We picked up our new Bengal camper this week from Provan in South Carolina.
How was Provan the company to work with in closing the purchase?
Patience is a virtue. (a very important virtue)
Was the camper constructed as ordered?
Yes. Our camper included every addition and deletion as ordered without exception.
Was the camper delivered on time?
Yes . We took delivery of our camper within the date range agreed when our order was placed.
Was the camper delivered at the order price?
Yes. We payed the exact total when the camper order was created.
Did the camper have any manufacturing defects?
We have two minor defects and no major issues. All major systems operate without any problems.
How has the Ford F-350 gasoline truck performed?
We are getting around 12 mpg which we expected. We ordered the 3.73 rearend for our transcontinental travel pattern but most people would be happier with the 4.20? rearend with the 6.2 liter engine. Our sticker empty weight is a little over 9,000 pounds and our loaded and wet weight is a little over 10,000 pounds.
How is the regular cab chassis?
Our Bengal camper is 22 feet long tip-to-tip (with the Ford stock front bumper) with a regular cab and we have parked in the car section at rest stops. The maneuverability is as good as expected. The camper has plenty of storage and we do not miss the extended cab space.
What do you miss the most from your Granby?
The counter space. Our Granby had three counter tops while the Bengal has only one.
What do you miss the most from your F-150?
The fuel economy, fuel tank range, and handling stability (from the low weight and height).
How did your electric system choices perform?
We picked 400 watts of roof solar, MPPT controller, no generator, and 300 amp-hours gross AGM batteries. Our Bengal is a beast for current generation because we have an OEM 0 gauge wire from the OEM truck 160 amp alternator plus the large solar array and MPPT controller. The 300 amp-hour gross AGM batteries are not over sized for our 4.3 cubic foot NovaKool refrig which draws 3-4 amps when running plus LED lights/furnace/water pump/roof fans. We did not over-size the batteries to keep our weight down and the 300 amp-hours is "right" sized for us (we are happy). The large current generation system will not get a true test until October when the sun angle is lower.
Is the Bengal camper worth the large expense?
It is too soon to answer the trade-off of expense versus utility. We need to drive/park in back country trailheads and camp in noisy or cold places to decide. The Bengal is a very nice camper in a small package, probably the nicest 4x4 camper in a small package available today. Meanwhile, we had fine tuned camping and hiking in our Granby to an art.
The "Great Adventure" continues.
Pictures will need to be posted after we return home.
Edited by iowahiker, 23 May 2019 - 08:53 PM.