Cost to maintain and own a FWC? Realistically...

[shear]

So I'm pretty close to purchasing a Fleet for my Tacoma and am trying really hard to not over think the costs to maintain, store and own a FWC. For all of you owners, minus unforeseen things breaking, how much does it really cost to maintain and keep a FWC in good shape? I just don't want to purchase something that I can't maintain.

Thanks!

 

[dorocks]

I have found it to be cheaper than the RV I used to have. There isn't much to go wrong unless you hit something. I have replaced a $3.00 plastic water drain shutoff on the rear of the Hawk. One Fantastic vent got trashed when "I" caught it on a tree or something. They sent me one for nothing except the postage. I made a little brace to hold my heater door more securely against the cabinet. Other than that I clean it and use it. Got a match stick caught in the drain. Wife said the drain was bad. I spotted the matchstick with a flashlight and got it out with tweezers.

This is all to say that their simplicity is their strength. Of course any part could go wrong. The units are made with different manufacturers products. But FWC looks for the best overall brand parts for their camper.

Well I am off to Moab Utah this Saturday for Jeeping with the truck, camper, and Jeep.

Looking forward to another week of Four Wheeling.

http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Vacation/Joshua-Tree-and-Truckhaven/i-QPf7z3W#!/Vacation/Joshua-Tree-and-Truckhaven/i-QPf7z3W/A

Get one and have fun.

Keith and Jeanne Barnes
La Mesa CA

 

[MarkBC]

There is very little maintenance needed -- at least, I haven't spent much.
Maybe spray some of that protectant stuff (303) on the vinyl once a year.
Make sure the battery voltage doesn't drop too far when not being used.
Allow the interior to air/dry out after a trip to prevent mildew growth.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head for preventative maintenance -- not much cost there.

Rare events that I experienced:
My 3-way fridge cooling system ruptured after 5 years, which is an unusual/early failure I think. I bought a new/different fridge.
The propane-intake valve on my furnace failed after 7 years and had to be replaced.

Our campers don't have many moving parts, so it's not like a motor vehicle requiring regular maintenance with lots of things to go wrong.

 

[kmcintyre]

I've spent the last 8-10 months "rebuilding" a 2003 Eagle but at some point you have some expenses when they get older. New vinyl, battery, etc. I bet I've spent $3500 re-doing the entire inside, vinyl, front and back lift panels, tons of little stuff (led lights, wiring, countertop, etc.)

 

[jha6av8r]

We've had our Grandby about 18 months now bought new and so far my experience has been along the lines of MarkBC. We use ours regularly, at least once a month. I'm a believer that systems tend to fail when they sit. The weakest part of the FWC is the third party systems, fridge, furnace, stove, hot water, etc. the stuff FWC builds is solid.

 

[AK Nomad]

Our Grandby turns 10 this year.

Maintenance costs:
replaced power converter when it failed (still using original refer, water heater, stove, and furnace)
12V battery lasts about 5 yrs
303 cleaner and protectant used on vinyl, rubber, plastics a couple times a year
update smoke, co2 detectors & fire extinguisher as necessary
RV antifreeze for winterizing
small amount of bleach for sanitizing the water system
I've purchased some 3M sealant for fixing leaks and re-sealing the water heater to exterior.
upgraded some lamp bulbs to LED

Operating costs:
propane (depends on your use)

looks like less than $100 per year!

 

[Ted]

Like most of the above, our maintenance costs are minimal. You also mentioned storage. I have no idea as our camper stays on the truck full time, but would guess that could cost you $50 a month or so. In my experience, the expenses of owning one of these comes from doing modifications. You see a mod on someone else's camper and think, Ooh, I want that. That part never seems to end.

 

[Espresso]

Maintenance? Almost nothing. Customizing? Could be a lot depending on the number of cool ideas you pick up from WTW.

 

[craig333]

Thats about it. Mines getting up in a age a bit so besides the 303 ( and i recommend at least twice a year) I find I need a bit of sealant here and there. Replaced the anode in the water heater, that was twelve bucks. Nope, like others have mentioned the costs come in when you just have to start modifying things. Resist that urge (and to me thats part of the fun) and you won't spend much at all in ownership costs, assuming of course you avoid trees, hydrants etc.

 

[idahoron]

I also keep mine on full time and I haven't had a lot of cost other than propane. I like to keep some bottled water in the fridge cold. We do a fair bit of running and biking on weekends and I like my drinks to be ready when I am. Like the others have said customizing can get expensive. I added a front receiver hitch but I am so glad I did. I love that thing. I changed to LED lights and Other than that I just use it about every weekend. Either for camping of day tripping. I do wish I would have went a different route other than air bags. I need to find out why one of my air bags deflates more than the other.

