2019 F350 4x4 custom HPI flatbed/AT Atlas topper

[Buckstopper]

A question for the flatbed owners; do you have some kind of pivot or flex mount between the flatbed and frame? If not, is there a way to accommodate flex between the flatbed and camper?

My flatbed is on a Fuso so it most certainly is spring isolated from the chassis or it would be a shattered pile of fiberglass and wood... Look Here for more info:

Buckstopper's FG Build

I have been planning on posting my build as soon as I have some spare time. Well, on a non-roughing it trip to SoCal with my wife without the truck and figured this is as good as its going to get for time to post. My truck is about 80 - 90% done at this point so this will retrospective to some...

expeditionportal.com

 

[mk216v]

We have a 6.2 at my office. It has no problem running 75 while towing 8-10k, 4 adults in the cab, and 1000 pounds of crap in the bed.


I think the problem isn't your 6.2... it's you comparing it to a diesel...lol.

Great to hear!

Yes...the 6.2 likes to rev!!! While it has plenty of low end grunt... It's not anywhere like a newer diesel.

Well I'm used to revving engines out once warmed up, so this is good news!

 

[mk216v]

FWIW - I have had both slide in and a flatbed camper on a flatbed. Both Hallmark. The slide in had 9'-6" floor and the new flatbed model is 8' long. There is so much more useable space and open floor on the 8' model you wouldn't think it was smaller. Having the side storage was great but it just meant I hauled more stuff. Maximize your under bed storage instead of giving up floor space in the camper. 5S your tools and gear to figure out what you really need to haul. Stick with the flatbed model.

Also, Hallmark vs. FWC pricing. I priced both before I purchased my Hallmark. By the time I got what I wanted they were pretty comperable and I honestly think the Hallmark is a more solid build with the fiberglass panels. (Lots of FWC fans here so I suspect I will catch some flack for that)

Solar: I recommend you talk to AM Solar in Springfield. They sold me some "seconds" panels that had very slight cosmetic flaws and they have worked very well. I also purchased Victron solar controller and BMS through them. I did Battle Born Lithium batteries and the system has worked extremely well. The other thing to watch if you choose to go to Li batteries is make sure that the charge controller in your camper is for Li and not Lead batteries. It will make a big difference in how much charge you get when you are plugged in to shore power.

Last but by far not least: Make sure you know the distance from the flatbed deck to the top of cab of your truck. It will be different than a pickup bed since there is structure to the flatbed and you may or may not have a hump in the chassis. It may be that a pickup bed sits lower than your flatbed so you can have some room between the cab roof and the bottom of the camper overhang if its sized for a pickup. Hallmark has that dialed in and have created extra storage under the mattress to utilize that space.

ps. Before you hand that cash over on what ever flatbed you purchase pull a tape from corner to corner and make sure its square and the sides are parallel. Don't ask me why...just do it.

Thanks D. I like your 5S comment.

I'll see what I come to with the FWC. I might not do some FWC upgrades, and have them taken care of after the camper is built using higher quality components instead of what FWC uses. I already have 1 160W Grape panel sitting here in a box. I'd augment that with another. I'll see what AM has too.
Did you do 2 6V BB Li batteries, or 2 12V? (I'd go Li or AGM).

Thankfully no humps in my frame rails like a Fuso FG has. I'll be asking Alum-Line to get the flatbed as low as possible--I was told by Northstar that 3-4" gap between top of cab and bottom of camper cabover is ideal. I don't want too much gap there, want to keep COG low.

Ok on measuring the flatbed once complete, thx.

 

[mk216v]

Heck yeah... applies to both of you crazy builders... I gotta live vicariously through you guys since my building days are done (I just fix stuff that breaks now)... love watching them come together, I learn a lot and will poach good ideas.

We all learn from each other, which I appreciate!

I own a FWC Hawk flatbed - and I really, really liked the Hallmark flatbed... it was just too expensive for me. My flatbed camper was 37k out the door with all the options that I wanted... the Hallmark version was easily past 50k. It was just too much for even this foolish spender. I also wanted a builder that was relatively close, had a big following and seemed to be constantly evaluating and upgrading. But really, in the end, I just couldn't afford Hallmark so it was FWC for me. I'm happy with it. I beat the **** out of it.

If I were to go Hallmark, I think I'd want to go all Coosa to go as light as possible and get away from wood, IF they've started using something lighter than Bluewater26 (per an article I read when they first released Coosa use. Perhaps they've upgraded to something like #20 or #16)...and of course the Coosa adds a lot of cost.

 

[mk216v]

Do you get a price estimate on that?

On a basic flatbed with under-boxes yes. Not an estimate yet on my "ultimate" flatbed with upper dog box and storage below, front cut-out for pass-thru to cab, rear cut-out for pass-thru to camper, many other ideas...will see how this shakes out with them. I hope I don't scare them away.

 

[mk216v]

A question for the flatbed owners; do you have some kind of pivot or flex mount between the flatbed and frame? If not, is there a way to accommodate flex between the flatbed and camper?

Correct me if I'm wrong y'all, but it's different if we're talking Fuso/Isuzu, or Unimog, vs modern domestic pickup, yes?

 

[jonathon]

The 6.2 is awesome. Spent a summer driving a 2017 for around 10k miles, most of it towing 7k with of boat. Lots of idle since our summers are hot. That truck is still in service. Never an issue, definitely wasn’t lacking in power. It is thirsty but it’s one of those power plants that in the long haul should give thousands of hours of trouble free service other than oil changes and maybe a set of plugs.

