Ugh wet wood in Bigfoot

adamis wrote:
Battery compartment on mine has some dry rot as well. From what I can tell it was water coming in the compartment door. Probably is not the same issue from what you are describing but I think worth noting. The way they finished and sealed the compartments is one thing I am not super happy with, at least for how they did it twenty years ago at least.

Check to see if your exterior screws are stainless steel. Mine is a 2001 and it had non stainless screws. Camper lived on the coast before I bought it so it went through many thermal cycles and nearly all of the screws had rusted out. Ended to replacing all but the jack screws which is a future project.

Also check propane compartment as well. They cut the lip off the bottom of the hatch so leaking propane wont pool in the compartment. It also means that if it rains, water can run down the exterior of the wall, hit the bottom lip of the hatch and if there is enough tilt, run into the compartment. From that point it can move into the corners and travel done to the wood and metal for your turn buckles.

I think the lesson learned on Bigfoot's is that for all the pluses of fiberglass, water can still be a major problem. Fix what you can and store it indoors if possible and enjoy it as much as possible. Don't spend forever trying to make it perfect again unless time and money is on your side. Fix what is necessary for safety then come up with a plan over time to tackle other projects when you feel like it.

I looked at the propane compartment before I purchased based to the info from owners on is site describing how that was a problem area. Looks and feels ok to me. I am definitely in the safety over perfection boat. I want to actually use this thing, otherwise what is the point? My big concern at this point os the jack mounting plate integrity. I plan to reseal everything, starting from the rear wall. I am thinking it is worth the extra effort to remove all perforating hardware completely to look for staining/rot.