FOUR WHEEL CAMPER (FWC) THREAD!!

that’s a loaded question and hard to summarize as what one person might think is slow while another might think it’s fine. Our truck is one of the heavier ones being a flatbed. I think it does fine but it’s been regeared and tuned. If we wanted to, the motor is easily powerful enough to cruise down a highway at 75 mph all day, gas mileage be damned. It also has enough power to climb Colorado’s high elevation highway passes at 45 miles an hour, limiting the revs to 3,500. Even regeared, first gear and reverse are still high enough to cause problems when trying to go up a steep hill from a stop. Sometimes necessitating putting the truck into Four-low on pavement. In four wheel low range it does great in deep mud, sand, or snow. But it's too top heavy to do serious rock crawling. Hope that helps

 

You definitely need to do what you're comfortable with. Heard good things about the Overland camper

Not sure why FWC recommends load range E tires for a swift. The BFG KO2 load C tire I checked had a max rating of 2,500 lbs per tire. On our front/rear axles we're at a max of 1,500/2,100 lbs per tire, so with a lighter slide-in I'd go with a C. We're using E tires because we're closer to the max weight capacity of a C and wanted the additional belts for better protection from rocks

 

Thanks for reply. Did you go to the regear for larger tires or it that because of extra weight with a flatbed camper?

 

We did it for the weight as we only went from a stock 265/65/17 to a 275/70/17

 

Sweet setup! I've got a Swift as well. What brand is that cooktop/sink? I've seen similar ones on Amazon. I've got the Suburban double burner in my Swift, but if I could figure out a water system, I'd love to have both a small sink like that & a single burner.
Also, did you ditch a furnace/heater all together?
EDIT: Ok I think yours is the one that I just ran into on a search on the Panther RV Products website.

 

This one here
https://www.campervan-hq.com/products/one-burner-euro-style-rv-stove-with-lid-right-sink

Yea I ditched the furnace all together and installed a Chinese diesel heater in the propane bottle location. I have 1 1lb bottle just for the single burner.

here's a quick video of the diesel heater the first time I fired it up to test it. But I've since cleaned up the mess a bit and ran exhaust to the right side and got it further from my intake it works fantastic.

https://youtube.com/shorts/w56jgD06PxQ?feature=share

 

Thanks for the stove/sink link!
That's a cool setup w/ the diesel heater. I've been hearing a lot of folks switching over from a propane heater to the diesel. Are you happy with the switch? Any cons?
Also, you're just running the sink off the Scepter can? No other water system in the camper?

 

yea I'm pretty happy with the diesel heater honestly. With the old heater I was either too hot or too cold. Could've prolly solved with a thermostat upgrade, but I thought the weight and space savings going with the CDH was a big bonus with the small Swift. I've ran the heater down to 1F up as high as 8k elevation and while it uses more fuel than I had thought it would when it's that cold it kept the camper comfortable at around 65 degrees on a fairly low setting. It can warm it higher than that, just burns more fuel so on one night trips I just crank it up. If it's only in the 20's u can just idle it and it barely sips fuel could prolly get a few days straight running it on idle. Another big bonus on the CDH is that I'm pulling outside air in. While it would work more efficient and maybe safer? With a return air duct circulating inside air as it's intended, pulling outside air into the FWC leaves me hardly any condensation and can dry out wet clothes fast.

my water is currently just the 5 gal tank. Trying to keep it minimal and keep my real estate available in the camper. I actually use it with my wife and 2 young daughters it's a tight fit. The girls sleep up top and I stay on the rollover couch just fine.

I carry extra water in 2 2 gallon rotopax mounted up front by at overland mount.
https://atoverland.com/products/at-overland-rotopax-holder
Or I can carry 1 2 gal extra diesel, 1 2 gal water or water on the floor of the Swift in a Coleman 5 gallon. I want to get a propane instant water heater and outdoor shower curtain mounted outside soon and just bring a few extra 1lb bottles.

 

Very Cool! Thanks for all that info! I'm pretty new to my Swift as I picked it up in December and haven't even gotten out in it yet, as some "life stuff" has gotten in the recent way.
I have been wondering if a CDH set-up might save weight & space, and you've mentioned here that it does. That's def an added bonus in our small campers.
I hear ya about being tight w/ your family. It's just me & my pup so we're pretty okay w/ the space, but even then I sometimes feel a bit cramped inside.
I love your little water/sink set up! I don't have the water system in my camper and that looks like a nice little mod.
Sounds like we probably have a similar Swift. I've got a shell model but w/ the stove, heater, roll-out couch, exhaust fan & vent. Oh, did that stove/sink drop right into the existing stove hole or did you have to do some modding?
Yeah, I've seen that AT Overland mount online. I was thinking about trying to fab up 2 of my own with a slab of aluminum, because dang ain't all this gear so expensive!?! I also like their bigger 5 gal can holder too, that goes on the rear of the camper.
Thanks again, I really appreciate you sharing your setup!!

 

sounds like we have the same Swift. Mine was a shell with furnace and dual burners. I did have to cut the top counter to fit the new sink stove combo. Did it with a Milwaukee jig saw. I'm pretty happy with the setup so far. May go with larger water tank at some point. But for now this works out. I also picked mine up in December it's been super fun. Happy modding hit me up with any questions.

 

Will a 2014 FWC Fleet model fit in the back of a 2004 Toyota Tacoma Extended cab with the 6' bed?

My concern is between the wheel wells and I can't find this info anywhere. Thanks

 

There's a FB Group called Four Wheel Campers Owners where Stan (an employee of FWC) is an admin, and would for sure know the answer to your question.

 

just look at the bed dimensions, I would think so

 

Yeah, I get that but I can't find that specific measurement on an FWC page. Basically I'm looking for the size of the FWC Fleet that would fit between the wheel wells.

 

39.25"

 

Perfect! Thanks...

 

Did you soft shackle all 4 turnbuckles?

 

I don't get it... is it just a safety?

 

Yes. Doesn't the limited access to the turnbuckles give you anxiety? The front passenger side one is SOOO difficult for me to work. Just today I bought a new 14mm stubby wrench hoping it will make it easier for me to get in there and tighten.

 

it is a PI the A. I check it periodically. I think upgrading the strength on them is a good idea.