Livin Lite Bearcat 16FK

[rideorangejohn]

Does anyone have a Livin Lite Bearcat 16FK?  Have you used it off road.

[spot1]

Welcome to the forum.

Been interested in the Bearcat 16, too! Been thinking about getting a larger CampLite TT, but have motorcycles to take camping
and really need a toy hauler.

[spot1]

Congrats on the Bearcat!!!!! Looking forward to seeing pics!

[dhrvcenter]

We sold one to a couple last fall.  It is a very cool unit.  Built just like the camplite with the laminated walls.  The term "off road" is relative.  It has bigger wheels and tires.  There is are different axles to give a 3' lift as well.  So, it really lifts the unit up 4 inches from the camplite.  However, there are not skid plates or true off road plates underneath.  It will work on the logging roads and cleared paths, but I wouldn't go through uncharted territory.  

Hope that helps!

[billmoore]

We have a Bearcat 7x20, so 4' longer than what you are looking at. I'd be willing to take it on reasonably well maintained forest roads, but not really true offroading.

We love ours so far.

[spot1]

Nice shots!  

We have two DS bikes and need a way to transport them while camping, too!

[billmoore]

[quote source="/post/7832/thread" author="@exploringcarolina" timestamp="1426427888"]Nice shots!  

We have two DS bikes and need a way to transport them while camping, too![/quote]Thanks! Yeah the Bearcat is great for hauling the bikes. I picked up a rack from BoltItOn (not sure if we can post links here, so google it if you are interested), which works great for strapping the bikes down, and I love how quick and easy it is to load bikes in and out of the toyhauler compared to putting them in the bed of a truck.

[dh50]

[quote source="/post/6697/thread" timestamp="1423756982" author="@dhrvcenter"]We sold one to a couple last fall.  It is a very cool unit.  Built just like the camplite with the laminated walls.  The term "off road" is relative.  It has bigger wheels and tires.  There is are different axles to give a 3' lift as well.  So, it really lifts the unit up 4 inches from the camplite.  However, there are not skid plates or true off road plates underneath.  It will work on the logging roads and cleared paths, but I wouldn't go through uncharted territory.  

Hope that helps![/quote]
Anyone know what is meant by 'laminated walls'?  If 'built just like the camplite with the laminated walls', then how is the BearCat unlike the Quicksilver/Axxess toy haulers in build?  We were given to understand by LL rep at Tampa RV Show that CLs have painted aluminum exterior panels (hung horizontally), the Axxess toy hauler (vertically-hung) aluminum panels are 'dipped'.  And interestingly, the 'Ignite' toy hauler on display in Tampa sure looked like one-piece fiberglass, though we still await an answer about this.  

Just curious, not that it makes a difference.

[billmoore]

[quote timestamp="1426457987" author="@gwbushhog" source="/post/7860/thread"]Anyone know what is meant by 'laminated walls'?  If 'built just like the camplite with the laminated walls', then how is the BearCat unlike the Quicksilver/Axxess toy haulers in build?  We were given to understand by LL rep at Tampa RV Show that CLs have painted aluminum exterior panels (hung horizontally), the Axxess toy hauler (vertically-hung) aluminum panels are 'dipped'.  And interestingly, the 'Ignite' toy hauler on display in Tampa sure looked like one-piece fiberglass, though we still await an answer about this.  

Just curious, not that it makes a difference.[/quote]The sidewall exterior panels on our Bearcat are not aluminum, they are some kind of plastic/laminate material. Definitely not wood, but not aluminum either. I've never seen a Quicksilver VRV or Axxess in person to compare though...

[swbc150]

[quote source="/post/7816/thread" timestamp="1426395775" author="@billmoore"]We bought a Bearcat 7x20 back in January, so 4' longer than what you are looking at. I'd be willing to take it on reasonably well maintained forest roads, but not really true offroading.

We love ours so far. Here are some pictures from our first camping trip in it:

[billmoore]

[quote source="/post/8601/thread" timestamp="1427590540" author="@swbc150"]I see you are using a WDH but Livinlite says not to, I always have used the WDH and prefer to as well with any TT I Pull, no matter what brand. I realize Steel and Aluminum are not a good mix, did you use some type of material between the Steel WDH mounts to the Aluminum Trailer Frame?
[/quote]
I haven't seen where LivinLite says not to, just that they will not warranty any modifications to the frame (as in, if you drill holes in the frame to mount a WDH, and the frame fails due to those holes, they won't cover it).

My WDH is the clamp on type, so no holes drilled, but I also have sway control, and that required drilling two small holes. I'm actually not using the sway control, haven't seen the need for it yet, so I kinda wish the dealership hadn't installed it.

All half ton trucks and SUVs require a WDH for tongue weights over 500 lbs, so I'm not comfortable towing without one. I know my tongue weight well exceeds that when fully loaded...

[swbc150]

Thanks for the fast response. I know of the tongue weight limits with our 1/2 tons, the big reason why I was concerned w/o using a WDH.
I even use a Sherline Trailer Tongue Scale every time I hook up to my Trailer.

[thudd3r]

[quote source="/post/8601/thread" timestamp="1427590540" author="@swbc150"][quote source="/post/7816/thread" timestamp="1426395775" author="@billmoore"][/quote][/quote]when i spoke to them about it in 2013, they werent worried about the corrosion caused by the different metals, but by the amount of force being placed on the frame rails by the wd trunion bars

[billmoore]

The sidewall exterior panels on our Bearcat are not aluminum, they are some kind of plastic/laminate material. Definitely not wood, but not aluminum either. I've never seen a Quicksilver VRV or Axxess in person to compare though...

I was wrong on this - the sidewalls on our camper are aluminum. They just don't sound metallic when you thump them with your fingers, so I assumed they were not. But on one of the rivets, there was a little white twirl of painted aluminum sticking out from under the rivet head, leftover debris from drilling that wasn't cleaned away before popping in the rivet.

So I did some investigating and found this info sheet which says "White Aluminum (sidewalls) with Black (front and rear)":

http://www.livinlite.com/pdf/stdopts/bc7x20.pdf

According to that, the only thing that is not aluminum is the azdel interior wallboards. The exterior walls and interior cabinetry are all aluminum...