Four Wheel Camper - What options?

[DirtyDog]

From the blog comments:

i came across your site while researching the Fourwheel campers, nice site. I’m going to buy a granby modle .the base modle is priced right but needs options. if you had it to do over again what options are a must have and which are just very nice? I appriciate your input on this.


I have the Hawk and ordered the following options:

• Power roof vent (essential)
• Auxillary battery system (very useful)
• Forced air furnace
• Camper jacks
• Front sliding window
• Awning
• Awning light
• Screen door
• Arctic pack
• Rear wall steps
• Furnace
• Hot water / outside shower
• Yakima tracks

I am happy with my config. I elected to not get the refrigerator because I wanted to keep it somewhat simple and I thought a fridge would end up being a constant power drain. I haven't used the arctic pack yet but I think I will eventually.

I didn't get the solar panels because I couldn't get any useful information about them from FWC. The woman who was answering my inquiries basically told me the smallish panels were not very effective at recharging the auxillary batteries so what they are actually good for is a mystery.

 

[simimike]

options

Thanks for the reply D.Dog,
I had a 98 Granby with pretty much the same options as yours. I like the icebox because it has no moving parts.No battery or shower at that time, those are two must haves at this point in my life.I think Tom, the new owner has improved the overall product but i'm sorry to hear that the after sales service is less then hoped for.But then almost every RV forum says the same thing.
I still think the FWC is the best pop-up for off road use. I checked out others and they just are not as well made/designed. Outfitter makes a good camper but you can go over $20,000 with options.
I 'm glad to see someone has started a forum for these campers.Hopefully others will join and we can exchange ideas and expiriences. See you on the road or off.

 

[DirtyDog]

I considered the Outfitter but opted for the FWC due to its smaller profile. I was unaware that with options the Outfitter became so expensive. I'd still like to see one in person.

 

[simimike]

Sounds like we have the same thought process.I like the FWC size and simplicity (KISS). I saw a Outfitter in the RV Trader for sale awhile back and he was asking $20,000 used, with "every option". This was a 10 footer . I want a camper that fits in the box of the truck, no over hang! It's hard enough to back up just the truck. Having an extra two feet back there would make it even tougher.
I will be ordering my new FWC in February and i want to get it right. I'm thinking hard about the bigger refer unit. Ice cubes at cocktail hour would be nice. And I found that the ice box , while simple , was too small when the block of ice and food was added.I needed a ice chest to hold the extra items and it always seemed to be under foot.Does anyone have any experience with the refer units, good or bad? how level do they have to be? Can I run it on 12V while driving?
DirtyDog, have you found the rear flood lights useful? I had not considered those.

 

[chnlisle]

Hey Mikey...Are you guys being smoked out? When the Santa Anas return this weekend its supposed to be very smokey here.

How has your ice box been working? On our trip to the San Juan river in August ours left a lot to be desired. My guess is that not much works at 105 degress but I'm thinking it can at least be improved on. My thought is to take it out and see how much room is in there. Given the space I'd like to add some more insulation. I've heard of guys making super coolers with lots of insulation and then sealing everything with mylar and of course duct tape. I'd also like to figure out how to improve the door seal. What are your thoughts.

 

[simimike]

The smoke isn't to bad, I am getting some ash fall-out. Compared to last year when the fire burned right down to my property this is a walk in the park. I live right on the edge of the city so from my place the mountains go right to brush and trees.
I didn't get the ice box. I opted for the 3cf refer. Like stated above the ice box is a simple solution but the ice just doesn't hold up to hot temps. I just returned from a trip to Utah and Colorado and I ran the refer on propane the whole time. The temps on the trip ran from 104f to 36f. The refer worked great! The hard part was trying to keep stuff from freezing. In the hot desert I would turn it up almost all the way, then in the mountains I would turn it almost all the way down. I think there is a learning curve here. What I found is that the refer has cold areas and less cold areas, kind of like a gas BBQ has hot spots and less hot spots.
The refer holds more food then two people can eat in a week. I would definitely get the refer again. I've been a tent camper since I was a Boy Scout and now making my own ice seems so decadent.
I don't think the ice box has an easy solution. In my first FWC I use to put two blocks of ice in to last longer. But this reduced the food and beverage room. I also found a small ice chest that fit under the seat where the water tank is on the newer models. I still have the ice chest if you can use it let me know. It worked best for keeping the drinks cold and left room in the box for food.

