4 x4 capabilities with FWC camper

[DonC]

I have a 4x4 2006 Tundra with a Fleet. How will the extra weight of the camper effect my 4x4 capabilities? I know the extra height will make it a little more tippy on slanted roads, but if its just a straightforward 4x4 road that's rocky, rutted, a little steeper than normal roads, will the extra weight help or hurt?

 

[FishTaco]

I've had a FWC Hawk on my 2004 double cab Tundra since it was new. It's been everywhere in the southwest and Mexico I used to take my old CJ-7 except super-tight windy box canyons. I had to back out of a couple since the wheelbase would not allow turning around. We walk those now. You'll hardly notice it as long as you have good shocks and springs. Mine has Camburg aftermarket front coilovers and custom rear springs from Deaver in Santa Ana, CA. The rears were very reasonable, less than $400. The fronts were pricey but worth it.

Short version: You'll love it.

 

[AWG_Pics]

I agree with FishTaco, my Tundra/Hawk combo has no problem navigating remote, rocky, steep terrain. You do want to make sure all your goodies in the camper are secured properly, or you may have some re-packing to do when you arrive at your destination.

Tony

 

[Jon&Sue_DeArman]

Since there is virtually no weight above the truck bed, your center of gravity should be unchanged. If your truck could get somewhere before, It will get there again, with the ability to stay a while.

 

[FishTaco]

It's been a while and I'm a geezer, so I just remembered that I put a Hellwig rear anti-roll bar bar on about ten years ago. Made little difference offroad but feels much better around town and on freeway offramps. Way less body roll in the rear. Worth the dollars.

I am with AWG_Pics on strapping things down in the back. A few bumps will turn the gear in the camper into a yard sale and things from the fridge will end up on the floor. I put a bungee cord on the fridge now and a stretchy cargo net over gear left on the camper bench seat.

 

[Smokecreek1]

I have a 99 4x4 F-150 and a 05 Granby, I bought new and have been just about everywhere in most weather and road conditions over the last 15 years. Ya, like it has been said above, once you figure out how to tie down/rearrange the stuff inside the camper , the rest is no sweat. I mean didn't you buy the pop-up in the first place to go places normal campers and trailer's couldn't go, and stop and have a beer/drink in comfort at the end of the day even if it's snowing !

Smoke

 

[PJorgen]

I've got a GMC 2500HD 4x4 truck with a FWC Hawk, about 8700 lbs GVW when fully loaded. Although I've done a lot of off-roading, never with anything this heavy so I took a course from the Off-Road Safety Academy. The instructor, Bob Wohlers, drives a Ram Power Wagon 2500 with a FWC Hawk so he knows the equipment.

The course was helpful and I was surprised at how capable my rig was. However, the weight was the biggest limiting factor. A few things I learned:

• Airing down is still important, but be careful how low you go. Bob recommended starting at 50% of street pressures and I found that to work well
• Go slow! The weight stresses the chassis and when that weight is accelerated it stresses the chassis even more.
• Be conservative when choosing routes - more conservative than if you were driving a lighter vehicle. If or when that four+ tons of vehicle gets stuck, it's stuck! A Jeep probably won't be able to get you unstuck and you'll have to call in (and pay for) the heavy iron.
• A 25 degree side slope was about all the pucker factor I could handle but the truck was stable at that angle

Have fun but take the time to learn your vehicle's limits.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Lots of good info here thanks.
Frank

 

[JHanson]

Frank,

Please don't think your center of gravity will be unaffected, as someone suggested. Of course it will be. The effects will certainly be less than with many other campers, but it will be a factor. With that said, short of extremely intense rock-crawling you won't have any issues. On side slopes you'll chicken out long before you come close to tipping. Clearance—both side and top—tends to be a bigger issue than anything else.

 

[BillTheHiker]

Check out link below to a thread I started about a horribly rocky pass in DVNP. One of the posts has a video of an FWC going up that pass.
https://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/19096-anyone-driven-their-camper-over-mengel-pass/

 

[Cayuse]

I agree with the earlier post, if I'd take my truck there before I'll take it there now. Just make sure everything is well secured.

