FWC advice -- preorder option selection

[ScottBailey]

All:

My wife and I are about to order our FWC Hawk and I'd like to benefit from this site's collective knowledge before I order.

First a quick background:

After a trip to Mexico w/ my folks in their 30' RV, my wife and I decided we wanted to enjoy a less painful outdoors experience than the car camping I am accustomed to. Her camping needs--while simple--mean a lot of work in the prep, pack, unpack, and set up departments.

When my "old" 1/2 ton truck's rear end went (about a year ago) we purchased a new F350 (2007 Diesel 4x4 Crew, even has factory "camper prep" which just means overload springs, I think) intending to purchase a trailer of sorts. But so many options are pricey, hard to store (HOA), and inconvenient to use (storage place would be inconvienient): I couldn't commit to anything (5th wheel, tow-behind, standard slide-in) because I couldn't justify the cost vs likely hood of regular use!

We recently went on a trip where we fell in love with a friend's Subaru powered Westfalia: an easy to drive RV that provides enough amenities and storage to leave town at a moment's notice, but doesn't detract from the enjoyable part of "roughing it". My wife wanted a Westy immediately, but I'm disinclined to maintain an older vehicle. Much less convert the motor! A Sportsmobile--the logical, modern alternative--is far to pricey. Especially when we own a great truck!

Enter the FWC. Easy to store and drive. Lifting my truck will have little impact on RVing. Built to withstand off-road stresses. I don't need to tell you guys...

What I need is to ensure my order--and we are ordering Saturday--equips my RVing solution with the options I need. To that end, I'm posting the options I'm intending to order: please critique. Couple notes: mostly back country RVing, but some KOA type camping will happen.

Here goes:

• King bed (extended length overhang + standard bed platform and rails)
• Fridge only (not freezer)
• Power roof vent
• furnace
• front opening window
• camper jacks (make sure we can remove them for off road use!)
• aux battery system
• porta potti
• side awning
• screen door
• arctic pack
• rear wall steps
• extended length Yakima tracks
• outside shower/hot water package
• air conditioning

We are considering the solar panel(s). Opinion?

So I've listed most of the options. But not all options are listed on the FWC site (e.g. King bed, AC). Are there options I need to delete? Add?

Thanks,
SB

 

[davinski]

ScottBailey:

I'll take the honor of going first. I've a 2001 hawk shell on my dodge ram 4x4 extended cab with shortbed...love it!

here is what I would suggest....take it all for what it is worth:


Fridge only (not freezer) - I use an Engel, a lot less hassle but I can see how you would like it built in. I really hate having to level the camper to use a propane fridge. Justy lazy, is all..


Power roof vent - A must. Get two if you can since you are in the Southwest.

furnace - I don't have one. Use a little buddy. works great, but when it is cold I wish I had a furnace. Of course, never use it in the summer. If you other half runs cold, this will pay for itself, me thinks.

front opening window - Nice, I often store the fridge in the back seat of the pickup and gear as well. Just reach in a grab when need, more room in the camper. plus, if I still fit, a stealth way to get into camper when in stealth boondock mode.

camper jacks (make sure we can remove them for off road use!)- Get the extra wide mounting plates if you have wide tires...

aux battery system - i have the battery under the hood. saves space. Could add a third battery in the camper, but don't really need it.

porta potti - Don't have, but you might need this.

side awning - I have the very light ShadyBoy (made for vw vans.....)

screen door - a must

arctic pack - they come preequipted to take this. you could add later. I don't have, but will make one probably before winter. If money is no object.....

rear wall steps - I don't have and wish I did. Can't put much ontop and get the roof raised, but nice to get to what you have. If I did this again, I would have the guys there reinforce the rear wall so that i could add a hi-lift jack, shovel mount, and maybe a few gas/water cans back there. If you have them do this, you can search here and see how others have done it. This is something I would definitely do if I order another one day.

extended length Yakima tracks - nice to have, you can add all kinds of stuff to them.....keep the possibilities open.

outside shower/hot water package - I just use the stove, heat water, and fill the shower bag. If the sun is out, a sunshower. The other half might disagree. Good for cleaning feet off after clamming on the coast....


air conditioning - Don't use this up seattle way. Might get a swamp cooler if I spend more time in the heat. Plus, means you will draw lots of amps and probably need a generator. Yikes.

Don't forget lights in back and side for entry and awning (just nice to have). They come prewired for solar. you can ask if they will put beefy wire in for you. You could add later depending on your needs and get some major charging capacity. I don't park my camper in the sun usually, but I do have a foldable solar panel that can keep the batteries up if need be. Mostly used for backpacking, but 2 amps will help in a pinch. I put this up over in the nearby tree that is NOT in the shade......

