FWC Dinette Choice

[DrJ]

For a brief time, I owned all 3 dinette types that Four Wheel Campers make,
I learned a ton about each one after camping in each of time for several nights.

Here is my subject material:
2013 Hawk Rollover Couch
2013 Grandby Side Dinette
2015 Grandby Front Dinette


Rollover Coach
Pros:
very simple and efficient design
lots of storage under the couch
sleeping on the couch for one person is great
creates lots of room for the smaller camper
great setup for 1-2 people
cabinet set up leaves good space for food and gear
could have AC

Cons:
table is nearly worthless (unless you switch to the Lagun)
bad setup for camping with lots of kids (table and sleeping arrangements are bad)
getting out of the camper with couch bed out is crazy hard
storage space is somewhat hard to use because of moving the cushions and it's all jumbled together

Bottom line:
Rollover couch was great when I went hunting or camping by myself, but trying to take 4 kids out was really tough. We spilled a lot of food (before the Lagun) and without fail one of my kids would have to go to the bathroom just when everyone was ready for bed. It is very painful to crawl over everyone else and try to get out the door.


Side Dinette Grandby

Pros:
most roomy interior of all
table setup is great for eating/socializing/sort of looking out of the windows
most storage is not in cabinets/drawers/etc... Great for taking an extra cooler or something else big
wonderful setup for 2 people
Had AC - which worked amazing in that size of camper


Cons:
lower bed would only be good for a shorter adult or 1 kid - 2 kids would struggle to fit there
storage space is more limited in cabinets
Grandby side dinette has some wasted spaces - especially behind the dinette seat towards the back of the camper where the rear turnbuckles are.
view from the table out the windows is too high and you don't see much outside

Bottom Line:
The Side Dinette feels much roomier and open then any other model. Meals or working at the table is vastly improved from the roll over couch. It was great for a week of hunting with my 8 year old, but if I had the other 3 kids there too - it would not have worked at all. This is a great setup for a couple or one person who wants to have a better table and doesn't worry about having less cabinet space.


Front Dinette (without toilet)

Pros:
best table setup of all - 4 adults easily sit there
storage is everywhere - lots of cabinets, under the dinette, middle floor, around the sink, etc...
ability to do King Slide Bed (which is terrific by the way)
sleeps plenty of extra people (had 6 of us last trip - no problem)
no need to crawl over people at night
weight better centered with fridge further forward

Cons:
less roomy than side dinette
Can't see out the windows at all while at the table
table is so big that it is a little harder to slide it out of the way sometimes
no outside camper storage
storage under the benches is accessible but need to move around both the lid and couch seat
Only 1 drawer in this model

Bottom Line:
When camping with several people (especially kids) the front dinette is by far the best setup. The king slide makes it very roomy for sleeping and allows NS sleeping which works out better for us. There is far more storage in the front dinette than any other model. It is by far my favorite setup.


Lots of folks may be trying to order a new camper before the price increase next month.

What's your favorite setup and why???

 

[billharr]

Nice comparison of the three styles. I was sure I wanted to do a front dinette in my Hawk. We make the trip to FWC in Woodland to check out all three. The wife really liked the extra floor room of the side dinette and having one long counter. With just the two of us the side dinette works the best.

 

[Wallowa]

Excellent review, timely [we order next Wednesday] and much appreciated...only two of us so Side Dinette in Hawk will be our choice.

Thanks,

Phil

Ps...Oh yes, "why"...my experience in trailers and campers is that you 'can't have too many windows' to lessen the 'cave' feeling... same for floor space...hence Side Dinette.

 

[JHanson]

We've owned the original pop-in style dinette table, and now the front dinette (with shower) on our Fleet. We love the current setup. There's plenty of table space for the two of us to work on our computers, and it keeps whoever is not working the galley (either Roseann cooking or me cleaning) completely out of the way.

 

[Outnabout]

We have the Grandby with the front dinette and king slide out bed. We love both, especially the ability to sleep NS. No more crawling over in the middle of the night.

 

[W6USA]

Nice write up, DrJ.

We like our side dinette for the open feeling and roominess you describe. Just two of us.

A point of clarification: the King Slide option is available with any of the floor plans.

 

[DrJ]

Nice write up, DrJ.

We like our side dinette for the open feeling and roominess you describe. Just two of us.

A point of clarification: the King Slide option is available with any of the floor plans.

Great point on the King Slide -thanks.
It is not an advertised option and I would have never known about it without WandertheWest.

 

[Wallowa]

'King Slide bed'? Is this what FWC refers to as "Extended Cabover Bed"? If yes, this is a standard item on all campers.

Phil

 

[DrJ]

It is not the stardard option.
The extended bed cabover extends the bed out (towards the back of the camper) into a queen sized bed.

The King Slide gives you a larger slide board and an extra set of cushions to make it even bigger - King Sized.

I believe this extra add on is about $325.

 

[Wallowa]

DrJ,

I could not find it on the FWC options list or price list. Point me to it...or to a FWC photo...I am interested.

Thanks,

Phil

 

[DrJ]

DrJ,

I could not find it on the FWC options list or price list. Point me to it...or to a FWC photo...I am interested.

Thanks,

Phil

It is not listed on the standard option price list. I will see if I can get you a picture of my setup. I'm not sure if I've seen it before on this website or FWC's website. Anyone else have a picture of it?

