Picking Up Hawk...Advice On Delivery?

[Wallowa]

Well it actually seems to be happening, of course I will believe it after the fact.

On 2-25 I will take delivery of our Hawk in Tigard.

What I would appreciate from those of you who have been through the delivery process is what specifically should I get briefed on about the Hawk and it's systems.

In addition are there any issues with the installation into our '05 Tundra AC that I should watch for? [I have installed RideRite air bags and Hellwig rear anti-sway bar].

I have read the FWC on-line manuals [we have 2 solar panels (roof 160watt and portable 80watt), Yakima tracks, 2 batteries, space heater, side-awning, outside shower, water heater and 110L 2-way refrigerator, four jacks, thermal pack, two 'power' roof vents and outside LED side lights] but what nuggets should I ask the installer/salesman in Tigard about any of these systems?

Going to run home dry to avoid any water freezing issues since zero or below temps are possible. Hopefully I will sort out how to camp with water in sub-zero temps.

Anyway....any and all advice or information I need to know and questions I need to ask will be appreciated.

Thanks ,

Phil

 

[longhorn1]

Phil, per our PM, our dealer took between 2-2-1/2 hours to go through everything inside and outside. I believe they had a checklist and there was a form to sign-off that all systems were covered. I backed the truck in and we adjusted the camper together to center it. He set up the turnbuckles and marked with a marker the up end to be secured to the campef (has to do with the thred direction. He had me install and tighten all of them. Get yourself a short stubby screw driver to make that last 3/4 to full turn. Make your own list of all appliences inside and outside. Make a copy of the manual and review the draining of lines and the direction of the knobs. Buy a binder and insert 8-1/2 X 11 clear pocket sheets for all of the documents. Our distributor had me lower the roof and then showed how to tuck the corners back in so that they were tight with a fold. Spend time reviewing the manual. There is a lor but you will get comfortable rather quickly. Per our previous dialog, walk around the camper and make sure that all latches are completely removed before opening roof. Light stove first to bleed the lines before turning on furnace or water heater. This only needs to be done each team you change out the propane tank
Raise back of roof first and then the front, front lowered first and back last, door open when raising or lowering roof, latches should have some play in them. If I think of more I will add later. My advise on camping in cold weather is to not use your system, but take 2 gallon jugs. If a pipe breaks you might have to remove cabinets, too high a risk for us. Probably never go in that weather anyways. jd


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[XJINTX]

"Raise back of roof first and then the front, front lowered first and back last, door open when raising or lowering roof, latches should have some play in them. "

LongHorn... I do raise the back first then the front. However, I lower the back first too and not the front Am I going to hurt anything??? Is there a reason to change the order?

 

[Stalking Light]

Recheck your turnbuckles when you get home and periodically after that to make sure they stay snug.

 

[rfg]

I don't have FWC, but always check the roof latches before driving off. Yep, I'm a member of that club.

 

[Durango1]

I don't have FWC, but always check the roof latches before driving off. Yep, I'm a member of that club.

Me too. Several times...

 

[Ace!]

If you're familiar with the components it takes very little time. The install takes a while, but the going over stuff once installed takes very little. Any items you haven't used in other campers/trailers, make sure they go over operating them. Otherwise it's all the same as any other camper/trailer. The thing that threw me was the awning. I didn't realize it was so easy and having them show me how it works made me feel stupid, because it's stupid easy. Otherwise, there is nothing to it. Be open to asking questions on anything. I can't remember the "technician's" name, but he knows (so does Jeff) everything there is to know about them.

Edited to add: and HAVE FUN, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW CAMPER ! ! !

 

[PJorgen]

We've got a 2014 Hawk which we picked up at the FWC factory here in California. Got a very thorough briefing on how to use all the systems so I'd just pay close attention and ask questions about anything you don't understand.

The only issue I had was getting the 3-way frig to run on propane. You've got a 2-way so no worries there.

 

[longhorn1]

XJINTZ - Not sure I can answer about the order for lowering. I'm just following our dealers instructions.