Hmmm. Let me think of other things for a while.

Good luck and enjoy. So exciting. Welcome!

Dave In Seattle

 

[EdoHart]

For extended stays the solar would be real nice and I'll probably add some kind of solar soon, but with the auxiliary battery I'm good for a week. I mainly use electricity for the electric water pump, fantastic vent for a few hours and lighting for a few hours. I don't have an AC unit though.

If I were ordering new, I would add the second fantastic vent over the bed.

I have never used my port-a-potti, nor did the original owner. In fact several people here have tried to give there's away, with no takers. I don't even carry it. Most of my camping is roughing it (that's kind of an oxymoron given how much comfort you can carry with you in a FWC) so I carry a shovel to dig a deep enough hole. If at a site with a toilet I will gladly walk there rather than carry the port-a-pottie in the truck. It's nice to have the storage for it under the bench seat - the place you can get to it with out lifting the seat cushion and is at the very rear of the truck, easy to reach while standing outside, but I use it for other things.

 

[Jack]

Been there. Car camped until 2 1/2 years ago. Had a VW bus outfitted for camping (our own mod) some years ago. Now have an Eagle.

Your list is quite close to what we have and would recommend, especially the furnace, two power roof vents, and solar. I just added a solar panel myself and we just love it.

We also replaced the dying hand pump with the electric water pump and wish we had started out with the electric pump.

I recommend the FWC roof rack instead of the Yakima rack. You can mount most boxes on the FWC rack (ok, it takes a bit more effort, but not that much). The FWC rack, however, is great for canoes, chairs, bicycles, and most anything else. We attached our solar panel with hinges to the front bar so we can easily tilt the panel and didn't have to drill into the roof.

We didn't get the awning but we definitely want something like it. We have been trying to find a store that has the Kelty Carport to see if ti does the trick. We will be doing a fair bit of camping in the Pacific NW and would very much like to have a cover that would also extend over the back of the camper. In winter, PNW = rain. There are short awnings that would fit over the back but really aren't wide enough to provide a comfortable shading from the sun (we are living in SoCal). If the Kelty doesn't work, we will probably have the side awning added on.

I don't see fluorescent lights - that's good. Go with the standard lights and then buy LEDs to replace one of the bulbs in each fixture. Better lighting and far less power draw when camping wild. See http://wanderthewest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1070&highlight=LEDs.

Wish we had got the extended overhang.

Air conditioning? What is FWC offering?

 

[ScottBailey]

Updates to my list...

Thanks guys!

Rear floods and 2nd power vent are on my list. I am considering the $olar option, but I don't know if I want to afford it... Most of my extended stays will have 110, while the roughing it stays will be a night or two.

My wife dislikes fluorescents and I was thinking LEDs were a likely possibility.

I don't think I have room under the hood for the battery so into the FWC it goes, and I will do enough summer KOA that the ugly-do-not-want AC (instead of the rear window) is a sad necessity. The porta-pottie is for emergency busy highway and night use.

I am torn between the Yakima and the FWC racks. I think I'll maybe mount a boat, bicycles, or--most likely--rubbermaid action packers (these are what I camp out of now).

Again, thanks guys!

 

[camelracer]

SB
That's a good list of options you're considering. I ordered mine with most of these options and except for the initial hit ($$$) I don't regret it. Some don't get used that often but they are there when I need them.

I would definitely get the 2nd powered roof vent for a cool nights sleep.

I opted for the frig/freezer combo and like it. Having a supply of frozen meat was great for Baja and frozen water bottles work great for the little dayrun cooler. I was also a hero with the grandkids when I supplied icecream bars in the desert.

I went with the Yakima racks because of all the options you can get for them. I didn't see how the FWC racks would work for loading kayaks.

I would hold off on the solar panel until you lift the roof a few times. You may find you don't want the extra weight up there. The camper is prewired for the panel so it could always be added later. I added a second battery to my camper and mounted both of them under the truck. I've summer camped for over a week and never had a power problem. Winter camping would take more power but I think I could go several days. I installed the batteries in the space between the frame and the side of the bed. I don't know how much room you have there on a short bed Ford but it was a good fit on my Dodge. I now have 4 batteries on board and extra storage space in the camper.

Dick

 

[mtn-high]

Weight of racks/accessories

Hi all.

