elliottblackwood
Adventurer
You have more counter space than my apartment.
Keep up the good work!
Keep up the good work!
SLO's FWC Hawk Refurb/Build...
- Thread starter SLO_F-250
- Start date
SLO_F-250
Explorer
Dang man.. You got a LOT completed on that rig. Very nice! Great work.
Thanks Guys! It was a MARATHON WEEKEND for sure! I was in the shop by 8:00am and out by 8:00pm both Sat & Sun. Had to get it all done! haha
Update on the Morning Star SS-10-12V charge controller: It is working great but at night, I get a critical error blinking light warning. Then when the sun comes up in the morning all goes back to working. I called up Morningstar and they said that the original line had this problem. It won't hurt anything but a sensor is a bit too sensitive and it bypasses night mode to error. They were VERY helpful and have sent me another one free of charge. Great Company to those who are looking to add solar to your campers.
Jack,
Picture of the Engel Fridge venting diagram. No Holes!
Good luck with your shell build and your truck is looking great!
Overland Hadley
on a journey
You have 80 pounds of lifting power coming your way. :ylsmoke:
SLO_F-250
Explorer
Thanks Overland!!! I hope I didn't miss them as I was out of town for the past 11 days on a Utah Mountain Biking trip. Lots of picts to post now! :sombrero:
Teaser picts soon.......
Overland Hadley
on a journey
I hope UPS still has it, they tried three times. Should be some notes on your door.
SLO_F-250
Explorer
They should be delivered today. Cant wait! Roof is WAY heavier with that big solar panel on top! :sombrero:
SLO_F-250
Explorer
Camper Update & Trip Teasers
Well after this last 9 day trip the SW Utah I have to say all the mods I have done to the camper have been AWESOME!!!!! :wings: Everything worked great and I LOVE the new Engle Fridge. I have some minor things hear and there that I will get to but overall the big part of the project is done. The main thing I should have done is add another USB charger station and 12v charger station. On this last trip my camper was working overtime with all the go pro's camera equipment and cell phones charging. Guess that's what happens when you are the support vehicle for 5 guys mountain biking their brains out! haha I also would like to put a permanently mounted inverter in there. Not sure how expensive they are but am going to have to do some research.
Ill post more on my future plans/mods for the camper but for now how about a few picts from the trip and the last few mods I made.
I am still figuring out the bike rack situation and decided to scrap my swingout setup for now. Luckily my Thule Rack is able to bend down and get out of the way of my tailgate which allows me to have a step ladder. I found the traxion tailgate ladder online for about $40 and thought it would work great. Well lets just say it did. Make my setup nice and slick and I have just enough room to fit it in between the camper and tailgate. What do yall think?
Next I found a guy on WTW who was selling his Dometic Catalina 2500 awning. He gave me a killer deal and happened to be in St. George Utah where I was headed through on my trip. So I picked it up and field installed it on the mesa in Utah. Works Great!!!
Here are a few shots from my trip. Ill get a trip report started up when I get more pictures from the rest of the guys on the trip....
Camp First night on the road. Left SB/Ventura late and stopped off and camped in the desert about 30 miles outside Barstow.
Headed out in the morning. Had to play a little. I was dieing to get the rig in 4x4 and test it out a bit. Pulled out of the sandy washes with all that weight no problem. Bummer I didn't get better pictures.
Shot of Camp up on Gooseberry Mesa. Lots of bikes, tools, guys, and fun! You can see the new awning setup in the background.
This was my life for 9 days.... Oh I want to go back! HAHA
Cheers,
Paul
Well after this last 9 day trip the SW Utah I have to say all the mods I have done to the camper have been AWESOME!!!!! :wings: Everything worked great and I LOVE the new Engle Fridge. I have some minor things hear and there that I will get to but overall the big part of the project is done. The main thing I should have done is add another USB charger station and 12v charger station. On this last trip my camper was working overtime with all the go pro's camera equipment and cell phones charging. Guess that's what happens when you are the support vehicle for 5 guys mountain biking their brains out! haha I also would like to put a permanently mounted inverter in there. Not sure how expensive they are but am going to have to do some research.
Ill post more on my future plans/mods for the camper but for now how about a few picts from the trip and the last few mods I made.
I am still figuring out the bike rack situation and decided to scrap my swingout setup for now. Luckily my Thule Rack is able to bend down and get out of the way of my tailgate which allows me to have a step ladder. I found the traxion tailgate ladder online for about $40 and thought it would work great. Well lets just say it did. Make my setup nice and slick and I have just enough room to fit it in between the camper and tailgate. What do yall think?
Next I found a guy on WTW who was selling his Dometic Catalina 2500 awning. He gave me a killer deal and happened to be in St. George Utah where I was headed through on my trip. So I picked it up and field installed it on the mesa in Utah. Works Great!!!
Here are a few shots from my trip. Ill get a trip report started up when I get more pictures from the rest of the guys on the trip....
