FWC and Bedding

[georgeofthedesert]

I have a question about folks leaving their bedding (blankets/sheets, not pillows) on their bed when they close up their FWC. I have a swift shell and up until a few weeks ago, when I asked the FWC Facebook group about a leak problem, I was under the impression that anything on the bed when closed will set the world on fire and everyone dies. I have an egg crate styled bed topper on the stock mattress and I do leave the sheet on there. However for my water intrusion problem they suggested to put the extra cushions (the ones for extending the bed) on the bed by the windows before you close it. That way it pushes the windows an up angle preventing water from getting fully into the camper. This was told to them by FWC and at least one of those folks has a hawk camper, I don't know what the rest were. I thought that suggestion was crazy and keeping the cushions on there would set the world on fire and everyone dies. However that got me thinking, if those folks are putting those cushions up there can I at least leave the blanket and sheet up there. For those with Swifts/Fleets/Hawks/anything not Granby or Flatbed, do you leave blankets and sheets up there? We generally have a really thin blanket we use for most of the spring, summer, fall, and then one somewhat thicker blanket we use along with the thin one for those sub 60 degree nights. What's the thought on me breaking things if I leave my sheet like usual, but also one or both blankets (the blankets would relatively flat so no folds or bunches)?

The most annoying part of the FWC is that anytime we go somewhere we have to fully pack our blankets and pillows. Generally we camp at a different place every night, and also we don't generally just setup camp and stay there for days. We are in/out of camp all day doing tourist things or adventure things. The biggest issue is having to deal with the bed, specifically having to fold and put away the blankets everyday. It's a relatively small problem but if I could leave the blankets up there at least heck yeah.

 

[okiedavid]

Everyone seems to have a different experience, but I leave my Froli bed system (the short one), stock mattress, thin memory foam egg-crate topper and sheets + thin blanket on all the time when traveling. Never had a leak up front have driven through some wicked t-storms. 2018 Hawk.

 

[tacollie]

We left our blankets and pillows on the bed in our hawk. We did move the pillows to the middle. Never had an issue. It was a '19.

 

[fatmab]

We left our blankets and pillows on the bed in our hawk. We did move the pillows to the middle. Never had an issue. It was a '19.

I do the same with my ‘14

 

[Desertdave]

I had a 1997 Grandby and it had a thin mattress and no room for anything extra on the bed when closed. I then had to roll up and store the thermarests and bags I used to sleep on.

I have a 2014 Grandby now and it has thicker mattresses from the factory, and it has enough space that I can close it up with a 2" egg crate and a heavy winter bag still on the bed.

They changed the height of the overhang portion between those two years.

 

[Sparse Gray Hackle]

I’m curious, do you get window leaks with the top up in heavy rain?

 

[Kingsize24]

Are you guys really getting moisture intrusion into your FWC? It almost sounds like the roof is too lightweight. I ended up buying a Hallmark, and I'm super happy, but we almost did buy a FWC and hadn't heard of this issue before. I'm very curious. What are your thoughts?

 

[Desertdave]

I've not had water intrusion issues in either 4WC I've owned. The first one had the old style windows, with an outside cover you rolled up when open, and had to roll down before closing. My current one has the new style windows with nothing to do outside, just the three layer screen/clear/blackout covers. I recently checked under the mattress and there was zero evidence of any mold or staining there, so I apparently don't really have any condensation issues either.

Now I have always garaged my vehicles and that includes my 4WC, so I may have avoided issues that others had, who leave theirs outside in the weather, unattended for months at a time.

 

[Sparse Gray Hackle]

Be careful with the mattress. A couple of days in cold damp weather camping can get enough condensation to create a problem.

 

[georgeofthedesert]

I’m curious, do you get window leaks with the top up in heavy rain?

Are you guys really getting moisture intrusion into your FWC? It almost sounds like the roof is too lightweight. I ended up buying a Hallmark, and I'm super happy, but we almost did buy a FWC and hadn't heard of this issue before. I'm very curious. What are your thoughts?

