My Four Wheel Camper

[Idahoron]

Back in August I posted I was getting a new camper. Well I have stayed in it 19 nights now and it is a very nice camper. I used it on my elk hunt and my deer hunt. I wanted a camper because I pull my trailer almost ever time I go anywhere. I either have my boat on the trailer or my ATV.
Here is a picture right after I picked it up.

I had to take the jacks off first thing. I just knew I was going to hit something with them. I haven't changed much yet. I didn't order it with a heater since they just suck up the battery and then you don't have heat or lights. So I added a Mr buddy heater. That works great but the 2.5 gal tanks that this camper has doesn't last too long with the buddy. I can get three nights and evenings with a 2.5 and I carried a 5 gal back up but never ran out between fill ups.

The slide in camper for my wife and I is working out great. It would be very tight quarters for a couple guys in winter but in summer it will be fine for fishing trips. Overall I am very happy with it. These campers are one heck of a lot better than sleeping in a camper shell on hunting and fishing trips for the last 8 years. Ron

 

[Don_K]

Nice set up looks great!!! Make sure you invest (if you havent already) in a CO2 detector. Some insurance that you and your wife will wake after running that portable heater inside.

I used to own a slide in many years ago that we outgrew (3 boys). Now that the boys are in college or moved out I would love to get back into using one of these again.

 

[eelgrass]

Nice set up Ron. I need that! It rides good on your Tacoma. How much does it weigh? Is that a bed over the cab?

Eel

 

[Idahoron]

>Nice set up looks great!!!
>Make sure you invest (if
>you havent already) in a
>CO2 detector. Some insurance that
>you and your wife will
>wake after running that portable
>heater inside.
>
>I used to own a slide
>in many years ago that
>we outgrew (3 boys). Now
>that the boys are in
>college or moved out I
>would love to get back
>into using one of these
>again.

They come with all the alarms. Co2, fire, propane,the whole works. The heater also has a low oxygen cut off and I tested that. Ron

 

[Idahoron]

>Nice set up Ron. I need
>that! It rides good on
>your Tacoma. How much does
>it weigh? Is that a
>bed over the cab?
>
>Eel


Mine is actually a Tundra but the company makes a couple models that fit a Taco. I added a set of Firestone air bags to the suspension to help with the ride. With those you can make the ride feel just the way you like. My camper weighs 850 pounds empty and 1250 the way it is sitting on my truck. And yes the master bed is over the cab and there is a second bed is the couch and it rolls over to make into a bed. One of the things I like about this camper make is if you are driving and pull over to have lunch, rest or take a nap you don't have to raise the roof. A couple times I have been driving and so tired I can't stay awake. I pulled over and took a quick nap on the couch bed.

To set up the top and make it fully set up takes only 2 minutes or less. It has a battery of it's own and charges off the truck system so I don't use the truck battery for lights. And I carry my generator in my box on the front of my trailer. That way I can use all the lights I need and watch movies at night in camp.

I also added a front hitch to mount my Hi-lift jack and a shovel to.

I have been using the jack mount for a couple months and it works great and do far nothing is wiggling loose. Ron

 

[nickman]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-27-13 AT 10:46AM (MST)[p]Nice set up.

Problem is, after you turn 50 or so, the main requirement in a camper is a full size toilet and a shower that you can actually turn around in. Those things are unrealities in campers.

I got a motorhome a few years back, but even in that, when one of your hunting buddies turns loose last nights' chill dogs, you rather want to sleep outside in the rain!.......I haven't stared the thing for 2 years!

I now schedule ALL my hunting trips to the proximity of a decent motel room.

You younger guys are welcome to all my old campsites.....LOL!

"If you get upset or offended by ANY website forum
post.....especially mine, you need serious
intervention!"

 

[kilowatt]

Ron..nice setup you got there now. Way back in the late 70's they "Four Wheeler Campers" had an outlet in Sacramento and I went and looked at one. They had one that was different as it had a toilet that was at right read that sat on the tailgate if memory serves me right. The wife even liked that feature.

