Bruce and Kim Scott live in Ypsilanti, Michigan and own a 2005 Northern Lite Ten 2000CD.  Bruce seems to constantly have a camper modification project in-progress.  He’s expanded the battery compartment, made the shower a bit more comfortable, made a custom carpet for his camper floor, and much more.  Kim and Bruce camp in all sorts of weather and have met a lot of truck camping friends on RV.net.  We contacted Bruce, Kim, and Spot to learn more about their truck camping lifestyle, camper modifications, and adventures.

Getting the Northern Lite 

Winter camping with their 2005 Northern Lite

2005 Northern Lite 10-2000CD and 2006 Ford F350 V10 Dually

The Scott's Northern Lite waits for the next ride in their pole barn

Bruce: We bought a 2005 Northern Lite 10-2000 CD and have it on a 2006 F-350 V10 dually.  The Northern Lite is a true four-season camper, which is what we were looking for.  During our research, we looked at pretty much everything and narrowed it to Bigfoot and Northern Lite.  It all came down to the floor plan and we chose the Northern Lite. We prefer non-slide campers because it makes stealth camping in populated areas easier and there are fewer things to go wrong or leak.
 
Kim: Yeah, we really liked the layout.  Bruce did a lot of the research.  All I wanted to do was go look at the campers. Our Northern Lite has a real open feeling, it seems bigger than it actually is. I really liked the slide out pantry, the kitchen and dinette located in the middle, and the bathroom in the back of the camper.

Cold and Warm Weather Camping

"Big Mac" the Mackinaw Bridge

Bruce, Kim, and Spot enjoy winter camping

Spot wondering what the big deal is about a manatee

Bruce: Camping in the cold isn’t a big deal for us. Our camper is well insulated and has dual pane glass windows. I made an insulating pillow for the escape hatch out of two-inch foam and plugs for some of the exterior compartment doors from one-inch rigid foam. We have three batteries now and two propane tanks, so when we need heat we just use the forced air furnace. But if there was a problem with the batteries or propane, we have a Honda 2000 generator and a couple of electric heaters, just in case. 
 
Kim: As far as what we do while camping, it really depends on the weather.  Anything from biking, hiking, swimming, boating, or just visiting.  In November we went up north to some woods near South Branch and when we woke up and saw it had snowed quite a bit. So we mostly hiked and did a little X-cross country skiing.  We’re usually outside most of the day and we almost always have a fire in the evening unless it’s too windy or raining.  The camper is pretty much just used for eating and sleeping.

Bruce: Our preference is to boondock off the beaten trail, but if we stay at a campground it’s better to do it off-season when it’s not so crowded.  In our daily lives we usually go so fast that we don’t see things that are right in front of our face.  We both love wildlife and I am fascinated by what you can see if you slow down and just look around; flowers, birds, bugs or maybe even a manatee. 
 
Kim: On our last trip to Florida, something happened that we probably wouldn’t have experienced if we had been at a campground.  We were boondocking next to a beach at the time.  Bruce, Spot, and I were walking around and taking in the sights.  We found a hidden and hardly used dock on the international coastal waterway and we happened upon a mother manatee and her calf.  The mother would come up under the docks and we could get down and pet her.  We spent almost a whole afternoon there.
 
Bruce: We’d like to do more long distance trips, but with only having two weeks off work at a time, we’re going to have to save the big trips out west and to Alaska until after we retire. 

Camper Rallies

May 2008 Ohio get together

Ann (Bruce's Mom), Bruce, Tanaka, Kim, and Spot

How many people can you fit in a Northern Lite?

Bruce: We’ve been to all the Mid-Atlantic truck camper rallies so far.  This year we left early but we did make it there.  We also went to the very first NATCOA Truck Camper Show in Ogallala, Nebraska.  The Ohio Valley rallies are fun because they’re so close and we really like the people.  There is going to be a Great Lakes get together this July and we plan to take the boat to do some tubing and give wakeboarding a try.  Typically at a get together we will have at least one potluck meal and we all hang out together with lots of truck camper talk too.  I haven’t put on a get together yet.  I want to do one in the middle of a state or national forest. Just give everyone the coordinates and we’ll have a boondocking gathering.
 
