Driving Around in a FWCamper ...

[RC Pilot Jim]

I constantly am approached by interested people asking for details on my Eagle - weight, features, milege impact, drivability. They are surprised by the amount of livibility in a small camper.

I get this a lot because the Eagle is "with me" wherever i drive.

When i pop it up at campgrounds I get even more attention.

How about other owners out there. Any experiences to share?

 

[BobM]

Same for me except I have a Raven. I also use it as my daily driver and get lots of questions. I remember when the kids were little and we had a tent trailer. We were treated like trailer trash by the big RV guys. Not so with the FWC, they seem to get the joke.

 

[craig333]

Oh yeah, the clampers I camped next to had to have to deluxe tour. Its pretty common.

 

[Smokecreek1]

It seems like I don't go anywhere for these last seven years, when I don't get asked "is that one of those pop-up campers"? I think it is part of owning one-you become a salesman for FWC or pop-ups in general . Most of the time I open up the back door and let em look if I'm at the store parking lot or gas station and answer questions, etc,.when I'm camped I let them in so they can "feel" the thing. I think that that's why we "as a group" like to sell our FWC and let everyone know how great they are-and wave at each other as we pass on the road. Saw one at the ACE store parking lot the other day-brand new with out of state plates-so I pulled up and said "Hi"-sort of shocked them-they were having problems with the door sticking-WD-40., and so, some more advise and several questions and check this site on the pc, and on for a while on how this and that works, and off they went on adventures ---No big sky high campers for us-we like to drive fast down the freeway and go places other campers go-with hot water and ice trays !

Smoke

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Smoke you mentioned the drivability of FWC. As I pull away from stop lights the folks that passed me and were on my left waiting for the light to change are always amazed when I just pull away from them...Amazed enough sometimes to engage me in short conversation at the next light.

Many are surprised when I power through the cloverleafs on the freeways almost like a sports car and I don't have a sway bar. Says a lot for the low center of gravity.

 

[SLO_F-250]

Same for me. I always get people asking me about the setup, what does it have, how does it work etc. Part of the FWC/ATC club. Sometimes its kinda fun.

 

[Riverrunner]

I've been accosted in campgrounds asking about it. As far a being a salesman.... I've already sold one. A buddy of mine drove 2 hours to look at mine, sold his hard side in a week and found a grandby locally that came up for sale and bought it. I see a lot of people just stare and point at it also...

 

[ETAV8R]

I've only had my Finch a couple months. No one has really asked about it. All my neighbors know about it. They always ask where I'm off to when I'm packing it up. My truck recently became my daily driver and I've started to leave the camper off in my parking spot. I've figured a way to secure it too. Sure someone could get away with it but It is gonna slow them down. It goes on and comes off. I like the mpg without it but the back of the truck is really light weight. I've also noticed that on turns the electronic bells/whistles of the newer model Tacoma start activating.

 

[buzzman]

When I first started travelling around in my Grandby in 2008, I was surprised how many people would stop me in a parking lot or stroll by while we were camping to ask about the camper, especially here in the Midwest where these campers are not very common. And then they wanted to know where to buy one. When I visited the FWC factory on '08, Stan gave me a stack of his business cards that I always carry in the camper to pass out and I'll also mention that I bought mine through Sean Dempsey in Eagle WI. Sometimes I will invite them to look inside the camper if they sound really interested. Lately it has been some tent camper people who are getting too old for, or tired of, tent camping.

 

[ntsqd]

It's not just FWC/ATC's that get the attention. We are asked about our Phoenix on a pretty regular basis, even by seasoned camping vets. Nearly all of my immediate co-workers have asked about it and/or wanted to see inside it.

 

[K6ON]

I get questions about the rig all the time, as recently as yesterday while loading groceries at Costco. I think the most comments and questions I've ever gotten was when I had to spend two nights in an RV park in Fairbanks, AK a couple years back. My camper got more attention than any other rig in the park I was the only camper, popup or otherwise surrounded by huge 5th wheels and motor-homes. Just about every guy that stopped to chat about the rig said virtually the same thing "If it wasn't for my wife, this is exactly the kind of rig I'd have". I guess we're all salesmen at heart as I never get tired of expounding the virtues of ATC/FWC's.

 

[BobD]

I'm on the east coast so everywhere we go it's "show and tell" since they're so few and far between. Have to agree with K6ON on never getting tired of expounding the virtues.

 

[takesiteasy]

It's funny- we got "trapped" by an interested woman at a rest stop last night. My wife ended up talking to her for about half an hour about the camper, including a look inside. I walked the dog in the meantime, happy to have the wife do the sales job for once, although I don't mind talking to interested people about it either. We were camped earlier in a busy state park and had pretty much a constant parade of folks in the evening remarking on it. People don't see many of them around here either.

 

[highz]

Still don't see many ATCs or FWCs in southern New Mexico, but I'm starting to see more pop-ups made in Colorado (Phoenix, Hallmark, Outfitter). I do get asked about my camper, too, and have printed up "brag tags" with the URLs for FWC, ATC and WtW. Now that there's a Colorado FWC dealer, maybe I'll start seeing more of them.

 

[Smokecreek1]

When I first started travelling around in my Grandby in 2008, I was surprised how many people would stop me in a parking lot or stroll by while we were camping to ask about the camper, especially here in the Midwest where these campers are not very common. And then they wanted to know where to buy one. When I visited the FWC factory on '08, Stan gave me a stack of his business cards that I always carry in the camper to pass out and I'll also mention that I bought mine through Sean Dempsey in Eagle WI. Sometimes I will invite them to look inside the camper if they sound really interested. Lately it has been some tent camper people who are getting too old for, or tired of, tent camping.

Yep-think that's how we all strated-getting to old to hike for miles and setting up tents in the wind, rain and snow and sitting around a smokey fire while trying to drink a cold beer------now I have vodka with ice cubes and a heater . Still remember my first outing with my brand new FWC up at Eagle Lake. Two buddies/with dogs showed up to help me break it in. Having that first cold beer out of the frig instead of a cooler was something; then the wind came up with lot's of blowing sand, so we moved around behind my truck to get out of it and wind shifted so we moved again---then I had a thought why don't we go inside the FWC-a new thing and maybe why I bought the dang thing ---so the three of us and two of the dogs piled in --my old Austrailian Shep refused to(always liked it outside in the wind and snow and never got used to being inside), why no wind and a beer at hand and I turned on the heater-my a whole new world was at hand !!! I often think, if I would have wanted one of these things earlier in my wanderings, but me thinks not ---years of roughing it makes me enjoy every moment of having my new comfort--and quite willing to share my feelings with someone who also is discovering they to, find it harder to put that tent up every night or climb into the back of the PU and under the camper shell with the mate and dog and say "what a wonderful time I'm having" ! Yep, what did one of our folks say a while back, those last days will be spent, sitting by my FWC in some wonderful place out there with a drink in hand while sitting in my strongback chair-just rememember to come and get the dog!

Smoke

 

[griz]

I am the only one in town with one. When i see one travelling thru town i hunt them down and have a chin wag.

 

[Lingenstein]

I am the only one in town with one. When i see one travelling thru town i hunt them down and have a chin wag.

I can attest to that! Last time I was through Campbell River I too was hunted down for a "chin wag". How's it going Griz?

 

[d tree's]

Yes I get asked allot about my camper in town and quite a bit at work . I work in the port LA/LB guys go nuts with question , I Love my camper ,D

 

[Lighthawk]

Oh yeah, the clampers I camped next to had to have to deluxe tour. Its pretty common.

Ah yes, the Clamper Campers ECV!

 

[ski3pin]

E Campers Vitus?