life change and a FWC?

[Wolverine33]

Hello all

I've decided to make a life change and quit the corporate grind and travel the west over the next two years or so. I've saved up for years to be in a position to make this happen and I'm now only a few months away. I'm still fairly young at 39 and want to enjoy some traveling while I can still do the physical things I like to do. No family yet, so I think this is the perfect time to make my dream happen - life is to short not to smell the roses once in awhile It's a little scary, I must admit, but it's about time I took some risk and tried to change my life for the better.

Anyway, I've been scouring this site for the last few weeks and visited FWC in Woodland to look over the campers. I think a FWC is exactly what I need and I live within 30 miles of the facility. I'm an avid fly fisherman and plan on spending lots of time in Montana and the rest of the Rockies on back roads. However, budget is an issue (since I'll no longer have a gig) so I'd prefer the most econmocial choices...Here's is what I'm thinking and any recommendations you have would be greatly appreciated:

1. I'd like to get a used truck that gets the best gas mileage possible while having the ability to haul an Eagle or Fleet. I will be solo 95% of the time. I'm thinking like a Ranger, Tacoma, F150, mid 2000's model, 4x4 with a used eagle camper?? What suspension upgrades would you recommend for a setup like that?

2. I envision month long trips at first but might want to actually live out of my camper after testing it out for awhile. What would you recommend for power - will two aux batteries be enough or should I go solar too? I'll probably have a fridge, furnace, etc.

3. I'd like to carry a small inflatable pontoon boat for fly fishing (like 8') on top of the camper. Any recommendations on the rack system I should get?

Any other advice would be much appreciated. I'm new to this and really appreciate this forum - you seem like a fine group of people. Thanks in advance for any opinions.

 

[Barko1]

any recommendations you have would be greatly appreciated:

My thoughts would be to get something big enough to store some of your stuff since you plan on being in it for awhile. Read some of the threads on trucks, taco, 150, 250, gas, diesel. I and many others love our 12v high efficiency fridges, and an extra battery and solar to keep it happy. I and others have dumped the DC consuming furnace and gone with something like a Wave 3, again lots of threads. I recently added a back porch/motorcycle rack with a double receiver tube. Nice to step out onto and provides a lot of room for hauling stuff, maybe a boat in a box. And carrying a little dirt friendly motorcycle on the back would give you an alternate mode of transport without having to break camp. Like this

1. I'd like to get a used truck that gets the best gas mileage possible while having the ability to haul an Eagle or Fleet. I will be solo 95% of the time. I'm thinking like a Ranger, Tacoma, F150, mid 2000's model, 4x4 with a used eagle camper?? What suspension upgrades would you recommend for a setup like that?

2. I envision month long trips at first but might want to actually live out of my camper after testing it out for awhile. What would you recommend for power - will two aux batteries be enough or should I go solar too? I'll probably have a fridge, furnace, etc.

3. I'd like to carry a small inflatable pontoon boat for fly fishing (like 8') on top of the camper. Any recommendations on the rack system I should get?

Any other advice would be much appreciated. I'm new to this and really appreciate this forum - you seem like a fine group of people. Thanks in advance for any opinions.

 

[dsrtrat]

Kudo's on following your dream.

I can't help you much with a truck because I have a(gasp) 1/2 ton 2007 Chevy and ATC Panther. I run air bags, Blistein 5100 shocks and find it's fine for me. I am off paved roads all over the AZ Strip and haven't had any problems. 15.5 MPG highway keeping it under 65, off road 4x4 less by 25%.

I have one aux battery and 65 watts of solar, Engel fridge and furnace and have never had any problems with keeping the battery charged. It depends on how much sun you have and how long you stay in one place. If you want to run a computer, watch movies and use high power consuming devices you will need more battery power.

Yakima full length tracks. That boat on top is going to really cut your milage, roll it up when you can.

If you can find a shell model and are handy you can save a bunch and have a much more flexible rig. Don't be lured into buying all the bells and whistles until you have lived with it for a while. Resale is pretty good on these campers so buy a beater if necessary and trade up when you see what works for you. Stay away from a lot of built ins,use multipurpose gear, carry water in jugs, etc.

Buy quality gear and buy it for life. The more mechanical devices you add to the camper and your life the more time you spend fixing stuff. Use that time to fish instead.