I do get water intrusion sometimes, and it comes in through the front driver side window. However it only comes in when the camper is closed up. It's a leak I have been going after for like two years now. recently I realized the leak is water getting to the outside part of the vinyl, then because of the angle of the truck in my driveway when parked, it makes it's way over to the window and pools. Then at a certain point of pooling it starts to come in the window. Originally I had a bunch of air bubble gaps in the sealant between the white roof and the black band that goes around the edge of the roof. Resealing that that fixed a good amount of the problem, but I still get a bit of water intrusion. The water comes in if the camper is closed up parked in my driveway not moving, but also when driving. At this point I think it's coming in through the screws that hold that trim band in place. Almost all of the screws in that area where I can see the water comes in aren't in straight, also FWC doesn't do any kind of sealer on those screws so it's a somewhat common problem. My next step is to pull out those screws put some silicone sealant on them and put the screw back in (one by one). I think I might try some hot glue around the screw head first as a test/temp solution, and once that starts to fail (if it works) go the sealant route. I'm nervous taking those screws out and then not being able to get them back in as strong as they are now. But yeah water is a bit of an issue but only when closed. I've been in a bunch of rain storms with the camper popped open with zero water coming in.

The general moisture side is something I have been super conscious of but haven't run into too much of an issue with it (like the moisture from the heater and breathing not from straight up rain coming in is what I'm talking about here). We just did two weeks out west and at some higher elevations it was in the low 30's, I think one night hit 28F. Leaving the vent above the bed cracked we had no moisture in the morning from the heater or us. I do have a junky towel I keep specifically to wipe down any moisture that should come up, but I've only had to use it a couple times (literally twice that I can remember) when it was insanely humid out and those times the moisture was only on the vinyl behind the thermal pack. We haven't had any instances of moisture under the bed, other than when rain flooded the camper a bunch of times when we first got it.

 

[craig333]

In my older (2004) camper I can't leave anything on the bed. Not a big deal for me. I just toss the sleeping bag back up when I'm ready for bed. A lot of people don't like the old style roll down storm flaps but they work. Not a bit of leakage even in extreme storms.

 

[Kingsize24]

I do get water intrusion sometimes, and it comes in through the front driver side window. However it only comes in when the camper is closed up. It's a leak I have been going after for like two years now. recently I realized the leak is water getting to the outside part of the vinyl, then because of the angle of the truck in my driveway when parked, it makes it's way over to the window and pools. Then at a certain point of pooling it starts to come in the window. Originally I had a bunch of air bubble gaps in the sealant between the white roof and the black band that goes around the edge of the roof. Resealing that that fixed a good amount of the problem, but I still get a bit of water intrusion. The water comes in if the camper is closed up parked in my driveway not moving, but also when driving. At this point I think it's coming in through the screws that hold that trim band in place. Almost all of the screws in that area where I can see the water comes in aren't in straight, also FWC doesn't do any kind of sealer on those screws so it's a somewhat common problem. My next step is to pull out those screws put some silicone sealant on them and put the screw back in (one by one). I think I might try some hot glue around the screw head first as a test/temp solution, and once that starts to fail (if it works) go the sealant route. I'm nervous taking those screws out and then not being able to get them back in as strong as they are now. But yeah water is a bit of an issue but only when closed. I've been in a bunch of rain storms with the camper popped open with zero water coming in.

The general moisture side is something I have been super conscious of but haven't run into too much of an issue with it (like the moisture from the heater and breathing not from straight up rain coming in is what I'm talking about here). We just did two weeks out west and at some higher elevations it was in the low 30's, I think one night hit 28F. Leaving the vent above the bed cracked we had no moisture in the morning from the heater or us. I do have a junky towel I keep specifically to wipe down any moisture that should come up, but I've only had to use it a couple times (literally twice that I can remember) when it was insanely humid out and those times the moisture was only on the vinyl behind the thermal pack. We haven't had any instances of moisture under the bed, other than when rain flooded the camper a bunch of times when we first got it.

I wonder if marine sealant would work well for something like that. It's not only a sealant, but it bonds as well. I've use it with alot of success on many different things.

 

[Sparse Gray Hackle]

It bonds VERY WELL, I wouldn’t use it except for items that you don’t want then to ever come apart.

 

[Kingsize24]

It bonds VERY WELL, I wouldn’t use it except for items that you don’t want then to ever come apart.

Agreed!