 

[mk216v]

I own a FWC Hawk flatbed - and I really, really liked the Hallmark flatbed... it was just too expensive for me. My flatbed camper was 37k out the door with all the options that I wanted... the Hallmark version was easily past 50k. It was just too much for even this foolish spender. I also wanted a builder that was relatively close, had a big following and seemed to be constantly evaluating and upgrading. But really, in the end, I just couldn't afford Hallmark so it was FWC for me. I'm happy with it. I beat the **** out of it.

Just added up pricing for my FWC Hawk flatbed w/ options so far...around $36k.
Compare with $51k base for the Hallmark flatbed, which has the same interior layout as the FWC or Northstar slide-in's (still feels more cramped due to the aisleway, than the FWC flatbed model w/ rear dinette); http://www.hallmarkrv.com/campers/hallmark-raton/

 

[mk216v]

The 6.2 is awesome. Spent a summer driving a 2017 for around 10k miles, most of it towing 7k with of boat. Lots of idle since our summers are hot. That truck is still in service. Never an issue, definitely wasn’t lacking in power. It is thirsty but it’s one of those power plants that in the long haul should give thousands of hours of trouble free service other than oil changes and maybe a set of plugs.

Keep the 6.2L love coming, I'm loving it, and excited to put some miles on it (as it only has 976mi so far, been sitting under cover since summer of '19, battery on charger).

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Correct me if I'm wrong y'all, but it's different if we're talking Fuso/Isuzu, or Unimog, vs modern domestic pickup, yes?

Not really... modern Chassis Cabs flex a ton more than the pickup variants. There’s a few photos and videos on here of it.

Whether the aluminum frame FWC needs a pivot mount or not, not sure, but a composite box most definitely would

 

[mk216v]

Not really... modern Chassis Cabs flex a ton more than the pickup variants. There’s a few photos and videos on here of it.

Whether the aluminum frame FWC needs a pivot mount or not, not sure, but a composite box most definitely would

When you say chassis-cab, are you speaking about Mitsu, Isuzu, AND RAM and Ford?
And if you're talking domestic RAM/Ford trucks, is the increase in flex because of the chassis-cab frame being a different frame than that under a pickup?
Unimog's have their own standard ladder frame that allows for a lot of "torsional flex"; a special engineered rig indeed!

2 threads here;

pivoting frames and mounting campers

hey doug here you go ; ) look forward to seeing you at the expo cheers lehel and laura

expeditionportal.com

Rethinking the need for a torsion-free subframe...

I've spent an inordinate amount of time in recent months wading through the murky waters of torsion free subframe design (specifically for an FG). One thing that keeps gnawing at me is the fact that there are a few examples on here of boxes that are rigidly mounted with u-bolts, yet have...

expeditionportal.com

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Because of the chassis-cab frame being a different frame than that under a pickup?
Unimog's have their own standard ladder frame that allows for a lot of "torsional flex."

2 threads here;

pivoting frames and mounting campers

hey doug here you go ; ) look forward to seeing you at the expo cheers lehel and laura

expeditionportal.com

Rethinking the need for a torsion-free subframe...

I've spent an inordinate amount of time in recent months wading through the murky waters of torsion free subframe design (specifically for an FG). One thing that keeps gnawing at me is the fact that there are a few examples on here of boxes that are rigidly mounted with u-bolts, yet have...

expeditionportal.com

Unsure about fords, but ram chassis cabs are C channel and their pickups are fully boxed. Seems counter intuitive

 

[mk216v]

Unsure about fords, but ram chassis cabs are C channel and their pickups are fully boxed. Seems counter intuitive

I *believe* Ford are too.

 

[Paredneck]

Do you have the "legendary" 7.3L diesel? I bought a brand new one in 2003, the last year of them- supposedly all figured out and bullet proof. Except it destroyed an alternator and left me stranded on the beach in Pismo two years into owning it and I had to drive around with a Cam Positioning Sensor and a 10mm wrench in the glove box (which I actually used to fix a stranded 7.3L here at the beach)... yes, it was ************** to start it up and hear it clatter like a Panzer division - but I never pulled anything and I never saw more than 14mpg hand calculated and I got tired of expensive oil changes and more expensive fuel so I sold it to a contractor friend of mine and actually broke even on the purchase price! I will say this, the mystique of those things, however misguided, helped them keep their value.

No I have the timebomb 6.0 it’s bulletproofed and deleted but still a headache but has only left me on the side of the road once and it was a blown coolant line where the cheap plastic Y broke.

 

[Paredneck]

Thanks D. I like your 5S comment.

I'll see what I come to with the FWC. I might not do some FWC upgrades, and have them taken care of after the camper is built using higher quality components instead of what FWC uses. I already have 1 160W Grape panel sitting here in a box. I'd augment that with another. I'll see what AM has too.
Did you do 2 6V BB Li batteries, or 2 12V? (I'd go Li or AGM).

Thankfully no humps in my frame rails like a Fuso FG has. I'll be asking Alum-Line to get the flatbed as low as possible--I was told by Northstar that 3-4" gap between top of cab and bottom of camper cabover is ideal. I don't want too much gap there, want to keep COG low.

Ok on measuring the flatbed once complete, thx.

I think doing upgrades yourself is a good idea. While I feel fwc does a great job with their shells the are similar to all the other RV manufacturers with the interior quality. You have experience in a camper but sometimes it’s best to just use it and see what needs upgrading.
As far as solar I have two100w panels on the roof that run into a goal zero yeti 1200 with a second 100ah battery piggybacked to it. Seems to be enough for me. I would like to install a dedicated charger and solar controller though. I use the yeti for power at outdoor art shows and when I do that my fridge turns off.