Dsrtrat


Hello all

I've decided to make a life change and quit the corporate grind and travel the west over the next two years or so. I've saved up for years to be in a position to make this happen and I'm now only a few months away. I'm still fairly young at 39 and want to enjoy some traveling while I can still do the physical things I like to do. No family yet, so I think this is the perfect time to make my dream happen - life is to short not to smell the roses once in awhile It's a little scary, I must admit, but it's about time I took some risk and tried to change my life for the better.

Anyway, I've been scouring this site for the last few weeks and visited FWC in Woodland to look over the campers. I think a FWC is exactly what I need and I live within 30 miles of the facility. I'm an avid fly fisherman and plan on spending lots of time in Montana and the rest of the Rockies on back roads. However, budget is an issue (since I'll no longer have a gig) so I'd prefer the most econmocial choices...Here's is what I'm thinking and any recommendations you have would be greatly appreciated:

1. I'd like to get a used truck that gets the best gas mileage possible while having the ability to haul an Eagle or Fleet. I will be solo 95% of the time. I'm thinking like a Ranger, Tacoma, F150, mid 2000's model, 4x4 with a used eagle camper?? What suspension upgrades would you recommend for a setup like that?

2. I envision month long trips at first but might want to actually live out of my camper after testing it out for awhile. What would you recommend for power - will two aux batteries be enough or should I go solar too? I'll probably have a fridge, furnace, etc.

3. I'd like to carry a small inflatable pontoon boat for fly fishing (like 8') on top of the camper. Any recommendations on the rack system I should get?

Any other advice would be much appreciated. I'm new to this and really appreciate this forum - you seem like a fine group of people. Thanks in advance for any opinions.

 

[UglyScout]

Get the biggest truck you can see yourself driving/living in for a month at a time. I started with a standard cab and have moved up to a crew cab.... It was just too cramped spending a week in a little tiny cab. As for fuel mileage, I did give up some mileage but it was worth the comfort and storage.

12v fridge, single battery and 80 watts of solar waiting in the garage for a sunny day to be installed. I have only ran out of power once - and that was after 3+ days of fridge and heater usage with a battery that wasn't being charged due to a bad battery separator.

Good luck and have fun!!!

 

[leadsled9]

I have taken many one month or greater trips (the longest being 2 months) in my FWC and agree with UglyScout....bigger is better. The smaller trucks just don't have the room or capacity for loading on long trips.

 

[HIKEMT]

We had an older full size step side when we started camper shopping. Although we could have had a custom shell built to fit the truck, after much research and input from the members here we switched trucks. As we learned, it's easier to find a truck than a camper, so start there if you can, or buy them as a unit.

Many use Rangers and Tacomas and love them. I might pair a Tacoma with a plain shell camper if it was just me travelling solo but the campers and gear weight do add up fast. There are good threads here on truck choices and suspension upgrades and good reasons many use 1-ton diesel trucks. There's really no "right" answer but there are a lots of compromises depending on want you want your rig to do. If you are a keep it simple person, and travel light you can get by with a smaller setup than if you want to haul large propane barbecues, hot water heaters, boats, motorcycles. You will notice that almost no one who owns these campers downsizes their trucks, but many upsize when it's time to upgrade. Budget plays in to all of this too.

We like our tundra-ocelot combination very much. We chose a roof track rack that lets us haul hard shell boats and gear baskets when needed; still wish we also had factory rack sometimes. Large roof items reduce fuel mileage, add weight to the roof you must raise, and raise your rig's center of gravity. When hauling an inflatable boat we put it inside but it for long term travel I'd look at a hitch cargo hauler. We use a 12v fridge and Wave 3 heater and run two 100 amp batteries, plus solar, have not run short on power.

I admire your decision to pick up and go. Have fun whatever you decide.

 

[highz]

If I drive with a light foot and keep speed down, I average 18 mpg on pavement with my 4x4 Ranger and Eagle. You'll have to judge if that is enough savings in gas to be worth the more cramped living space. You might also consider getting a larger truck and camper and stay in each camp longer, so you save gas money that way (but cover less territory). Or, maybe go with the smaller rig and carry a tent for additional living space if you are going to be in one spot for a while. Whatever you decide, best of luck with your adventure!

 

[Wolverine33]

Thanks to all of you for your responses. Great information for this newbie to digest. BARK01 - I love that motorcycle rack of yours. I'd love to bring my dual sport with me without having to carry it on a trailer. I imagine the weight of the rack and bike would put me in a 3/4 ton truck for sure, but it might be well be worth it. Could get some bags for my dual sport for grocery runs, chores, etc. and really save some fuel that way, in addition to enjoying some great riding. Is that a custom rack or can you buy one of those somewhere?

