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2011 Finch is SOLD! For the life of me, though, I can’t figure out how to edit the original post to show that. Or even how to find help on WTW with managing posts. I see that people regularly do that, so what am I missing? A bunch of brain cells, I guess!

2011 FWC Finch Camper for sale (NW WA) $13,500 We are selling our 2011 Four Wheel (FWC) “Finch” popup camper, which we purchased used in 2017. This is the smallest FWC camper, and at 6 feet long fits our 2009 Tacoma long bed perfectly without having to remove the tailgate. This camper comes...

Trader Joe's sells little yellow microfiber cloths that really soak it up in our FWC Finch and are easy to wring out. Don't remember what they cost but think they're super cheap. Trying to find the balance when it's cold out between enough ventilation to keep it from raining (or icicles...

Ah, so it's not just hazardous cargo! Their tracking and notification system is pretty messed up too. I got a message on Friday morning saying it was still in transit, but that it would be delivered by the end of the day. Later that day, it changed to no delivery date available. Saturday...

Sounds good, Paul. I received the IQ-LiFePO module today. Now, if FedEx would just bring me the battery! Initially they said it would be here last Tuesday, but they've been showing it as "in transit" from Sparks, NV to Troutdale, OR for the last couple of days and are saying "No scheduled...

Heard back from IOTA tech support re the IQ4 LiFePO smart charger module for the DLS30 converter/charger: "I would recommend using the IQ-LifePO with the DLS 30. The battery manufacturer doesn't want the battery charged in the higher voltage range (14.2 - 14.6V) for long periods of time. Both...

Ah well, I decided to quit dithering about it and ordered the Battle Born. Still waiting to hear back from IOTA as to whether one of their little plug-in modules will work with my DLS30 converter/charger to charge the battery. I understand that if I install the battery before I get that worked...

Hmm, maybe the Renogy 100Ah LiFePO4 battery ought to be a "brainer" after all. Helluva sale price at US$500 vs $800 for the Battle Born, but then there seem to be some details, such as a better warranty for BB (10 year vs 5 year and with less limitations), higher testing standards (BB claims...

Yikes! The Renogy deal looks like a no-brainer! Thanks much, Vic!

So, I was about ready to "push freaking print" today and buy the BB 100Ah battery, but I noticed that the bulk/absorption charge output for the IOTA DLS30 with the IQ LIFEPO module is 14.7V. The manual for the BB10012 battery, however, states that the maximum bulk/absorption input is 14.6V. I...

Got it, Vic. Thanks! Realized after clicking on the link to your electrical system thread that you have covered the Anderson Power Pole connectors and a lot more there. Great work!

Thanks, Vic! Yes, I will see how things go with just the Li battery and the other adjustments/mods to the existing charging capabilities before I dive into the alternator/DC ti DC charger part. A question about upgrading to 6g or bigger wire: I haven't torn into them yet, but I'm guessing...

I have the same basic question as Dennis221, so I'll jump in with my answers to ckent323's questions: Truck: 2009 Tacoma dbl cab, long bed 4wd with (presumably) stock alternator, purchased with camper in 2017. Camper: 2011 4WD Finch, purchased with truck in 2017, originally sold in Canada (if...

We have a 2011 4WD Finch, purchased used in 2017, with an 80 AH AGM battery, Renogy 150W solar panel, Trimetric TM 2030 battery monitor and SC 2030 solar charge controller I installed later that year. Before I understood how much the 3-way fridge draws in 12V mode and how little charge I get...

Thanks for your reply, 4Wanderers. I have enjoyed reading about your amazing journey south. Thanks too for explaining how the north-south bed works. It sounds like it’s basically the same setup we have in the Finch, where you have to push the slide-out portion of the bed back in and stow the...

Caribou Lite 6.5 in NW We currently have a 2009 Tacoma long bed with a 2011 4WD Finch, but are seriously considering upgrading to a Caribou Lite 6.5. The initial main attraction at least for my wife was being able to use the east-west bed without having to slide it out. I liked the part about...

This looked great to me, so I bought a 7-gallon container and an extra cap to modify as described. When I went to Homer's Depot to get the PVC fittings, I found that 3/4" hose thread is just a tad bit bigger than the thread on the Reliance lid, so a 3/4" cap fitting will barely start in the...

Great, I'll just put the SC2030 in the battery compartment itself and hook it up to the existing 12 ga. solar leads. Thanks, Rando. John

Update: Make that 1"x1"x1/8" "Z" bar. 3/16" would have been overkill, if i could even have found it. The 1"x1"x1/8" "Z" bar was harder to find than I expected. Finally located it online at Orange Aluminum. Gonna cost me more than the piece itself to ship it up here from CA. Oh well...

Latest plan: bolt front and rear of panel to lengths of 1" x 1" x 1" x 3/16" aluminum "Z" bar and attach "Z" bar to roof using combination of VHB 4950 plus self tapping screws into 3 centermost roof frame members. With front edge blocked, wind uplift shouldn't be a problem. Also ordered 90...

Hmm.... Thought I had the 150 watt Renogy panel "wired", so to speak, but I now I realize I had mis-identified the leads from the factory-installed SAE/ZAMP (they are the same, but ZAMP uses reverse polarity, correct?) roof connector. There are two sets of wires leading down from the roof...

My concern about wind under the panel isn't so much about the panel actually coming off (I get it, this vhb tape is bomb-proof), but about uplift on the camper's aluminum roof skin, which on mine (2011 Finch) is attached only around the edges, the vent fan cap, and, I guess, at the solar plug...

My wife and I will be on the road for much of August with our Tacoma and FWC Finch, spending a few days in the Tetons early in the month, then moving on to southwest Colorado for my wife's family reunion. We were originally planning to be back in Washington by the 19th and to skip watching the...

Six "Z" pads sounds good to me, Jim, and so does the idea of gluing something along the front edge of the panel to prevent lift. Did you cut a narrow strip of the 3M tape to glue the bottom edge of the pipe to the roof and then seal all around it with Dicor? (I like the "belt and suspenders"...

Jim, I recall now that in your build post, you recommended using six pads. From your experience to date, does that still seem adequate? If I went that route, I'd be able to use the four existing mount holes in the panel frame, plus drill out the two center ground holes on each side, reducing...