Advice: Hawk or Fleet On '05 Tundra Access 4x4?

[Wallowa]

We will be ordering a new FWC on 11-18 and while I was all set to go with the Hawk a call to FWC got me to considering a Fleet instead of the Hawk. Focused on side dinette; don't like the stove being under bed pull out on this style but front dinette with stove near door just doesn't give us the windows we like.

No toilet or inside shower; but many other options.

Besides less room in the Fleet you can only get a 65L 2-way Refrig.

From those of you who have had a Fleet on our year and model truck, what are the advantages of the Fleet over the Hawk. I know it is about 50 lbs lighter, narrower hence easier to load but else would tip the scale in favor of the Fleet?


Thanks in advance. Of course when we view the demos at the dealership and that may be the deciding event.

Phil

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I have a ATC Bobcat,same size as the Fleet.
Just two of us and can sleep across the bed.No need to bring the extra cushions to take up room.
Our Bobcat is 6 years old and have made many long trips in it and has worked out well for us.
We have a side dinette and like it.What you will notice is that a Fleet is narrower than the Hawk so inside will seem a bit more cramped.But for us it's not an issue.Having the camper not hang over extra is nice.
We have an 02 Tundra AC
Have fun ordering your new camper. And welcome to the group.
Frank

 

[Wallowa]

Thanks Frank.

Yes, the 5 " extra width of the Hawk does provide more room. Height of the Fleet is 4" shorter, not certain where that comes from except inside height is less so the front overhang for bed must be thinner.

When you say not having the "hang over extra" due to narrower width is nice; how so?

Thanks for any and all input.

Phil

 

[longhorn1]

The picture will be clear once you visit the dealer and climb through the Hawk and Fleet. We don't spend a lot of time inside and with the seats in our Front dinette Grandby you can't see out either window. I'm not sure how much you can see out the window on a side dinette, other than there isn't anything blocking the view. Your angle is looking down unless you lean to see straight out. We have 80L fridge and wouldn't be happy with anything smaller. We like the pull out bed and our stove is at the rear but a pullout over the stove shouldn't be a concern, just get the glass top on the stove. Good luck and welcome. jd

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Wander The West mobile app

 

[Wallowa]

Thanks for recommendation on size of fridge; our choice will be the 110L if we get the Hawk...the light coming in the side window with the side dinette is what we appreciate, not the downward 'view'.

Morning coffee is a sacred ritual for us and with the stove under the bed you must push that extender back to brew it [after of course you grind the beans! ].

Appreciate the input.

Phil

 

[longhorn1]

Yes the coffee is a early morning must. I guess pushing the bed back in would be a bit of a hastle especially if your significant other wants to linger in the bed. We sleep North/South and my feet hang over a little.
We have plenty of room on each bench so we could take the back off one dinette seat to have a view, but we usually sit outside with coffee and breakfast. We have a morning routine, Porta potti gets put away, I'm up and getting grill ready while my wife dresses and starts boiling water for the coffee press. We very seldom push the bed back in unless we want to watch movie.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Wander The West mobile app

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks Frank.

Yes, the 5 " extra width of the Hawk does provide more room. Height of the Fleet is 4" shorter, not certain where that comes from except inside height is less so the front overhang for bed must be thinner.

When you say not having the "hang over extra" due to narrower width is nice; how so?

Thanks for any and all input.

Phil

First off.My camper was on a Ford Ranger first.We used it for2 years and really had no issues.Than on our 5 week trip to Denali changed our thinking.
Over the road the Ranger didn't ride well,especially on the concrete roads,plus the seats weren't very comfy.
During the trip I was looking at other trucks and talking with owners.A n e mail to Marty at ATC about what truck to use and he turned me on to the Tundra.
Now with the camper on the Ranger which is narrowed than the Tundra,it hung over into the mirror line of sight.
Not much but you could notice it.With the slightly wider Tundra,the camper is almost flush with the truck sides.
IMO it makes a smoother look and doesn't catch things.
We are so happy with the 02 Tundra/camper combo.
If the inside height is lower than you want,can FWC use the taller liner on the Fleet?
Lots to think about.
Frank

 

[Wallowa]

Good points. I bought the Tundra new in '05 it is the SR5 Limited with towing and 'cold weather' packages. I love it. Only has 35K so it is like new. The final decision sounds like it will come down to going inside the demos and seeing if smaller will not feel too cave like. We are backpackers and minimalist campers so we don't need much. FWCs seem to have the quality and thought built into them so we can't go wrong.