Thinking a Wave 3 might be the way to go. Save some space and weight.

Again, thanks for all the info. It's obvious I don't know jack @#@$ about truck campers, but it's really fun learning something new and having some cool people help me out...Thank You.

 

[Lighthawk]

Thinking a Wave 3 might be the way to go.


Go Wolverine!
Eons ago I did something similar and took a sabbatical. My former wife and I traveled the west in a Westfalia for six months to find a better place to live and just to step out from our working lives. It was a wonderful, life-changing experience and brought me to a great town where I still live.

Comment on the Wave 3
We just returned from Sierra Valley and it got down to 13F on Saturday night. With the Wave 3 running on low, it got down to 32F inside the camper. We use reflectix to insulate the fabric portion of the camper too.

I think others here have opted for the Wave 6. Of course it depends upon how cool you like to sleep and whether you will do winter / desert camping. YMMV

Hope you will keep us posted from time to time when you take your lifetime trip!

 

[Argonaut20]

Look up KODACHROME on this site. He outfitted a Tacoma for a year long photo shoot. He wrote up a lot of what he did to the Tacoma and what he had to do to the Bobcat as time went on. Since he lived in the rig pretty much full time, he experienced a lot of different situations that may be educational for you. I think a lot of the write up(s) were on the ATC forum, it being a Bobcat and all.

Here's the reference: http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/3731/

 

[Ted]

Wolverine, Welcome to the forum. Looks like you are getting lots of good advice. I really don't have much to add except on observation...

I've decided to make a life change and quit the corporate grind and travel the west over the next two years or so.

...With the opening line of your first post you instantly had the envy of 90% of everybody reading this forum, myself included. Good luck with your plan and keep us in the loop as you put together your rig and hit the road.

 

[ski3pin]

<snip> Good luck with your plan and keep us in the loop as you put together your rig and hit the road.


Go Wolverine!

 

[UglyScout]

I imagine the weight of the rack and bike would put me in a 3/4 ton truck for sure, but it might be well be worth it.


My crew cab 3/4 ton truck gets between 15-18 mpg with my camper....... just saying....

 

[Barko1]

BARK01 - I love that motorcycle rack of yours. I'd love to bring my dual sport with me without having to carry it on a trailer. I imagine the weight of the rack and bike would put me in a 3/4 ton truck for sure, but it might be well be worth it. Could get some bags for my dual sport for grocery runs, chores, etc. and really save some fuel that way, in addition to enjoying some great riding. Is that a custom rack or can you buy one of those somewhere?




My rack is a custom, hard part in making it is getting both receiver tubes to line up. Blue Ox might make a double. You are probably right as to needing a 3/4 with that sort of weight on the back. My F250 has airbags as well. You can find a decent F250, use it and sell it, always buyers out there looking for a good 7.3 diesel. An example http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2001-Ford-F250-Crew-Cab-7-3-Powerstroke-Diesel-Automatic-78K-miles-No-Reserve-/110830404591?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item19ce01c3ef

Having the bike along does open up options. I have a DR650 and a Husky TE250. You could use a single tube rack, I just liked the added security of a double tube and the space the back porch provides.

 

[natjwest]

We just returned from Sierra Valley and it got down to 13F on Saturday night. With the Wave 3 running on low, it got down to 32F inside the camper. We use reflectix to insulate the fabric portion of the camper too.

(thread hijack)
Is there anything undesirable about running the Wave 3 on HIGH in such conditions?

 

[MarkBC]

(thread hijack)
Is there anything undesirable about running the Wave 3 on HIGH in such conditions?

You just have to vent it more.
How much more? Well, what's the difference in BTU output between Low and High? If it's, say, 2x, then you need 2x more air coming in (and going out).
(end hijack?)

 

[Barko1]

You just have to vent it more.
How much more? Well, what's the difference in BTU output between Low and High? If it's, say, 2x, then you need 2x more air coming in (and going out).
(end hijack?)


There is a big difference, 1600 vs 3000 btu

 

[SunMan]

(thread hijack)
Is there anything undesirable about running the Wave 3 on HIGH in such conditions?


Short answer is no. We have used it on high plenty. As always vent appropriately.