Bigfoot 30c10.11 SL Sag & Slideout Gap
Hi All - First post here. I am the new-to-me owner of a 2003 Bigfoot 30c10.11 SL camper. When the slideout closes, it leaves a 1" gap at the top/rear of the slide, where I think water could get...
Forum Discussion
That link was to me. That problem was the fixed end to the camper rollers were wearing into the bottom of the slide. Not related to sagging which I also had about 2 years later. The sagging is a combination of too long an overhang and the weight. On ours with a full wall slide one of the full length beams broke. They were made by Bigfoot our of 2x2's and some probably 3mm plywood stapled on, basically just not strong enough, If you take off the bottom cover you will probably see the problem. The combination of weight and bouncing on rough roads was too much for the existing structure. Mexico is tough on anything faintly fragile, that is why we are not taking it to South America.
For those who don't have one, the 30 series are built entirely differently than the clamshell 15 and 25 series.
I did the math(a rather simple structural engineering problem) and figured out that a subframe made from 2 pieces of 1-1/2" SQ by 18 gage tubing would hold of the camper quite well with a maximum of 5/16" deflection making the assumption that the weight was evenly distributed which I knew to not be true. In actual practice due to the tank locations the back end is much lighter. I assumed an all up weight of 5500lb(our camper with options is listed at 4700).
My frame is two pieces of tubing, side by side, the full length of the camper on each side with cross pieces in front, at the end of the truck bed and one at the back working my way around the drains. I used 16ga as it is regarded as structural and more available than 18ga which is thought of as decorative. It was welded together with a MIG welder and then painted with POR 15. I could have used a heavier gage 2", but it was significantly heavier and I wanted to add the minimum height possible. I used foam insulation as filler blocks in the holes and covered it with a second rubber mat that I had on hand. My DW and I can easily load this subframe and we are both small people. I did have to put a wood spacer on the truck bed to prevent the frame from sliding up to the front of the bed and off the front perimeter frame of the camper.
We have been on 2 Mexico trips, 3 or 4 to the midwest and one tour of the NW coast with this setup with no further problems.
Hope I didn't run too long and that this helps.
For those who don't have one, the 30 series are built entirely differently than the clamshell 15 and 25 series.
I did the math(a rather simple structural engineering problem) and figured out that a subframe made from 2 pieces of 1-1/2" SQ by 18 gage tubing would hold of the camper quite well with a maximum of 5/16" deflection making the assumption that the weight was evenly distributed which I knew to not be true. In actual practice due to the tank locations the back end is much lighter. I assumed an all up weight of 5500lb(our camper with options is listed at 4700).
My frame is two pieces of tubing, side by side, the full length of the camper on each side with cross pieces in front, at the end of the truck bed and one at the back working my way around the drains. I used 16ga as it is regarded as structural and more available than 18ga which is thought of as decorative. It was welded together with a MIG welder and then painted with POR 15. I could have used a heavier gage 2", but it was significantly heavier and I wanted to add the minimum height possible. I used foam insulation as filler blocks in the holes and covered it with a second rubber mat that I had on hand. My DW and I can easily load this subframe and we are both small people. I did have to put a wood spacer on the truck bed to prevent the frame from sliding up to the front of the bed and off the front perimeter frame of the camper.
We have been on 2 Mexico trips, 3 or 4 to the midwest and one tour of the NW coast with this setup with no further problems.
Hope I didn't run too long and that this helps.
