My 2001 Four Wheel Camper problems

Mark Howe

New Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2010
Messages
6
Location
San Juan Capistrano, SoCal
In July 2001 I bought a Granby directly from the factory in Woodland. Apparently the company had just changed hands. While generally it was a great camper, there were a number of little nagging things, like a cheap icebox which they replaced with a better cheap icebox, and gooey goo seeping out of the stitching in the pop-up. The roof screws needed to be sealed so it now looks like bird droppings all over the roof. Since then the ceiling headliner material has disintegrated, the back door window has dropped down an inch or two and the window screen keeps falling off. Otherwise it's a great camper.

Has anybody else had this kind of experience and what have you done about it?
 
Hi Mark,

Welcome to the forum. Can't help you with the icebox, I have a fridge. I recall reading about the goo in the seams a year or two ago. I don't recall the cause or remedy though. Do a search of the forum and you should find something. I got nothing for you on the ceiling and roof liner. I'm sure others will chime in with suggestions on those things. But, I can tell you about the window.

Many of us have had the same problem. My camper is an '03 and my window dropped within a year. The frame around the window is plastic. Inside of the frame are two small plastic supports that hold the window in place. They have a tendancy to break off quite easily. It is easy to remove the screws in the frame and remove it from the camper door. Some people have just put a block of wood under the window to support it. I layed one side of the frame flat and put a bead of caulk around it. When that dried, I put in place on the door, put a bead of caulk around the other half of the frame and screwed it back together. Haven't had a problem with it since.

Good luck, Ted
 
Mark,
Mostly common problems seen on here by others with exception the the headliner issue. Maybe that's due to leakage from the roof screws? Do some searches on your problems and you will likely find fixes to most of them. There is no "fix" for the ice box. Most people just rip it out and throw it away! The area is better used for storage.
 
The goo was an ideally better production method that turned into a mistake that was used for a few years. They used adhesive backed Velcro it fix it into place and then stitched it down. However the adhesive makes that goo. Ben the owner at the time posted once he was sorry about that choice but the past is the past in that respect. Not sure if anyone has had luck cleaning it or not. I happened to get a 99' that had its side liner replaces some time after they stopped doing it so I haven't had to personally deal with it.
 
The goo was an ideally better production method that turned into a mistake that was used for a few years. They used adhesive backed Velcro it fix it into place and then stitched it down. However the adhesive makes that goo. Ben the owner at the time posted once he was sorry about that choice but the past is the past in that respect. Not sure if anyone has had luck cleaning it or not. I happened to get a 99' that had its side liner replaces some time after they stopped doing it so I haven't had to personally deal with it.

Thanks for the info!
I used old typewriter cleaner, I think it's carbon tetrachloride, which cleans it okay but then it comes back again. It gets less over time. My guess is there are probably a number of solvents that would work. Thanks.
 
Hey Mark, I have an '02 camper and have experienced all problems you mentioned...didn't realize the headliner was that way til the other day...the kids were "playing" in the camper and poked a bunch of holes in it :cautious: .....

Alll minor problems imo...but then again I didn't plunk down for a new one..

Welcome to the forum :)
 
Hey Mark, I have an '02 camper and have experienced all problems you mentioned...didn't realize the headliner was that way til the other day...the kids were "playing" in the camper and poked a bunch of holes in it :cautious: .....

Alll minor problems imo...but then again I didn't plunk down for a new one..

Welcome to the forum :)

Thanks for the welcome Tomas; sure seems like a neat forum!

Mine just got several new holes by the Federales in Baja doing one of their routine inspections. :)
I have started taking some time searching back on the topic. Maybe it won't be as difficult as I thought. The vinyl Marine grade headliner they are using now sounds like the best answer.
 
In July 2001 I bought a Granby directly from the factory in Woodland. Apparently the company had just changed hands. While generally it was a great camper, there were a number of little nagging things, like a cheap icebox which they replaced with a better cheap icebox, and gooey goo seeping out of the stitching in the pop-up. The roof screws needed to be sealed so it now looks like bird droppings all over the roof. Since then the ceiling headliner material has disintegrated, the back door window has dropped down an inch or two and the window screen keeps falling off. Otherwise it's a great camper.

Has anybody else had this kind of experience and what have you done about it?

As a newbie to this forum I'm not sure how you do things but after researching the disintegrating headliner issue, I think I'm in a position to answer my own post. :)

During June of 2007 there was a thread on the subject which concluded that "Unfortunately the material used for the headliner in the FWC campers for about an 8 month period back in late 2000 and early 2001 was a bad material. " [Ben Bennett]
I ordered mine in the spring and took delivery in June of 2001 so probably got the last of the bad material, just as Tom Hanagan was taking over.

Later discussions agree that the present material is excellent but there is a difference of opinion on whether or not the roof must be dismantled to install it. Now I'm thinking, after 8 years maybe there are some other things that should be done to the roof at the same time. So I have a new question; is there still an outfit in Southern California that does this kind of work? Or any other ideas/recommendations?
 
So I have a new question; is there still an outfit in Southern California that does this kind of work? Or any other ideas/recommendations?


They closed the Riverside showroom, I believe any repair work must now be done at Woodland. Or you could contact the folks at All Terrain Campers to do the job too, either way, you're heading to the Sacramento area.
I'd give 'em a call and get an idea of cost/time...might be able to get it done on a weekend if scheduled well enough ahead of time.
 

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