Atl-atl's 1981 Hawk 'documentation' thread

[Atl-atl]

Hi all. I just joined wtw because it seems like the busiest and best place to post and learn about campers. I'm completely new to this world but got a smoking deal on an old FWC Hawk this summer and I've decided to do a pretty significant rebuild. I joined some other sites as well over the last couple months so you may recognize this thread as it will mirror some others I've started.

For no good reason a couple months ago I decided I wanted to buy a slide in camper for my truck instead of spending the money on a new tent. I have a Dodge Ram 2500HD regular cab long bed that I wheel on the trails around Colorado and I thought it would be really cool to have a camper instead of a tent when I go out on adventures in the mountains. I started scouring CL and quickly realized these things sell like hotcakes. It took me about a month of searching to find my Hawk. I had to drop everything and drive to give the guy cash the day it was posted or it would have been gone.

When I got to the guys house to see the Hawk for the first time it was dirty, messy inside and had obviously been stored for a while but it was in pretty good shape. He seemed like a trustworthy guy so I gave him the cash and had to leave for work without the camper. A few days passed before I could get it home and really dig in to see what I got myself into. Here are the pictures he sent me. Unfortunately the Ford Highboy was a project I couldn't take on at the moment!

For some reason the thread wont let me copy and paste so I have to type out each url for pictures to load. Ill try to edit with the rest of the pictures after I start the initial thread.

Here are the first pics when I put it in my truck. All I did was put it in the truck, clean it and use it. Went on 4 or 5 trips to see how it worked and figure out what I liked/disliked and started to make a to do list.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Looks like you've got a cool project. Let see more!

If you can get the image address (usually by right clicking on the image, the selecting 'copy image address', you can past that into the photo dialog box.

 

[Atl-atl]

Looks like you've got a cool project. Let see more!

If you can get the image address (usually by right clicking on the image, the selecting 'copy image address', you can past that into the photo dialog box.

Thanks, there will be plenty more! For some reason my work computer wasn't letting me copy and paste into this forum but my personal computer is working fine so I started adding pictures.

 

[rotti]

I really miss those dingle ball curtains that I had on my 83 Grandby!
Looks to be in great shape for a 35 year old camper.

 

[Atl-atl]

It is in surprisingly good shape! Although its in really good shape now that I've done a bunch of work. Ill post up more pics this evening. Its really coming together.

For now, here is the born-on-date tag. I bought it on its 34th birthday! I wish I could read the whole tag.

 

[billharr]

Nice find, looking forward to what you do with it. I have never seen just one window on each side. All the old one I have seen have the low small window.

 

[craig333]

Great find. No good reason? I think theres a perfectly good reason as you've probably already found out. You did the smart thing by taking out a few times to see what you need first before digging into it. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

 

[Atl-atl]

Nice find, looking forward to what you do with it. I have never seen just one window on each side. All the old one I have seen have the low small window.

You are talking about the windows in the canvas, right? I guess I have seen both but I don't enough about them to know if its a model year thing or a special order thing.

Great find. No good reason? I think theres a perfectly good reason as you've probably already found out. You did the smart thing by taking out a few times to see what you need first before digging into it. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Hah, I guess you're right!

 

[Atl-atl]

For anyone looking that knows propane systems. Ive decided to remove the cook top from my camper. Is it ok to route the copper line directly from the tank box to the heater? Ive heard things like the cook top acts as a vent for the propane system, is this true? Am I ok to route the line straight to the heater as pictured below?

 

[craig333]

Think it over. I really appreciated mine this past weekend camping in the rain. As a vent? I haven't heard that.

 

[Atl-atl]

Think it over. I really appreciated mine this past weekend camping in the rain. As a vent? I haven't heard that.

Think over the cook top? Too late for that hah! Ive never camped for more than 2 nights and Ive never camped with only food that has to be cooked. I don't plan on doing either of those two things and I don't want the inside of the camper to smell or get greasy. There are other ways I can boil water for coffee which is the life sustaining fluid of choice for me!

