used pop up camper and older 4x4 wanted

[RVfreedom]

I am ready to get remote. Need wheels to take me there! I live in Phoenix, can pick up within a few hundred miles. Any advise is welcomed as I am a newbie.

 

[simimike]

How used and how old? The older you go the more it becomes a project. Which is fine if you have the skills, tools and time. It really boils down to how much money you want to spend. A five year old truck would be a good bet as it would still be fairly reliable and affordable. Some pop-up campers age better than others. Depending on use, a wood frame camper may not be the best deal, even though the price would be reasonable. A used FWC or ATC would be more expensive up front but will hold up better over time.

What I did was to ask myself what type of camping I planned to do and made my purchases accordingly. Hope this helps.

mike

 

[imix]

Obey these rules and you will have a used fwc someday

1) Reasonably priced used FWC's go quick, usually within hours of their posting on craigslist. Best place to look is on craigslist in your area, or use crazedlist (google is your friend, as is firefox) to search a wider area. Have a pile of cash sitting around and be ready to pounce. By far the best resource is the used camper postings on WtW, go to the last page of the post everyday and check it, several times a day would be better.

2) Make sure your older 4X4 truck can take the camper you buy. This is very important. There is extensive posts on this subject on WtW, and the fwc website has info as well. You can modify (ie, build a platform) for some older 4X4's to take certain campers, again, make very sure you don't buy something that won't fit on your truck.

3) Most "cheap" FWC's are located in Colorado as that is where the company was based back in the day. These are mid eighties or earlier, often need significant work/rehab to make livable. It is not uncommon to see sub one thousand dollar older Grandy's on craigslist. Every once and awhile someone who has no idea what they have will post a newer fwc for a ridiculously low price, this is very rare, roughly akin to sitings of the Virgin Mary.

4) ATC hasn't been around so there aren't many used ones for sale, and they tend to retain their value, as do FWC.

5) Other pop up campers are not built for serious off roading (ie, Palimino, Outfitters etc). Not saying they are bad but don't expect them to hold up or last like an FWC or ATC if you plan on going to remote locations on washboard roads. They can often be found for a lower price and have more features than a FWC, but will weigh more too.

 

[terrisjoy]

I am ready to get remote. Need wheels to take me there! I live in Phoenix, can pick up within a few hundred miles. Any advise is welcomed as I am a newbie.

I have a 2005 Hawk FWC, it's a shell model with many extras. Awning, roof rack, furnace, couch, extended bed. I am 1 hour north of Santa Barbara. Call if interested. Terri 805/4553901