 

[Zoomad]

I haven't found the capability of my Blazer diminished by the camper. Yes I know my CG changed some. I can feel that. Off camber stuff gets a little pucker factor, but going slow and watching/feeling what the truck is doing I can drive through most of the stuff. Hell's Revenge in Moab being one of the well known Jeep trails was one of the trails I hit last year. Lots of crazy downhill decent runs and uphill climbs, most of which you can approach straight on. No problem. This was one coming down from the hot tubs.

This was one of the off-camber spots that required careful spotting. It dropped and turned to the driver side. I took it slow and eased it down without an issue.

In my home state of Colorado I've hit many Jeep trails with the trees being the main limiting factor. I hit up the difficult Blanca Peak trail outside of the Great Sand Dunes National park and got in a little over my head. My group made it up to the first major challenge at Jaws 1 and wisely turned back and came down to camp. However, the trail up to that point was rocky, narrow and steep. The Blazer plodded along just fine, although I ended up making a multi-point turn on a few of the switchbacks since they were so narrow.

Keys to taking one is log miles off road. Start out small and work your way up as experience with the setup and your comfort level increases. Air down. That will save your spine and the gear in the camper. Speaking of that, make sure the gear is well secured. The camper is going to swing and rock on the trail and it's going to toss anything that is loose all over the place. If it can't be tied down, put it on the floor since it will probably end up there eventually. Take your time and use a spotter if somebody is riding with you or in another vehicle. You can't see all the corners of the camper from the driver's seat so an extra set of eyes is needed. When in the trees keep in mind some turns might force one side into a tree that you can't see. You may not be able to take the same line through trees than somebody that doesn't have a camper on it.

Enjoy it most of all. There is nothing quite like getting back into an area that folks in more conventional slide in campers can't get into. Jeep guys setting up tents will look at your setup in envy.

 

[craig333]

My camper doesn't slow me down at all, its my truck. I'm just unwilling to push it too hard. Rescuing a heavy diesel truck isn't something I want to experience. I have a Jeep for the rough stuff. I don't find I'm limited much in reaching the places I wish to visit.

 

[Dandil]

I had a Frontier with a Fleet...the only thing you have to remember is that you have a major load in the back of your truck...which is different than having an empty truck. No amount of "setup" to your rig can change that fact. If you look for trouble you just may find it.

 

[Zoomad]

Here's a quick example that reinforced the idea that my truck with a camper could not take the same line 5 other regular K5 Blazers just went through in front of me. This was on Flat Iron Mesa south of Moab last year.

Yes, the pucker factor was immense. Thankfully the spotter knew the trail and put me closer to the trees on the driver side of the truck and I didn't come close to lifting a tire. But it proved that the tail heavy truck/camper combo unloaded the front end as I climbed. All I saw was sky out of the windshield.

I'm a little more aggressive than most when it comes to wheeling with the camper onboard.

 

[Oilbrnr]

You better not be too heavy with that right foot next week Rob.

To the OP, just make sure you get yoke style turnbuckles with jam-nuts. I would not trust what FWC uses, period. Especially if you do what Zoomad and I do.

 

[Zoomad]

You better not be too heavy with that right foot next week Rob.

To the OP, just make sure you get yoke style turnbuckles with jam-nuts. I would not trust what FWC uses, period. Especially if you do what Zoomad and I do.

That was not any insane size 15 boot to the floor action to lift the tire. I barely got off idle in 4lo, but it just wanted to go up instead of forward. I'd bet a more flexible set of front springs *might* have allowed some more flex to keep the driver front planted.

But as far as next week goes, I'll have some spare parts, but given the fact that every failure has ended up with me being in reverse and the tru-trac bound up, Larry and I devised a game plan to prevent possible failure. If the front end is bound up and stuck requiring backing up, the t-case is going to 2wd to take the torque off the front end to allow backing up without the tru-trac to unload in it's normal spectacular fashion. We may be barking up the wrong tree, but the theory looks good on paper as they say.

 

[Thevulture]

I have a '01 Tundra AC with an Eagle. I think the weight has been a benefit on some of the gnarlier roads I've been on, i think the added weight gave me more traction. I'd be more concerned about narrow trails with the Fleet, other than that I wouldn't worry. Tundras are awesome.

 

[Dirt Rider]

i would look at upgrading the hold down points before i got to crazy, known week point.