Really want a Finch, need some Guidance

[jaydon44]

Hey everyone first post on here from me

I've spent hours on this site and wander the west, over the last couple months doing research and just looking at pictures of other peoples rigs and reading their stories, thanks so much for posting your experience! makes everything a whole lot easier for us newbies

My story; i have a 2012 tacoma crewcab short (5') bed started out with a 14' 1976 sandpiper trailer hauling it up to the ski hill a few times a year with a wood stove usually with a friend and a dog....but it was a PITA, and eventually...(chasing the deep powder)... i put the trailer in the ditch on an icy road..pretty scary(no damage) just got stuck....so i sold my camper and so began the hunt for an alternative
I'm a Firefigher in Alberta up here in Canada so i get good stents of days off (6 every 10 days) i rock climb, hunt, snowboard, downhill bike, hike, fish or anything that gets me into the mountains
It will be a good little while until i pull the trigger on this thing b/c of financial deficiency but im looking at a Finch with: heater, fridge, arctic pack, aux battery, solar, silver spur int.&ext. flush mount appliances (i'm definitely concerned with looks)

Questions:

Cold Weather anyone? from canada so camping under 0 degrees Fahrenheit will be common. what are your guys' recommendations for camping in the FWC this cold? obv, keep water lines drained and dry? removing battery while not actually out camping? what are your recommendations for ventilation/condensation control? one problem i foresee b/c of severe winds and snow drift in alberta..would snow cake into vent holes on side of camper ect. and cause problems with vents? i have a heated shop at home where i can always unload and dry out ect.

Insurance? ive heard multiple people say its covered through the insurance of your house then when ur on the road the say its covered by your trucks insurance and then people phone either insurance company and they are like What? no! we aren't gunna cover that...?thoughts? experiences?

Warranty? how is FWC for things like broken fridges after only a year or two? it prob won't happen but just curious

Suspension? i'm going to upgrade my suspension for sure because i want bigger tires and 3 inches lift from stock anyways and i'd assume i'd need beefier springs for the weight of the camper plus all my gear....question is should i get a super stiff spring kit for the back or just get air bags? what are your experiences with this

i plan to get a hold of the guys at jackson hole to go down and check things out at their shop, but in the mean time i'm going to zero in my knowledge of these things and get a picture of exactly what i want/need

if you have any answers to some of my questions or just experiences or other advice on the subject please share! also if you can think of other posts threads that are related please post the links i think ive read them all but they are starting to blur together so i might have missed a few

Thanks in advance

 

[subterran]

Hi and welcome, grasshopper!
The one opinion I can offer is that airbags for Tacomas are like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Go ahead and get new rear springs. Do it right the first time. I'm pretty sure you would have to mod any air springs you get with a 3" lift anyway. Plus, they limit suspension travel. I can't speak on many of your other points though. Good luck!

 

[jaydon44]

Thanks!
i will heed your advice on the rear springs! i'll get that done long before a FWC sits on there

 

[RyanOBrian]

sub'd

 

[kaelc]

I have a FWC falcon on a 5' frontier and love it. Went with OME springs, instead of airbags and it is great. Put the dc battery in your engine bay. This keeps it charged up, all the time and more space in the camper. Dry camp in the extreme winter or just plan to keep the heat on if it's hovering near 0. Didn't insure it, but check w your broker, I'm sure they will take your money. Do it!

 

[bimmeryota]

Since I have a similar size truck but with the eagle I'll chime in on the suspension. I have a mild lift of around 1.5 in in the back of my toyota pickup(hilux). I had Downey springs that I ran with airbags. Worked well but I felt like I was relying too much on the bags when loaded up so I'm having OME springs installed but keeping the bags. I'll use the bags to even it out from side to side but it shouldn't be relying on the bags so much any longer. I had some spacers for the bags but didn't need them with a small lift but that may depend on how they install on your truck. Regarding travel the up travel is limited slightly but down travel I have addressed by using daystar airbag cradles. They allow them to work only in compression with no tension on rebound. I've taken a few rough trips with them so far and they are working great.

 

[sourdough]

I tired air bags,:truck: blew one on the trail. then blew the shock on same wheel. Replaced AB's with Roadmaster Active Suspension springs. http://www.activesuspension.com

 

[bimmeryota]

I tired air bags,:truck: blew one on the trail. then blew the shock on same wheel. Replaced AB's with Roadmaster Active Suspension springs. http://www.activesuspension.com

Were your bags attached to the axle as well as the frame? My understanding is that a lot of the failures are tearing or breaking of the hardware when the axle drops out.

