Update!
So went down with high hopes and baited breath and checked out the Northstar . . . and were disappointed. Yes, a step up in quality from Lance or Adventurer, but still just a little, er, flimsy might be the right word. We climbed around lots of slide-ins, and I think that we realized that the wooden frames just don't seem as though they'll really stand up to what we want out of a camper. The finishes, feel and hand of the interiors were just underwhelming. Until, UNTIL, I walked into a Northern Lite. OK, these people have a really nice product. Solid, well thought-out, no cheap feel here. Or, for that matter, a cheap price. Damn thing was like $40K for a 8'11" slide-in. Very Nice, Very Pricey. I wanted one right then and there, damn the sneaky part of no truck to put it on and those other pesky details, like, HOW are we paying for this?
Cooler heads prevailed, I went home and buried my head under the sand for a while. Learned important things, however, like fiberglass mono construction is a really nice thing, and maybe a slide-in IS a good option after all, and it's a good thing that I have a less-impulsive husband than myself, because I woulda walked out with some huge all-brand-newskie camper when, in fact, the intervening weeks of contemplation really helped crystallize the idea that maybe we should just get into this thing for reasonably cheap at first, try the lifestyle on for a year or so, and THEN make a wise, educated decision about what the best vehicle for us might be. Which all serves as a long-winded, long-sentenced introduction to what we went and looked at today:
That would be a 1996 Bigfoot (kinda like a Northern Lite, maybe slightly down-market but close enough) 10'6 on a 1998 Dodge Cummins 2500 (the 12v) 4x4 with ridiculously low (under 100K) milage, for sale for what I believe is a very reasonably price. Went and looked at it today and the truck looks lovely, the camper seems in good shape for how old it is, but OMG! the interior is horrid (all teal and mauve and 1990's Grandma) and will need some, um, refacing. It's seemingly sound, just UGLY (shudders). So I'm taking it to a mechanic soon to have it looked over, and will very probably maybe sorta . . . buy it. My husband's waffling a bit on it -- I think all the mauve scared him -- but I think it'd be a great buy, and entry-level thing to live in for a year or two as we figure this all out.
Plus I've done my homework on this board and think the truck is The. ********.