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RE: Bigfoot 2500 Front Fiberglass Delam Repair Questions
Assuming you know where the wood substrate is, what I might consider is drilling a small hole (or several) thru the FG and re-gluing…Small holes might then be fiberglassed over using a small area FG repair kit available at West Marine… Either way, that’s quite an ambitious repair you’re taking on!!
3 tons
Yeah, I've thought about this method as well. Going to the shop today to see what the guy says about it and will report back with what he says.
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adamis
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07/27/23 08:52am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bigfoot 2500 Front Fiberglass Delam Repair Questions
Ahh... this sort of thing happens to both Bigfoot and Northern Lite campers - the area you have circled is part of what folks call the "T-Wall".
Forgetting for the moment that fiberglass with the proper thickness and properly saturated with resin all the way through (it is my understanding that both companies "blow" fiberglass and spray resin into/on the insides of their molds - not an exacting method) is "HARD like a boat hull" and would rather BREAK or CRACK rather than "bubble" or "bulge", both Bigfoot and Northern Lite at times (~1/2 dozen NL's have reported the issue over the years) seem to have difficulty getting enough fiberglass+resin in this critical vertical section of their molds resulting in just that - ether what owners describe as a "bulge" or "bubble" in the front vertical wall of the lower section of their campers!
There have been a number of different DIY "fixes" or "work-a-rounds" for this issue posted in the various forums over the years generally involving removal of the 'pass through window' and most/all that is directly behind the wall and ether injecting resin or glue and/or adding plywood/metal sheet and/or using clamps through the window to squeeze both sides until the resin/glue cures and reassembling the inside of the camper and reinstalling the window.
One owner was able to snake a tube to dispense resin/glue into the wall section (between the fiberglass and insulation) and was able to clamp the bulge so that it was flat and then upon removal of the clamp was able to reassemble without to much of a tear down disassembly of that area of the inside of the camper.
I think one owner was still within their structural warranty period and took their camper to the factory for repair.
Thankfully both companies are generally good at fiberglass+resin coating their molds and out of the all the units ether company has shipped over the years there have not been a large number of campers having this failure.
- Mark0
(owner of a 2014 NL 9.6)
Thanks for the great insight. Do you have any links you can point me to that would show some of these other repairs? Would be great to get some ideas on what others have done.
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adamis
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07/26/23 11:53pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bigfoot 2500 Front Fiberglass Delam Repair Questions
No, the fiberglass itself is in good condition. It is just bulging out. Below is a photo that shows what is happening. The bulge is larger than it appears in the photo, the lighting was less than ideal to show it properly but essentially it continues to just below the pass through window.
I did get a response from Grant at Bigfoot and this is what he said.
This is the basement. The bottom horizontal under the main floor is glass in support walls.
The upper walls are glued in with 2 vertical plywood strips up each side of the 4 ft wide center section.
Seems like the bond above floor level gave way from the plywood.
Grant
https://i.imgur.com/YmJ3cwQl.jpg
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adamis
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07/25/23 09:56pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bigfoot 2500 Front Fiberglass Delam Repair Questions
As far as lamination, I don't know what is behind this area of the camper, I assumed it was plywood but I've never walked the factory to see how they are actually assembled. I only can go off of what I observed while working on my holding tanks and there was plenty of plywood from what I saw so assumed it continued up the back wall. I don't believe it is the fiberglass providing all of the structural support in this area, it is too thin but I could be wrong.
As far as the repair and why do it, well, I'm just not the type to let something I own not be in top notch shape. I have the means and motivation to do it and I wouldn't feel good about trying to sell the camper to someone else knowing these issues. Another factor is, the camper is used for my business so it's the business that pays for the repairs, not out of my pocket directly so money isn't as large of an issue. Even if I spend $3k to $4k to get the job done, I'm way farther ahead then spending $40k to $60k on a replacement camper. The math works out for me personally though I understand others might perform different calculations and come up with different results
As far as the door, it opens and closes fine when on the truck. It's only when lifted that it becomes a problem. I'm not looking at performing any repairs on the door itself. My suspicion is that if I get the front structurally braced and rigid, the door in the rear will take care of itself.
