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So far, the zip ties are working for me! Since trying this I have driven several hundred miles and camped once but no off-roading yet.

This fatigue thing has me worried. The mounting plate I fabricated for my 5 gallon Jerry can bolts to the jack bracket and the lower rear wall step (basically a triangular bolt pattern). Do I need to worry about fatigue with this set-up? I used 1/4" 6061 aluminum. It seems really solid.

So I guess my Harbor Freight zip ties won't cut it.... I'm going to try both the zip ties (good ones) and blue loctite. If that doesn't work I'll get better turnbuckles. Is the weak link the turnbuckle or the attachment point on the camper?

Thanks for the feedback. I did have the camper installed at the factory, and the forward turnbuckles pull forward and the rears rearward. I also have a rubber mat under the camper. I am going to try the thread lock and will report back if it works effectively. Ron, I'm curious how you...

Hi Folks, I was wondering if anyone has used a thread locker compound such as Loctite "Blue" (medium strength) formula to help keep the turnbuckles from loosening? Mine always come loose during/after every trip and I constantly have to check and tighten them. I am using the procedure of hand...

My 2 cents: I have not had big issues with condensation (never any moisture under the mattress) in my Hawk, but I always keep windows cracked and a roof vent slightly open. My mom's VW Westfalia van (I call it the "will fail ya") has just as much condensation. My truck is a diesel and my...

My truck has over 100,00 miles and I don't hesitate to take it anywhere it can go (no technical jeep tracks where I would have clearance issues). When I am out in the boondocks, I am more worried about an injury, and have thought about getting a satellite phone.

Statements like this are just based on old stereotypes of crappy American cars. I have two friends that have over 300k on their Ford Superduty trucks and have never had major repairs. Sure things have gone wrong (injectors, fuel pumps, etc), but that will happen on Toyotas too. My second...

I'm confused why anyone would want a Tacoma/camper combo over a full size setup. They don't get better gas mileage than modern full size trucks and have a more limited range. My diesel F250 with a Hawk gets better mileage on trips than my friends loaded up Tacoma (without a camper). Also the...

I'm not a gun expert but I believe a .357 magnum will have deeper penetration and it's easier to shoot and more accurate than a .44 magnum.

I used a 1/4" aluminum plate which I cut in a parallelogram shape to fit between the jack mount (2 bolts) and the upper bolt on the lower wall step (got a longer bolt). Plenty strong for a Smitty 5 gallon Can holder and can. I also added a nice bottle opener to the plate! In addition, I...

Cheesecloth or the perforated towels sold at car parts stores for this very purpose work well for me. Been using them for years on front bumpers and grills. Cuts down the elbow grease needed. I follow with a good spray on wax-I like Eagle One Nanowax.

Do the bolt holes match the OEM steps? Do these have higher weight ratings? I use my steps a lot and if these are better, I'm replacing them.

I bolted a 1/4" aluminum plate to the right rear jack mount and the lower rear step ( the bolt goes through the plate, and through the step) and attached a 5 gallon Jerry can holder to that (and a bottle opener!) I also have an Aluminess bumper and have a 2 gallon Rotopax can mounted on the...

I have an extra bar and fairing from an old bike rack system that I might install, but one thing that concerns me about the effectiveness of roof fairings to reduce drag is that there is a also a lot of flat surface area on the front wall of the camper that is exposed to the wind, not just the...

We recently purchased two twin size 2" thick memory foam toppers and it made a huge difference on our last trip. They are very comfortable when used on top of the FWC mattress. They were only about $60 each on Amazon and have nice zip on covers. We store one on the top bunk and one on the...

I recently added an Aluminess rear bumper with tire carrier and galley box to my F250-it is a great product. The only issues I have had is that the latches don't work so well when they are dirty-I had to double and triple check they would shut on my recent trip to Death Valley where i was off...

The harbor freight hitch extension with step works perfectly for me. I had the double step Brophy model but it went down too far and would bottom out. I added a hitch tightener (basically a square shaped U-bolt) to completely eliminate any free play.

I don't remember the brand-I bought it years ago at a camper shell dealer. You are correct that it won' t lift it all the way up but once it reaches the maximum height of 72 inches, it is MUCH easier to push open.I can easily do it by myself. Getting it to budge the first couple of inches...

I was thinking about something like this-does the jack stick out much to the side of the jack mount? I have a jerry can holder bolted to an aluminum plate that I made that attaches to the right rear jack bracket and the bolt for the lower step and I also used 1" steel spacers to clear the camper.

Thanks for the ideas, folks I don't really want to drill into the camper to mount this, but I do like your solution camelracer. I might try fabricating a mount for the jack bracket-my concern is I don't want the jack to stick out past the bracket. If nothing seems to work I will store in the...

I just got a 48" Hi-lift jack and want to carry it on my Hawk. Has anyone tried mounting one to a rear jack bracket and if so, did you fabricate your own mounting system or is there one available to purchase? The Hi-Lift is about the same weight as one of the camper jacks FWC sells, so I doubt...

No it doesn't, but lowering is much easier

Thanks CamperCamper for starting this discussion-this has been bugging me. I have a leaking slider on my 2015 Hawk-the dinette cushions get wet when driving through hard rain. Luckily this has only happened once so far. Does anyone know if the leak is from the perimeter frame or the sliding...

I have a 2015 Hawk with a solar panel, Yakima racks with bike and kayak attachments, and a cargo basket. I can't lift the roof, even with the factory struts. My solution is to use a ratcheting cargo bar (used normally to secure cargo in the back of a pickup truck), which is very compact when...