Regards, Mike

 

[chnlisle]

I havent washed the truck because of the ash I think I'll wait 'til the fires out. You guys must have hade quite a scare last time. We're right at the beach but the smoke and ash is considerable.
I've had both Dometic and a Norcold in previous lives and neither of them worked very well in the desert so I'm leery of trying it again. Thanks very much for your offer but like you we use a small ice chest as well. It actually holds ice better much than the built-in. Thats why I thought I could insulate the built-in to improve the performance. I figure start with the least expensive option first.
I'm de-rusting and painting the jacks at the moment and will start on the ice box next. I also plan to remove the built-in 2 burner and replace it with a cutting board. We have always cooked out side. If weather dictates we must cook in the camper we can just put the Coleman on the counter and use it inside. I think adding a Y connector with a long hose might be a good idea so as not to carry a small propane canisters for the coleman when using it outside.
Have you done any modifications to your unit?
Cheers, Jay

 

[simimike]

Sounds like you have a plan.I think that styrofoam is probably the best insulator. The home centers should have thick sheets of it. I'm not sure what the best adhesive is, you can check the labels. It is easy to cut and shape.To insulate the door see if you can remove the inside plastic panel then fill the back with the expanding spray foam. Once dry this is easy to cut and shape to.
The door seal just needs to be tighter. Maybe some type of foot locker latch or perhaps a latch like the ones on the old style Coleman ice chests. Or just a new gasket.

When I did some updating on my house, because it is"unique" I checked the bone yard and returned stock area of the lumber yards and home centers for cheap materials. Perhaps you can find a returned butcher block counter that you can cut to fit. This would allow you to keep a neat look to the counter.
These are just thoughts out loud so if they seem to far out just disregard them.

I've only done some small mods so far. Magazine rack, spice rack that type of stuff. So far it's been great. Just a few things I'd order different if I was buying new again.

 

[ymc2272]

solar

The campers are already wired for most if not all accessories. I bought a used Eagle with a little 10 watt panel, but installed my own 80 watt monster. It provides more than enough juice to power my laptop, coffee maker, powervent, dvd player, and more. I recommend going aftermarket, I picked up the panel, mount, and charge controller for about $650

 

[captainkettel]

refer madness

I have had both the two-way (12V-110) as well as the 3-way (LPG-12V-110).
I currently have a Norcold two-way. The advantage to a two-way refrigerator is the vehicle doesn't have to be level. I have a house battery and it works very well. The system works much like a real fridge. The LPG models actually have to heat the unit to make it chill. Not really very efficient! If your rig isn't level they don't work worth a darn. Only problem with 12V is you either have to have a good house battery and charging system or do a lot of driving between stops. Mine will work for about 4 days without a recharge on the battery. But even when the fridge is shut down it stays cold for a day or two. But even a poor working fridge works better than melting a block of ice.

 

[oly884]

I have had both the two-way (12V-110) as well as the 3-way (LPG-12V-110).
I currently have a Norcold two-way. The advantage to a two-way refrigerator is the vehicle doesn't have to be level. I have a house battery and it works very well. The system works much like a real fridge. The LPG models actually have to heat the unit to make it chill. Not really very efficient! If your rig isn't level they don't work worth a darn. Only problem with 12V is you either have to have a good house battery and charging system or do a lot of driving between stops. Mine will work for about 4 days without a recharge on the battery. But even when the fridge is shut down it stays cold for a day or two. But even a poor working fridge works better than melting a block of ice.

I've got an Engel 45 which pulls about 1 amp in refridgerate mode and 3.5 amps in freezer mode. With my 130 amp hour battery, I can run the fridge for quite a while. Then combined with the 50 watt solar panel, I can run the fridge for a really really long time.

 

[captainkettel]

Invertor thought

Does anyone use an invertor with their unit? Maybe to power a very small microwave (600W). I have one I use to work my FoodSaver Vac 1050. When the fish are hittin' you need the room! Mainly on my Alaska trips when I'm gone for a week or two. The last four days or so I fish like hell and seal 'em up, cool them down and then head on home.

 

[oly884]

Does anyone use an invertor with their unit? Maybe to power a very small microwave (600W). I have one I use to work my FoodSaver Vac 1050. When the fish are hittin' you need the room! Mainly on my Alaska trips when I'm gone for a week or two. The last four days or so I fish like hell and seal 'em up, cool them down and then head on home.

Yup, I have a 1000 watt inverter to power everything from a laptop to a blender. They also come in handy for cell phone/music/PDA chargers if you don't have a 12 volt adaptor.