New Fleet

[BFH4N]

Hi Everyone,

I’ve decided to join the cult!

I’m ordering a FWC Fleet for my 2007 Tacoma, corresponding with Steve at FWC about which options to get. The highlights so far:

Silver exterior (my truck is silver)
Front dinette (no inside shower)
2-way frige
Furnace
Water heater
2 roof vents with fans
Side awning
2 batteries
LED lights inside and out
Yakima tracks on the roof as an option for mounting a solar collector.

This forum has been helpful and entertaining to me so far. I'm sure I'll be posting some questions!

- Bernard

 

[MarkBC]

Welcome to Wander The West, Bernard!

And enjoy your new fun machine when it's ready. Be sure to post photos -- as well as questions.

 

[adrian]

Welcome bfh4n. It is good to have another Fleet owner in the group and also from the East. Not many of us on this side of country.

 

[Navigator]

Congrats and welcome

Fleet on a Tacoma is a great match and the Silver spur will look great on a silver truck.

 

[steelhead]

Welcome Bernard. Early suggestion from here is to think hard about the screen door option. It is much easier to have it installed as part of the build rather than later. Good luck with thinking about all the choices - it will keep you busy for awhile.

 

[billharr]

Welcome Bernard. Early suggestion from here is to think hard about the screen door option. It is much easier to have it installed as part of the build rather than later. Good luck with thinking about all the choices - it will keep you busy for awhile.

Screen doors are now standard.

 

[BFH4N]

Thanks for your encouragement, eveyone!

I agree, Steelhead, that the screen door is a must but didn't include it in my list because, as Billharr pointed out, it is now standard on the Fleet. I guess everyone ordered it so they quit regarding it as an option. Same with LED interior lights.

I've about decided to drop the side awning from my list because it's expensive and heavy and sort of contrary to the whole FWC concept of light and simple. Anyone want to try to talk me into it?

You are right, Adrian, there aren't many FWCs in the East. I've never seen one on the road east of Colorado. Where in the East are you located?

So, here is my question for today: When you are driving your truck with camper, can you use the inside mirror? Can you see anything useful out the back, looking down the aisle of the camper and thru the door? And, because the Fleet is wider than the small trucks it goes on (particularly the Tacoma), does it interfere with the use of the outside mirrors? Do they need to be extended somehow?

- Bernard

 

[steelhead]

Very nice to read that the screen door is no longer an option - way to go FWC,

About the rear view mirrors - on our Fleet we keep the curtains open and there is limited visibility through the camper out to the back. I find it useful for highway driving. The side view mirrors on our 2013 Tacoma actually work better than I thought they would. When we were in your phase of making the purchase I too thought it might be a problem but it is no longer a concern. What I don't know though is how the 2007 Tacoma's compare to the 2013's.

One other thought about the options: if you think you might go with solar at some point, having FWC pre-wire it will be a big help when you are ready to do the install (assuming here that this is still an FWC option).

 

[Otis]

Congratulations on your upcoming Fleet purchase!

I will echo Steelhead's thoughts re: the inside mirror - I find being able to see through the camper very helpful on the highway. It also lets me see if I remembered to latch the fridge door, not that I've ever forgotten that before!?
Also we opted not to get the side awning, instead we carry a small REI parawing awning that we have used for shade/rain on lots of desert and river trips. We like that we can move it around as the sun moves and it sheds wind fairly well.

 

[Captm]

I've removed my mirror when I had my Flippac since I couldn't see out the back and have enjoyed the clean forward view ever since. With the Fleet I decided that even though I could see out the back door I preferred being able to have a clear view out the front. I have a camera for the rear view that needs to get mounted. I find that with the jack mount brackets off of the front and back my outside mirror rear view is much better.

Cheers

 

[broncotime]

.

One other thought about the options: if you think you might go with solar at some point, having FWC pre-wire it will be a big help when you are ready to do the install (assuming here that this is still an FWC option).

when i talked to Terry at the long beach show, he made it sound like all the new ones are prewired for fans and solar, just don't have the solar ports in the exterior.... maybe someone else can confirm?

 

[Captm]

Correct - fans, roof solar, rear flood lights, passenger side light prewired. Remove the ceiling lifting board and you will find a junction box. Red(+) and Black wires hanging down are for the solar, yellow wires(+) goes to the ceiling lights and fans. Black on buss bar is ground. Remove the trim ring around the Fantastic Vent and you will find the wires if you want to add a fan.

Cheers

 

[BFH4N]

Good! Seems like I don't need to do anything to my mirrors.

Thanks, Steelhead, I didn't put it in my list but I am having FWC install solar panel connectors on both the roof and the back wall. The idea is to have a lightweight collector mounted on the roof tracks, but easily removable if I'm parked in the shade. Then, using an extension cable (that I will make) connected to the rear connector, the collector could be propped up in the sun somewhere nearby. All this is pretty pie-in-the-sky at this point! Has anyone actually done something like what I've described?

- Bernard

 

[Timothy McGowen]

Congratulations Bernard. We will be anxiously awaiting the story and photos of the maiden voyage.