Future Hawk owner with a couple questions

[Yonder37]

Hi Four Wheel Camper owners --

First time poster here. I have ordered an F-150 (SuperCrew, 3.5L V6, 6.5' bed, 4x4, Heavy-duty payload) and plan to install a Hawk camper (front dinette) on it. Have visited the factory in Woodland and got a quote for the camper, but have not pulled the trigger yet because I have no idea when Ford will actually deliver the truck (they said 6-8 months).

Have a couple questions, was hoping someone might have answers:

(1) Recent F-150s/F-250s/F-350s have dual antennas, for the satellite radio and the GPS/modem, which are located on the top of the cab, but on the rear edge. They are going to be covered by the cabover portion of the camper. Is this a problem for reception?

I see that Ford offers a service kit, LC3Z-018813-B, for relocating the antennas on F-250s/F-350s, which got the dual antennas first. Does anyone know if the same kit works on the F-150, which now has the same arrangement?

(2) Four Wheel Campers offers an axe/shovel combo that mounts on a rear jack bracket. In the pictures that I've seen, the axe/shovel combo is on the rear driver's side bracket. There is also an SAE connector for an auxiliary solar panel on the rear wall of the camper in that area, and it looks like the axe/shovel covers the connector. I want access to the SAE connector, so does it make more sense to put the axe/shovel on the passenger side?

Thanks for any insight that anyone might have

 

[longhorn1]

FWC wouldn't mount something over the Solar Port preventing access. The tools aren't mounted flush to the wall. They have been installing this option for years. I wouldn't worry.

 

[bwag]

I have a 2020 Hawk on a 2020 F250, the camper does interfere with the antenna, mine only has a single antenna. FM/AM radio works fine sateliite not so much, doesn't bother me though, I don't use the satellite radio.

Four Wheel Camper charges $500 for that axe and shovel / mount, you can save yourself the $ and pay $315 here

https://dasmule.com/collections/four-wheel-camper-parts-accessories/products/aluminess-axe-shovel-expedition-kit?variant=32166931660882

As best I can tell they aren't using the accessory bracket, from the way it reads they are mounting it directly to the jack bracket.

You may want to consider ordering your own camper mount brackets rather than using the factory mounts, something like these

https://dasmule.com/collections/four-wheel-camper-parts-accessories/products/aluminess-axe-shovel-expedition-kit?variant=32166931660882

There have been posts about the bed of some F150's and maybe Dodge Ram's getting damaged by the camper/mounts, I'd try searching this forum. I have the standard mounts on my F250 but if I remember correctly the Aluminum bed of the F250 is a little thicker than the bed of an F150.

 

[DarinH]

Most unfortunately yes, the camper does interfere with satellite reception. I was pretty bummed about that when I got my ‘21 F250, because I like having satellite radio. I didn’t think to look into that when I ordered the truck. As I understand it, the service kit that Ford offers for it is meant to mount the satellite antenna on the camper itself, and is meant to be a permanent installation, so you wouldn’t be able to take your camper off and on very easily with it installed. I suppose it could be modified with some type of connector for when you take the camper off, but I’m not techie enough to make that mod.

I think it would be worth asking FWC if the can store the camper for you for a little while if they finish your order before your truck comes in. Their lead times on a camper order used to be around a year. I don’t know if that’s still the case.

 

[camper rich]

The satellite antenna on my Dodge Quad Cab is on the back to the cab and it definitely does not work when my Grandby is on the truck. I don't use the truck satellite radio but instead use the Sirius docking system which has it's own magnetic antenna which I put in the front of my dashboard. I also move it around to my other vehicles so I don't have to have a subscription for each. Kind of a pain in the ass but I would have 4 subscriptions otherwise.