I keep seing reference to how "heavy" the solar panels are and how folks might want to rethink due to the added weight...yet I've seen a buncha FWC's topped with rack after rack..kayaks..boat..skis....etc... and hardly a peep mentioned about *that* extra weight...kinda like the racks don't weigh anything when you lift the top and the addition of a solar panel makes the same exercise...um.....a feat only Hercules can pull off!

So I poked around a bit and found a few "Yak" accessories and their weights for comparison.

Tracks - 60" - 5lb
Crossbar - 58" (kayaks required wider bars) 9lb.
Mounts- 3.5lb for 4
Steelhead Bike Rack- 5 lbs
Powderhound ski/board rack- 5.7 lbs
Showboat kayak rack - 9.6 lbs
(kayak takes 3 crossbars)

Not a comprehensive list..but a sampling of the weights I could find. Looks to me like a rack/crossbars is gonna weight close to the same as the solar panel *without* the added "carriers". Add a bike rack or a kayak hauler and BAM...that solar panerl isn't all *that* heavy anymore. (unless you have both a panel and racks)

FWIW, I opted for no racks for gas mileage sake and because I don't wanna take the entire house with me (forces a lighter packing and less crap overall, IMO). You know how it is...if there's space the wife/kids will find SOMETHING to fill it with.

In the end it makes no sense here to buy a pop-up and then load the top with massive wind resistance....but that''s just me.

Anyway...just wanted to toss those weights out there for overall consideration/comparison.

enjoy the drive either way...

mtn

 

[ScottBailey]

In the end it makes no sense here to buy a pop-up and then load the top with massive wind resistance....but that''s just me.


I guess that depends on why you purchase the FWC. My reasons include off-road durability, on-road behavior, simplified storage, and--potentially--the option to leave the FWC on my daily driver. And did I mention off-road durability?

The trade off for those pros is the small size of the Hawk: I will need to find storage space outside the FWC, at least until a few less seats in the cab are full! To that end, I'll probably be modding a hitch hauler as a porch/storage platform and occasionally putting gear up above. (As a side note, most of the kids will sleep outside the camper.)

Anyway...just wanted to toss those weights out there for overall consideration/comparison.


Thanks, the more info I get, the better. Your--and other's--comments certainly helped me decide to purchase the Yakima tracks.

SB

 

[mtn-high]

Right on.

FWIW, your reasons for buying an FWC are the same as my reasons. I'm planning on leaving my camper on full-time...there's just too much Nat'l Forest within 10 minutes of the house to do otherwise. As a result, we'll be doing a lot of mid-weekers in the area, I suspect. Not quite "expeditions"... but getting out just the same.

Down the road...I have 2 Yak racks sitting here in the garage I'm not using I can certainly use if I change my mind. Not sure what I'd haul;..don't kayak anymore 'cus of the back/neck...and skiing at America's largest ski resort is a whopping *2 miles away* in Winter...with mountain biking right out the back door in Summer...so in my case hauling those peices of gear on top of the FWC seems nutz when soome of the best skiing/biking in the nation is right here locally. (FWIW, I moved here *for* those things rather than buying a camper to *haul* those things) Yes..to each their own.

So yeah..I agree..option selections are certainly dependent on why ya purchased the FWC.

but my real point in all of this wasn't to debate WHAT to take...it was that the solar panel weighs no more than the Yak racks ALONE...so the argument some folks put forth that ohters may wanna pass on a solar panel due to "weight" seems moot...and in all reality...really seems to come from folks who *don't have one* on their FWC and are merely speculating on it''s impact on raising the roof...which obviously can't be anymore of an impact thn a bevy of Yak tracks, racks, and accessories.

travel safe....and watch for those low hanging branches!

mtn-high

 

[lqhikers]

solar yes yes !

Did i say yes?
If you can afford solar do it, once you get the system installed correctly it just works.
I have transfered my system over the years to what ever vech. i have,even used it to build house in Idaho with.
With care the system will out last you.
Durable? yes trail proven over and over.
For people who are wonder about weight one panel weighs less than r.v. batt,even 2 panels less.
If the weight is to much for your old bodies (as mine was) look up roof lifers and make one (again if you can't lift you are probably as old as me and need a lifter!)http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=925
Gives you an idea as to mounting,if you do not want on roof mount as i did 2nd panel(if you have the room)I never took a picture (before computor) but i had a panel mounted on the rear of one of my campers next to the door on a bracket that was hinged so it could be lowered when parked would work on fwc,i measured but used space for other things.
any way you get the idea.
I drive a TRUCK so i do not care what it weighs!
Hope this gives anyone on the edge a reason to go to the silent side!
Drive slow and enjoy "its the journey"
Les,Lqhikers

 

[pvstoy]

I opted for the frig/freezer combo and like it. Having a supply of frozen meat was great for Baja and frozen water bottles work great for the little dayrun cooler. I was also a hero with the grandkids when I supplied icecream bars in the desert.