I emailed Grant at Bigfoot asking for some pictures and suggestions. He said the repair is not uncommon and to anticipate between 30 and 40 hours to do the job. He provided a picture of the area in the mold and I have circled the area in question. I asked a follow up to him if he could tell me what provides structural support in this area. As far as using a boat guy versus a camper guy, well, if I knew of a camper guy that worked exclusively on fiberglass truck campers for a living, that would be my first pick but I don't think those people exist. A boat is structurally much more complex and demanding so assuming my friend will even take the job (he may still say know, we will find out on Thursday) I feel he has the right skills and knowledge to get it done right.
https://i.imgur.com/5p9RK6el.jpg
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adamis
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07/25/23 03:09pm |
Truck Campers
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Bigfoot 2500 Front Fiberglass Delam Repair Questions
So as follow up to my previous two projects (holding tank supports and truck platform to raise camper) I'm now looking at the next big project. For years the front of my camper on the bottom portion (just below the cab pass through window) the fiberglass has de-laminated from the plywood. It hasn't really bothered me because it's invisible since it is between the cab of the truck. However... it is time to put this project on the to-do list and get it fixed.
The issue I believe at the root of this is that the support wall is insufficient which causes the camper to sag and expand whenever it is jacked up or placed on the truck. I believe this to be the case because the bubble (covering ~20% of the front wall of the camper below the overhead bed) changes in shape depending on if the camper is resting on the jacks or sitting on the bed of the truck. Also of note, when the camper is on jacks, the door of the camper will not open or close. This tells me the entire shell is moving.
I have a contact has a shop for fiberglass boat repair and he has offered to take a look to see what he might be able to do. The current idea barring any better ideas is to remove from bed of camper and support on platform so we know the shape it needs to be in the truck. Then we cut open the front fiberglass area to reveal what we have to work with. Unless they did something different than other areas of the camper, I suspect there is likely a 1/4" sheet of plywood across the front followed by 1" of foam. To add extra support for the camper, my current thinking is to remove the foam and replace with either marine grade 3/4" plywood or weld up an aluminum support truss to tie in.
Ideally we will get this new bracing to tie in with the front jack supports so we can keep the sagging / movement of the camper to a minimum when it is lifted and lowered. Once we are happy with the new support, we will re-glass everything so it is all solid and as if nothing had ever happened.
So my question is, has anyone performed this same repair or encountered these same issues? Are there any pics available to show how the front wall of the camper is constructed and how the front jacks tie into the support structure? Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
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adamis
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07/24/23 12:09pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bigfoot 2500 Underbelly, Thoughts and Pics
My local Ford dealership service bays cannot accommodate my truck with the camper on board. I'd hate to get stuck on the road somewhere with a similar situation and no jacks.
Valid concern but my truck being older than 20 years won't be visiting any Ford dealerships for service anytime soon. The times that I have needed work done, it's been a small independent shop and they just wrenched on it outside. Not ideal but got the job done.
I'm still debating removing the jacks entirely. I do need to remove them to service them. Whether they go back on or not will just depend on how comfortable I am after a few short trips without.
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adamis
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07/24/23 11:45am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bigfoot 2500 Underbelly, Thoughts and Pics
What’s the cradle for and what does it have to do with the jacks? :h
The cradle serves two functions. First, it raises the camper 3" so the camper will clear the roof of the truck. Second, it prevents it from sliding side to side in the bed of the truck. Previously I used a combination of Foam sandwiched between plywood coupled with rubber mats. This all worked well enough but since the weight of the camper is along the perimeter of the camper, the foam on the outside edge of the platform was starting to get more compressed than the inside. This also was leading to some additional movement in the camper on rough roads because of the compressive nature of the foam. The platform addresses both of these issues.
As far as removing the jacks, the camper stays on the truck full time. The only need for the jacks was to either realign if the camper moved around in the bed or to stabilize in windy conditions. With the cradle in place, the camper has very little room to move in the bed of the truck so that eliminates that issue. As far as the stability is concerned, I've put the jacks down maybe twice in 5 years and while nice, I can partially get the same stability by inflating the airbags on the truck to provide some rigidity to the springs.
I want to remove the jacks for two reasons. The first is to service them as they are very tired and barely lift the camper as it is. The second, is to reduce weight since they just aren't needed at this time. My plan is to remove for a couple of local trips to figure out first if I'm happy and don't notice any issues I didn't foresee. If no problems are encountered, I will keep them off and start my winter project of rebuilding them.
