New Raven ordered!

[captainphx]

Hi everyone. This my first post on this forum. My wife and I have been backpackers for many, many years. Typically, we drive our four wheel drive 2007 F150 Supercrew down long rough dirt roads in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, California or Montana to start our trips, then do a 3-8 day backpack trip. We often spend the first night at the trailhead and the night coming out as well, sleeping in the bed of the pickup....dirty. Sometimes we get strong winds and sand in our food. Sometimes we would go to a town and try to find a hotel room that would take dogs and have difficulty finding a room. Well, enough of all that! Like most of you, we looked for the last several years for a used FWC. Gave up and ordered a new Raven last Friday while visiting the Woodland factory. Fred, in sales was a great help. After much research we ordered it with options as follows:

Mechanical Jacks
Frig Vent Fan
Waeco 110 liter frig
Furnace
Outside shower/water heater
DSI water heater upgrade
2 Fantastic fans
Interior LED lights
Screen door
Front opening window with boot
Side awning
rear awning
Side awning light
Rear wall steps
Halogen rear floods
Exterior LED light package
Flush mount sink/stove
Aux Battery and extra battery
Luggage rack
60" Yakima track only
Solar panel
Lift assist
Dinette seating
Tan Fabric
Ready to go package


4 weeks until delivery! Thanks to everyone at this forum for all your helpful advise.

 

[craig333]

You're gonna love it. Sounds like you ordered all the right stuff. So much luxury, you sure you can handle a warm nights sleep?

 

[dorocks]

From what you described you do it is a perfect match. I have seen numerous people using FWC and ATC campers as first night accomodations in primitive places and trailhead parking areas. Let the "luxury" begin.

Keith
La Mesa CA

 

[BobM]

Congrats! I ordered my new Raven at the end of November and it's due to be shipped and installed at the end of this week. The hardest part is the wait once you've ordered it. I will post photos once it's installed so you can have something to look at while you wait. I got many of the same things you did. I chnaged some of the items on my original order which you can compare here My link

 

[Overland Hadley]

Congratulations!

And welcome to WtW!

 

[captainphx]

You're gonna love it. Sounds like you ordered all the right stuff. So much luxury, you sure you can handle a warm nights sleep?



You know...the thing that I think I will miss is, waking up in the middle of the night in the bed of the truck and seeing all the fantastic stars. Now I'll be looking at a Fantastic Fan!

 

[captainphx]

Congrats! I ordered my new Raven at the end of November and it's due to be shipped and installed at the end of this week. The hardest part is the wait once you've ordered it. I will post photos once it's installed so you can have something to look at while you wait. I got many of the same things you did. I chnaged some of the items on my original order which you can compare here My link


Well, actually, I believe that my wife and I already took a look at yours while we were there at the factory. It was a Raven with Am/FM. Looked real nice!

 

[ski3pin]

You know...the thing that I think I will miss is, waking up in the middle of the night in the bed of the truck and seeing all the fantastic stars. Now I'll be looking at a Fantastic Fan!


No worries, as you get older your trips outside will be more frequent; lots of opportunity for star gazing. Congrats on your new camper. It does make an excellent base camp for backpacking trips.

 

[Skeeter]

Howdy neighbor! I am a backpacker also and wanted something to clean up in. I got lucky and found a fixer upper and turned it into a shell model. You wont be dissapointed. Congrats and welcome.

 

[BobM]

Well, actually, I believe that my wife and I already took a look at yours while we were there at the factory. It was a Raven with Am/FM. Looked real nice!

Was the fan over the bed area? If so that's probably mine. I'm a cheapskate so I left the standard vent where it normally goes and put the fan over the bed area. I thought about the lift assist but figured since both my wife and I are tall that we would keep rubbing up against them. I know a lot of people that put the gas lifts on the outside so I might do that if I struggle. Fred actually talked me out of the larger Waeco and vent fan. I think that you will be glad you ended up getting a new camper over used. It does cost a lot but you get what you want and you know where it's been. Another nice thing is that the newer units don't have those external window flaps which would be a real pain IMHO

 

[captainphx]

Was the fan over the bed area? If so that's probably mine. I'm a cheapskate so I left the standard vent where it normally goes and put the fan over the bed area. I thought about the lift assist but figured since both my wife and I are tall that we would keep rubbing up against them. I know a lot of people that put the gas lifts on the outside so I might do that if I struggle. Fred actually talked me out of the larger Waeco and vent fan. I think that you will be glad you ended up getting a new camper over used. It does cost a lot but you get what you want and you know where it's been. Another nice thing is that the newer units don't have those external window flaps which would be a real pain IMHO


Couldn't tell if there was a fan over the bed because the top was down. But it did have an 80 liter frig. Probably yours They said is was ready for delivery.

 

[rotti]

Fred actually talked me out of the larger Waeco and vent fan.


Any further explanation Bob?
Just curious as I have those options on my order also.

 

[BobM]

Couldn't tell if there was a fan over the bed because the top was down. But it did have an 80 liter frig. Probably yours They said is was ready for delivery.

Should be either Thurs or Fri this week. They only charged me $250 to deliver it here plus the install fee. They're coming to where I work so I don't have to take time off.

 

[captainphx]

Any further explanation Bob?
Just curious as I have those options on my order also.


Personally, I couldn't see any problem with the 110. It is only about maybe 3-4 inches taller. I asked Fred about the frig vent fan, and all he said was that it would make the frig work a little bit better.

 

[captainphx]

Should be either Thurs or Fri this week. They only charged me $250 to deliver it here plus the install fee. They're coming to where I work so I don't have to take time off.


You must live close by Woodland. We are having ours sent to Reno to avoid sales tax and driving up there to pick it up. Congrats on you new camper, too!

 

[captainphx]

Well, we just made one change order. While in Woodland we saw the special order campers they were making for some people in Germany. They had a different color aluminum siding. It is sort of a grayish/silver thing. Anyway we liked it and just added it to our order. We also liked the interior, but we have two white Samoyeds and their hair would show too much on that dark interior. You can see the camper I am talking about on the FWC website under videos: dinette.

 

[BobM]

You must live close by Woodland. We are having ours sent to Reno to avoid sales tax and driving up there to pick it up. Congrats on you new camper, too!

No, I'm having it delivered to Costa Mesa in Orange County CA. Their delivery cost is low becasue they make frequent part runs to this area I believe.

 

[captainphx]

No, I'm having it delivered to Costa Mesa in Oramge County CA. Their delivery cost is low becasue they make frequent part runs to this area i believe.


Wow, that's great. They are charging me $400 for Reno delivery.

 

[BobM]

Wow, that's great. They are charging me $400 for Reno delivery.

Fred told me that some of their suppliers are down here so bringing the Raven didn't cost the same as standard shipping. $250 was a lot better than driving up to Woodland and getting a hotel etc.

I hope you don't go as crazy as I have waiting these last 6 weeks

 

[craig333]

No worries, as you get older your trips outside will be more frequent; lots of opportunity for star gazing. Congrats on your new camper. It does make an excellent base camp for backpacking trips.

Yeah, as you bump your head because you're half asleep you'll see plenty of stars

But seriously, thats why I have an attachment point on my camper for a hammock. If its nice enough I'll still sleep outside.