Hey there everyone! Proud owner of my first FWC so naturally I have found my way here. I picked up my new to me '88 Fleet a few weeks back and have it mounted in my '91 Toyota Pickup 22re. So far I love it despite its rough shape. I have pretty modest plans for the short term as I am currently living in it full-time, however I would love to eventually gut it to the frame and rebuild it to be completely self contained with solar, a wood stove, and of course the list goes on. But alas, my situation limits the extent to which I can disassemble the camper so for now I will prioritize the necessities.
Pertinent issues I've identified so far include:
-Really sad canvas. Many of the seams are splitting and it is quite brittle in places. Not to mention the previous owner attempted to fix all the holes in it with rubberized spray paint... I plan to purchase either 18oz VCP or 10 oz tent canvas which I will sew windows into myself.
-A couple leaks in the roof but nothing too crazy. Luckily Oregon is wicked dry at the moment.
-I removed most of the electrical system and will be installing a simple 12VDC system that I will charge from the alternator and shore power until I can afford to add solar. Also will add a temporary inverter to run a sewing machine and any other tools I may need.
-The front lift panel is currently non-existent. The rear one is hurting pretty bad. I'm thinking I will build a conduit lift for the front and rebuild the rear panel since the hinges seem to be in fine shape. I'd also like to add some 40lb struts front and rear. Any input on this is appreciated as I do intend to add a roof box and solar and would like to be at least somewhat confident that this system is capable of handling that.
-The previous owner kinda butchered the couch and the cabover is currently naked. Most nights I sleep with the top down so I plan to replace the foam with some decent quality stuff and rebuild the couch/bed and maybe add a seat at the front as I've seen in other FWCs. Its also in dire need of new curtains.
-The main cabinet/counter is in pretty poor shape and I'm surprised at how inefficient the use of space is with the current cabinet/interior setup. This will probably be rebuilt with something that better suits my needs.
-Storage in general is an issue as I was able to fit quite a bit more in the truck when I had a basic canopy with a roof box and some simple shelving in the bed. I don't have much stuff, but most of it is currently in a storage unit which needs to go away.
-The rear door is a mess. I'm not entirely sure what happened but the window was removed and replaced with a wood frame and a piece of sheet metal. The locks need new cylinders or just new keys and the hinges are sagging badly. It is literally falling apart. I would love to find a new one but have not had any luck yet.
-Other small things to address include the water system which I may remove in favor of the simplicity of jugs, roof insulation and a headliner of some sort, and fixing the crank for the vent which is currently broken. The latch for the propane doesn't work and the refrigerator access door is missing.
-Its currently mounted via turnbuckles and eye bolts to the factory tie downs. I check them often as I don't expect the factory mounts to be a permanent solution but so far so good. I'd like to bolt it to the bed if possible but I'm not entirely sure of the best way to go about this.
I am open to suggestions and would be grateful for any input that seems relevant. I tend to be pretty good at tinkering but this project will require a great deal of learning on my part. I'm located in Oregon and will be doing essentially all of the work on public lands, in Wally World parking lots, and sometimes at the winery I work at which has a pretty well equipped shop. My budget is tight so many materials will likely be recycled or repurposed and the sooner I can get this thing fixed up the better as once its a bit more homey I will be moving on from my current situation.
And of course here are some photos. I will take more as I work, these are just a couple I quickly snapped.
Pertinent issues I've identified so far include:
-Really sad canvas. Many of the seams are splitting and it is quite brittle in places. Not to mention the previous owner attempted to fix all the holes in it with rubberized spray paint... I plan to purchase either 18oz VCP or 10 oz tent canvas which I will sew windows into myself.
-A couple leaks in the roof but nothing too crazy. Luckily Oregon is wicked dry at the moment.
-I removed most of the electrical system and will be installing a simple 12VDC system that I will charge from the alternator and shore power until I can afford to add solar. Also will add a temporary inverter to run a sewing machine and any other tools I may need.
-The front lift panel is currently non-existent. The rear one is hurting pretty bad. I'm thinking I will build a conduit lift for the front and rebuild the rear panel since the hinges seem to be in fine shape. I'd also like to add some 40lb struts front and rear. Any input on this is appreciated as I do intend to add a roof box and solar and would like to be at least somewhat confident that this system is capable of handling that.
-The previous owner kinda butchered the couch and the cabover is currently naked. Most nights I sleep with the top down so I plan to replace the foam with some decent quality stuff and rebuild the couch/bed and maybe add a seat at the front as I've seen in other FWCs. Its also in dire need of new curtains.
-The main cabinet/counter is in pretty poor shape and I'm surprised at how inefficient the use of space is with the current cabinet/interior setup. This will probably be rebuilt with something that better suits my needs.
-Storage in general is an issue as I was able to fit quite a bit more in the truck when I had a basic canopy with a roof box and some simple shelving in the bed. I don't have much stuff, but most of it is currently in a storage unit which needs to go away.
-The rear door is a mess. I'm not entirely sure what happened but the window was removed and replaced with a wood frame and a piece of sheet metal. The locks need new cylinders or just new keys and the hinges are sagging badly. It is literally falling apart. I would love to find a new one but have not had any luck yet.
-Other small things to address include the water system which I may remove in favor of the simplicity of jugs, roof insulation and a headliner of some sort, and fixing the crank for the vent which is currently broken. The latch for the propane doesn't work and the refrigerator access door is missing.
-Its currently mounted via turnbuckles and eye bolts to the factory tie downs. I check them often as I don't expect the factory mounts to be a permanent solution but so far so good. I'd like to bolt it to the bed if possible but I'm not entirely sure of the best way to go about this.
I am open to suggestions and would be grateful for any input that seems relevant. I tend to be pretty good at tinkering but this project will require a great deal of learning on my part. I'm located in Oregon and will be doing essentially all of the work on public lands, in Wally World parking lots, and sometimes at the winery I work at which has a pretty well equipped shop. My budget is tight so many materials will likely be recycled or repurposed and the sooner I can get this thing fixed up the better as once its a bit more homey I will be moving on from my current situation.
And of course here are some photos. I will take more as I work, these are just a couple I quickly snapped.