But good OLD Kalifornia Enviromentalnuts said they could not sell it in Kali and so they discontinued it here.


Brian
http://i44.tinypic.com/es7x8z.jpg[/IMG]

 

[Idahoron]

I am right on the door of 50, I am 48. I don't really hunt with others much. If I do it is with my son or my wife. I have went on some hunts that I went to meet them and I used my own sleeping quarters. These campers can be equipped with an inside and outside shower that a guy can turn around in but I was not interested.You can get portapottys but I don't like the idea of crapping in the kitchen. We have been doing the motel thing for my wife's marathons and triathlons. That gets incredibly expensive fast. Ron

 

[Boskee]

Nice rig Ron! I used mine for a long time and it was really nice especially on quick overnight weekend trips and was nice to be able to sleep close to where you were going to be fly fishing or hunting etc. Enjoy it!

 

[Don_K]

Ron,

Glad it comes with all the alarms. I have used and use the buddy heater also but do notice in higher altitudes it seems to have problems running sometimes.

Again, love the setup!!

 

[elkassassin]

Hey Ron?

Will them Big Pretty Sturgeon fit inside the Camper?













I used to know of places worth Hiking in to for Elk & Deer!
Thanks to Illegal Bastards & the USFS not enforcing Rules you can Zing in to them Places on Wheelers now & not see a Damn thing!
But by GAWD it don't take long for them U-Tards to get there with all the Unethical BS and the New Technology!

 

[Idahoron]

Heck ya!!

 

[sageadvice]

I have one on my camping-hunting rig too and like it even with the factory propane heater. I also really liked my reg sized six-pack cabover. The regular one was smallish and light enough that i could take it just about anywhere i can now take my pop-up. The pop-up feature is good, imo, but i think between the two, i'd rather have my old six-pack back. It had fixed upper cabinets, my pop-up doesn't have any upper storage, no setup, and seemed to always have a lot more room inside it when moving from spot to spot.

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[Idahoron]

Is yours a four wheel camper?

 

[sageadvice]

"Is yours a four wheel camper?"

Not by brand. It is a lightweight Popup camper on my 4x4, not sure of the name brand but from the outside, looks very similar to yours.

I think that they are a great idea and do have purpose but by owning and hunting from both kinds for many years, there are some advantages of the regular cabover(not the big ol bloated things that overhang the bumper). A good friend has a newer popup made by Alaskan. It's nicer than mine but he too is considering his purchase.

Good luck and happy hunting with your rig!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[Idahoron]

A buddy of mine has a smaller Hard side and his is pretty good for staying in cold weather. It is well insulated. But his is quite a bit heavier than mine and a lot taller. Ron

 

[sageadvice]

As far as tallness, the pop-ups being less tall is the only advantage that i can see in them.

Granted, being less tall is no small thing. Less wind resistance while on the hi-way equates to probable better gas milege, lower center of gravity while side hilling or dealing with the bigger ruts is handy, and plain ol clearance of things like tree limbs.

Often, the pop-ups can go where a fixed cabover can not. But, you would be surprised at how many people asked me how in the "heck" i got my ol Six-pack rig back in where it was. Then again, the 76 Chev truck that packed it around was a total Beast of the kind they just don't make anymore.

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[Gator]

Does it have a inside bathroom. That is my wife only requirement now days.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

 

[Idahoron]

One of the options is self contained. By that they mean it has a portapoty. Ron

 

[Bwht4x4]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-19-13 AT 05:34PM (MST)[p]Just ordered my FWC Hawk a couple of days ago. Added some great options, but held off on the refrigerator for now. I'm trying to figure out if I want to add solar or get a 2000 watt generator. I'm leaning toward the generator simply because I can use it at home if needed during an emergency. I drive a Ram 2500 so weight isn't that critical to me as others that put these on a Toyota or other smaller truck.

They are not cheap, but they are nice and will work perfect for my style of hunting. I've now got a 2 month wait till it comes. The wife is more excited then me! Trying to figure out where to go first with the family. May do a mid-winter run to Death Valley or the Lake Mohave for a little spearfishing.