Phil - Turn your furnace on several times and let it run for 15-20 minutes to burn off the oils. You will set off the smoke detector, better during the burn off than during the night. JD

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[Old Crow]

Phil-

In addition to the installation stuff, there are the "am-I-ready-to-drive-this-thing-home?" issues to think about for that day. I remember being very unhappy with the awful views from my mirrors as I drove home on a dark, rainy night on the busy NJ and PA turnpikes. The next day I ordered a set of mirror extensions for the side mirrors. They hadn't even arrived, though, when I realized I should check the view with the jacks off. I hadn't thought that would make much difference but it did indeed. I never installed the extensions. I guess my point is you may want to think through whether you want to take the jacks off before departure or, if you'll sometimes be driving with the jacks on, whether mirror extensions are needed. Perhaps other WTW members with Hawks on earlier Tundras can advise.

The other thing to consider is the view out the back door of the camper (from your rear-view mirror). If that's important to you, be sure the view is as unobstructed as it can be (both there and, come to think of it, out your camper's side window). My Hawk's screen door has a small slider that likes to work its way into the prime viewing area and that bugged me on the way home that night. I later found I could just pop the slider out of its frame but of course I had to remember to take it in and out. I recently bought a clear one to replace the opaque one.

-OC

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

"Raise back of roof first and then the front, front lowered first and back last, door open when raising or lowering roof, latches should have some play in them. "

LongHorn... I do raise the back first then the front. However, I lower the back first too and not the front Am I going to hurt anything??? Is there a reason to change the order?

If the roof is really wet, you might get a lot of water all over the inside of your door, possibly splashing inside, too.

 

[longhorn1]

Wait to purchase a lot of stuff above and beyond the essentials. I waited a year before buying my portable solar panel.

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[Wallowa]

Great tips indeed and appreciated!

I was going to ask that Jeff remove the jacks [no extenders] before I make the 6++ hour drive home. Never thought about how that would help viewing through the mirrors, but also don't need to add to the width until I get use to it.

As of now I never really intend to remove the camper once installed; we will see how that goes.

Anyone with an 05 Tundra AC/Hawk and RideRites; could use some feed back on Psi in air bags you use when freeway driving and for that matter off-road. I will go for level at the wheel wells as a starting point.

Thanks all.

Phil

 

[daverave]

We picked up our Hawk last week in Woodland. I must say that the walk-through felt a bit perfunctory/slightly rushed and we got home with a lot of questions. I suppose that is as much our fault as FWC's but being first time RV owners it is hard to know what the questions even are. We signed off on the checklist so it really is on us.

I wish that we had taken the time to remove the turnbuckles and then put them back on so I could understand what the "proper tension" is. Fortunately we only had a 23 mile drive home so I'm just going to assume that they are pretty much as tightened as they should be for now after getting into each compartment and checking tension. I'll be checking again as soon as we get on the road. We don't plan on taking the camper off and don't have jacks but you never know.

The on-line manual helps but is missing some info. For instance there is zero information in the FWC manual on the furnace and its operation. I imagine that that information is in the appliance manual in conjunction with the thermostat info. Also there is a page and a half in the manual on the orientation of the water lines and valves for winterization. As far as I can tell, the pump and valves on our Hawk must be behind a little plywood wingwall in the cabinet and not easily visible. The manual says to "open the low point water valve inside your kitchen cabinets" for winterization so it would have been good to have been shown exactly where that is. I don't even know if that applies to our basic system. Fortunately we don't have a hot water tank or shower so it should be real simple to winterize.

We have spent an hour each night in the camper having a beer and looking around trying to remember some of the things we were told and testing systems. We haven't put the top down since we got home in order to air out the new vinyl smell but it seems pretty intuitive. However, believe it or not, in our excitement, we forgot to release the latches for the first few seconds when raising it. No harm done but these are the basic things that only come with familiarity.

The first thing we did was to sanitize/flush the fresh water system with bleach which was pretty simple. We got comfortable with the appliances using shore power, checking that the fridge was working and all lights. Did the same thing on 12v power. I have a feeling that full understanding of the electrical system and options only comes with experience. We don't have solar yet but it sounds like that is another major data dump based on all of the threads I've seen here at WtW.

