Bigfoot fiberglass

Gaetan wrote:
My brother just bought a 2000 bigfoot camper it is in fair condition because it was not well taken care of.
When transported it was sitting on two 2X8 on in front and one at the rear,
so the fiberglass on the 4 corners is craked (I have tried to include a photo
but I have not succeded)
What is the best solution to reinforce the corners
Gaetan

Are the corners mushy or is the Gelcoat just cracked?

My Bigfoot leaves an imprint in the truck beds 3/4 in plywood.. The imprint is all the way around the perimeter of the camper. Thus the weight is distributed all around....not just the corners.

Would be nice to see the pictures..

Use this link to post your pictures. It is very easy!

Copy the link later so you have it avail... Just follow the directions on the web page after you find the picture you want and have selected it or drag/drop.



https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/201045551/Forums/PhotoUpload/RV.NET-Photo-Upload.html

Jim

Here is the picture?
Gaetan

This is my second try
Gaetan

If appearance was not an issue (and the corners cannot be seen on the truck) it would be pretty easy to repair them by laminating new fiberglass over the top. Many good boat repair DIY books cover this type of repair. This link is a good resource for materials and techniques.

Gaetan sent me a couple of pictures and has more to send me...
Here they are:

My initial thoughts are that the rim around the bottom of the BigFoot is all the camper is supported on when sitting on plywood in the bed of the truck, at least that is what I use. The plywood has impression of the bottom inspection plate screws and only the perimeter of the camper leaves an impression. That and along with the center support for the floor and tank area. A bit of damage in one spot that I see is a non worry. The Gelcoat is cracked and some removed but the question is, is the Fiberglass around the cracks in the gelcoat mushy.
Even if it was I would probably not be concerned... Gaetan can provide that information and maybe some more pictures.










Jim

open the bottom panel & examine the frame ,the corners are the strong points

are you sure its not damage caused by the support board while off the truck? Looks like a result of a excess pressure point and not a spread load or even support. But what do I know.

Possible heavy gauge aluminum angle running the full length? Something to reinforce and spread out the pressure point? No screws... just laminate it on with polyeurathane glue. Like adding reinforcement to existing weak area. I would overdo it with 3x3 aluminum angle completely bedded in sealant. no screws.

I only say because it looks to me like a repair will just reappear

Aluminum angle would certainly be very good
The problem results from the previous owner supporting the TC while travelling on 2X8
one in the front and one at the rear.
Their are no soft parts and only the front corners show damages
Gaetan

I like the idea of the aluminum, but I would also sand/grind around the the cracks to remove the loose stuff and the seal it with some epoxy to prevent water water from getting into the wood framing around the edge.

The boat building epoxies like West and System 3 are easy to use and available in small quantities.

My 30C1002 which is a totally different animal construction wise sits on a square steel tubing frame in the bed that I made as the the overhang is too long and the floor started sagging. I filled in the gaps between the framing with rigid foam insulation.

I got aluminum angle for my northern lite that has the same radius as the fiberglass radius corner so it snugs up better.