It's essentially the same idea as the queen slide except longer. It extends into the camper portion further.

 

[Ace!]

When I visited the factory I was told it is an unadvertised option, like the In-N-Out secret menu items (that aren't that secret).

 

[Wallowa]

I will ask Jeff Wednesday when we order but really with just two of us a King Bed is not needed.

Thanks...Phil

 

[DrJ]

For 2 people the King Bed is probably only helpful if you want NS sleeping. It is actually a really neat addition for me because of trying to sleep so many kids. It is kind of a pain to carry around so many extra cushions, but the sleeping arrangement is so much better it's worth it to me.

Plus when it's colder weather my feet were not right up against the wall like on the EW sleeping arrangements!
You might be surprised how much it improves the sleeping setup and if you don't want it, you don't have to carry the extra cushions with you when you travel.

 

[Jim49]

I prefer the front dinette by a large margin after having looked at all options but sadly not available in the shell.

 

[Trailbob]

Great write up!

We have the Hawk with the roll over couch, and had an older Hawk with the pre-roll over couch before that. With the current model, it is just my wife and I. With the previous model, I we did use it with kids-- and it was very difficult to get in and out with the lower bed extended. We looked at the side and front dinette models the last time we visited a dealer for service. What we like about the roll over couch model is all the storage under couch. Most of our meal times are spent outside the camper, but when we do eat inside, use a small aluminum folding "stool" as a table. I don't think we ever used the factory table from either Hawk, since they took up so much room. A side or front dinette looks like it would be a big advantage if we had to be inside the camper more due to weather, etc.

We have the "queen", and sleep E/W, but N/S would be a definite advantage (didn't even know about it). We are currently trying out just using the standard 48" mattress, and leaving the extra pads at home. Having the extra pads on the bed make it more difficult to lift the camper (especially with a 160W panel on the roof. Of course, I could remove the pads and slide in the bed when I lift the roof, but that is an extra step I never seem to do.

Again, great write up that I will review again if we buy another one down the road.

 

[iowahiker]

"Foul". You had the couch in a Hawk and the other arrangements were Granby's. The Granby couch is much better than a Hawk couch because there is a "foyer" between the couch and the door. Also, the storage for a Granby with the couch is even greater given the large space in front of the cabinet row where we put a 30 quart cooler, folding Walmart aluminum camping table (which sets up inside or outside), towels and two full size pillows (maybe a good spot for a 12 volt top loading refrig). We ordered the couch by choice and have no regrets. We wanted two beds since I toss and turn while sleeping and we disliked converting the dinettes to beds in our previous Aliner. The one handed roll creates the second bed quickly and easily. Sleeping down below, I turn on the furnace, start the coffee, and roll away the couch bed without disturbing my wife. We leave our wet boots in the "foyer" on a floor mat and the camper stays dry and clean. Granby couch advantages: two nice beds with minimal effort and lots of storage and a "foyer". Granby couch disadvantages: no or poor table arrangement and not a good choice for more than two people.

 

[DrJ]

Iowahiker,

Nice pickup on the Hawk vs Grandby.
There is no doubt after owning both kinds of campers that the extra 1.5 foot the Grandby gives you is quite helpful and roll over couch may benefit greatly from that setup.

The extra space between the cabinets and the front of the camper on the drivers side is very helpful. The prior owner of my side dinette Grandby had put some towel racks which were quite useful in that space. We stored extra gear in that space too and it was great.

Thanks for your input!

 

[brianjwilson]

I have a fleet but looked at all floor plans several times at shows and at the dealer. My wife and I both strongly preferred the forward dinette.

All of them are a compromise in my opinion, when the bed is extended. We like the forward dinette because the seating area is separate from the cooking/cleaning/toilet area. One can cook and move around the rear area without bothering anyone who is sitting. When the lower dinette is being used as a bed, anyone can get up to go to the bathroom, get outside, start coffee etc. There is also the bonus of the inside shower, although my camper has been back at the factory for repairs for two months due to improper install. I like that the lower bed would be an easy spot to contain a kid (or two) while sleeping, and will only require a small gate or net to keep a little one from rolling off the bed. The only real problem is when my daughter is wide awake and hungry at 5am, and I want my wife and her to get up and let me sleep, but they have nowhere to sit. Sleeping east-west is tight for me since I'm 6', but I may start sleeping that way with only half of the cushions, so I can easily rollover and reconfigure the bed.

With our young daughter (and now a son on the way), the other plans just didn't make sense for us. The bed on the side dinette is horribly small. Storage is lacking. There is just not enough leg room for two adults to sit there comfortably like you can with the forward dinette. Let alone a kid with us. Entry and exit was awkward with the seat in your face.

The side couch seemed to offer good storage. It seemed it would be a comfortable bed for one person. Our old hard side camper had this same layout, but was 5" wider and the couch was up on the wing. So you had enough space to walk around the table, or get in/out with the bed made. I didn't see how it would be comfortable at all in the FWC.

Whatever people choose, it's great to have a few choices finally.

 

[DrJ]

As promised - pictures of the dinette setup options in a Front Dinette with the King Slide option.

Setup with out any extra cushions in place:

Queen slide setup

King Slide Setup