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adamis
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07/20/23 09:45am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Air conditioner for my 11 foot truck camper?
This topic is bound to get a lot of comments. There are a lot of opinions on this subject and the good news is, the technology is changing pretty fast thanks in part to the Van Life world. I currently have a huge AC on my roof, it stands 17" tall, looks hideous and sucks power. I've been wanting to get rid of it for years now and I have researched what options are available.
My criteria was to eliminate the roof AC altogether and put it under the dinette seating. This would free up the real estate for more solar (have 200w, would like to expand to about 600w). I also wanted to go with something that was 12v to avoid having to run an inverter. A variable speed compressor to help with efficiency and the desire to run off a battery bank for 2 to 4 hours at a time.
What I have found is, there currently is no single solution available. You can get roof mounted AC units that are 12v, low profile and pretty efficient but my wanting to eliminate the AC from the roof entirely rules out those. There are a couple of options for under dinette applications from the van world but the size, vent orientation and drain requirements don't show any clear winners. The one thing I do have my eye on right now that I think is a potential winner is this:
https://velitcamping.com/products/velit-2000u-under-bench-air-conditioner-12v-24v
This will require some modification to work but I think it is a close enough starting point to work with. This will be replacing the furnace entirely (which will be replaced with a small diesel heater in it's place). This project is still a long way out to coming to fruition but if I can pull it off, I'm hoping to take 100+ lbs of weight off my roof and overall reduce the camper weight by ~150lbs with the elimination of the roof AC and furnace.
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adamis
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07/16/23 12:55pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Aluminum Camper Cradle
Never had a truck camper. But shouldn't there be support across the whole bed and not just at the edges?
The fink foam is actually quite dense and was what I supported the entire camper on prior to this project. It will support the middle just fine. Most of the weight is on the perimeter of the camper but support does need to be in the center to help support the holding tanks. The pink foam is more than sufficient for the task.
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adamis
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07/09/23 11:10pm |
Truck Campers
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Aluminum Camper Cradle
I teased this in another thread but thought I would start a new one completely. My Bigfoot Camper is not tall enough to clear the roof of my cab and needs to be lifted about 3". For several years, I ran high density foam sandwiched between pressure treated plywood. While this worked well enough, it was clear the foam was beginning to compress under the load. I also think it added some bounce / movement to the camper more than necessary.
I've had it on my mind to build a cradle for the camper for some time now. I finally got the chance to execute it. I used 3"x5"x0.25" Box tubing for the frame and the sides are 0.25"x6"x12". The box tubing used was way overkill but I didn't notice it until after I had it loaded at the supply depot. Also, we had initially planned to go with 3"x4"x0.25" tubing but they didn't have any so the 3"x5" was forced on us. If I where to do this again, I would go with 3"x3" by 3/16" thickness which I think would provide ample strength where it is needed but not be way overkill.
All of this was fully welded up. Foam was cut to go in the center to support the center of the camper. A rubber mat when on the floor of the bed, the cradle on top and then another rubber mat on top. I also added rubber padding to the sides that support the camper from moving around. There is about 0.25" to 0.5" between the cradle and the base of the camper. Later on I will be adding additional rubber on the support arms to close this gap so camper will stay completely centered (ran out of time and rubber material adhesive).
Prior to all of this work, I opened up the belly of the camper and re-supported all of my holding tanks, making sure they all were tilted and support correctly (both fresh and grey tank were sagging in the wrong direction leaving only 75% usable capacity available.
Overall, very happy with the project. I have my friend Jay to thank for helping with the welding and fabrication plus his yard to do the work. Heck of a great guy. I didn't take a ton of pics but hopefully these will suffice for the curious.
My next project will be to service all of my very tired jacks. They just barely lift the camper these days, I think the motors are just about shot. At least I won't be needing them for a while now and can likely remove them indefinitely to work on them!
https://i.imgur.com/oxY5fWTl.png
https://i.imgur.com/034U75Pl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XxvhgYGl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dWgC2BXl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7A2sP7nl.jpg
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adamis
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07/09/23 08:22pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bigfoot 2500 Underbelly, Thoughts and Pics
Well, stage one of the camper project is complete. Added a bunch of additional strapping to get the tanks hanging in the right direction. Water tank now empties to about 90% empty which I'm going to call a win. I think the hose connection would have to be rerouted to underneath the tank to get another 5% drainage.