 

[Costeno]

The warranty for the Dometic 3 way fridge states that a factory authorized service center must do a cleaning/check up after the first year to maintain the burner and honor the two year warranty. I paid $70 bucks to have the orifice and the burner cleaned. I now know how to do it myself so I do it every six months or so.

 

[Kolockum]

Are you buying a new camper or used? New, I would imagine your only real costs would be 303 for the canvas. I bought a used one and all I have to patch holes about once a year and redo a little calking maybe ($200 a year), but my camper is over 14 years old. I do really need new canvas... All in all fairly inexpensive considering I live out of mine for 6+ months out of a year.

Oh, if you live in a place with a lot of moisture get a chemical dehumidifier and a comfortable scrub brush, I have to scrub my entire camper down twice a year to get/keep all the moss off.

But as Espresso mentioned its the customizing that can easily get spendy

 

[DrJ]

What is the 303 spray?

 

[MarkBC]

What is the 303 spray?

303 Aerospace Protectant

• Powerful ultra violet blockers
• Prevents fading and cracking
• Restores lost color and luster
• Repels smudges, dust, soiling and staining
• Keeps treated surfaces looking new

I'm not sure what "aerospace" refers to... maybe the astronauts use it to protect their craft from cosmic rays..

 

[iowahiker]

The cost to maintain a camper also depends on which options you get. We did not want to maintain a water system or refrigeration system so we deleted both from our Granby. Our Granby is low maintenance with only a stove, furnace, and lights ($20-30 per year in propane, $500 in batteries after 5-7 years, $10 for 303 UV treatment per 5 years) but we have a building to store our camper inside which saves the camper in our wet/cold climate (7 inches of rain in April, 10 inches of rain in June 2013). Operating costs for camping are much larger for us: $50 per day going West, $60 per day going East for gasoline and campground fees. We are expecting major maintenance at 10 years of several thousand dollars but we camp over 100 days per year so major maintenance will average $3 per camping day. An older heavily optioned camper would have much higher costs than a new shell model. Accidental damage can add $100's each year (tires+repairs) if you are in rough country but then your operating cost, campground fees, would be much lower.

 

[Hittheroad]

As stated above maintaining a FWC costs very little. There are temptation costs e.g. new 10 ply tires for the truck. You can avoid these if you really need to. The big cost has to do with what you would have been doing had you stayed home instead of heading out to the wilds. If you could have been earning money the FWC may cost you a lot. More likely staying home you would have been spending money - eating out, NetFlix steaming, etc.. In that case you may find the costs of a FWC are negative and end up saving you money.

 

[takesiteasy]

I would agree with most of what has been posted. Our experience with a shell camper is that there is little maintenance- cleaning and doing the 303 thing. Modifications add some cost but are part of the fun and are discretionary. These costs pale in comparison to the cost of traveling (gas, truck maintenance) and sometimes paying camping fees. But getting out and seeing the countryside is the whole point, right? Still ends up being very cheap entertainment.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

What is the 303 spray?

If you order this great product,make sure you get the one for vinyl # 30313 ,not the fabric protector.
Since the company makes other products with the 303 #.
Frank

 

[Lighthawk]

Maintenance costs are different than adding mods. I've spent a few bucks on mods, but I love 'em.
Utility costs for propane, tires, etc. are also a different breed. I have replaced $1000 worth of tires after 30k miles of utility.

Our 2008 Hawk has needed minimal maintenance. I use the 303 to treat the headliner once or twice a year, similar to others.

Our repair costs over three years of use has been:

• Trip #1 : Loose Yakima tower mount (my fault) causing a hole in our roof, while traveling on very rough road.
• Replacing poorly designed and broken roof wiring by the manufacturer Four Wheel Camper- a common failure which they only recently changed on newer campers.
• Replacing broken door window, with plexiglass after I let the door slip out of my hands during a Saline Valley windstorm, which popped the window into a zillion pieces.
• Replace blown air bag after damaging the unit with overloaded camper on rough terrain.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

New campers, especially Four Wheel, are built much better than the old ones.

Our old wood framed Lance was 10 years old when we bought it as the third owners. We used it 12 more years, spending less than $50 per year on maintenance.....Secret is to USE it....And sold it for 60 percent of purchase price.

Maintenance is a lot less today as the hardware is much better designed and built than " back in the day".

You will be ver happy with your Fleet, Shear.