Trikebubble
Adventurer
Full Time, very cool and ambitious. Good on you. Let me know when you venture across the Northern border into BC.
Bailey's 2018 Four Wheel Camper (Raven) - Build & Photos
- Thread starter BJ'sFJ
- Start date
Full Time, very cool and ambitious. Good on you. Let me know when you venture across the Northern border into BC.
fireball
Explorer
Amazing photos, thanks for sharing!
I've got a 2012 Tundra for my work truck, our Hawk has been on it a few times and I'm happy with it. Heavy campers can strain the Tundra, but since yours is the slightly smaller Raven and a lighter shell model you should be just fine.
Did your shell come with a charger so that when plugged into the truck the battery is charging? Or will the solar panels need to do all the work?
I've got a 2012 Tundra for my work truck, our Hawk has been on it a few times and I'm happy with it. Heavy campers can strain the Tundra, but since yours is the slightly smaller Raven and a lighter shell model you should be just fine.
Did your shell come with a charger so that when plugged into the truck the battery is charging? Or will the solar panels need to do all the work?
BJ'sFJ
BJ's Tundra :)
Yes, sold it November 2017 and picked up the Tundra December 2017.
BJ'sFJ
BJ's Tundra :)
Thanks! I do plan on heading North at some point
Thank You
With all of my additions (suspension, lights, skid plates, water, camper, gear, etc) I'm estimating my weight to be 1450lbs over factory. This includes me and the dog.
It does not have shore power but does have a blue sea smart isolator to make sure I don't accidentally kill the truck battery. I am running 200W solar and 2 camper batteries. Solar charges everything just fine once I added the extra battery. I'm sure in the summertime I'll have plenty of power
BJ'sFJ
BJ's Tundra :)
Decided to build a simple cabinet. Wanted additional storage while maintaining access to the electrical below. Might add a few more trim pieces down the road.
Very happy with how it turned out.
Also, I forgot to mention this, I added a passenger-side porch light for additional illumination. You can see it below:
Very happy with how it turned out.
Also, I forgot to mention this, I added a passenger-side porch light for additional illumination. You can see it below:
BJ'sFJ
BJ's Tundra :)
There is a gap due to the rubber bumpers at the front of the camper. It's designed to eliminate the possibility of the camper rubbing the bed.
Tomorrow, I will be having 10/40 Overland bolt the camper directly to the bed and trim the bumpers in the process. This will hopefully allow the camper to slide in an extra 1-2"
BJ'sFJ
BJ's Tundra :)
I've had the camper for about 3 months now and I decided I needed something stronger than the factory turnbuckles to secure it to the bed.
The camper is typically secured by turnbuckles that attach to (4) forged eye bolts and aluminum backing plates. Unfortunately, the turnbuckles need to be checked often and can bend or shift under hard impacts. This allows the camper to move slightly in the bed and the turnbuckles to possibly fall off. I've had my camper move twice and the turnbuckles have stayed perfectly tight.
I didn't want to worry about the camper so I reached out to 10/40 Overland in Wildomar, CA to have my camper bolted directly to the bed. This prevents the camper from shifting or moving at all. They installed (4) 3/8" stainless steel bolts and aluminum backing plates. I also kept the factory turnbuckles which makes 8 total attachment points.
This camper isn't going anywhere! Very happy with the work done by 10/40. I highly recommend them if you're an FWC owner or looking to purchase one. They know their stuff.
The camper is typically secured by turnbuckles that attach to (4) forged eye bolts and aluminum backing plates. Unfortunately, the turnbuckles need to be checked often and can bend or shift under hard impacts. This allows the camper to move slightly in the bed and the turnbuckles to possibly fall off. I've had my camper move twice and the turnbuckles have stayed perfectly tight.
I didn't want to worry about the camper so I reached out to 10/40 Overland in Wildomar, CA to have my camper bolted directly to the bed. This prevents the camper from shifting or moving at all. They installed (4) 3/8" stainless steel bolts and aluminum backing plates. I also kept the factory turnbuckles which makes 8 total attachment points.
This camper isn't going anywhere! Very happy with the work done by 10/40. I highly recommend them if you're an FWC owner or looking to purchase one. They know their stuff.
BJ'sFJ
BJ's Tundra :)
Google images of the specific camper on your ride. The bed lengths vary slightly between manufacturers.
My Toyota Tundra short bed is slightly shorter than the F150 short bed
codename607
Adventurer
Things are looking good! How are you liking the Weboost? That's one thing I would like to add to my camper.
White Dog
Member
Very nice build!
Some time when you aren't in a hurry, try running at 55 mph. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the gas mileage. I've known the service crew at my Toyota dealership for 30 years. We've discussed mileage with the Tundra. They maintain it is tuned for maximum mileage at 100 km/hr (I'm Canadian) which is just over 60 mph. As soon as you go over that, the mileage declines pretty quickly. I typically get about 19 mpg (imperial gallon - you can do the math) at 100 kph with my Grandby at full travel weight. . That goes up to 22 if I keep the speed at around 90 kph (55 mph). This assumes flat country and minimal wind. Hills and headwind can make a big difference of course. Cruise control also causes a loss in mileage.
Some time when you aren't in a hurry, try running at 55 mph. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the gas mileage. I've known the service crew at my Toyota dealership for 30 years. We've discussed mileage with the Tundra. They maintain it is tuned for maximum mileage at 100 km/hr (I'm Canadian) which is just over 60 mph. As soon as you go over that, the mileage declines pretty quickly. I typically get about 19 mpg (imperial gallon - you can do the math) at 100 kph with my Grandby at full travel weight. . That goes up to 22 if I keep the speed at around 90 kph (55 mph). This assumes flat country and minimal wind. Hills and headwind can make a big difference of course. Cruise control also causes a loss in mileage.