In any event I am very appreciative of folks like yourself willing to share you experiences. Good forum.

Phil
NE Oregon

 

[super doody]

The stove is on the opposite in the hawk. If you get the regular sink and stove, you can use the stove and the sink with the bed slide out. Or just could use a jet boil

 

[Wallowa]

Thanks. The floor plans I have from FWC shows the stove nearest the bed on all but front dinette. I understand the Jetboil but I am an 'MSR Guy' and will have one as a backup but will prefer to use the on-board propane stove.

Good advice and appreciated.

Phil

 

[carld]

I just got a Ocelot form ATC in October for my 2002 Tundra AC V6 5 speed manual 4WD. I opted for the 3 way fridge, propane heater, battery, and electric water pump. I had a Palomino 800 Bronco camper on it before and added air springs and LT265/75R16 E tires which really make a big difference. ATC customize the floor to truck rail hight by 2" to fit my 2002 type 1 Tundra, and increased the soft top by 2" to compensate. The Ocelot is similar to the Fleet, 78" vs 75" width and floor length of 80". The width obstructs the standard rear view mirrors slightly but is not a problem. The custom fit to my Tundra lowered wider camper section decreasing the rear view a bit. With the 86" wide Palomino Bronco without the 2" custom fit, I could see fine in the gap between the truck rails and camper.

The overhead bed width is 48" x 76". I picked up a fitted twin size bottom sheet, full size top sheet with a twin comforter and two pillows at Ross and its very comfortable for two adults. I didn't get the extended pull out bed, did't want to mess with the extra cushions and slide out section. The propane heater was really nice on some cold rainy nights.

The GVWR payload for my Tundra is 1680 lbs, the V8 2WD is a bit more and with 4WD a bit less. Fully loaded with drive, passenger, two bicycles and gear the total payload with my Ocelot is around 1820 lbs. With the E tires and Air Lift airbags its about 10% overweight but is not a problem.

I picked up the Ocelot Oct 2 in Reno NV and drove 5000 mi from Tahoe to Mt. Whitney and then Yosemite, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Death Valley, Zion, Escalante, Capital Reef, Natural Bridges, and Grand Canyon then back to Santa Fe NM and Plano TX. Including some fairly rough 4WD roads. Averaged 16.5 mpg and on the low side 15 mpg doing 70 mph on the interstate.

 

[longhorn1]

Nice. Congrats, what a way to get started.

 

[takesiteasy]

...
I picked up the Ocelot Oct 2 in Reno NV and drove 5000 mi from Tahoe to Mt. Whitney and then Yosemite, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Death Valley, Zion, Escalante, Capital Reef, Natural Bridges, and Grand Canyon then back to Santa Fe NM and Plano TX. Including some fairly rough 4WD roads. Averaged 16.5 mpg and on the low side 15 mpg doing 70 mph on the interstate.

Shortest trip report ever!

Congrats on your new camper. Sounds like a great start to many adventures to come.

 

[idahoron]

You can see the inside of my Hawk on my 05 DC in this video.

https://youtu.be/ERw4OFbJ-L4

 

[Lighthawk]

We've got a Hawk on our 06 access cab Tundra, and it works great for us.
We went with the Hawk so we could sleep east/west, and we do not use the pullout. Like carld, we keep the 48" wide bed made up with down comforter, and we don't even bring the extra cushions for the extended bed. I removed the pullout plywood ( which BTW creates a 1/2" step down underneath the bed ).

Even the Hawk requires a bit of a dance for two to pass while cooking dinner. Interior width is a real premium.
The Fleet is narrower, which could be an advantage on tight roads, but once you are inside the camper, those extra 5" are appreciated. YMMV