FWC Hardside Hawk on First gen Tundra

[wodpof]

I did a fair amount of research and thought I would be ok with my purchase.... I thought I would possibly be over my GVWR by 100ish loaded up. Nope Minus my wife, daughter and gear I came in at 7420LBS. Thats way over the 6600 GVWR. Just picked it up and may have to sell it or lose my marriage and pick up a 3/4 ton. I feel like there was a thread about this that would have saved me if I had only read it days before the ball started rolling. How do I see all of the guys rolling in half tons? Are they all over weight?

http://tinypic.com/r/w03zty/8

 

[snuffy]

wow! i hope you did not drive to far with it tied down like that.. what is the dry weight of the camper?

 

[wodpof]

It says 1275 but I have a feeling it's more. Picked it up on Friday and had not installed the eye bolts because I didn't have them yet. Took it nice and slow and now it sits off the truck while I decide which route to take.

 

[Beach]

Almost everyone on this site that has a 1/2 ton truck has modified the rear suspension, some have modded the front as well. There are some good threads here on the subject. Some use air systems and others (like me) have added extra springs(super springs for me) or replaced the factory springs with custom spring packs. You will want to upgrade your shocks with either mod, unless you already have H.D. shocks, sway bars are also a nice addition. Bear in mind the spring/ shock upgrade does not give you more load capacity as far as bearing, brakes, tires, etc. are concerned, so drive accordingly. Keeping what you take with you to a minimum will help as well.

 

[wodpof]

The camper "sticker" weight does not include options like the jacks and awning I see in your picture. The original shipping manifest is the only official record of the actual weight and shows "shipping" weight but you most likely did not get that document. Your 6600 GVWR truck would be overloaded by almost any well optioned camper with only a shell coming near your GVWR. Threads covering which may help:

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/10269-tundra-with-a-loaded-hawk-12-ton-vs-34-ton-my-story-to-help-others/

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/9589-thinking-about-a-new-truck-what-to-buy/

I have the manufacturer's statement of origin and it also states the shipping weight is 1275lbs. I have airbags coming in the mail and was going to order a sway bar but after seeing the weight of my truck without my wife, daughter and gear I am not sure I would feel comfortable being 1000lbs over my GVWR no matter what modifications are done. I may hold off and look into purchasing a new truck or will have to sale my camper.

 

[iowahiker]

My sticker explicitly states the weight does not include optional equipment. Adding 100 pounds for the jacks and 120 pounds for the two batteries explains most of the difference between my notional 900 pound sticker weight and 1200 pound shipping weight. 1275 pounds including options sounds too low since hard side FWC's are 200-300 pounds heavier without the fabric. The 2015 Ford F-150 crew cab with a 6 1/2 foot bed and the payload package is an interesting choice if you need lots of doors (most likely a special order). Keep in mind Ford does not like campers on half ton 6 1/2 foot beds since so much weight goes on the rear axle, 8 foot beds better distribute weight to the front while 3/4 tons have better suspensions. The crew cab 6 1/2 foot bed will not be as nimble as your current truck, so you may have trouble with your wife after all.

 

[wodpof]

Thanks iowahiker I may go ahead and beef up the rear suspension with a sway bar, air bags and take minimal gear. I see others that have to be rolling heavy on their Tundras. I love my truck and really don't want to get rid of it but I will have to see. Any other first gen tundra owners want to chime in? Any advice or first hand experience would be greatly appreciated.

 

[wodpof]

Everyone likes pics and now that I know how to post them I wanted to share some photos of my new to me Hawk.

 

[brianjwilson]

If the airbags are already coming, throw them on, air up the tires a bit and take it for a drive.
You already have everything, might as well try it out before you commit to selling the truck.

You're already ahead of most people because you know the actual weight. Yes most all the half tons are well over weight (just as the Tacomas), while the newer f150s may be the exception. Most of the 3/4 and 1 ton diesel crew cabs with hard side campers are over weight too.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Wod - the only way to know for sure is to weigh it. - Truck first than with camper.....You will be surprised how heavy it is empty.
Also contact Brenda at FWC, give her the serial number. They have a record of its true weight.
Hard sided campers are much heavier than the pop- ups.

Iowahiker has good advice...A 3/4 ton is a better choice if you take more than one person trips.

Our shell sticker weight - 575 pounds. Actual weight with options, portable fridge, porta- potty ( with 3 gallons of water) is 1,020 pounds.
Truck empty weight without driver, no tailgate and half tank of fuel - 4200 pounds
Gross - 5,500 pounds.
Add water, food, misc gear, full tank of fuel plus one or two people pushes total up to 6,000-6400 pounds.

We added custom rear spring pack to support 1500 pounds and " E " rated tires. We drive conservatively and manually down-shift the auto transmission to help with braking as the brakes aren't designed to effectively stop over 5500 pounds.

I knew what I was buying, and in our case the V6 Tacoma has a ton of power even loaded., still averaging 14.5 mpg going uphill towing the Samurai. If we had purchased the regular Hawk we would have purchased a Chev 2500 because of the increased payload.

 

[bb5qyt]

I have a 2001 Tundra 4x4 access cab v-8, which has a higher payload rating than a DC due to its lower curb weight. I found a 1985 Fleet for it that has no awning, batteries, furnace, or fridge. Weighed with camping gear and propane, but no water, the camper weighs about 850 lbs. I have air cell bumpers and a hellwig 500 lb helper spring. I still have my non-load range e tires that are rated to support more than I put on them. The truck has plenty of power and brakes well. The suspension modifications seem to handle the weight just fine. I wouldn't put anything heavier on the truck, though, and I mainly use the FWC to camp by myself. Loaded with water, a mountain bike and food, i'm about at my gvwr of 6030lbs.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Wander The West mobile app

 

[wodpof]

So I currently have E rated tires and will throw on the airbags and give it go. I am also planning on removing one of the batteries and propane tanks along with the jack stands. Is there anything else anyone would recommend doing to shave down the weight?

 

[bb5qyt]

Out of curiosity, how has your situation developed in the last 2 months? Still using the hawk on your tundra, or did you find another solution?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Wander The West mobile app

 

[wodpof]

Out of curiosity, how has your situation developed in the last 2 months? Still using the hawk on your tundra, or did you find another solution?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Wander The West mobile app


It has worked out well. I installed the bags and replaced my brakes for a warm and fuzzy. I have taken it on a couple of trips and the truck has handled it fine.

 

[longhorn1]

What year is the hardside? I noticed it had the rounded corners on the door. FWC hasn't made a hardside for sometime, as far as I know.

 

[wodpof]

2012

 

[longhorn1]

Nice looking camper

 

[wodpof]

Nice looking camper

Thanks Longhorn1