 

[camper101]

For insurance, they'll probably be happy to add it to your auto insurance -- just call and let them know you got a camper. The challenge may be getting them to understand what you have (they might think it's a topper, so just explain it a few times...). In my case, and from what I've heard from others, the additional cost is minimal.

Cold weather: I don't have any great solutions for condensation (wish I did, I think it's just about ventilation and circulation...), but getting the furnace is a good idea along with enough battery power to keep it going. I have a few 12v fans that I stick in there and blow air around the corners when I get home to dry things out. I've got a shell so don't know about snow getting in the vents, although I've seen a few campers in ski area parking lots with the vents taped over. You'll also want to consider the weight of fresh snow on the roof. I suspect you're strong, but it might be a good idea to grab a guitar-speaker-lifter and/or have a way to clear snow from the roof for lifting/lowering.

You can also insulate the camper with rigid foam insulation in some spots and reflectix at the windows (I'd use multiple layers of reflectix). I've also got 1/2 inch foamular insulation on the floor under a carpet. It'll need to get replaced eventually but it keeps the toes warm. If you really want to get crazy, you can get a roll of reflectix to put on the outside of the canvas, but that's not the easiest thing to do, especially in the wind.

I have airbags but can't claim that I know much about them. They seem to work fine, but I don't often get on hardcore trails.

You're going to love it once you get it!

 

[cobblecrazy]

Thought I'd give my .02 worth.

I had a 2001 TRD Tacoma extra cab w/a Northstar pop-up cabover. I did not upgrade the springs/shocks and simply added the airbags. It rode okay for the most part, but I did have some issues with the airbags leaking from time to time. I understand the uses for the airbags, but I don't think I would go down that road again as I think those are better addressed by better shocks/springs. The lack of power with that particular Tacoma (with the weight of the Northstar) caused us the most issues. The Northstar was moved to a TRD Tundra, and, again, I made no suspension upgrades save for the addition of airbags. The Tundra was powerful enough to handle the cabover, but we moved on to a different vehicle based on our needs at the time. We had looked at the FWC at the time, but although we really liked the body build we were not as thrilled with the interior.

Fast forward to 2014. I've had a Sportsmobile, a 4dr Jeep JK with a J30 popup top, and an off-road teardrop. A variety of issues with each brought me back to the Toyota brand, and specifically the Tacoma - this time to a 4dr model w/v6 - and another trip to FWC.

We have had several trips to the factory, and, in addition to the refinements in body build, we found a serious upgrade in the products they use in the interior. Adding a few upgrades from stock (full build, not a shell) and it was under 1000 lbs. A Finch is now on order and should be done sometime next month.

To suspension. I spent months researching different manufacturers and made constant inquiries with friends and businesses dealing with these types of things. I really like the Old Man Emu shock system (Toytec Lifts has some great packages), and I think the Old Man Emu Dakar springs (5 leafs w/2 overloads) is one of the best for the price. I think a whole OME system (3" lift) was about $1800 (they offer several "levels" of shocks). There is an add-a-leaf from OME which is $57 (a longer center bolt is another $8) that can be added should the stock Dakar not meet your needs. I'm holding off until I actually get the camper on to see if I need to add the extra leaf (it might be too harsh when the camper is not on). I had a little extra in my budget so I was able to go with an adjustable remote reservoir Icon system w/the Dakars, and I'm quite happy, but I acknowledge I could have saved myself some money. I think the 5100/5160 Bilstein's are good, and the new TRD Pro apparently is running some upgraded/beefier versions of these as stock. Be honest with yourself as to what you are going to do, and where you're going to go. A top of the line shock may be sexy, and great when running a little faster across the desert, but for the same price you could have a whole backup set of OME in case of eventual failure. If you go with an adjustable coilover I would look at least a 650lb rated spring (700 can be good if going with an aftermarket front bumper and winch).

Insurance. The camper should be covered under your vehicle insurance, but as an add-on (not sure the terminology) to the original coverage.