The grey tank which is the middle tank was hanging completely in the wrong direction. Hard to see from pics but the rear strap on it was nearly useless. I'm not sure what they were thinking but now that I have it orientated correctly, I probably picked up another 15% capacity, maybe even more.
The black holding tank was the only tank that the straps were actually tight on and was not hanging or sagging at all. I still added one brace to it but doing fine.
One thing I found surprising, I always thought the bottom footprint was 1" or 3/4" plywood behind the fiberglass. Nope, it's 1/4", then 1" of foam and then 1/8" plywood on the inside. The weight rests on a wood bottom rail that goes around the perimeter. This made finding solid wood a bit more challenging than I would have liked. In the end, a lot of screws and a few lucky hits but I don't think anything is going anywhere now.
Tomorrow is phase two (see last pic). We will be building a cradle out of aluminum. This will be secured to be bed and the camper will sit inside of it. The plan is to remove the jacks (they need to be serviced and painted in addition to the actual mounting brackets. I may end up leaving the jacks off, haven't decided just yet but it's been rolling around in my mind. A little bit of weight reduction. Then again, when it's windy, always nice to have jacks. Might just remove the fronts and leave the rears in place or just them cleaned, painted and put back on. Who knows.
Anyway, the whole idea is that once the cradle is built the camper won't move around at all. Aluminum tubing for those wondering is 3"x5" with .25" wall. Way overkill, something I didn't really realize until it was being loaded onto my truck after being cut. The 3"x5" was a result of them not having 3"x4". Had I done a little more homework before picking up the tubing, I would have gone with maybe 3"x3" with 3/16" wall thickness. But, it's paid for now so it is what I'm rolling with.
Before: Grey Tank was actually hanging in the wrong direction so it would never fully drain.
https://i.imgur.com/NQPiuXGl.jpg
Front facing aft. Finished bracing water tank. You can see grey tank behind it. hard to tell but it's sagging in the corner so it would never drain.
https://i.imgur.com/uyh8dgbl.jpg
I had to use a lot of screws because it was hit or miss on finding solid wood.
https://i.imgur.com/qR7BNGKl.jpg
Full stitched underbelly shot.
https://i.imgur.com/fXuSj1bl.jpg
Tomorrow's project:
https://i.imgur.com/oxY5fWTl.png
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adamis
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07/08/23 10:18pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bigfoot 2500 Underbelly, Thoughts and Pics
Tomorrow I will be working to add additional strapping. I have a bunch of angled metal that is pre-punched with holes, can't remember what it is called. This should provide the support for the middle of the tank to avoid the sagging at least. How much I accomplish we shall see as I'm fully expecting a miserable experience of it with being on my back on gravel with no space for my hands or tools to secure anything.
Anyway, my plan is to raise the forward portion of the tank completely so the top of the tank touches the bottom of the floor. Then, I'll leave the angle so that the back portion of the tank (where it connects to the hose) is the low point. This hopefully will result in me recovering about 20% of the water that would not drain otherwise.
I will try to take some pics to show what the end result is.
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adamis
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07/07/23 11:42pm |
Truck Campers
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Bigfoot 2500 Underbelly, Thoughts and Pics
Starting on a project on the camper (Bigfoot 2500, 10.6) and as part of it, I needed to remove the bottom panels of the camper to see where the tanks are. I took some pics and stitched them together to give a rough idea of what the tanks and layout look like for anyone else that might want to know. The stitching isn't perfect, just working with the quick pics I could take.
Anyway, here are some thoughts...
1. The tanks are hung from the floor. This is a Bigfoot 2500 basement model. When the camper is sitting in the bed of the truck one would think the tanks would settle onto the bottom of the camper which would in turn be on the floor of the truck but that isn't really the case.
2. The tanks are actually suspended via the straps. The insulating foam (removed for pics) that was used is a low density foam and would compress easily with weight. This means, more than likely, your tanks are always being supported by the straps and not resting on the floor of your truck.
3. The straps, especially for the larger tank was insufficient. They also stretch it appears from years in service. The result is the tanks will bulge down where not supported thus leaving sections of the tank lower than the water outlet.
