Lighthawk
Weekend warrior
We briefly met CarlG on Henness Pass over the weekend and can attest that this is one fine looking rig.
Lighthawk said:We briefly met CarlG on Henness Pass over the weekend and can attest that this is one fine looking rig.
Small world - the 1st FWC we see in the wild on our shakedown trip happens to be a WTW member!Lighthawk said:We briefly met CarlG on Henness Pass over the weekend and can attest that this is one fine looking rig.
Easy. A bit bumpy in places, but I think you could do it in pretty much any vehicle.cdbrow1 said:Going off topic a bit - how is that Drive? I have always been tempted but it is hard to find out what the real road conditions are.
Yeah, we did notice the Focus sitting on the road as we had to squeeze by. It didn't look stuck to us, and the reclined seat made us think maybe someone had slept in it? Kudos on following up on it, we thought maybe the owner was off in the woods taking care of business or something?Lighthawk said:...how could you not notice the abandoned vehicle sticking into the road?
Wife solved this problem already. The original 4 cushions do fit as-is with the cot legs. I was just being too dainty in my efforts in the new camperlonghorn1 said:CarlG, Instead of notching pillows, you might want to consider making 1 or 2 small cushions to fit between the legs, bolsters, that way you have full cushions if you are traveling without kids and the use of the dinette.
Yes. On a standard flatbed there are two layers that form about 4" strips of I think 5/8" plywood. They are about 14" apart. Denny asked the factory to only apply one layer for the skid to lower the profile. (Hey, every little bit helps!)rando said:Quick question for Carl or other flatbed owners - what does the underside of the flatbed camper look like? I remember reading somewhere that the underside had 'skids' on it, and that you could fill in the holes between the skids with foam insulation for a warmer floor. Is that true?
Advmoto18 said:One element that has me concerned about standard flatbed design (the flatbed, not the camper) is the mounting system to the chassis. It seems as though most US fabricators are well versed with flatbed design and installation for wrecker service, landscape companies, etc.. But, few understand the design and installation challenges for a flatbed/camper on a overland truck going off-tarmac on difficult terrain.
If you seldom deviate off groomed FS roads, the flatbed design/installation is not likely an issue. However, if you venture up/down moderately technical jeep trails where your exercise the full articulation of your suspension, and then some, you might want to consider talking to the fabricator about a 3 point attachment system for the flatbed to the chassis.
The concept is nothing new and has been used for years in European style campers heading to western Asia and Africa.
Here is an article explain the system.
The Wescott's have such a system for their Turtle V overland truck/camper.
The 3 point system greatly reduces flex induced stress on the camper's framing and skin.
If you're going full custom on the flatbed, why not go with the 3 point system.
There is a significant difference between a welded aluminum flatbed and a welded steel oem truck bed. Welded aluminum is notoriously susceptible to cracking when stressed on off-road vehicles. Several aluminum flatbed manufacturers use mechanical fasteners (no welding of structural components) to avoid this issue (ie: XPCamper, OzTray, and others). The FWC welded frame is designed to flex, most welded aluminum flatbeds are not.rando said:One thing to realize is that the rigidly mounted flatbed and camper is no different from a mechanical standpoint than the original truckbed and a slide in camper bolted to that bed.