Fridge only (not freezer) - I use an Engel, a lot less hassle but I can see how you would like it built in. I really hate having to level the camper to use a propane fridge. Justy lazy, is all..


If I could have the bigger unit with the freezer in the Ranger I would. I got to try one out in an FWC Kestrel in my garage for a while and I like it. You can always add the fan for the vent later and the Artic Pack ( or make your own) to save a few bucks for the freg/freezer combo.

Just my two cents.............

 

[leadsled9]

roof racks

I couldn't decide on the two systems, so I got them both. The standard boat rack, with a 5-foot Yakima system in between.

 

[craig333]

If you're moving up from tenting you're gonna love it no matter what options you get. Regarding lights, if its just weekend dont sweat it, even the incans won't kill you. As far as solar, I think you're like me, might be nice in future, but no necessary yet. But do make sure they prewire for it.

You have a great truck to put it on. Be sure and send pics of your first trip. Yeah, I know I've been slacking but a new job tends to do that. Soon as I get my probie time over its off to go camping.

 

[ScottBailey]

Change of Plans

All,

Unfortunately FWC lost my business: the sales guy the hooked me up with--Rich--was neither knowledgeable nor responsive enough. When the quote based on written specs came back with the wrong model(!), missing options, and my name misspelled I decided to call ATC and see what they could do for me.

Ben provided thorough, expert answers to all my questions. He spent lots of time, not only making the sale, but ensuring I ordered the right unit for my needs!

I'll end up with a unit not quite as luxurious--the shower will be Zodi or similar and the refer unit is smaller--but everything else is basically the same and I have some faith in the people behind it.

Regarding the "ugly-do-not-want" AC unit? ATC doesn't install them: they've found they rattle apart. But I still need one, so they're going to work with me to build a removable unit. Most of the time, it'll be safely stored in the garage and I'll have my window.

As a bonus, my Panther will be ready before the end of summer.

 

[robbie]

There is the old adage again - The salesman has to sell but you don't have to buy"

robbie

 

[flinchlock]

Ben provided thorough, expert answers to all my questions. He spent lots of time, not only making the sale, but ensuring I ordered the right unit for my needs!
Yes, I went straight to ATC because of Ben. In fairness I did not have ANY problems talking with FWC, I just liked Ben better.

I'll end up with a unit not quite as luxurious--the shower will be Zodi or similar and the refer unit is smaller--but everything else is basically the same and I have some faith in the people behind it.
Yes, I also went with the Zodi Extreme Water Heater and the Outback Porta-Privy. Wife is very appreciative of the hot shower.

Regarding the "ugly-do-not-want" AC unit? ATC doesn't install them: they've found they rattle apart. But I still need one, so they're going to work with me to build a removable unit.
yes, ATC is very easy to work with.

Mike

 

[Dave Johnson]

Congratulations

Welcome to the owners club.

It's too bad FWC has a problem, but I'm betting Stan is going to get the message.

If you are in the area, it's worth a trip to ATC, when your camper is being built. I went after welding and attachment to the plywood base. Took picts of all the framing, with a tape measure in the frame, so I could attach stuff later. It's also worth the price of admission talking with Marty, and Jeff, will give you more confidence in the people building your camper. (For me at least.)

ATC is very willing to move things, to fit your style.

One error I made: My Tacoma has a three piece rear cab window. The center slides. The window in my Bobcat is a two piece. Result: I get almost no pass thru, and 3 vertical bars in the rear view mirror, PITA. You might also check the vertical position of the window to see if it matches your truck.

There is a rumor of a clear cover for the screen door, you might check.

 

[flinchlock]

There is a rumor of a clear cover for the screen door, you might check.
It is no rumor, we had the clear slider installed and we absolutely love it!!!

Mike

 

[flinchlock]

Regarding the "ugly-do-not-want" AC unit
See this thread by Mark W. Ingalls.

Mike

 

[Dave Johnson]

It is no rumor, we had the clear slider installed and we absolutely love it!!!

Mike

What a difference a month makes. Was not (apparently) an option when I bought.

I took my solid panel out, don't know where it is now. Time to call Ben and find out if the clear will fit.