Thoughts on the 2013 Wolf Creek 850 Truck Camper

Northwood Manufacturing has made some significant changes to the Wolf Creek 850N since I bought mine in 2011. Doug Karr, who oversees the truck camper operation at Northwood Manufacturing, announced these changes in the company’s 2013 truck camper video. The improvements he announced are significant enough to for me to think about buying a newer Wolf Creek 850N and that’s pretty revealing seeing how much I’ve invested in improving my 2011 model.

The new options are pretty cool. The most significant of these is the new Fox Landing. Designed by Torklift for Northwood Manufacturing, the Fox Landing is one of the best innovations in the truck camper industry I’ve seen in many years. It provides a solid and retractable landing on which to enter and exit the camper. The Glow Steps mounted on the rear of my 2011 are nice, but aren’t in the same universe as the Fox Landing. The rear bumper that comes with the Fox Landing not only provides a more substantial mounting surface for the Fox Landing, but also provides additional storage, always a nice thing to have in a truck camper.

Northwood Manufacturing has also enlarged the battery compartment in the Wolf Creek 850 which can now hold two 6 volt wet cell batteries. The battery compartment in my 2011 was built to hold only two smallish Group-24 batteries, so this is a significant improvement. Yes, I managed to fit two 6 volt AGMs in my battery compartment by mounting them on their side, but at $225 a piece for a single AGM, it would’ve been nice to have the option to purchase wet cell batteries instead. You can buy a 6 volt wet cell battery at Costco for $70.

Northwood Manufacturing is also giving you the option of putting a rear ladder and roof rack on your Wolf Creek 850, something I really wish was on my camper. For those who like solar power and use tilting panels for winter camping, having a mounted ladder gives you the ability to get up on the roof to adjust those panels, not to mention perform regular maintenance on the roof. The optional roof rack also gives you the ability to store additional items on the roof of the camper. I doubt I’d ever use that, but it’s still nice to have the option.