North Trail FX 23 vs Wilderness 2250BH

Folks, I need your help please!

I've pretty much narrowed down my search to either the North Trail FX23 or the Wilderness 2250BH....maybe even the FX235 (can't decide on whether I want a slide or not).

I will be doing a mix of camping in improved and unimproved areas, so looking for a trailer that will stand up to a little off-roading abuse and 4-season (the southeast) use.

Besides the slight difference between the North Trail and Wilderness, can anyone pipe up on why they would choose one over the other? I have quotes on both, and the price is about the same.

Thank y'all in advance!

Hi shackm,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and hopefully to the family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

I'm sure you will get some opinions soon. We have a lot of North Trail and Wilderness members and owners.

Enjoy the forum.

Jim M

Shackm.... Welcome to the forum. I can't speak to the wilderness, but we have taken our Northtrail (21fbs) into the back country (on US forest service roads / boondocking) for the last 3 years with virtually no issues. I'm talking miles of dirt roads with their fair share of washboards and chuck holes (we have about 12,000 miles on our trailer and probably 500 to 700 of that on dirt roads). I think if you take a good look at both the quality of build and the types of materials used in the North Trail, you will see that it is a very solid unit. Although I have done a few minor repairs and upgrades, it has never been in the shop since the day we bought it. Good luck with your choice.

Thank you, Invizatu. That helps build some confidence in getting me closer to a purchase!
Did y'all use your North Trail during any temps below 40º F? If so, how did it perform?

The increased interior height and the spare tire location are two things that have me leaning towards a Wilderness.

I have a NT and last had it out Columbus Day weekend in Maine. The evenings reached a low of 32 and the heater didn't have a problem at all. I've seen some people do winter camping with their NT so it won't be a problem in the southwest. Good luck.

shackm... Not much cold stuff, we camped up above 10,000 ft. in Colorado and it did get into the hi 30's overnight but then warmed back up during the day. We had no issues, used the heater a little more than normal but that would be expected. We have never had an issue with the spare tire located under the tongue, but I did scrape the back bumper a couple of times when exiting a couple of gas stations that had very funky driveway exits (no damage). That was with the bumper fully extended.

Also... I am 6'1" and have no issues with the interior height, just have to think a little going in and out of the exterior door. Get the slide, it creates a lot of extra interior room.

Looks like the Wilderness has wide track wheels but NT doesnt... also maybe check the tire size and clearance height under each unit.... I would go with a slide myself .. you should spend time in the unit see how it feels... lay in the beds... step in the shower sit in the dining area, see where the tv is placed ... see if it all fits your likes and needs ... we was in north Ga last week and nights went down to mid 30's and the heater in our Torque got so warm we had to turn it off ... so the heartlands heaters work just fine... but... the a/c in full sun... not the same ... I think due to windows... we are going to add tint before next summer then should be great. ...good luck... Heartland is a great product you will love whatever you pick.

The NT does have wide track suspension. In addition the 2012 versions and older have much more clearance from the ground. The springs were reconfigured. They were below the axle before. Now they are above the axle. Just a few tid bits.

Being an NT owner of course I recommend the NT with the slide (gets really small if you get confined to the inside in foul weather. I have 13 K miles on mine over all kinds of terrain with no problems. The heat and A/C have always done their job, but my A/C is 15K btu because of the heat here in west Texas. We use a small electric heater in cooler weather, but run the furnace when it is really cold. Looking at the specs on the trailers, they really look similar to each other.