 

[Idahoron]

I have spent 19 nights since August 23. I went with the Generator for the same reason as you. I also wanted it for the house. I added a transfer switch to my house so I can hook up to the house and run the house. The 2000 watt generator will run everything in the camper and run it at an idle.

I am on the edge with total weight for my Tundra but that was with stock suspension. I added the firestone suspension bags. They are well worth it. you can adjust the ride.

It fits my hunting perfectly too. I mostly hunt alone or I take my wife. I love the thing. Ron

 

[Bwht4x4]

Ron,

I see you over at WTW. I go by the same username there.

For me and my hunting/scouting style I want and need to be able to move pretty quickly. Until I find the spot I want to hunt I am moving a lot. On a NV archery pronghorn hunt we must have moved camp 5 different times and doing with tents sucks. The FWC will make it 100 times faster and less of a hassle. I'm really praying for a great tag in 2014 so I can use it on a hunt. Hoping for a NV or WY elk tag.

Today I received the final paperwork from FWC and will be mailing it back to them tomorrow. Already dropped the deposit too. Mid-January can't come soon enough!

 

[sageadvice]

Another reason i like mine is that i have my own quarters where ever i go. I don't get off the hill much but when i do, i like to visit my old high school buddies and if i stop in and decide to stay over, i'm not putting anyone out by doing so. Also, if i go to Reno for a "fun" trip, i save $$$ on room fees that don't get used much.

It's just nice having your own little man cave on the back of your rig.

If you don't already, get all the stuff you might want or need, put it in there, and leave it in there. Took me a couple years but now i have my camper gear(pots & pans, dishes, spices, tools, pillows, blankets, ropes, soaps, foils,.. everything) separate from my house stuff. I even have clothes in there that never hits the house unless for washing. Makes for much shorter lists!

I'll be pulling out here in a few days for a several day trout fishing trip. I can back my rig right up next to the shore, get my chairs out, throw out a couple rigs, get a little fire going, and enjoy life until i limit or decide to go on to the next spot.

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[Idahoron]

>Ron,
>
>I see you over at WTW.
> I go by the
>same username there.
>
>For me and my hunting/scouting style
>I want and need to
>be able to move pretty
>quickly. Until I find
>the spot I want to
>hunt I am moving a
>lot. On a NV
>archery pronghorn hunt we must
>have moved camp 5 different
>times and doing with tents
>sucks. The FWC will
>make it 100 times faster
>and less of a hassle.
> I'm really praying for
>a great tag in 2014
>so I can use it
>on a hunt. Hoping
>for a NV or WY
>elk tag.
>
>Today I received the final paperwork
>from FWC and will be
>mailing it back to them
>tomorrow. Already dropped the
>deposit too. Mid-January can't
>come soon enough!


That is me too. I don't like to be pinned down to one place if I need to move I move NOW. What did you order and what extras did you get? Ron

 

[Idahoron]

I think that most of us with FWC are a lot the same. We like the fact we are self sufficient any where we go. If I am by my self I go incognito and I don't raise the roof. Ron

 

[Bwht4x4]

We went with items that could get us out in the field now but opted to not get certain things until later due to the cost. These campers are NOT cheap! We opted out of the refig at this time due to cost and ease of installing one later. I also want to research them out to get the best one out there. We also got a few of the options now vs later due to the difficulty in adding them later.

We went with all the LED lights to save power (plus I like a lot of light). Also went with the fiberglass siding due to personal aesthetics. Also got the solar plug, furnace, hot water heater, fan-tastic-fan, screen door, side awning light, wall steps, 10' roof rack tracks, and auxiliary battery system. The only other items we want to get at a later date is the side awning and the refrigerator.

My wife just left for work this morning and was chattering something about how excited she is for its arrival. We have a 1.5 year old and having the ability to pack up and leave to go camping super fast will be a nice incentive to get out there more often with her as she grows up.