Bigfoot Camper is Hurting Tonight!!
Camper Damage The first picture shows you what my Bigfoot Camper and Boat looked like when I put it away just before the winter. The next 12 pictures show you what I found this morning. At thi...
Forum Discussion
First let me thank everyone for your comments.
Just so everyone knows I didn't build this storage unit myself, I hired two carpenters (roofers) from this area that where building homes at the time. I believe that was 4 winters ago. So it was never a few hundred dollar half built storage shed. At the time I questioned them about the collar ties and was told they where not needed. At the time I expected to see collar ties on every other rafter and that's not what they did. They claimed they did it a different way. What do I know, I am not a carpenter.
But after several people being here today we don't think that having collar ties would have helped in this case. It looks like one of my 6 by 6's middle support posts twisted very badly and forced the 2 by 10's off the other two end support posts. Therefore allowing all the support for the rafter to go free. I have 2 by 10's and 2 by 8's split like toothpicks at the top of the structure. I have no idea why would this middle post twist so badly as to pull everything apart. Like I said earlier it been up there four years without a problem.
Anyway we removed the storage unit roof today and all the snow from on top of my Bigfoot. From the outside it didn't look all that bad. Skylights and air conditioner were badly damaged, a few small holes, but less than I expected. But the roof just didn't look right.
So I opened the door to the camper and I saw frozen water on my oven door and kitchen table. Some snow on the floor. As I walked in I noticed the wood around my kitchen cabinets was broken. Then I noticed the roof was pushed down around the kitchen cabinets and around the back of the camper. Air conditioner and skylights where badly damage inside as well. There was a large amount of snow on my bed and the roof was pushed down maybe 6 inches on one side. I believe whatever is between the inside ceiling and the outside roof is completely destroyed. Inside Doors where hard to open and the mattress was frozen to the bed board. What a mess.
The truck camper appraiser is coming tomorrow and I suspect he will be writing this camper off.
My Wife and I where seriously shaken up by seeing our camper in this condition. I never expected it to be this bad. This was our first truck camper and we have been across Canada in it and up to Alaska. I should have ensured I kept the camper in a safer place.
Paul
Just so everyone knows I didn't build this storage unit myself, I hired two carpenters (roofers) from this area that where building homes at the time. I believe that was 4 winters ago. So it was never a few hundred dollar half built storage shed. At the time I questioned them about the collar ties and was told they where not needed. At the time I expected to see collar ties on every other rafter and that's not what they did. They claimed they did it a different way. What do I know, I am not a carpenter.
But after several people being here today we don't think that having collar ties would have helped in this case. It looks like one of my 6 by 6's middle support posts twisted very badly and forced the 2 by 10's off the other two end support posts. Therefore allowing all the support for the rafter to go free. I have 2 by 10's and 2 by 8's split like toothpicks at the top of the structure. I have no idea why would this middle post twist so badly as to pull everything apart. Like I said earlier it been up there four years without a problem.
Anyway we removed the storage unit roof today and all the snow from on top of my Bigfoot. From the outside it didn't look all that bad. Skylights and air conditioner were badly damaged, a few small holes, but less than I expected. But the roof just didn't look right.
So I opened the door to the camper and I saw frozen water on my oven door and kitchen table. Some snow on the floor. As I walked in I noticed the wood around my kitchen cabinets was broken. Then I noticed the roof was pushed down around the kitchen cabinets and around the back of the camper. Air conditioner and skylights where badly damage inside as well. There was a large amount of snow on my bed and the roof was pushed down maybe 6 inches on one side. I believe whatever is between the inside ceiling and the outside roof is completely destroyed. Inside Doors where hard to open and the mattress was frozen to the bed board. What a mess.
The truck camper appraiser is coming tomorrow and I suspect he will be writing this camper off.
My Wife and I where seriously shaken up by seeing our camper in this condition. I never expected it to be this bad. This was our first truck camper and we have been across Canada in it and up to Alaska. I should have ensured I kept the camper in a safer place.
Paul