Later we had the propane tanks filled (after purging!) and ran the furnace and fridge on propane. Lighting the pilot was not unlike the process on a home water heater but in the daytime it is very hard to see if the electric starter has gotten the flame started. We were told to hold our hand over the metal tube where the flame is to feel for some heat there. We discovered that the fridge is very efficient on propane and we almost froze a beer in the fridge in just a couple of hours so we turned up (down?) the temperature knob to "3" instead of "4+". That night at 1AM I got out of bed because I remembered I hadn't turned off the gas at the tank. The next day when we started up the pilot again, I realized when it went out quickly that I had forgotten to open up the tank valve... duh!

So that's been our learning curve for the first week. I'm positive there will be a whole slew of new questions/answers once we finally get on the road! Can't wait!

 

[hebegebe]

I have a tundra and hawk I use about 60psi loaded on the highway in Firestone airbags I find the best ride is slightly below level Too much air and ride becomes harsh. I have in cab air control + on board compressor highly recommend for safety and comfort


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[thatsatechnique]

After they go through the typical checklist, get a good lesson on the water system and how to not mess up the hot water heater. It took me a little bit of playing with the valves before I was confident. Most everything else just comes down to you having/developing your own system for setting up and tearing down. There's not much too it in the end though - make sure the turnbuckles are tight, roof down and latched, and that the door is closed before driving off. All you have to do after that is put it in "D" and use the pedal on the right

 

[billharr]

Anyone with an 05 Tundra AC/Hawk and RideRites; could use some feed back on Psi in air bags you use when freeway driving and for that matter off-road. I will go for level at the wheel wells as a starting point.

Thanks all.

Phil

I have a 2005 Tundra AC with a 2013 Hawk. I run the air bags around 45psi on the road. Have gone up to 65psi off road for clearance.
Wish I had had the on board compressor and gages. But I get buy.

 

[DonC]

Have them show you and explain everything you can absorb about the electric system. I have been told that a significant percentage of their tech support questions are electrical related. Learn about the batteries, the battery separator, the fuses, wiring - everything.

If they are doing the install, have them confirm that the camper batteries are being charged when your truck is running. After 4 years and one trip to FWC and three trips to my local distributor this issue has not been solved for my truck/camper - I get zero amps of charging from my truck.

I have an 06 Tundra AC with RideRites, E rated tires, and a Fleet - so a little less weight than a Hawk. I'm usually at 60 psi also. I have on board air with a switch in my cab - highly recommended.

 

[PaulT]

You will get a copy of the owner's manual with a lot of information and several appliance manuals with the camper. If you don't want to mark up the ones from the factory, print copies, at least, of the owner's manual off the FWC website on which to take notes. Especially, take notes of the winterizing process and electrical. Take photos of things you want to remember while touching or pointing at any item of interest. Your significant other can be an important partner in taking notes. Anything that is hidden from view or located where it is "out of sight, out of mind" in normal operating position benefits from a photo pointing out where to look. Helps prompt your memory of the walkthru memory dump that is applied from a full on fire hose.

Take photos of the wiring changes under the hood and where the connector and turnbuckle eye bolts are installed. Also, take photos of the underside of the camper wings and camper walls so that you can identify where things may be located when the camper is mounted in the truck.. It may be some time before you remove the camper and it can be useful to help remember where things are located such as where the wires enter the camper wall. Much harder to visual with a flashlight and mirror or with phone in "selfie" mode while looking through the turnbuckle door while standing on your head.

Take notes on any troubleshooting suggestions on fresh water valves and water heater/furnace start up problems as they give these during the walkthru; most likely because those are the questions that new owners ask over the phone after delivery.

*2 on burning the smoke off the furnace that is best done with top up and all windows open and fans running.

Most of all try everything yourself while you are at dealer and can still ask questions.

Have fun.

Paul

 

[Durango1]

Wait to purchase a lot of stuff above and beyond the essentials. I waited a year before buying my portable solar panel.

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X2

Oh, and go out camping for at least two nights nearby the dealer so you can discover problems or other questions you have before leaving the area.