FWC cab over?

Wyof250

New member
Trying to decide on new camper or remodel my FWC. 1984 keystone. I like the bed completely over the cab and out of the living space in the hard sides, but could I do the same thing with what I have? Has anyone tried to extend this? Can I get canvas for this new size or will I have to find someone to make one,will a roof this long still function? A lot of questions I thought you guys might be able to answer, other things I would have to look out for.
Am thinking I would like to make it 60" deep.
Let's hear your ideas.
 

bill harr

Adventurer
BIG JOB. I had a 2002 Hawk with a short cabover. I wanted to do a 48 inch cabover. The old camper have a shorter side on the cabover section, need to replace this if I extended it. Also new longer roof and new longer canvas. I did check with FWC and ATC to check cost it was in the $5,000 area. I decided to sell and buy a newer camper. You are looking at 60" so everything would be custom and more cost. You would also have a seam in the over hang unless you find 5 ft wide plywood.
 

ripperj

Explorer
I had the brilliant idea of extending the cabover on my Alaskan from a twin east/west to a Queen north/south. It's coming out nice, but a ton of time and work. Your soft sides make it a bit simpler, but I would look for another camper if in your shoes( or mine if I had a rewind button)
The extended cabover also puts more stress on the camper frame.
 

pods8

Explorer
Look at it like this: You wouldn't be "remodeling" your current one you'd mainly be using it for parts. At that point see what makes the most sense for you.

Can you weld aluminum? Its going to require it.

Roof: cut/extend the framing, new roof sheeting, new interior headliner, and need some matching or all new trim that goes around the perimeter.
Sideliner: new sideliner
Camper: Cut and extend the main cabover beam (the weld will need to be of structural quality), depending on the beam calculation you also may need to beef things up so the vertical profile may need to be increased, are you going to add on the top of the whole camper frame or build the beam downwards (which depending on cab clearance means raising the bottom of the camper), also the older camper frames seemed to be mainly 1x1 and framing was much more sparse versus what the newer ones are being built with (more members and also 1x2s are used in more places too) so the frame supporting your current ~32" cantilever may not be up to snuff to support a 60" canilever so additional material/welding/labor to overhaul all that too. Again new or matching trim around the top perimeter, more matching or new siding, etc.

On the beam 1 single 200lb person on the 32" cabover simplistically would have their mass centered at 17" so the moment at the front camper wall (where its the greatest) is 283ft-lb (spread between two beams). With at 60" cabover and lets say two 200lb adults centered at 15" and 45" you're looking at a 1000ft-lb (spread between two beams). So simplistically you're quadrupling the stresses on that cabover which in turn it puts back into the camper frame. I don't know the profile/thickness of that beam off hand.
 

cchoc

Wilderness Photographer
Consider also that the 'skin' of a full size camper provides some support for the cabover and you don't have that with an FWC so the load is all on the beam.
 

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