Ordered my new Raven today

Seems every time I start a topic it always ends up in the toilet :rolleyes:
 
You guys are crazy spending that kind of money on toilets. :rolleyes:
Low budget tip:

toilet_seat.jpeg
 
Did you consider the dinette?It might give you a little more room vs the couch.

Frank

I saw a dinette on a hawk recently and it was really tight and would be worse on the 10" shorter Raven. I'm 6'1" and my wife is 5'9". Plus, there's seems to be a lot more storage under the couch
 
I was thinking about getting one of these, it could double as a camper step:
029.jpg



According to most women, it could only work as camper step if there was a woman along on the trip. Otherwise, you'd really be in the toilet.
 
I agree with others here I would at least get the Yakima tracks installed at the factory, you can just install any Yakima components later if you like. I'm using the Yakima "load warrior" basket on top for spare water, fuel, fire wood ect. Especially with the shorter bed you will need the room. A couple of extras I have almost never used is the rear spot lights and the awning light, in fact I dont think I have ever needed to use them. Usually when I'm camping I bring a led lantern and have led head lamps. I also highly recommend the solar panel on top. As others have stated anything that requires drilling into the roof you might as well have FWC do that at the factory as they do a good job sealing it.





Thought I better take advantage of saving $300 before the price increase tomorrow. I ordered a new Raven for my new Ram 1500 Bighorn crew cab. I posted the option I got below so weigh in if I missed something since they give you 5 days to tweek the order. They only Charge $250 to deliver it to my area and will install here so that's nice since I live in So Cal. I'm having the solar plug installed in case I decide to get a panel later. He said it should take about 3~4 weeks so I can start the new year off in style. The Raven will be a little cramped but I'd rather have that than an extended beast to drive around. I've already installed the firestone coil spring airbags so I should be good to go and the total weight will be within the truck rating so no warranty issues later since I bought a lifetime warranty on the truck. I'll post photos when I get it.

Mechanical Camper Jacks
Solar Plug
Auxiliary Battery System
Extra Battery
Arctic Pack
Refrigerator - Waeco 80 liter
Porta Potti
Portable Entry Step
Furnace
Outside Shower/ Water Heater Pkg.
DSI Water Heater upgrade
Stereo - AM/FM/CD
Ready To Go Anywhere Package
Fan-Tastic Fan
L.E.D. Lights - Ceiling
Screen Door
Front Opening Window
Front Window Boot
Awning - Side Mount 8' Box
Auxiliary Side Awning Light
Rear Wall Steps
Flood Lights (Rear)
 
That's the same porta potti I use. I really like it because of the extra capacity! The holding tank is 5 gallons vs the 2 gallon capaicty of the standard porta potti. The 465 model is 3 or 4 inches taller too....which helps a bunch with comfort.

It just fits in the corner like it was custom made for it.

View attachment 13192

I wonder if it will fit in the Raven which is 10" shorter than the hawk
 
I wonder if it will fit in the Raven which is 10" shorter than the hawk


When I ordered my Hawk from FWC.....I included the Air Conditioning Option along with the standard roll-over couch. I wanted a little more room in that corner so FWC shortened the couch to comply. If you give them a measurement of the space you want in that corner....I'm sure they could easily accommodate you.

I then ended up hating the couch since it made the large side window worthless....since you spend the entire time with your back to the window staring at the utility side of the camper. The wobbly table that comes with the couch option sucked.

I then had FWC convert my Hawk to the dinette which my girlfriend and I just love. Now we can eat a meal and be looking at each other AND enjoy the view out of the large side window. I think the dinette makes a huge difference in usability....and you don't lose a bit of storage since you get a slider that connects the two boxes and you can store anything there that you'd normally store under the couch. You actually end up with MORE storage with the dinette option since you also get an extra storage cabinet.

The dinette felt cramped to me too (I'm 6' 1").....my feet were always hitting the table leg. Then I added the Lagun Table Mount (very expensive) to free up that room and now I have a dinette I love. Here's the link to the Lagun Table Mount discussion. Page 2 of the discussion has pictures of my set up:

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/4643/page__st__10
 
When I ordered my Hawk from FWC.....I included the Air Conditioning Option along with the standard roll-over couch. I wanted a little more room in that corner so FWC shortened the couch to comply. If you give them a measurement of the space you want in that corner....I'm sure they could easily accommodate you.

I then ended up hating the couch since it made the large side window worthless....since you spend the entire time with your back to the window staring at the utility side of the camper. The wobbly table that comes with the couch option sucked.

