I’m not the type to stay in bed on Friday the 13th or to freak if a black cat crosses my path but I will admit, the universe has a way of mystifying me. Somehow the things you thought were absolutely impossible and far-fetched become very real and very possible in the blink of an eye.
Four Wheel Camper
With Four Wheel Campers (FWC) on our radar for months we had been unsuccessfully scanning Craigslist, the ‘Wander the West’ forums, and ‘Expedition Portal’ for a used popup camper anywhere remotely close to the state of Virginia. We were beginning to think we were S.O.L. and needed to explore plan B; purchasing new. New Four Wheel Campers are expensive so we’d be limited to a shell model, at best.
Woodlands, CA was a bit far to travel for a weekend peek at the FWC showroom so instead we planned a trip to Denver, CO to visit family and the Rocky Mountain Four Wheel Camper location to see one of these beauties in person.
Rocky Mountain – Four Wheel Camper
Chris at Rocky Mountain FWC was extremely patient with us as we meticulously paged through our list of questions and took pictures of every square inch of the showroom popup truck campers. By the end of the visit we were feeling pretty confident in our decision to purchase a FWC Hawk Shell and just needed to figure out how much of a dent this baby would put in our tiny budget.
Rocky Mountain Four Wheel Camper Showroom
Jenna, armed with her book of questions while she drools over the new Silver Spur edition FWC.
Once we got back home to VA we got real about not only the costs of purchasing a customized shell model, but how in the hell we were going to get it from Colorado. Ship it? Take a week off work to pick it up? The costs were adding up quickly. Feeling a bit deflated, we closed our pricing spreadsheets, FWC brochures and turned on the TV.
SPEC sheets, brochures, spreadsheets–Oh my! No good decisions can be made without a little vino.
In one last ditch effort I decided to check our local, Northern Virginia Craigslist. After frequent, empty searches I had no reason to think tonight would be any different but I felt the urge to try anyway.
My Craigslist Search: “Four Wheel Camper Hawk”
Results: “Four Wheel Camper Hawk Model—Stafford, VA”
Jenna: SCREAM “OMG! There’s a Four Wheel Camper Hawk in STAFFORD!!!!!!!!”
Josh: yeah, right. Let me see. OMG!
We e-mailed the seller immediately.
–Fast forward through the sleepless night we both had thinking about the camper.
We NEEDED that camper. Not only was it 30 minutes away and in the town we both grew up in but it was the exact model we wanted!
The next morning, we still hadn’t heard from the seller. I was getting a little desperate/impatient and decided to e-mail again. Maybe he didn’t get my first e-mail?
It worked! We called, spoke to him and let him know to ignore and delete all other inquiries because we were coming down to take it off his hands ASAP.
We borrowed a truck and drove a whole 30 minutes to pick-up our new home.
A little driveway camping for our first night in the camper!
Part of the motivation and reason behind this trip is the simple fact that ‘you never know’. Life throws curve balls and everything can change in seconds; good or bad. In this situation, the universe presented us with the means, motivation and confirmation that we can and should be taking this trip of a lifetime!
You will have the time of your life! Our friends Carrie and Colin have the same setup and are traveling the same route. (With a break)
The just wrote a blog entry about their Tundra/4wheel camper.
You might find it interesting.
http://Www.wakethedeaddiaries.com
Have fun, when are you taking off?
Sissi
Thanks Alaskawilds! We hope so. We’ve been following you guys and wakethedeaddiaries. Their recent entry about the FWC was really helpful. Let’s just say my camper modification list got a bit longer 🙂 We’re hoping to head out in the next couple of weeks.
If you guys need any info. about Costa Rica, Nicaragua or Centro America in general, send me a message. I have been to that area (Surfing) countless times and have MANY connections in CR & a few in Nicaragua …. all very nice Americans living there … and more than willing to share a glass of wine or a beer while the sun sits. Look up Surfaricharters.com in Nicaragua and tell Lance (the owner) that you were refered by me. He and his wife are great people to hang out with and get info. from.
Again, dont hesitate to send me a message.
Pura Vida
Such an awesome find! I too have been wanting a 4 Wheel Camper.. but on a budget and of course I’m struggling to find one used here in Texas. Awesome for you guys, and it seemed like it was a sign it being so close located in y’alls home town too!
Thank you for your comment! We felt so incredibly lucky to find the camper when and where we did. We love it. The used FWCs can be hard to come by but persistence pays off! As you probably already know, checking the for sale forums and craigslist cities within driving distance is a good place to start. Sometimes the FWC showrooms have older models that they sell at discounted prices, depending on your budget. Best of luck in your search! Let us know if there is anything we can do to help or any questions we can answer for you.