I traced it down to the water heater that is stored underneath where the television goes. I had just used the hot water, maybe a few gallons; so, it was heating up when I began to smell that burning wire smell. The two 110v wires coming out of the receptacle box that go into the water heater were warm, but not hot. Nevertheless, when I opened the door below the television to access the water heater, the smell of burning wires was overwhelming. Eventually, the smell lessened, but it nonetheless, smells the same, just not as intense because the hot water is not being used at the moment to keep the water heater from going full blast.
Is this a normal smell for my RV water heater?
I do not know what to think about this.
Thank you for any advise you have about this strange wire-burning smell coming from the water heater area.
Gary Smith
Marlan at Rv52 says
Gary,
That does not sound normal or safe. Call someone right away. Turn your hot water heater off. Is the hot water heater both ac powered and/or gas powered? If so, you might consider switching to lp gas mode. By the way, lp gas is very economical to heat water.
I will pass this along to my favorite RV repair experts.
Marlan
Gary Smith says
Well, as weird as it this may be, it only did it that one day. I spent today cleaning my RV, and in the process, I stuck my face down inside that lower cabinet; the smell was not there.
The water heater does operate with either gas or electric. Because I’m a new rv’er, I am not going to teach myself how to ignite the gas at this time. However, speaking of LP, my stovetop works; but for some reason, the gas heater’s flame doesn’t ignite. I can hear it click ever 15 seconds or so, but it never fires.
I was wondering when the tanks are low if that might cause the furnace not to spark a flame. It must be that because I took the furnace out back in March when I bought this home and took it to an LP supplier to make sure there were no leaks. When it stopped working in late spring, I began to smell rotten eggs making me think the tanks were low. Because it was nearing summer when I noticed it wouldn’t fire, I didn’t worry about it. Now that it’s winter, I am going to look closer into why it’s not firing – but I believe it’s because the tanks are low, but not too low for the stove top to work.
Thanks for your answers all the time.
If you have any thoughts about the furnace not firing, please let me know. :-)
Gary
Marlan at Rv52 says
It is not weird at all.
The RV hot waters I am familiar with are electrically ignited, just like your gas heater. So it should not be much more than flicking on a switch. Then you will hear the roar of the heater.
Please do me a favor and make sure your carbon monoxide detector is working. The stats on CO poisoning are surprising.
Yes, all sorts of odd things happen on low gas. We always keep one tank valve on and one off. That way we never are stranded without gas. When one gets empty, we switch the valves over to the full one.
Let me know when you are ready to write a story about your full timing adventure and I will publish it on RV52.
Cheers.
Gary Smith says
Hey, that’s great advice, one on and one off. lol, I should have thought of that, but I didn’t because of the dual tank regulator – it may not be working correctly, and that may be why I was smelling low gas. I did change the two hoses earlier in the year. I’m going to check that as soon as I get caught back up on my class work.
A few months ago I had sprayed Lysol on the floor near the front door. All of a sudden, a shriek blasted in my ear, and I eventually realized it was the CO gas sensor. I know that works!
As far as writing my full-time experiences rv’ing, you just happen to be talking my language. Other than that extra “it” in the first paragraph of my previous message, I do write well. That’s not supposed to be boastful; I’m a full-time legal studies college student online at Kaplan University, and writing legal essays is all I seem to do! Thankfully, I will graduate in March; but the writing won’t be over, because in the fall of 2015, I’ll be taking my home to south Florida to live there while in law school. Therefore, I will take you up on writing the commentary as soon as I get caught up in my class work. That will be one day next week. Thanks for asking me to do that.
Gary