49 replies to this topic

[klahanie]

Great pics guys.Thx for adding them to the conversation. In the last pic the set up actually looks better than I would have thought !!

 

Looking at the overhang for sure I'd want some kind of support underneath, be it a tailgate, 2x4s or angle iron that Chrish mentioned. Not only for the camper but also for the camper floor to help with the weight of people stepping in and out.

 

Clearly for the OPs idea there will be good amount of wt behind the rear axle relative to payload and wheelbase. That won't matter sitting in the driveway and might not be too bad driving around on pavement. My concern would be for rougher roads where the suspension is being loaded and unloaded by the irregular surface. And where those roads might be in relation to 'civilisation', if something were to break. So, again, I think intended use should be considered.

 

Any thoughts on this ?

[oldhotrod]

I was just looking on the FWC website and every picture of the Grandby was on a 3/4 ton or larger truck with an 8' bed...

Food for thought....

I wouldn't use the pictures as any type of representation of requirements ...regular cab 1/2 tond are the least popular trucks sold to the public and most go to fleet and rental....but regular cab hd trucks are sold in reasonable numbers to the public...

[oldhotrod]

Here are a couple pics... My Grandby is a 2002 with a couch batteries are at the front, 2x100W solar on top. Tows just fine, both my small trailer and my roommate's travel trailer which I initially picked up in Twin Falls, ID and delivered to Las Vegas.





And stairs work well for getting in and out of the camper...

Looks like a near perfect fit cayuse...

[Vic Harder]

I'd like to add another variable to the equation:  What if the Grandby is a flatbed edition, with nothing much behind the wheels except the dining area?  Seems like the weight distribution would be fine then.

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Is that first photo Hell’s Backbone?

[Andy Douglass]

Also, make sure that the tailgate being down does not prevent you from lowering the spare tire. Not sure how Toyota does it, but a lot of trucks require that the tailgate is not down so that you can access the spare tire winch system to raise and lower it. I've heard this mentioned several times on "FWC with tailgate" threads. 

[Chrish]

https://www.fwcjh.co...e-truck-long-be

Not to mention FWC says it's ok to put a Granby on a 6'5" bed and for use with 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks.

Newer 1/2 trucks are being built with 3/4 ton load capacity.

[camper rich]

FWIW  we have a 2016 Grandby FDSC on a Dodge 2500 Quad Cab with 6'3" bed.  The batteries are LifeLine 6 v golf cart batteries that weigh 63# each that are located in the driver's side rear of the camper (over the tailgate).  We have Timbrens on all four corners,  a 65# kayak up top, and we pull a small utility off-road trailer (Ruger 6') behind with and extension on the hitch and a couple hundred lbs of tongue weight.  

 

Last year, down in Baja, I took a corner a little too fast and ended up over correcting and managed to drop the right front tire off the edge of the pavment (there was no shoulder).  I was able to control the truck after several back and forths across the road and bring it to a stop.  The little trailer was not so lucky, it took a wild ride of it's own but was still attached to the truck thanks to the articulating off-road hitch we have.  The trailer had emptied almost all of it's contents but landed upright on it's wheels.  We loaded up almost every thing we could salvage and headed home.  The next day I discovered the trailer chains were wrapped around 360 degrees indicating the trailer had rolled completely.  

 

Up to this point I had wondered how the truck would perform in an emergency situation with that camper sticking out behind.  The truck did surprisingly well as we did not end up losing both the truck and the camper as I had imagined we would.  We did have the tailgate on the truck and a platform made of 2 x 3's laying flat to support the camper floor.  As I said, the trailer was another story, it had a mind of it's own.  BTW, I also have a winch, highlift jack and pull pal on the front to add weight up front to help balance the load.  

Edited by camper rich, 07 October 2018 - 01:26 AM.

[klahanie]

I'd like to add another variable to the equation:  What if the Grandby is a flatbed edition, with nothing much behind the wheels except the dining area?  Seems like the weight distribution would be fine then.

 

I don't see cog on FWC's site but according to this ...cog measured back from front wall is...

Hawk 32"

Granby 43

Granby FB 36

 

both the Fleet and Hawk FB mentioned in post #6 are 32"

 

guessing the OP's truck is ~35" front box to axle.

 

A long(er) flat deck might change the numbers a bit.

 

FB spec heavier for base weight but obviously would want to compare with desired options included.

 

I see what tho OP means about the Granby weighing about the same as the Hawk. I figure the Woolridge Ed. (incls bigger fridge, furnace, HW tank, side awning, 2nd batt etc) would add at least 250#  to those base numbers.

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Funny about the size trucks for these campers. In the 21yrs I've been spotting other FWCs out and about, I'd say the most common has been the Ford 150, followed by the Tacoma. This observation being for all FWC models. I've always thought of the brand as a light weight solution most suited to lighter duty trucks, with the Taco combo being the best looking and 'representing' the brand best.

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camper rich, good story. I hate that "back and forth across the road". Downright scary. Glad you pulled it back from disaster.

Well done !

[Cayuse]

Is that first photo Hell’s Backbone?

 

Yes, the bridge that's at the top.  Also have one of it along Cottonwood road pulling that trailer.