Camp First night on the road. Left SB/Ventura late and stopped off and camped in the desert about 30 miles outside Barstow.
Headed out in the morning. Had to play a little. I was dieing to get the rig in 4x4 and test it out a bit. Pulled out of the sandy washes with all that weight no problem. Bummer I didn't get better pictures.
Shot of Camp up on Gooseberry Mesa. Lots of bikes, tools, guys, and fun! You can see the new awning setup in the background.
This was my life for 9 days.... Oh I want to go back! HAHA
Cheers,
Paul
Nice!
There's good riding and camping up there on the mesa. If you were there for 9 days I'm guessing you sampled the goods across the highway as well.
In regards to the bike rack; go for a front mount hitch. Don't have to worry about it being in the way of the camper door, won't back into anything and less road grime on your bike.
Not the best pic to show detail, but you get the picture. It's now on my new rig.
Good work on your build by the way!
Kevin
There's good riding and camping up there on the mesa. If you were there for 9 days I'm guessing you sampled the goods across the highway as well.
In regards to the bike rack; go for a front mount hitch. Don't have to worry about it being in the way of the camper door, won't back into anything and less road grime on your bike.
Not the best pic to show detail, but you get the picture. It's now on my new rig.
Good work on your build by the way!
Kevin
SLO_F-250
Explorer
Oh yea, Spent a night north riding the Guacamole Trail. Didnt make it south to Little Creek Mesa though. Next Year. The front bike mount is pretty good idea.... Just not sure how I like my bike being in front. Ill have to think about that.
Cool Rig. How did you like the flatbed? I've been debating one for a while. Thanks for the compliment!
Thanks Redline! Nothing like a field install! It was a fun couple beer afternoon project. Very Easy.
Chevrolado
Cruisin'
Wow. Looks like a blast man! Great to see you are getting plenty of use with your hard work! Very cool! Keep it up.
I forget what 'They' (meaning organized local mtn bike advocates) were calling the area across the highway from Gooseberry. Is it "legit" now & are they calling it the 'Avocado Trails'? The last time I was there (5+ yrs), 'They' were talking with the BLM & trying to make it a legit trail head, much like Gooseberry; parking, toilets etc. At that time it was still just crudely marked (& very fun!) slick rock/high desert riding. Has that changed? Either way, I'm sure it's still fun, just curious.
In regards to the front mount hitch, yeah, it takes a bit to get used to the IDEA of bikes up front.
Most of the time when I'm traveling it's just me, & I built my rack to hold my bike facing towards the passenger side, that way I can pull the seat & have an unobstructed driving view.
Again, it cuts way down on road grime, especially when driving through sh#@ty north west weather towards more riding friendly climates.
As a "retired" bike mechanic I still see a lot of friends bikes who have come back from late fall and/or early spring trips to the south with completely corroded cables wondering why they won't shift anymore. Then they tell me of the epic storms they passed through and all the brown caked ice on the back of their rigs & bikes...
Meanwhile, I drive to Baja & back every winter with my bike up front with very few worries. And my bike is always in view. Just my $0.02c.
Have fun
In regards to the front mount hitch, yeah, it takes a bit to get used to the IDEA of bikes up front.
Most of the time when I'm traveling it's just me, & I built my rack to hold my bike facing towards the passenger side, that way I can pull the seat & have an unobstructed driving view.
Again, it cuts way down on road grime, especially when driving through sh#@ty north west weather towards more riding friendly climates.
As a "retired" bike mechanic I still see a lot of friends bikes who have come back from late fall and/or early spring trips to the south with completely corroded cables wondering why they won't shift anymore. Then they tell me of the epic storms they passed through and all the brown caked ice on the back of their rigs & bikes...
Meanwhile, I drive to Baja & back every winter with my bike up front with very few worries. And my bike is always in view. Just my $0.02c.
Have fun
Oh yeah, almost forgot: the Flatbed.
The flatbed on my last rig was AWSOME! So much more usable space than a traditional body pickup. Honestly, I don't know why any pickup doesn't, at the very least, come from the factory with an option of a flatbed.
On one side I stored all of my windsurfing sails, the other side I stored shovels, grill, tools, etc. When I was camped that side doubled as a camp kitchen.
I can't wait until I have enough time/money to build a flatbed for my new truck. Aluminum, underbody boxes, custom side boxes, the list goes on...
IMHO, with your evident skills, a flatbed and front mount hitch are in your near future!
Kevin
The flatbed on my last rig was AWSOME! So much more usable space than a traditional body pickup. Honestly, I don't know why any pickup doesn't, at the very least, come from the factory with an option of a flatbed.
On one side I stored all of my windsurfing sails, the other side I stored shovels, grill, tools, etc. When I was camped that side doubled as a camp kitchen.
I can't wait until I have enough time/money to build a flatbed for my new truck. Aluminum, underbody boxes, custom side boxes, the list goes on...
IMHO, with your evident skills, a flatbed and front mount hitch are in your near future!
Kevin