Search results

I have had success with pop rivets, but they're not infallible. They have to be the right length for the job or they won't tighten. And they aren't very good at pulling together gaps between pieces. With screws - even sheet metal screws - you have much better control of how tight your...

How relevant will this new manual be for a 2014 model camper?

I'm concerned about the possibility of the bolts smashing the square tubing as you tighten them. You didn't mention the thickness of the tube walls. I would put round spacers around the bolts inside the tubing. For example: If the 1" tubing walls are 1/8", get some 1/2" diameter by 3/4" long...

Vic, I didn't document the stop light / flood light part of my wiring upgrade. It was an extensive project - almost total re-wiring - involving moving the batteries, installing a CTEK charge controller (elliminating the battery iolator) adding power outlets, more fuses, switches, etc. The stop...

I don't think marker lights do much, but they certainly don't hurt. FWC is probably required to put them on the larger campers. My Fleet didn't have them. It is wider than the truck (Tacoma), so I put some reflective tape on the jack brackets, the widest point. I did add a high stop light...

The deck I built to support my Fleet when it's off the truck is 80 1/2" long, to match the camper. I made it wider than the base of the camper - 66" - for stability because I plan to add wheels, but haven't done that yet. The deck is made of pressure-treated 2x6's with metal joist-hangers. No...

Screwing directly to the roof would probably require fewer holes in the roof. Tracks would allow the collector to be removed, for whatever reason, without leaving holes in the roof (tracks remains in place). If used, and if they extend beyond the collector, tracks could be used to carry other...

I took out the second gas bottle before my first trip and have never used it. It's heavy and I would rather have the space for stowing hoses, cords, etc. I fill the one bottle every year and have never come close to running out. Just the stove and a little heater use. - Bernard

My Fleet has plywood strips about 3/4" thick and 2" wide, running side-to-side and spaced about 12" apart.

A couple of thoughts: Maybe the sellers would transport it for you. Presumably they had been using it on their truck. I have a small trailer, about 4' x 6' I think, that I got at Tractor Supply for about $450. It seems like it would be adequate, in terms of weight-rating and size, to haul a...

Congratulations on your new Fleet! Welcome to the cult. I know you have been considering this for a while, so I'm glad you finally decided and acted. I think my story is relevant: I drove my 2007 Tacoma 4WD out to the FWC dealership in Wisconsin to pick up my Fleet. I had fitted the truck with...

I upgraded the OEM "P" tires to "E", same size, before I got the camper. Since they are the same size, I use the door-post pressure when the camper is off the truck, which gives about the same ride as with the "P" tires. Before I put the camper on for the first time, I measured the length...

I moved the batteries from the OEM location at the very back to under the front-dinette seats in my Fleet. This is better in all ways: It frees a cabinet for food storage, shifts the weight forward and shortens the wires. It was a big project, though. - Bernard

The battery compartment in my 2014 Fleet is not vented to the outside. It's just another compartment in the cabinet. It housed two AGM batteries. (I moved them forward where they now reside under the front dinette benches -- still not vented.) If the latest models now have vented compartments...

I confirm what's been said about the Dometic 65: You can't hear it inside the camper. If you stand by the grill on the outside, you can hear it, so you might hear it in the bed with the windows open. But it's not very loud. - Bernard

Do both?

You can come up to central Virginia -- Charlottesville area -- and see mine. - Bernard

The Iota IQ4 charger is designed to maintain the battery over the long term. Plug the camper in, turn everything off and walk away. - Bernard

Standard ANL fuses work well for this. You can buy inexpensive holders for them from lots of sources on Ebay, or from Amazon. Get the kind with setscrew connections so you don't have to install lugs on the wires. The fuses are readily available in sizes 50 Amps and up. - Bernard

Nothing to be afraid of. I've only done it a few times, but my confidence now is much higher than the first time. Just take it slowly. It really helps to have a helper who can watch at the back and direct the driver. The hard part is getting the truck lined up straight with the camper. The jacks...

The Grundig G8 portable radio is small and really pulls in FM stations. It runs on three AA batteries, but could be connected to 12 Volts with an appropriate (6-Volt) adaptor. Sound quality from the single small speaker isn't very good for music -- external speakers would be an improvement. I...

I carry a big plastic bin in the aisle of my Fleet. In contains, among other stuff, a bunch of pieces of 1-inch thick lumber, of various lengths (maybe 12", 18" & 24"), which are used to level the camper. These are sections of 6-inch pressure-treated "deck boards". I stack them up as needed and...

Ask FWC to send you a wiring diagram. They did it for me. It was a little hard to understand, but I was able to figure it out. - Bernard

Here's my $0.02 worth, in the form of what I carry: A white (food-grade) 25-foot water hose, with caps on both end to keep it clean. I have another flat coiled hose that doesn't take up much room. I've never used it. A charcoal inline water filter to take the taste out of city water, with a...

In discussions like this, with others and with myself, I keep coming back to the fact that this is a camper, for camping. Camping is basically an outdoor activity. Maybe you will find that you mostly sit outside to play your guitar. - Bernard