Northern Lite RVs: 9 Facts Owners & Buyers Should Know

Not every person is looking for a large motorhome that they can hitch or drive. Some RVers would prefer to attach an RV camper and get out on the road quickly to their next adventure.

Northern Lite RVs is a well-known and respected RV company that is a favorite among many different people.

Before deciding on a motorhome, we have written this article to bring to your attention nine facts that we feel you should know about the Northern Lite RV company:

Do Northern Lite Offer a Warranty on Their Products?

The Northern Lite RV company offers a standard manufacturer’s warranty of one year. However, they also offer a recreational vehicle industry-leading six-year structural warranty in addition to the one-year warranty. This makes them one of the best RV companies in terms of warranties offered. 

1. Where Are Northern Lite RVs Made?

Northern Lite RVs are manufactured in Kelowna, Canada, and are an international company that supplies motorhomes to more than 14 states in America and 6 provinces in Canada.

The company also sells its products in New South Wales, Australia.

Factory tours in Kelowna are available for those interested in learning how Northern Lite manufacturers its products.

Currently, due to the pandemic, factory tours have been put on hold. Should you wish to know when they will be operating again, you can contact the company directly.

2. Who Owns the Northern Lite Company?

In 1989 Mac Donkin and Lloyd Gartrell decided to invest in the Northern Lite RV company after purchasing campers from the brand.

They became so impressed with the growing motorhome company and decided to buy Northern Lite after four years in 1993. After acquiring the company, it grew from strength to strength winning awards and quickly becoming a favorite across Canada and America.

In 2017 with more than 27 years in the industry, Northern Lite was bought by KV Private Equity, who took ownership of the brand.

Mac Donkin stayed on with the company as a director while his son Keith Donkin became a shareholder and General Manager for Northern Lite.

3. What Types and Sizes of RVs Do Northern Lite Produce?

When considering an RV company, it’s important to learn what motorhomes they manufacture.

The Northern Lite RV company produces short-bed truck campers, long-bed truck campers, and a travel trailer. Additionally, they have three categories for consumers to choose from in their short and long-bed truck campers.

These categories are limited edition, special edition, and sportsman plus:

Special Edition 8 – 11EX Short Bed Truck Camper

You might not think truck campers are very spacious, but you would be surprised.

The Special Edition 8 -11 EX short-bed truck camper can sleep 4 people and has an interior headroom of 76 inches. What’s great about this camper is you can choose between more than five different leatherette color options for your interior theme.

Inside the camper, you will find a large 60-inch by 80-inch queen size bed and a 37-inch by 67-inch dinette bed. There are an LCD television and a 10,000 BTU air conditioning system in the lounge area to help keep you cool and entertained.

If you like the idea of being partially off-grid, then the two 185 Watt solar panels will appeal to you. The camper also comes with kitchen appliances such as a stove, fridge, and microwave, and there is also a convenient stainless steel sink.

You will also have a gas/electric water heater and a spacious dry bath area with a toilet along with the handy removable carpet.

There is also an 18,000 BTU furnace with an auto light feature to keep you and your companions warm while camping indoors.

Boreal 27FB Travel Trailer

If your looking for a cozy four-season travel trailer that can sleep four people, then the Boreal 27FB by Northern Lite could be worth considering.

This travel trailer is 23 feet long with an exterior width of 8 feet and 4 inches and a roomy interior height of 6 feet and 8 inches. Additionally, the travel trailer is relatively lightweight, with a dry weight of 6,500 pounds.

Impressively the Boreal 27FB is the industry-first ever one-piece leakproof fiberglass all-season constructed seamless travel trailer. Not much is known about this travel trailer, as it will only be making its debut later in 2021.

However, there are a few interesting things that we do know about it. For example, the RV is going to come with the Northern Lite industry-leading six-year structural warranty.

Additionally, the travel trailer will have a 200 Watt solar panel and will be able to be towed by most half-ton trucks.

The interior will have a full queen-sized bed and a spacious bathroom, while the entire floorplan will possess beautiful cabinetry throughout.

4. Do Northern Lite Make a Toy Hauler?

The Northern Lite RV company does not make a toy hauler as their focus is on truck campers and recently a new travel trailer.

