18 replies to this topic

[Frstnflt]

Finally!!!! It was a lonnnnng wait but after ordering my Hawk Shell in late 2/16 it arrived and we have been on the maiden voyage. I know this is WTW but there are a few Eastcoasters who love the site and would not know the first thing about this world without the website.

 

My rig:

The Camper: 2016 Hawk shell with silver spur exterior, driver side couch, gas lift, AC (dirty south must have), brown interior. Basic but lightweight and much cheaper than getting it optioned. I cook outside and like having the option of hosting 4-5 beer drinkers on a chilly or wet night.

 

Power: truck battery to power internal and external lights. Goal Zero 400 yeti to power truckfridge and other stuff. I like the modularity, clean look, and simplicity of this. I knew DIY stuff can look really bad if you are not careful. I can chain another battery to it and easily replace the battery if and when I screw up. Will probably change to a comparable Lithium ion solution at some point. I rarely can get away from work more than a night or two so truck will be running frequently to charge it.

Honda eu2000 for AC- amazingly quiet. I have read many WTWers criticism of generators but this thing on eco mode runs for 10+ hours on a gallon and was really necessary on this trip with temps in the high 90s and high humidity with a baby, thats my excuse anyway.  I store it in the cab and never smelled fumes.

 

Truck: 2014 Ram 1500 3.0 ecodiesel 4x4. leveled, has cold air intake and muffler delete mods. 

[Frstnflt]

Initial AC was non functional. This was disappointing as it was 102 degrees the day I got it and unbearable inside. Had a friend crack it open, weld in an access port, fill it with coolant. It worked temporarily but soon realized there was a coolant leak deep in the coil, not in a place I would expect transport to damage it. I suspect it was never tested. FWC took ownership of the problem and shipped a new one in a few days. They are busy but did everything they could to fix the problem.

[MarkBC]

Congratulations, Frstnflt!

[DrJ]

That looks great. Congrats on your new camper!

 

And generators are a must if you have AC. I've yet to see a viable battery option to keep AC going for very long without it.

 

I used a honda 2000 watt when we had a Grandby with AC. It worked perfect for that.

Edited by DrJ, 20 August 2016 - 04:18 PM.

[Frstnflt]

The maiden voyage was to the NC coast and Outer Banks.

We spent the first night in Freeman Park camping on the beach near Carolina Beach. It was hot as hell even with a breeze and were thankful to have AC. Despite efforts to organize and stow things the baby and crib ate the camper. He is a terrible sleeper at 7 months but this was his best night.

[Frstnflt]

I have never driven on any sand let alone this soft deep sand.  Letting air out of the tires was more than a suggestion for rookies. The truck happily climbed out of its holes after letting some air out. 

[Frstnflt]

After a buffer night in a hotel we took the ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke. The 2.5 hour ferry ride was blast in our FWC stateroom. This night we stayed at the government campground but the beach is still right over the dunes but you have to contend with some crab traffic.  I started to get the hang of sand driving. Baby Dean loves the camper. 

 

[Frstnflt]

There are some serious beach rigs out here.

[Frstnflt]

Finally made it to the Wright Brothers Memorial. The namesake of Frstnflt. Notice my plate.

[Frstnflt]

Overall this is a great rig. I had only really seen one FWC before ordering it and am very glad.  The quality is in the details. I was happy to find out that this thing is light enough that the driving experience is essentially the same. I like driving aggressively and passing people when I need to. I have had a turd particle board truck camper in the past and have pulled some heavy campers and didn't realize how driving slow and gingerly really takes away from the driving experience. I can drive however I want and there was never a creak or budge of the camper. 

Fuel mileage with the ecodiesel dropped considerably but is still really good.  Without the camper I typically get 24 around town and 29 highway. If driving on the flat and under 70 it will get above 30. With the camper all around hand calculated was about 22.5. On the Outer Banks which are flat and typically 45 mph it got up to 24.5. 

My marriage is still recovering from the shocking amount I spent on it but you get what you pay for. Another $2K seemed like too much for a proprane heat/stove setup but in hindsight it probably looks much better than anything I could build or commission for near that cost.

Thank you all so much for advice and introducing me to this wonderful toy and hobby. I hope to meet some of you at Overland Expo East. Mainline Overland is very helpful and professional as well.