FOUR WHEEL CAMPER (FWC) THREAD!!

I was rotating my tires yesterday. My problem which is specific to flatbeds is that I don't have any low points to use my hi-lift on

Notice that my hi-lift is at its max


And that my jack is on a 6" block of wood. The jack doesn't work off of the back due to the sloping back of the camper

 

My plate looked completely different. It was a 2013 Finch.

 

You've got the wrong tool (IMO). That looks like a 36" hi-lift, you probably need a 48" or 60" hi-lift. I also would look in to some kind of bottle jack or floor jack to lift from under the axle for this kind of maintenance stuff. Even used properly, hi-lifts are sketchy (I've had a jeep fall on me and pin me under the leaf spring and I had the front on a floor jack and the opposite side on a jack stand) so lifting that high in a situation that a floor jack or bottle jack would suffice is nuts. Hi-lifts absolutely have their place and uses, but general maintenance shouldn't be one of them.

 

Agreed. I should have prefaced this with saying being full-time on the road the type of maintenance tools I have is extremely limited. Yes, I could go to a shop and have them rotated but now is the time to experiment with how to do it myself before we go overseas. I wish I could carry a floor jack but that’s not realistic for me. I only rotate one tire at a time and would never consider getting underneath the truck. I have used a hi-lift to lift up and push over the truck in extreme circumstances.

I’ll re-look at using the truck’s OE bottle jack instead.

 

I’ll just leave this right here. Drove from Washington state to Bozeman MT to pick up the camper from Big Sky RV. Spent the first night in West Yellowstone with -11 degree temps. The camper stayed a cozy 70f all night and could’ve been hotter but shit we where already naked since it was so warm all night.

 

Hi, I'm new to Tacoma World.

I have a 2021 Tacoma DBCB LB Offroad TRD and am prepping the truck suspension for a FWC Fleet slide-in (no extreme overlanding intended, just washboarded fireroad at gnarliest).

Since the Fleet will have most of the bells and whistles (dry weight 1400 lbs), I'm guessing its wet weight will be around 1800 lbs.

In addition to Firestone airbags (which I don't want to rely too much on) and upgrade rear shocks, I'm trying to decide if I should upgrade the rear with Dobinson's 111 (heavy duty) or 112 (extra heavy duty) leaf pack. The front will stay stock.

112's would be a no-brainer but unfortunately, I don't want the truck to sit too high since I need the Taco + Fleet to fit in my garage.

Anyone here have a Taco + Fleet + Dobinsons 111 or 112, and can share their rear-end, Airbag-deflated, fender-to-hub measurements?

Thanks!!
Jack

 

Is the camper going to live on the truck full-time? You'll also want beefier tires if you're still running the stock Goodyear's.

 

Exactly, you'll want load range E, ten ply tires for sure. Get the Daystar Cradles with your air bags and plumb the bags independently.

 

Yup - got the E-rated tires already. Also already have Firestone Airbags and Cradles (and upgrade Dobinson shocks).

Just trying to decide on 111 or 112's for minimal lift (with the 1800 wet weight Fleet on the bed), and still be able to fit it inside the garage (with the Fleet on the bed).

So back to my original question "Anyone here have a Taco + Fleet + Dobinsons 111 or 112, and can share their rear-end, Airbag-deflated, fender-to-hub measurements?"

Thanks!

 

My experience, I ended up removing one leaf out of the 111 pack (essentially, making it a 110 pack) because the rake was too high for me when the camper was off the truck.

(disclaimer, measurements may not be 100% accurate, I also added a lot of weight with these mods, and my camper is a "heavier" Northstar. Bonus list of camper manufactures can be found here)

For stock, my measurements were:
Driver Front: 20-1/2"" Passenger Front 20-1/2""
Driver Rear: 21-1/2"" Passenger Rear: 22"

With Dobinsons MRA 352 coils and 111 Leaf Pack (fresh install - no settling):
Driver Front: 22" Passenger Front 22-1/4"
Driver Rear: 24" Passenger Rear: 25"

With Dobinsons MRA 352 coils and 1/4" spacer, and 110 Leaf Pack (after 2k+ miles - settled in, w/ 3/4 tank of gas):
Driver Front: 22" Passenger Front 22-1/4""
Driver Rear: 23-1/4"" Passenger Rear: 23-1/2"

The airbags lift the rear about 1", but the weight of the camper settles it down 1" (or whatever ride height I want depending on the airbag pressure). The best pressure in the airbags for max weight was around 50-60 psi (around 15 psi when the camper is off the truck). I also have a custom bump stop plate with durobumps attached to the frame.

Some install pics here. Most of the mods I did to carry the extra weight of the camper can be found here (brakes and frame plate kit are currently on the wish list). Pics of the camper here and here.

 

is that the Camp M? model curious how it would look on a short bed.

 

hey, got any inside pics? i tried googling, but there seems to be no info on these anywhere (yet).

 

Technically it is not the “cam M” it is the first ever slide in truck camper they built but it is the dimensions of the upcoming Camp M. It is about the length of a fwc swift model so it would work great on a short bed. For me I like it because I can close the tailgate.

 

That's all!

 

Go check out my Instagram @Go_Rogue_Explore for more pics. Check the 2021 stories highlights

 

I’ve been a casual stocker of this thread for awhile. My wife and I + our 18 month old are starting the search for a used hawk. This is a long-shot, but if any of you are looking to part with a FWC that’ll work in a 5ft bed Taco, shoot me a dm (shell or full build). Thanks & happy trails!

 

I can't recall seeing it done but that doesn't mean it won't work. The newer versions of their "small campers" are probably as wide as the Hawk anyway. At times I do miss my Finch.

 

Oops, you’re right, I meant swift—hawk would be too big!

 

Try the Hawk!

 

The Hawk model is the short bed version built for full-size trucks. You’ll want to look for either a Swift (current model) or a Finch (discontinued in 2014). If you aren’t already, you should watch Expedition Portal, Wander the West, and Facebook sites. They do come up but prices are high...good luck