Four Wheel Hawk-Pros and cons

The pros for me are size and weight. I will likely order my Hawk the last weekend in August. I chose the Hawk because it fit fully in the bed of my truck and I appreciate the layout and construction.

The East-West cab-over bed would be a deal-breaker for us.

I think you can get a north/south (approx. king size) if you get the side dinette (secret, you have to ask at time of order).

Not many responses because RV.net, while a great forum with many experienced campers, is not exactly home to a lot of popup devotes. For more FWC info try these:

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/forum/4-four-wheel-camper-discussions/
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/forums/75-Pop-up-Truck-Campers

As for cons nothing really comes to mind except for the price these days. I purchased my first FWC in new in 1983 and loved it for 25 some years. Just purchased a new Hawk in 2012 and still believe the light weight, somewhat spartan design is for me....but not for everyone. I prefer the back roads, off roads and love the 4wd roads that the Rockies here offer and the FWC works perfectly for me.

We had a Northstar TC 650, also a pop up. Before we bought we considered a Hawk but we could not turn down the deal we found for the 650. If you are the type of camper he spends his time outside the Hawk will be a great camper. If you plan on watching DVD's in the comfort of your lazy boy type chair then you need to go bigger.

We had a N/S bed but the E/W would have also worked.

I had a Hawk shell for 5 years and enjoyed it. It is light enough to not affect the driving much, especially off-road. I only sold it after I retired because I was taking longer trips (3-5 months) and wanted a bathroom.

The only downside to it was that is was poorly insulated. The vinyl softside material had no insulating effect at all. The aluminum frame didn't help any, it passed the cold right through. I suspect any aluminum frame camper would have that issue.

I did a lot of dirt roads and some off-road with it and it held up well.

First off, IMHO the four Wheel Camper is 2nd to none for serious off roading. I have wanted a Hawk for many years but could just not justify the price, although a fraction of the $85,000 XP!!

Now the older I get the fewer amenities of the Hawk become less appealing i.e. having to roll up your bedding each morning before lowering the top, very little storage and going back to a porti potty.

But if I ever had to replace my Sun Lite I would give them another serious look.

Some points on the newer FWCs:

They offer an "Arctic pac" liner that helps as much in the summer as it does in the winter. I have one on mine and I consider it to be a must have option.

They have also increased the height between the bed and roof. On my 2012 I can easily leave my winter weight bag in place.

Yes not much storage but perhaps thats a good thing?

Agreed on the price but that seems to be a problem with all new TCs.

They certainly aren't for everyone....my wife just tolerates me and mine.

But there are advantages.....mine is down there somewhere:

SWMBO and I visited the dealer in Jackson and found the FWC to be perhaps the best-built camper we have seen so far. It is somewhat utilitarian similar to the Livin' Lite brand but finished better. I liked the cabinet construction and the cassette toilet option. Not going to be our choice due to other factors but it was hard to walk away from. We will end up in a hard sided model. If I were a lot younger the FWC would be a no brainer.

I have a 2014 FWC Grandby and I love it. Really easy to pop up and down. It has heat and air, but the camper is usually 20 degrees warmer / cooler than the outside air.