And that's a wrap -
In a previous camper, I had a similar problem with intermittent furnace lighting. It turned out to be carbon build up on the sparking device. After it was cleaned up it worked as good as new.
Good tip Gil. You were right, a little gunk that just needed cleaning. All better for now. Glad to hear & see you're out enjoying your new camper. I hope it serves you & your family well.
***********************************
Well folks, here we are... A little over 5 years of owning our camper and maintaining this thread. What I originally envisioned as a short review with some photos has turned into long-term review, with numerous trip reports from the western US and hundreds of photos, with over 153,000 views as of today. To say I'm shocked and humbled is putting it mildly... Certainly not what I had in mind when I began.
This review thread has outlasted -
2 laptops
3 cell phones
3 photo-hosting services
2 cameras
1 roof-top tent
3 sets of tires
3 forum upgrades
Although not always documented, our travels have taken us to -
Utah - 12 trips
California - 10 trips
Colorado - 8 trips
Montana - 6 trips
Idaho - 5 trips
Nevada - 5 trips
Arizona - 4 trips
Oregon - 2 trips
New Mexico - 2 trips
Wyoming - I lost count...
I used to keep track of how many nights we had spent in our camper. Not for bragging rights, more out of curiosity and to justify the initial price of the camper. I stopped counting after 200 nights, figuring by then I had easily justified the original purchase price.
Over the last 12 months I have spent another $400 on upgrades & repairs documented a few pages back. Not bad for a nearly 20 year old camper... We can add another $400 for the Engel fridge I purchased years ago, although we move that back & forth between our 3 vehicles, so it's not exclusive to the FWC. But those numbers are a fair tally of the cost invested in our camper. In my mind, the best money I ever spent.
I have watched this forum explode in popularity over the years, from less than 1,000 members when I started this thread, to over 28,000 members today. Just incredible... In the time I have maintained this thread I have seen the start up of Overland Journal, the Overland Expo events, Overland Training and several other 'Overland' business entities. I've watched a resurgence in popularity for Four Wheel Campers, the start-up of All Terrain Campers, the roof-top tent boom and Adventure Trailers coming into the mainstream.
I've seen some con-men start up their own businesses here and fail, while seeing other companies thrive in a dismal economy. I've rolled my eyes at those here who have had their hands out a little too much for my taste and I have tried to support those who I believe truly deserve it and do their best with it. I've made some good friends here and shared some great adventures with them. In the unpopular role as a forum moderator, I have also pissed some people off. For that I will accept the blame (
since they surely will not) and chalk it up to the Gemini in me.
I've watched another small forum, originally dedicated to FWC owners - with about 10 members, start-up and I directed countless people who've asked me questions here about FWC's to that site to help them get rolling. Today they are over 1,600 members and while they have diversified their content somewhat, they are a good group of folks over there who are still just as passionate about their campers and their outdoor experiences as I am. If you want to know more about FWC's, from an owner's perspective, I encourage you to take a look at WanderTheWest.com and engage in the discussions with some smart, smart folks who go on fantastic adventures. And if you want to antagonize the forum's owner, hang out in their "Advocacy" section and tell him what you really think... ;-)
And in fairness to me, I have attempted to provide, through the information here and in answering hundreds of questions from potential owners via PM's, emails and at trade shows, a fair and balanced look at the products made by Four Wheel Campers. In the time I have owned mine, I also purchased a 2008 Hawk and was fortunate enough to take the company's 'Overland' model on a two week trip through Arizona & California for 'testing' to provide the owner of the company feedback on what worked and what didn't. I feel I have given, and been given, a fair shake by the company to learn & enjoy all the positive attributes of a lightweight slide-in truck camper without becoming a shill. Nor did I bad mouth the company when the owner decided he could sell just as many campers, with or without me giving them tons of free press and glowing reviews. I understand, it's just business and so I wish the company the very best in their future endeavors. And if I take a little smidge of credit, that the company owner won't give me, for increasing their sales over the last 5 years, well, that's my perogative. Keep the kickbacks Tom... You and I know the truth.
And if you do order a Four Wheel Camper through the factory, you should know that Stan and Steve are two of the nicest, most generous and professional salesmen you can hope to work with. I've worked with them in their office and I have seen the deluge of phone calls and emails they deal with on a daily basis. Their workload would kill a lesser man and they should be commended for the job they do. Whenever I see someone gripe on a forum about the time it takes to get a return call occasionally from the factory, I just think to myself that there is no way that the person complaining could do a better job than Stan & Steve. Imagine 2 men trying to fill 300+ camper orders a year, while answering lengthy phone calls and emails from customers, replying to inquiries on forums, attending week long trade shows, scheduling service appointments, maintaining the (albeit, dated) company website and answering who knows how many phone calls from people who bought used campers and have endless questions... It's a grueling job trying to appease so many and Stan and Steve do it day in, day out. So if they missed your call or email, or you're tired of the ol' website, give them a break. They do the work of 10 salesmen and they are genuinely nice guys doing their job the very best they can.
So where am I going with all of this..? Well, my children were 5 & 2 years old when I started this thread. Today they are 10 & 7 years old... Hell, I've even crossed into my 40's in the duration... my, how time flies. And so as they get older and I get older my attentions and desires have changed. I will continue to use and enjoy my camper and I will continue to go on fun trips to great places, writing & photographing what I see. But over the last several months it has become an effort to answer questions and maintain this thread with as much enthusiasm as when I began. Clearly my children need more of my time and deserve more of my time and energy than a camper company that is doing just fine without me. There are plenty of owners online now who can answer and detail the specifics & nuances of these little units, unlike when I first started this thread. So my intention is to fade into the background and pursue this & other interests without feeling the self-inflicted pressure of having to update this thread and continuing to answer questions about the product.
I didn't want to abandon this thread.. I hate when good threads just die off. So consider this a farewell and a hearty & sincere thank you to all who have read and contributed to it over the years. Thank you to those who popped in just to offer kind words & compliments. Thank you to those who kept me up to date with your purchases and experiences. Thank you to Scott Brady for the space to ramble about my ramblings. Thank you to Stan Kennedy, who always made me feel like a part of the FWC team and for selflessly sharing your extensive knowledge about the campers. And to those I may have offended... you'll be alright.
I hope you all have enjoyed the musings here as much as I have enjoyed contributing them. The bottom-line on my review..?
"Great product, buy one & you'll love it, and tell Tom the owner that KC sent ya'."
Now it's time to go camping with my family.... Be well, safe travels and see you down the road -
.
