2003 Bigfoot 10.5E Project

I had one of the front clearance lights leak, fortunately a lot so I caught it right away. The hole for the wiring was large and offset high, so only a tiny sliver of butyl sealing it. I've had one of the vents, the shower skylight, and fridge vent leak too, resealed them.

I've also looked at replacing the Bigfoot with a custom that I would build myself, I'm thinking the budget for that is somewhere around $80-100K plus a year's work or so, probably not happening. Even then, you are stuck with RV appliances, windows, hatches, etc. which are built to a very competitive price and show it. Perfection is hard to achieve.

Wow that project took some tenacious fix it attitude. Well done!

Our BF is a 2000, got it new. It is the 9.6 2500 so less compartments to lead..hahahaa It has traveled almost 200,000 miles on two f250's.

I have over the years had some water intrusion and have fixed each one.
Rear kitchen window, running lights, skylight...
There can be a leaky running light and the water will follow the foam seam all the way to the next
seam and and... So a wet place can be a leak anywhere. Had one from a front running light that left the cabinet on the passenger side bed wet along with the clothes compartment on the same side. I caught it early and no damage occurred.. I really learned about the traveling of the water.

I do have a camper cave thankfully.

Jim

It does seem like they addressed a lot of the pain points after the reorganization. Grant was super knowledgable and responsive about my camper, which surprised me because how often do you find a company willing to support products that were made under previous ownership? I would buy a new one if I could afford it…I actually think their price point on new units is reasonable given the quality of the build. I think price point has a lot to do with the design decisions. I can almost guarantee Grant could design and build a super high end TC (think Oliver TT level) but it’d sell for $20k more. I think a post 2003 model that is maintained and stored inside is going to last a LONG time. The folks on this message board could definitely design a cadillac TC, but it wouldn’t translate to mass production and it’d cost $100k. Modding out a Bigfoot (like many on here have done) is the most cost-effective option (IMO).

I read a recent article about the Bigfoot company by Truck Camper Magazine from about a year ago. Grant the current lead guy detailed all of the changes they had made to their build processes post being resurrected from bankruptcy. It really seemed like they put a lot of thought into some of these things that was lacking before. Kind of made me jealous as they described all of the changes they have made for the better. It is hard to justify selling what I have to "upgrade" for something basically the same but better but if money wasn't a problem I probably would consider it.

One thing that stuck out to me if I recall correctly was the use of CNC cutting for their wood. The precision they have in their construction is making everything "fit" as it should and saving them a lot of time and money.

In many ways, I am super happy to have a Bigfoot camper but the "water tight" nature of the fiberglass is only as good as it was built, how it was maintained and most important of all, if it was stored inside.

In many ways, I think the collective knowledge of everyone on this board with our experiences could design and build a superior camper to any currently existing brand. Might spend decades arguing over the details of course and nobody could afford it either after we billed for our time arguing but hey, that sounds just about normal for a government operation anyway...

In short.... Great work resurrecting a Bigfoot!

Yeah, unfortunately it is a fiberglass camper with a lot of wood in it. The fiberglass shell would be a lot more waterproof if they didn't put in overtime drilling holes in it. The one I ordered from the factory I told them not to put anything on the roof - ladder, racks, antennas, awnings etc. - all of which add maybe 100 holes and potential leaks. Even the hatches and vents can be installed without screws, as have done with any I have resealed. Some joints, like the jack mounts or hand rail mount get worked a lot, you just have to pay attention to them and reseal when necessary.

bwc wrote:
Excellent write up, very easy to follow along. You are obviously well skilled to start and finish a huge project like this. Do you have a garage etc to keep your BF out of the elements? I have always parked our camper inside since we bought it new in 2009...everything is dry and I have not re sealed anything...still like new. It makes a huge difference. Best of luck chasing the small "leaks"...you will win in the end. Once again a great write up.