As for the vent situation I have no idea, which is why Im asking. I do know that sometimes gas systems have to be purged of air before they will light. For example when I run temp heat at jobsites in the form of direct fired heaters hooked to propane tanks you have to purge the air out of the system before the burner will light the heater. Maybe the cook top is how that purge happens when the campers heater has sat for a while or you change the propane tank and air gets in the line. I don't know. I will definitely be researching this in the future but figured there might be an easy answer.

 

[Atl-atl]

Speaking of camping in the rain. The very first trip I took with the Hawk was camping at the trailhead of Grays and Torreys peaks in August. It rained and hailed off and on all night. Everyone around us were in tents and wound up sleeping in their cars. The dog, my girlfriend and I were nice and cozy in the Hawk and very glad we were not in a tent! I have video but its not hosted anywhere that will embed here.

 

[PaulT]

I always fire up the cook top to be sure the propane is getting to the appliances. I use the water heater or furnace but not as frequently. Both of them try a couple of times before giving up and shutting down. Never had either fail to start if I have started the cook top first.

Paul

 

[craig333]

Definitely certain things I will not cook in the camper. I was lucky this last trip I had a menu that included things that just needed to be warmed up.

 

[Atl-atl]

Thanks for the replies guys, you helped me decide keeping the cooktop(or at least provisions for it) is a good idea. So after sitting in there for a while and taking some measurements I think Im going to keep the cooktop and just have minimal countertop space. Or Im at least going to build a countertop out of ply wood with provisions for the cooktop and see how I like it before installing a fancy finished countertop.

Here is a teaser of the materials palette I put together for inside. I needed to test install my fabric wall covering on some paneling before I dove in head first. It worked well and was easy to install, Im really happy about this!

 

[LuckyDan]

Looking forward to seeing your progress. Thanks for sharing with us other "Vintage" owners

 

[longhorn1]

When we picked up our camper the dealer said to light the stove first to insure the lines were free of air and each time we changed out a propane tank.

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

 

[wvtradbow]

Wow that looks familar even the cushion fabric was the same as mine..Good luck and have fun with it.BTW I'm still using the same propane set up but I did take the furnace out years ago,which I still regret cause it still worked but it was kinda tough on the battery..

 

[Atl-atl]

Instead of wasting time Im going to just blast the last few updates all in a row. Im so excited I can't keep it from you guys anymore haha. Plus a lot of this is already posted elsewhere. Its a couple weeks old except for the last update.

After that camping trip I decided the weather was getting cold and it was now or never for a major overhaul! I started by painting the exterior of the Hawk. I cleaned/sanded the exterior and taped off the windows/door. Painted the frames black and the panels white. It looks slightly odd, almost like a police issue camper hahaha. I will change something about the exterior but Im not sure what yet. Maybe Ill get some reproduction stickers to match the old factory ones. I will also replace the rubber trim moulding which should help a little.

Before and after.

All Panda everything lately for me.

Then I went buckwild. Took a week off work and completely gutted her! Stove, sink, propane tank, bench seat...everything was gone eventually!!! :Wow1:
Stripped down to the frame and floors. Removed all the fiberglass batt insulation most of which was half missing or collapsed. Removed every screw, staple, all the wiring, water and gas piping, rotten wood, panelling etc.

Found some blown out corners and some dry rot in the floor so... Floor was removed as was the cabover "wood" that had been replaced with pressboard that was moldy rotten and expanding/cracking/sagging. I did not originally plan to replace the floor but decided there was no better time. I know Ill be MUCH happier in the long run having a brand new floor.

 

[Atl-atl]

Looking forward to seeing your progress. Thanks for sharing with us other "Vintage" owners

Thanks, you'll see a bunch tonight!

When we picked up our camper the dealer said to light the stove first to insure the lines were free of air and each time we changed out a propane tank.

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

After researching it and reading here Ive decided to definitely keep the stove. Thanks for the input.

Wow that looks familar even the cushion fabric was the same as mine..Good luck and have fun with it.BTW I'm still using the same propane set up but I did take the furnace out years ago,which I still regret cause it still worked but it was kinda tough on the battery..

Like how tough on the battery? Im still contemplating whether to wire the camper to the truck or run a battery inside the camper.