4. My fresh water tank and the way it was supported left ~20% of the water unusable due to first the straps sagging leaving the rear (where the hose connects) at a higher angle than the front of the tank. Also, the placement of the hose bib fitting means the tank will never be empty.
5. There is a LOT of unused tank volume available if one was to make their own tanks from aluminum or something. The tank height might be able to increase at least an 1" (maybe more if you weren't worried about having insulation between the tank and the fiberglass body). The front portion of the tank (L shape) could be widened maybe four more inches.
6. The grey tank (middle tank) could also be increased substantially. Additional strapping should be added and for some reason, the back strap actually goes over the sending unit wiring and fittings so it's compromised.
7. The black tank could also substantially be increased in size as well. Both in height and width.
For my current project, (and the amount of time I have) I'm just going to try to add more straps, address the budging and angles of the fresh tank so I get more usable capacity out of it.
For future projects, should I find myself with way more time, custom tanks could be made to increase the holding capacity for each of these by at least 15% if not 20%. I don't think I will ever get there myself but it certainly would be an interesting project.
https://i.imgur.com/up3whjvl.jpg
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adamis
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07/05/23 12:28am |
Truck Campers
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RE: NorCal Mini Truck Camper Rally - April 2023
Rob, know that we had a most enjoyable time while there, the weather and campsite couldn’t have been better and the group was superb - like one big family! …You Sir are an awesome fella, and definitely ‘the multi-talented’ Renaissance Man !!… I thoroughly enjoyed our many multi-varied chats (lol !), and thanks for putting up with me :)
Our Best to You Sir,
Phil & Deb
Thanks Phil! I had a great time and really happy to host. Looking forward to next year! I am working on sharing pictures and drone footage and will post them here in a couple of days when I get a chance to process it all.
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adamis
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04/26/23 01:42pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: NorCal Mini Truck Camper Rally - April 2023
Here with Mike and Kelly, looking forward to the rest of you getting here. If you need anything, text or call me at 408-836-3542.
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adamis
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04/21/23 02:09pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: NorCal Mini Truck Camper Rally - April 2023
Well folks, camper is all packed up and ready to roll! I will be in Redding Thursday evening but likely will not be out to the property until mid Friday morning. For anyone arriving early, my first post has instructions including the gate combo.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
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adamis
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04/19/23 06:56pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: NorCal Mini Truck Camper Rally - April 2023
I don’t have a lawn, and a bare minimum of un-landscaped area, so no such wacker in my garage…
3 tons
The joys of desert living!
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adamis
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04/16/23 08:58pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: NorCal Mini Truck Camper Rally - April 2023
Robert, we would like to take advantage of your offer of an early check-in. We have a friend within walking distance of your property and finalizing the timing of things for Wednesday or Thursday.
Can I bring up a string weed Wacker and do any site prep for you knowing how we were arranged last year?
Hi Mike, absolutely! I will be up in Redding on Thursday myself but likely won't be at the property until Friday mid morning. Gate code for the lock is 1065 so you can get in. If you have any trouble, shoot me a text, I am going to be only ten minutes away.
Weed wacker might be helpful but I honestly don't know what the current state is. Looking forward to seeing you guys!
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adamis
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04/16/23 08:57pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: NorCal Mini Truck Camper Rally - April 2023
OP just wondering how many campers do you estimate will be in attendance?
We'll probably be rolling in sometime Fri afternoon as were staying the night about 300 miles south of the rally just off the 5.
Looking forward to meeting everyone.
Hard to say, last year we had about 5 rigs I think. This year between 5 and 10 is my guess. I think most everyone from last year is in and I'm pretty sure there are a couple of new folks that posted in here making plans.
There should be plenty of room for up to about 20 campers and even then, we can probably squeeze more if we had to.
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adamis
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04/12/23 05:50pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: NorCal Mini Truck Camper Rally - April 2023
Hi all, hard to believe we are getting to be so close to the rally. Excited to see you all again soon! Creek has been flowing well. This is a pic a neighbor shared, she took it at a bit of a weird angle but still quite a nice sight!
https://i.imgur.com/076oqI7l.jpg
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adamis
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04/09/23 05:38pm |
Truck Campers
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