Thanks! I have a carport that I park it under, so it is out of the rain and snow, but exposed to the cold. I wish I had a heated garage that would fit my rig. That would have made the project much more enjoyable. I was working under a tarp with a space heater many nights. It really delayed me when it came to adhesive and sealant application. Had to wait for weather windows. Maybe when the lumber prices come down I will start the process of lobbying the treasurer (my wife) for a new garage.

If you take care of these campers they will last forever, especially if you are storing them inside. Those small leaks are inevitable, but what matters is that you are paying attention and know where to look. Catch it quickly, and it'll be no big deal. One of the issues (IMO) is the marketing campaign that tells owners that these campers are leak-proof. In retrospect, when I told the previous owner that I wanted to have it inspected for water damage, he made a funny face and said, "it is a fiberglass camper" kind of incredulously. That should have set off the warning bells. Hindsight...

I try to look at it positively though. I know that camper inside and out now. I feel like I can diagnose and repair most issues on the road. I think that'll pay dividends when we start taking multi-week trips.

HMS Beagle wrote:
Glad you were able to work through all the problems! A big undertaking, but I think you will enjoy the camper. It is too bad that Bigfoot doesn't go that extra 5% in some of the problem areas. To be fair I think they have improved (for example, my 2008 camper already had SS screws on all exterior uses) but they still have room for improvement. And as I have said in the past, though the construction quality of Bigfoot sucks, it sucks a lot less than most other brands.

I agree. It seems like they have picked some of the low-hanging fruit in recent years, which is great. Good on them for switching to SS fasteners. The added cost is minimal. I still think they are the best TC for the money.

Sometimes I would get annoyed at their design decisions, but then I'd consider the extra hours that would be required to manufacture with a better construction and thought about how that would affect the price point. Like you said though, some of the stuff is like, come on, really? Grant at Bigfoot is great to work with though. Makes me like the brand even more. I'd love to take a factory tour and pick that guy's brain on some of the design decisions and manufacturing tradeoffs.

cewillis wrote:
Have to admit that I did not read every word - but enough to see that you did a lot of excellent work, and now have a great setup.
BTW, your boss wonders when/if you're coming back to your real job.

Thank you. I did the best I could and I am really happy with my setup now. I am on a 9 month contract and did this during my 3 off months. I definitely would have gotten fired if I tried to do this while working. I tend to lock onto projects and go all in. My wife regularly joked about how I was cheating on her with the truck camper. Even when we were together, she'd be talking and notice I was somewhere else...she'd say, "you're thinking about her, aren't you?" Then she would be treated to a vigorous discussion of adhesive sealants. She is an absolute gem for tolerating my obsession.

BobsYourUncle wrote:
Wow dude!!! :E

That is a seriously big undertaking and repair!!
And yes, I read every single word you wrote and studied every last picture.

I have to compliment you on a difficult job well done.

I know first hand the kind of work and effort that's required to do any kind of repair like that, especially if you don't strip and gut the entire rig. I totally rebuilt a completely rotten old Citation TT, so I can certainly relate to your work.
(Check out mine if you feel inclined, link in sig)

Again, nice work, and thanks for posting this. Sharing all of these repair / rebuild projects here is a huge help to others who want to undertake their own projects.

Happy Camping!:)

Ahhh a kindred spirit! Love your writeup. I feel like it really captures your thought process and the emotional rollercoaster of repairing a wet camper. So many cycles of "screw this, I am done" followed by "no, I can do this and I will do it right". Great work documenting everything as well. I wish I had taken more pictures along the way. There is definitely a satisfaction in knowing you did it the right way and improved on the original design. I really hope the person that scooped your Citation appreciated all the hours that went into it. You gave them a phenomenal deal. RV karma is real though and it looks like you ended up with a great rig.

Excellent write up, very easy to follow along. You are obviously well skilled to start and finish a huge project like this. Do you have a garage etc to keep your BF out of the elements? I have always parked our camper inside since we bought it new in 2009...everything is dry and I have not re sealed anything...still like new. It makes a huge difference. Best of luck chasing the small "leaks"...you will win in the end. Once again a great write up.