Sunday, December 10, 2023

The FunWhole Lookout Campground F9022 Building Block Set Review

 

Hey brick builders and Lego enthusiasts! 🌟 Today, we'll take a closer look at the mesmerizing details of the Lego Compatible FunWhole F9022 Lookout Campground set, another great set with lighting kit included! 🏕️✨



Thanks to FunWhole for their generous provision of this captivating set, which has allowed me the awesome opportunity to thoroughly explore and provide a comprehensive, in-depth review. 

** Quick highlights **


  • Set name and Number:  The Lookout Campground F9022
  • Piece Count: 1426 pieces
  • Age Rating: 12+
  • Minifigures: 3 + 1 dog + 1 frog + 1 bird
  • Stickers: Yes
  • Printed Parts: Yes
  • Numbered bags: Yes
  • Lighting Kit: Included
  • Extra parts: Yes
  • Bonus Items: Tweezers, Brick Separator Tool, Battery Pack
  • Retail Pricing: $79.99 USD (as of November 2023)

** Where to buy **


Get the Campground from the FunWhole website or from their Amazon stores, pricing listed below.


And also on their store:  https://www.funwhole.com/products/lookout-campground?ref=tN9EBQmQ


** Unboxing **


To see the unboxing of this Campground set please check it out on my other blog post here.

Ok, let's review the major components and features of this set in the order of building.

** Section 1: The Minifigures and Camping Trailer **

pages 1 thru 22, steps 1 thru 47

The Funwhole minifigures are found in Bag F.  "F" for figures?

There will be other parts in the bag for which you will use later, for now just separate out the pieces that are used to make the minifigures.

Here are the three minifigures that come with the set, 2 guys and a gal.  There's also a pet dog that's included but he comes later.

Instructions on how to assemble the minifigures are right at the start of the manual.

Once assembled, the silver camping trailer is solid, almost too solid.  Looks great with the rounded corners, gives it a real retro feel.  I just wish it was a bit bigger, though.  

I really like the silver sheen of the parts, not quite chrome, but still shinier than normal bricks.

The interior of the trailer comes furnished with a small cot, a coffee maker and a medical kit (which I forgot to put the sticker on).  As assembled, the only way you are going to view the inside is via the door, since the roof is not designed to be removed easily.  I made some changes to my trailer to address this which I will discuss later in the blog post.

The covered awnings can be folded up or down, just like the door.  

A bonus feature is that you can decide what colour of awning you want to use, choices are green or red. All are stickers.

. 🚐💫

** Sections 2 thru 4: The Campsite and the Outhouse**

pages 23 thru 112, steps 48 thru 152


The base of the diorama is comprised of 4 smaller baseplates that make up 32 studs by 32 studs when put together.  Green to simulate land and blue to simulate water.  As it moves away from the water, the base is also elevated making the terrain look more realistic.

Every FunWhole set comes with a lighting kit, which you can see more of in the set unboxing. The expansion board placed right in the middle, serves as a central hub, with all of the wires feeding outward from it.  The lighting wires are strategically placed and hidden through out the display.  There is room for the battery pack as you can see.

Pro tip:  👉 Make sure you have fully tested all of your lighting components by attaching all of the lighting wires and the power pack to the expansion board.  You will need to provide 2 AA batteries to power the lights.   Make sure each of the lights work before you place everything into the base.

 🏞️🎨

With the remainder of the plates installed you won't see all the wiring underneath the base.  I will look at all of the lighting in greater detail later.

For now, check out the cute outhouse and toilet.  There's just enough room for a small faucet (not pictured) and a toilet paper roll in addition to the commode.

Fortunately, there is lighting outside of the outhouse so it's easy to find in the dark.

🚽😄


**Section 5 thru 7: The Lookout Tower **

pages 113 thru 186,  steps 153 thru 230

It's time to construct the lookout tower!


The tower feels sturdy and all parts fit snugly and  it doesn't wobble.  I like all of the details such as the scaffolding and struts that support the tower and the platforms.


To get to the top of the lookout platform, you have to go up a set of stairs to the first level, then. climb a ladder to get to the second level, from there you step up to the side platform that takes you to another set of steps.  Finally you reach the platform which has a nice commanding view of the campgrounds. Whoa, I'm all tired out now from all of the climbing.

🏡🌲

We're not done yet, there's still the cabin to install on top of the platform.

** Section 8:  The Lookout Cabin **

pages 187 thru 214, steps 231 thru 263


Inside the lookout cabin, we find a bed, a wood stove, a pair of binoculars, a fire extinguisher, and a mug.
When you come up the stairs, you can get a nice 270 degree view from the upper platform.

The cabin has both exterior and interior lighting.

** Section 9: The Cabin Roof and the Tree **

pages 215 thru 240, steps 264 thru 303

The stove pipe from the wood burning stove comes right up thru the roof.  I would have picked a better location for the antenna though.

There is the obligatory tree for the campground.  Wish it was taller and more majestic looking.  A bird and his house occupy the tree.
 🌳🌟


** Section 10: Picnic Area **

pages 241 thru 252, steps 304 thru 313

The final bag of parts gives you a whole bunch of little accessories for your campground display.



Of all the accessories, only the Taylor Swift Magazine is not from this set, its from the FunWhole Newsstand set.  Thought it would be fun to include it here.


**Lights, Lights and more Lights **


Alright, let's dive into what sets FunWhole apart from other brick brands. They've got this awesome lighting kit that comes with every single set. In the campground set, eight lights are cleverly placed to light up the crucial spots, giving off this cozy and welcoming vibe. 

The central expansion board is easily accessed by a secret hatch and even has some free slots should you choose to add extra lighting to the set.  I can think of adding an LED light to the interior of the camping trailer as an example.  The power supply can be found in the form of the USB plug connected to the battery pack, which can be secured into the base.

Imagine the camping trailer all lit up in the evening, from the giant spotlight, to the lookout tower's cabin with a soft glow, and even the outhouse throwing out a whimsical light. One of the lights is chilling near the water, and there's even a lantern hanging out on the picnic basket. It's like they've thought of everything to make it shine, literally!

Adding lights to the FunWhole Campground F9022 kicks it up a notch, making it a real showstopper. Whether you're sticking it on a shelf or dropping it into a diorama, those lights bring a magical vibe, making the whole set sparkle – both literally and figuratively. It's like the cherry on top, turning this thing into a masterpiece.. 💡✨

** The Pros and Cons **

As much as I love the look of the FunWhole F9022 Lookout Campground, there are a couple of things I wished could be improved.  The silver camping trailer looks awesome, yet I can't help wondering if FunWhole could have made it slightly larger.  It seems rather small when I park it next to my other Lego compatible camping trailers.  

Here's my attempt at modifying the camping trailer.  It's not much but I added two plates of height to the trailer.  It also allows me to easily remove the roof if I want to display the interior.  In front of the door I added a step-up to allow easier access for the minifigures.

My other lament is the number of stickers in this set.  I guess I'm spoiled after having built the FunWhole Newsstand set which had all printed parts and no stickers.  Not showstoppers but just a small gripe.

Overall, this was a really fun set to build!   Here is the FunWhole Lookout Campground next to the Funwhole Lakeside Lodge.  These two buildings make a really nice outdoor diorama to be sure. 

I can highly recommend this set and I give it well deserved 4.8 stars out of 5.


Well, that's it for now, hope you liked the review, see you next time, bye!

  🌈🧱 #FunWholeF9022  #DelightDayandNight

2 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. You can get it here: https://www.funwhole.com/products/lookout-campground?ref=tN9EBQmQ

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