5. What Are the Smallest RVs from Northern Lite?

The travel trailer that the company produces only comes in one size, so when looking at the smallest motorhomes that Northern Lite manufactures, we will only look at their smallest truck camper options.

Truck campers are incredibly convenient for those who want to travel frequently without much hassle:

• Short-Bed Truck Camper: 8 – 11 EX LE – This camper is 195 inches long with a floor-length of 108 inches long.
• Long-Bed Truck Camper: 9 – 6 SE – The 9-6 SE truck camper is 198 inches long with a floor-length of 111 inches.

6. What Are the Biggest RVs from Northern Lite?

When thinking of truck campers, you might think there isn’t much variety in size options.

This is not true as Northern Lite has a few larger truck campers from which you can choose.

Below we will look at the largest possible truck camper sizes you can get in each category from Northern Lite RVs:

• Short-Bed Truck Camper: 8 – 11 EX SP Plus – This truck camper is 195 inches long and has a floor-length of 108 inches.
• Long-Bed Truck Camper:10 – 2 EX SE – The 10 – 2 EX SE long-bed truck camper has a length of 218 inches and a floor-length of 131 inches.

7. How Are Northern Lite RVs Made?

Interestingly Northern Lite RVs are manufactured very similar to how boats are made.

The company makes each truck camper and travel trailer by utilizing fiberglass molds.

Let’s look at the process that Northern Lite uses to manufacture their truck campers:

Step One:

The first step in their manufacturing process is to add a gel coat layer to the truck camper mold’s exterior.

After doing this, they spray on a mixture of fiberglass strands and plastic resin to form a hard, durable, lightweight molded shell.

Once both the bottom and the top molds are complete, they are removed and placed on top of one another with a plywood lip between them.

Step Two:

They then screw on the top of the shell to the bottom through the plywood lip.

Any exposed stainless steel screws are covered using metal molding. Once this is complete, they will move the camper to the assembly line, where windows and door openings will be cut out along with all exterior compartments.

After that has been done, the assembly process will begin.

Step Three:

The next stage in the assembly line is for all cupboards, appliances, and cabinetry to be installed.

Thereafter the exterior will be finished, and the camper will move to a final inspection station where all quality checks will be conducted.

Final Checks:

Before the truck camper is ready to be shipped to a dealership, a final air pressure test is conducted, and the camper will be weighed with the weight being recorded and noted inside the individual campers.

8. What Are The Most Popular RVs by Northern Lite?

With over 27 years in the truck camper recreational vehicle industry, Northern Lite has a few fan favorites amongst RVers in America and Canada.

Below we will quickly look at three of the best selling truck campers:

• Northern Lite 2021 10 – 2 Limited Edition Dry Bath Truck Camper.
• Northern Lite 2021 8 – 11EX Limited Edition Truck Camper.
• Northern Lite 2021 9 – 6 Sportsman Edition Wet Bath Truck Camper.

9. Are Northern Lite RVs For All Four Seasons?

All Northern Lite truck campers, including their travel trailer, are manufactured for all-season travel.

The company boasts that their campers will keep you warm during a frigid winter in Canada and cool during a scorching summer in Arizona.

The company uses a furnace system that they duct to the basement area, and this allows heating to the tanks and the camper floor. Additionally, Northern Lite ensures that, unlike their competitors, their camper floors are insulated.

Moreover, they also double insulate the underneath of every cab-over bed so that no moisture can seep into your camper during winter travels.

If your still not sure of their winter camping capabilities, then the fact that they tested their truck campers at -4 degrees Fahrenheit with water onboard with no adverse effects transpiring should reassure you.

Northern Lite can substantiate their claim of all-season travel with the fiberglass shell they utilize that is weatherproof, and each truck camper comes equipped with many four-season features:

• Bright thermal pane skylights onboard.
• A marine fabric header.
• Competitive R7 insulation rating.
• Double dome fan to keep you cool in summer.
• Unique thermal pane windows.

Check also our article about the Travel Lite RVs.

Citations:

Northern Lite Four Season Camper Models

KV Private Equity Announces Acquisition of Northern Lite Mfg. Ltd.