Buyers regret?

[kmacafee]

I dont really have any issues with my 2012 Eagle. What I hate is the turnbuckle attachment system.

 

[Timothy McGowen]

I did convert my rollover couch on my 2012 Hawk into a side dinette configuration. I'm reasonably handy and it took maybe 50 hours. However, part of that time was building and installing full extension drawers in several spots including under one of the new seats and designing/building an inside shower and foldable shower pan.

Love the drawers. Wish I was handy enough to do it.

Would love to hear and see more about the shower.

 

[idahoron]

I am three and a half years into my camper ownership. I am pleased that for the most part I am happy with the purchase. I would like to try out a front dinette. The roll over couch is great for my son to sleep on but for sitting and watching a Movie at night is stinks. It is super uncomfortable.
I added a Sleeping pad from walmart. It was a memory foam 4" thick I think. I just put it on top of the cement pad from FWC.
I do wish I would have had a over the bed vent with fan installed. I also wish I would have don't the rear lights.
But like I said for the most part I am happy and use it a LOT. Hunting, Fishing, Camping. I think the one thing I use mine the most for is going to marathons and 1/2 marathons. My wife is a runner and I end up- tagging along a lot. I got to the race and pop the top up and watch a movie or read. I do enjoy my camper.

 

[Durango1]

Love the drawers. Wish I was handy enough to do it.

Would love to hear and see more about the shower.

Thanks, Tomothy! Basically I imitated FWC's shoer curtain arrangement by scrweing small hooks into the aluminum struts in my camper roof. I then put up a shock cord and a nylon shower curtain on them and ran a shower hose up from my sink and hung it off the roof.

The shower pan I had fabricated from heavy duty PVC (the same stuff they make professional rafts out of- cost 50.00) that was about 2' x 3' x 16" high. It has stick on velcro that matches velcro on my benches and cabinets.

Put the shower curtain inside the "pan, shower away and then pull the collapsible pan (Usually had about 3-4 gallons after my wife and I showered) out the back door and dump it. Then fold the curtain and pan up and done!

I now have the built in shower from FWC in my flatbed hawk but honestly what I designed was just as easy.
[sharedmedia=core:attachments:21701]

 

[crumbs]

Nope.

 

[Timothy McGowen]

Thanks, Tomothy! Basically I imitated FWC's shoer curtain arrangement by scrweing small hooks into the aluminum struts in my camper roof. I then put up a shock cord and a nylon shower curtain on them and ran a shower hose up from my sink and hung it off the roof.

The shower pan I had fabricated from heavy duty PVC (the same stuff they make professional rafts out of- cost 50.00) that was about 2' x 3' x 16" high. It has stick on velcro that matches velcro on my benches and cabinets.

Put the shower curtain inside the "pan, shower away and then pull the collapsible pan (Usually had about 3-4 gallons after my wife and I showered) out the back door and dump it. Then fold the curtain and pan up and done!

I now have the built in shower from FWC in my flatbed hawk but honestly what I designed was just as easy.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[jsduty]

Well, I'm going to bump this again. I have spent 5 years researching and planning the purchase of a new GRANDBY. Ordered last April, and now it is ready for the install. Ordered with a role over couch for function not cost. and it showed up with the front dinette.
Please tell me everything is going to be ok. Spent a lot of time with the vision of a role over couch. The thing that is messing with me the most is the location of the outside shower.

 

[wicked1]

That's a big mistake on their part... Wonder if they built yours, but mixed up the shipment w/ someone else or something?
You could definitely request they send you the correct one. But the mistake is over $2k in your favor. Think about the benefits of the dinette, and if the way it turns in to a bed works for you, if you need it. If you don't like it, send it back.

What's different about the shower location? I couldn't find that on my quick look at the FWC website. The sink and other plumbing is in about the same area, it looks like....

I've got a flatbed fleet model, and spend a lot of time sitting at the table. Laptop on the table, or playing board or card games w/ someone. The flatbed is basically a rear dinette.

About the title of this thread, my camper is probably the only expensive thing I've ever gotten, that I never had any buyers regret about. It's had a few issues, but nothing that made me regret it.

 

[jsduty]

Was told a box was not unchecked and by default will always order the front dinette. The outside shower has moved from the center of the camper to the rear corner. I had plans for a drop-down shower tent and not sure if that location is going to work or not.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I think you need to get in touch with Stan at FWC before the install.
Frank

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Was told a box was not unchecked and by default will always order the front dinette. The outside shower has moved from the center of the camper to the rear corner. I had plans for a drop-down shower tent and not sure if that location is going to work or not.

That doesn’t make sense to me. Their website states the base model is the roll over couch. One would think that an “unchecked” box would mean the base model is the desired. As Frank recommended, do get in contact with Stan Kennedy to get things resolved.

