New Member - Hawk on order

[paclow]

Just thought I'd say hello and introduce myself as a new FWC owner. Today I ordered a Loaded Hawk model and am looking forward to receiving it in mid September!

 

[DirtyDog]

Hi Pac,

Welcome to the board! What truck do you have? I'm in Bend also, let me know if I can help you with any questions you may have.

 

[kcowyo]

Congratulations on the new purchase!

I bet September has never seemed so far away -

 

[paclow]

Dirty Dog:

I have a 2006 silver Ford F250. I live out on Century Drive in the Braebern subdivision. Perhaps I'll see you around town?

 

[DirtyDog]

Sounds good paclow. Where is your first trip going to be?

 

[paclow]

Perhaps a weekend trip to the coast to visit friends but most likely a week long trip to eastern Oregon to go deer hunting in early October

 

[DirtyDog]

Be sure you have you water system completely drained this winter. I thought that simply not using the camper for a couple months in the fall would have been sufficient, but I was wrong and my water pump was ruined. I didn't find out until I was on a week long trip so I didn't have water the whole time.

When I first got my camper I took a March trip to the Alvord Desert. It was relatively warm and after a long winter it's nice to get out.

Keep me updated on any good camping destinations you find - I'm always on the lookout.

 

[paclow]

Dirty Dog:

I have a question for you... I am thinking about dumping the luggage rack on my order and getting only the Yakima setup. I have a ton of Yakima stuff and really can't think of any use for the luggage rack that I couldn't use the Yakima rack for. I was thinking about adding two more towers for a total of four. I could use my Yakima Load Warrior basket and Yakima Rocket Box as well my Yakima bike racks ... What do you think?

Thanks!

Philip

 

[paclow]

Dirty Dog:

Second question for you....What do you think of the awning option. Stan at FWC said it would be easy to add later so I did not get one. Do you think I should go ahead and change my order to include one?

Thanks!

Philip

 

[DirtyDog]

Keep in mind that you need to arrange your rack accessories in such a way so that you can still open your fan vent. Also, the more accessories you put up there, the more difficult (or impossible) it is to raise your roof by yourself. Regarding the bike racks, I just use fork blocks and hang the bikes off the back. If you use standard bike attachments, I imagine getting the bikes on the roof will be a difficult job. You will also have all the added height of the bikes when you are driving, adding to your wind resitance.

In general, I think Yakima is a better choice than the luggage racks. Just keep in mind that carrying all of your attachments and gear on top of the camper might not be practical.

Regarding the awning - I like mine. IMO it's much easier to get things installed at the factory rather than adding them one at a time as you decide you need them. Also, you can rest assured that the part that is the absolute best fit will be selected at the factory. I'm sure that there are other users here that like to customize their own gear and would disagree with me however.

 

[paclow]

Dirty Dog:

Thanks for the tip! I'm going to dump the luggage rack and go with the long Yakima rack instead. I believe I'll go ahead and get the awning while it's at the factory!

I believe you when you say it is not all that practical to carry too much stuff on the top. Wind resistance and weight are critical factors!

Philip

 

[kcowyo]

The awning sure would be nice on occaision. Wish I had one.

This has been good reading about roof racks. I was considering a roof rack to carry fuel cans and extra firewood plus maybe a couple of lights. I think I'll just find another solution. I'm thinking I'll just mount a solar panel up top and that's it.

For long distance the wind resistance and loss of mpg should be taken into consideration. Especially with fuel prices lately. Yup, I agree, pack low!

 

[OutbacKamper]

When I installed m my 2 Yakima cross bars and the load warrior basket on the roof, I could only just lift the roof. The basket was empty!
Now I have a solar panel (rear) and one Yakima bar (front) used as a brush guard to protect the vents and solar panel from low branches, I would not want any more weight than this on my roof.
Cheers
Mark

 

[DirtyDog]

Yeah no joke, I found out the hard way that even an EMPTY Yakima Rocket Box was too heavy to lift the roof with. Just about broke my neck. The good news is that anyone that can lend you a third hand makes the job pretty easy. You put all your muscle into lifting the heavy part of the roof, assistant merely lifts the end panel into position. I'm still glad I have the rack for those occasions I need to haul the extra gear.

 

[paclow]

Too bad FWC does not have a better lift system. I toured Outfitter Manufacturing in Longmont, CO a month ago. They make a really nice pop-up with a nice lift system. Bad new is that they cost 3K-5K more. I just could not stomach spending even more $ on a pop-up so I went with FWC. It is nice to have them within a days drive if I ever have trouble. September will be here before you know it and I'll be headed to Woodburn, OR to pick up my new Hawk and save the sales tax!

I called Stan today and ordered the awning and cancelled the luggage rack.

Thanks for all your help!!

 

[DirtyDog]

Be sure you get the Yakima tracks - makes rack mounting MUCH simpler.

 

[paclow]

Dirty Dog:

I planned to have FWC mount the tracks, Yakima towers and cross bars. Do you think it's all Yakima?

Have you ever thought about the solar panels? How useful can they be?

 

[DirtyDog]

I think it's probably all Yakima gear since they mention the Yakima name in their product descriptions. My sales contact at FWC couldn't give me any useful information on the panels. I asked if they were useful in charging the battery and they said "not really" but didn't elaborate on just what the panels WERE good for. Still a mystery to me.

 

[kcowyo]

Currently I'm using a small solar panel because my aux battery doesn't tie into my truck's alternator or any type of charging system. The previous owner put it on a small trickle charger to charge it up before he went out. I like not having any connections between the truck and camper so if I need the truck bed, I can just remove the camper and not worry about disconnecting this or that.

At a local car dealership I noticed many of the cars had a small solar panel on the dash with a plug going into the cigarette lighter. When I asked about it, they said they use them for keeping the vehicles charged up since sometimes several cars sit there for days and weeks without being turned over. The salesmen got tired of trying to show a vehicle only to find it had a dead battery, so they use these small (14" x 6") panles.

What's great about these small panels is they also have battery clips in addition to the 120v plug in. So I bought one from their parts dept and keep it in the camper. They also come with 4 suction cups, so I can stick it to the large window on the pass side, on the inside, and clip it to my battery to charge while I roll. I can also set it out on the back bumper in the late afternoon to charge the battery while I make a fire and dinner.

I like it being portable as opposed to mounting it it one place. I can move it where the sun is instead of trying to park the truck where the panel will get the most direct light. Another benefit is, should I kill the battery in the truck by leaving a dome light on or something, I can use this to charge my battery back up. At least enough to get the engine to turn over. Might take a few hours (I have no idea, haven't needed to do it yet) but it sure beats hiking out and paying AAA to come jump start me on a mountain!

I'll try to get some pics and a product name of mine put up later. For the space and cost I think solar panels are a great option, especially if you boondock a lot.