At a recent rally, the women were getting together to make sandwiches.  It started at one campsite but they needed something and went to another site.  It ended up at our camper and before we knew it, seven people were in our camper.  So I took a picture and labeled it, “How many people can you fit into a Northern Lite?”.
 
Kim: One of the main reasons we like the rallies so much is that we connect with quite a few people with the same interests.  We keep in touch and have some great friendships.  We’ve even gone up to Canada and visited friends that we met at the first Mid-Atlantic truck camper rally.  We’ve had people come to our house to visit while they’re out traveling too.  We’re hoping to get out to Maine sometime to meet up with some friends we know there.  Whenever we travel we like to stop and visit our RV.net friends along the way.  It makes the trip more enjoyable.
 
Bruce: I’ve been on RV.net since the end of 2003 and at this point we probably know someone in just about every state. If we were stuck somewhere and needed help, I’m sure I could post the problem on RV.net and get assistance in one way or another. These folks out there are great. 

Spot – Spott

Spot contimplates life at Killbear Park in Canada

Spot gets a lift from Bruce

Spot enjoys nap time on the road on his deck

Kim: Our dog, Spot, really enjoys traveling.  He likes the new smells and meeting the other doggies. We enjoy going for walks with him and he just loves the water.  As with all of us, Spot is getting older and he’s slowing down.  It used to be that he would just take a flying leap and he would be in or out of the truck or camper.  Now he asks us if we wouldn’t mind picking him up and putting him in or out.
 
Bruce: I have to admit that there are times when it’s easier to travel without Spot.  When my dad was here, he would come to our house to take care of Spot when we were away.  Since then, we have left him a couple of times with Kim’s sister.  But she’s got young kids and pets of her own, so it’s a little overwhelming for him.  As he’s getting older and has more needs we just feel better having him with us.  No one is going to spoil him like we will.
 
Sometimes, because of the weather, we will load the camper a few days before we actually leave.  Spot will sit at our sliding glass door watching the truck to make sure we don’t leave without him.  I think he remembers not being able to go with us and that just isn’t going to happen again if he can help it.
 
In every truck since we’ve had Spot I’ve built a deck in the extended cab part of the truck so that he can relax and see out the windows.  Behind the passenger seat I would make a plywood deck, add a piece of two-inch foam padding then put his dog bed on top of that.  He will lie in his bed and look out the window or just sleep.  I did build a ramp for him to help with his arthritis, but he refuses to use it.
 
When I signed up for RV.net, I wanted to use the name Spot with one t but it was already taken.   So, I took Spott with two tt’s.  It’s grown on me now since our last name is Scott.

Bruce's Northern Lite Projects

BEFORE: Battery boxes as they come from the factory

AFTER: The new and improved battery box

New sliding shower door

Bruce: I’ve had a lot of jobs where I’ve been fixing things in one way or another, from doing apartment maintenance to building custom homes.  I wouldn’t consider myself an expert at any one thing, but I’m a pretty good jack-of-all-trades (I know, that’s the most dangerous kind).
 
So as soon as we got the new camper home, I had to start making it ours.  The first thing I did was take out the factory power converter and put in a Progressive Dynamics 9260 with a charge wizard.  It automatically monitors the battery bank’s status and only gives it what it needs.  This is very helpful since I keep it plugged in while it’s in storage.
 
One big project for me was changing out the two individual battery boxes into one extra large box that can fit three batteries.  It was quite a job but I’m glad I did it.  I talked to Keith Donkin, General Manager of Northern Lite, about the project to see if he had any concerns.  He suggested that I should have three individual trays that slide out because it could get too heavy if all three batteries were on one tray and cantilevered out.  Keith has helped point me in the right direction on many occasions.
 
I’ve always wanted to add some 12 volt outlets to make it more convenient to charge cell phones, cameras, and use the laptop computer. So, a couple of weeks ago, while I was making some other changes, I added three of these outlets.
 
Kim: Bruce has been modifying our camper to make it perform better and make it more comfortable.  It was nice when he converted the shower.  He took the shower curtain out and changed it into a sliding door.  It’s a lot nicer now with out the curtain sticking to you as you shower.

If you'd like to visit Bruce/Spott, you can visit him on RV.net.  Here are some of Spott's favorite RV.net posts:
Winter Camping: Click Here 
Carpeting the Camper: Click Here
Shower Conversion: Click Here