 

[Jon R]

I really like our Grandby front dinette. I actually like the shower connection at the back corner because in some situations we use it behind the camper rather than beside it.

That said, if you believe you were clear and they delivered the wrong configuration, they should work with you if you want to reorder. It’s not like they can’t sell that front dinette camper in two weeks or less for full price. They have a one year backorder list.

 

[jsduty]

I have been in touch with FWC, I'm having the camper installed and will see how the WIFE and I like it. Then decide If we want to keep it or place another order. It Just sucks because I ordered what we wanted to avoid the what if's and now have to start the mind games again. Just seems like when we stood in a front dinette at the time that configuration was a waste of space compared to the role over couch. Just hope we both end up liking it. everything happens for a reason.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

I have been in touch with FWC, I'm having the camper installed and will see how the WIFE and I like it. Then decide If we want to keep it or place another order. It Just sucks because I ordered what we wanted to avoid the what if's and now have to start the mind games again. Just seems like when we stood in a front dinette at the time that configuration was a waste of space compared to the role over couch. Just hope we both end up liking it. everything happens for a reason.

My first pop up was a Grandby with the roll over couch. Both of us hated that couch because it took up the entire aisle when out. To be honest, I think you’re going to like the front dinette. It is disappointing to get a surprise like that, but it may turnout to be an unexpected gift.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Everyone has their special wants.
My ATC Bobcat was one of the first built to have a side dinette.
It's what we planed and has been the best choice for us.

Steve makes a great point with the couch rolled out it leaves
little room to get around IMO.

Frank

 

[rubberlegs]

The front dinette, I believe, costs more. Hopefully you'll only pay for what you ordered.

Anyway, it's hard to know exactly what you want until you've used it. Maybe you'll like it a lot. I remember analyzing all the possibilities, and now I think that it doesn't matter that much. You still get to go camping out in the boonies.

 

[AWG_Pics]

We ordered a Hawk, front dinette from FWC. Everything is exactly as we asked -- no regrets at all. Which is weird, since I usually at least have a pang of regret on major purchases. Neither our truck nor camper gave me any second thoughts. Could be in my old age I worry less about stuff.

 

[Jon R]

We ordered a Hawk, front dinette from FWC. Everything is exactly as we asked -- no regrets at all. Which is weird, since I usually at least have a pang of regret on major purchases. Neither our truck nor camper gave me any second thoughts. Could be in my old age I worry less about stuff.

Could be it’s because trucks are awesome and campers are awesome.

 

[AWG_Pics]

Could be it’s because trucks are awesome and campers are awesome.

Considering I started out sleeping on the ground without a tent and carrying everything in the back of my car - YES!!!

 

[ST85]

My wife and I did the build our own version many times and came up with the side dinette, furnace only, King bed and thermal pack and a few other small items (exterior lights, interior fabric, etc.) My regrets are the thermal pack and the furnace.

The thermal pack seems cheaply made and only slightly effected the retention of any heat produced by the furnace that quit working the second night (more on that in a minute). With that said I could not sew a version of this myself so we opted to get it from the factory. I personally believe its over priced and could be way more efficiently made using fleece, wool, flannel or anything else than the junk/ cheep material they used. GRRR!

As for the furnace, it worked fine for the first two nights, then wouldn’t start up again on the third. Super frustrating! Especially since we spent an extra $1675 on it. I will say the 4WC rep that I spoke with was super friendly, well aware of the problem I was having and solved it immediately. What? So you are aware of a faulty product you are installing from the factory and you did it anyways? Shame on you Four wheel camper! We just got our camper last week, spent $22,000 on it and the third night I had do DIY fix it to make it work properly? Overall I/we are stoked on our purchase, but this is unacceptable, and I am not the only one who has had this issue. There was a thred about this issue a little bit ago. I also think this is a safety concern. We headed to MT this weekend to use our camper knowing that all the systems were working and the heater broke immediately. Fortunately we have the means to get a hotel room in a pinch, but with if we didn't? It was - stupid degrees this weekend. End of rant.

So with all that said, I would think long and hard about the factory installed Dometic furnace until they get this solved or replaced with another unit/style. Instead I wished I spent that money on a diesel Rotopax and a diesel heater. I have heard nothing but good things about them once you get them dialed in, its a dry heat so no condensation (another gripe with propane ) and you could use all the room taken up by the double tanks for gear, a cooler, a fridge, you name it. Not to mention that it sips fuel and is a less expensive option for heat. They do have a gasoline version I suppose one could get, but heating with unleaded scares me for some reason. Call me crazy.

The King bed pullout was expensive but I love not being able to touch the wall from stem to stern when I sleep.

Has anyone else had the furnace issue here?