Cold weather. I grew up in Alaska and northern Washington so not really bothered by the cold. We had some condensation issues in the Northstar when periodically running the heater during really cold/wet weather, but an interior polar wrap solved this issue (FWC offers one that attaches directly to the canvas). Some floor coldness was addressed by a basic rug on the floor. The FWC owner did a really nice youtube video on the arctic/polar wrap, and a friend who has one says it not only works in the cold, but is equally useful in the heat. I never had any issues with snow building up in the vents, but I guess in very strong winds it might be possible. I guess a walk-around the camper from time to time would easily identify anything that needed to be brushed away.

 

[MYTACO]

I have a Phoenix that apparently has condensation issues. I bought an Eva-Dry dehumidifier from amazon. It has helped a TON, especially when the camper is in use. It has been plugged in 24/7 since I got it. I also use fans.

For insurance, USAA covers it as part of my truck. Premium did not go up but it is listed on policy.

I added AirLift air bags to my Tacoma. Like a previous post, I've had minor leak issues, but I have an on board compressor so not a big deal.

 

[sourdough]

Were your bags attached to the axle as well as the frame? My understanding is that a lot of the failures are tearing or breaking of the hardware when the axle drops out.

I fitted cradles(I think they called them). Aluminum cups so the bottoms of the bags were free. Didn't help, binched left rear bag. Don't know if bag leaked first or binched and then leaked. I was stranded out on a trail. By the time I drove back out to the highway, my 5100 Bilstein was blown too.

 

[sourdough]

Were your bags attached to the axle as well as the frame? My understanding is that a lot of the failures are tearing or breaking of the hardware when the axle drops out.

I fitted Daystar cradles. Didn't help, binched left rear bag. Don't know if bag leaked first or binched and then leaked. I was stranded out on a trail. By the time I drove back out to the highway, my 5100 Bilstein was blown too.

 

[bimmeryota]

I fitted Daystar cradles. Didn't help, binched left rear bag. Don't know if bag leaked first or binched and then leaked. I was stranded out on a trail. By the time I drove back out to the highway, my 5100 Bilstein was blown too.

That's too bad. It makes sense pinching would do it. Hopefully you can warranty the shock assuming you wanted them again.

 

[jaydon44]

Wow you guys are great! i had no idea i would get this much help, greatly appreciated!
first step is getting the suspension done, ill be ordering that shortly here actually, installing myself and after that time for a loan:S any words of wisdom to make me feel better about spending this kind of money?
i was considering buying used and I've tried to jump on a couple shells that I found on craigslist missed them all by hours(some of you reading this might be the new owners!), but the longevity of these campers seems to be so great that it makes sense to buy new and get exactly what i want...and save me the trouble of obsessing on craigslist and driving 1000 miles every weekend to look at another camper, anyways I've pretty much got my mind made up just need to pull trigger sometime soon

one other question that I'm starting to hear about, tacoma satellite radio anyone? sounds like i will have to add a second antenna, camper blocks signal i guess; haven't read to much in the forums yet about this but any experiences shared are greatly appreciated

bimmeryota,
i think the first thing i will do before even putting in the Finch order is get the suspension ordered, I'm looking at toytec coilover 5100 adjustables in the front and OME dakar leaf packs in the back for a small lift, those packs should be plenty for the weight from what I've read on here, and if it sags a little still; I will look to airbags

Camper101,
I'll do that with my insurance company and hopefully they can wrap their heads around it, big investment in case of a rollover or something:S i want to get the thermal pack that FWC offers and am told that it helps with condensation...assuming that the thermal layers just absorb the moisture instead of it appearing on the walls of the pop up material..anyone chime in on this? mildew problems more of a possibility when using camper in cold conditions? like I've said though i can pop the camper in the garage for dryouts/clean outs ect

Cobblecrazy
please post pictures when you get it! that sounds like an epic rig!
thanks for your suspension input, i think i will stick with the 5100s for now with a toytec coil for front and the OME leaf pack you spoke of for the front, im hoping the rear isn't to stiff when i am empty, the guys at Tacomaworld forum say it should be just fine, honestly not a big four wheeler, just need to get to trail heads and hunting/climbing/fishing/biking destinations without wanting to drive my truck off a cliff....one day i'll build a crawler!
a good rug is a great idea, I've slept in my truck box under a basic truck canopy with the tailgate down for snowboard trips way to many times in -20 Celcius....-4 Fahrenheit so anything more sheltered/warm/dry then that will be dreamy!

MYTACO
a dehumidifier could be a great idea thanks! this is the first I've heard of someone putting one in a camper and definitely a great idea for condensation