New (to me) Fleet!

[cmadson]

We just went and picked up our new FWC today! I found an '88 Fleet about 100 miles away on craigslist. The camper looks in great shape and everything seems to work. Thanks to everyone for posting their great photos and notes on their campers. I would also like to say what great customer service I have received from Four Wheel Campers, especially Stan. He couldn't have been more helpful if I had purchased a brand new top of the line product from them yesterday.

Oh by the way, the cable jacks are scary!

 

[b team]

Nice pics. Do you use the camper while on those jacks?

 

[Brian]

New Fleet....

Congrats! Say, What is that white stuff all over? It looks like it would get in the way of doing anything. Glad you could rescue the camper from a place that has stuff like that all over the ground, etc.

I have a pair of those cable jacks...gave $15 for them and they work great. I use them since I probably won't ever take the camper off my truck now that it is on. If I do, I have them and just need someone else to help guide things.
Have a great time with your new camper.....the good thing is that you can use it to get away from that "devil's dandruff" problem!
Brian in NM

 

[jimjxsn]

Boy that Fleet looks to be in excellent condition, congratulations. Keep the stories and pictures coming!

 

[Sam]

Congrats. looks like the camper has a new sideliner, thats huge! Yes the jacks are scary, the more scary thing is that you will get comfortable using them.

 

[pvstoy]

That Fleet brings back some memories. Looks like it's in great shape and new liner to boot. My cable jacks are soo wobbled out where the pole fits in that people run screaming when I take it on and off.

The one thing that I don't miss about the Fleet is the huge overhang on the sides.....BE VERY CARFULL WHEN YOU LEAN OVER AND WORK ON A TIRE OR SOMETHING...BECAUSE YOU WILL BONK YOU HEAD STANDING BACK UP!!!

 

[Tomas Tierra]

Cmadsen,
Congrats on the new camper. It will end up being one of the best purchases you've ever made.

I to do not miss the over hang on my old fleet. I do miss that forward driver side window though.

I don't know what you paid for it, but I do know that new sidewall is about$1500.

TT

 

[cmadson]

88' Fleet Electrical

I am definitely happy with it so far! Had a little bit of trouble with the electrical system but traced it down to a loose connection in the external fridge panel. The wiring from the battery to the external cabin light is all wired in series.

Battery -> Fuse -> Fridge -> Porch Light -> Furnace

There are scotchlocks inline for the power take offs to the fridge and the external light.

As for electrical pieces it came with the following:

Dometic 2190 12V/LPG fridge
Hydro Flame (Atwood) 8516-II Furnace
2 double cabin lights
1 external lights

The furnace cranks out the heats, all the lights work and the fridge runs on 12V, haven't tried the LPG yet.

I am going to replace the glass fuses with a breaker panel as well as figure out how to charge the house battery off of the car battery (any suggestions).

Thanks,
Carl

 

[Sam]

I may be looking at the picture wrong but your LPG tank does not look like the right one. The valve should be closer to the top and it seems to be in the middle? this can be dangerous. Hope the others will chime in and correct me if I'm wrong.

As for charging the battery, do a search there is a lot of discussion on that subject on this forum. I have tapped into the factory trailer hitch wiring on my truck to charge the camper batt.

 

[cmadson]

Sam,

The cylinder is mounted laying on its side with the top facing out towards the door.

 

[craig333]

Looks like a vertical tank that was modified to lay horizontal. I don't know if that brings up any safety issues or not.

 

[Brian]

Tank...

I do not know for sure but I have always been told that the internal gas pick-up is the critical part....on a tank made for horizontal use the intake stem is L-shaped so that it turns up (I think) and can not discharge liquid propane. At least on the older tanks, the only way to tell if it is for horizontal use is the bracket on the top handle/guard made for setting the tank on. Please correct me if I am wrong. I have owned several horizontal tanks and that was the case with them.

Madsen....I lived for 22 years in AK and 11 of them on the Kenai Pen. One in Cooper Landing where I worked as a bench jeweler for Vinton Edwards and 10 in Sterling where I worked for Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. I know Girdwood well.

Brian

 

[cmadson]

I am going to bring the cylinder in and have it inspected so I called Suburban propane. The tech there told me that horizontal mount tanks are exempt from the OPD valve requirment. After explaining what I had he said it just required a five year visual/leak inspection.

 

[DLN]

cmadson,
Congratulations on the Fleet, it does look to be in great shape. Welcome to the FWC family and good luck.

 

[BenG]

Learned the hard way about the tanks too, didnt know there was difference, the Horizontal tanks do have different internal system so it wont let the liquid run out of tank, did get a used one at local propane dealer at good price.it is older horizontal type, but besides the sticker and the mounting bracket it doesn,t look much different then the one for my BBQ

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

hello cmadson


congratz' on the new camper !

it looks like it is in good condition too.

for the portable cable jacks I would recommend adding a steel plate extension to each steel bracket on the jacks

just look in your local Yellow Pages for welding shops or steel fabrication shops

maybe get some 3/8" steel plate -- have them cut them as long, or a litle longer than the brackets on the jacks now, and maybe 6" or 8" wide piece of steel

this will make the jacks much more stable, less likely to slip out, and safer to use.

see attached pics

hope this helps

have fun with the new camper



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