I then had FWC convert my Hawk to the dinette which my girlfriend and I just love. Now we can eat a meal and be looking at each other AND enjoy the view out of the large side window. I think the dinette makes a huge difference in usability....and you don't lose a bit of storage since you get a slider that connects the two boxes and you can store anything there that you'd normally store under the couch. You actually end up with MORE storage with the dinette option since you also get an extra storage cabinet.

The dinette felt cramped to me too (I'm 6' 1").....my feet were always hitting the table leg. Then I added the Lagun Table Mount (very expensive) to free up that room and now I have a dinette I love. Here's the link to the Lagun Table Mount discussion. Page 2 of the discussion has pictures of my set up:

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/4643/page__st__10

The Raven is 10" shorter than the hawk so I think the dinette would be way too cramped. I do agree with the window factor though.
 
The Raven is 10" shorter than the hawk so I think the dinette would be way too cramped. I do agree with the window factor though.


Now is the time to sort these things out. Talk to Chicalli or Terry at FWC....they are extremely knowledgeable about these types of modifications.

Since the Raven is 10" shorter....if they made the dinette the same size as the Hawk....you'll lose that small storage space used to store the porta potti. Everyone has different needs/expectations.

I'm not saying the dinette is the option for you....only that you should consider all possibilities before the actual build.
 
Thanks for the valuable input everyone. I've made the following changes:

Remove boot
Change to fluorescent lights
Change to tan upholstery
Remove the porta potti and order the 465

This the best I can do unless I go up there and can't do that in the next 2 days. I've seen both the couch and dinette in the hawk and like the couch better. When I get the unit, I'll take photos and post them.
 
I second your decision to go with the couch. I checked out a Hawk with the dinette and also felt it was cramped, disclaimer I am 6'3". Also when stealth camping with my old Granby I would leave the top down and use the fold out couch as the bed. Worked great.

Guess I'll get the roof tracks after reading the reviews here. Need some place to tie down my low budget portapooper. :) Might as well, I do already have the Yakima ski racks.

What were your thoughts on switching to the fluorescent lights? I'm still debating that one.
Getting excited?
 
What were your thoughts on switching to the fluorescent lights? I'm still debating that one.


I have the stock flourescent lights from FWC. I was all set to switch to LED's but after comparing how the LED's looked to my stock set up....I decided to leave well enough alone. I like a brightly lit camper.

I might install some LED fixtures in addition to my stock lighting for those times when a brightly lit interior is not required.
 
I second your decision to go with the couch. I checked out a Hawk with the dinette and also felt it was cramped, disclaimer I am 6'3". Also when stealth camping with my old Granby I would leave the top down and use the fold out couch as the bed. Worked great.



X3 ... I sat in the dinette when I looked at campers in Sac in October. I am 5'11 and sat with the salesman across from me and our knees were banging in to each other. Also, when sitting I found the window to be so low that I could not see out anyway ... Also the table was very small. I too prefer the couch.
 
You guys might be talking me into getting the rack. Looks like the best plan is to just get the tracks or do you think I should get the rack (cross bar included)? I also noted that FWC makes their own boat/luggage rack for less money than the yakima system. Has anyone tried that or is the yakima the way to go becasue of all the options. I don't think I can get the long track becasue it's 2" longer than the raven, but 5' is still pretty good.
 
I had the factory style boat/luggage rack and it worked fine for hauling canoes which is all I really used it for.

On my new order I'll go with the longest Yakima tracks because they are just more versatile, plus I all ready have the ski racks. Price wise I am sure you can beat FWC prices elsewhere for all accessories and attachments. Try CL first.
 
Correct... Best Plan, in my opinion, just tracks are good for now.

Especially with the new one piece roof without any screws to indicate where the roof ribs are located, which would make the DIY, I mentioned, much harder. And, how many years are you going to keep the camper? The next owner might thank you for installing them at the build time and you could probably recoup a fair portion of the associated costs. These campers sure hold their value over time.

FWC should be able to trim the length of the track to fit as the end caps are independent parts and the track is just a track.

The tracks options available are endless as both Yakima and Thule roof rack systems can fit with the Yakima tracks.

I didn't get the FWC/ATC factory aluminium rack thing, as it didn't seem to fit my needs, so, I can't speak with any personal knowledge.
 
I ordered the tracks on Monday. They said they could shorten the 10' tracks. I think I'm done now :unsure:
 
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