2000 Bigfoot Camper Delamination?

Good afternoon!

I just recently purchased a 2000 Bigfoot Camper 9.6 and we took it out doing a lot of dispersed camping and put it through the ringer! 3,026 miles across Washington State, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.

I noticed when we got home the camper appeared to be rear heavy with the front end slightly more elevated than the rear which appeared unusual.

I had the camper in my truck bed (2007 F350 6.0 8 foot bed) supported by what the previous owner made which was 2x4 sandwiched by plywood.

I observed the bottom of the camper was warped in certain sections and did not appear to be properly supported?

I took off the bottom panels which are very warped now and it looks like it may have had some old water damage...

My questions for you are..

How bad is it?

Is this delamination?

Can I get away with putting the warped bottom back on or should I replace that?

Do I need to cut away the previously damaged wood or is it still fine?

It doesn't look that bad to my untrained eye but maybe you know different? I can't find any current leaks, I am not sure if the previous owner let it sit in a puddle or what?

Very disappointed as he probably was aware of this when he sold it to me.

I will post the photos in my next post from my phone. I appreciate any help!

23 Replies

FreeMotivation
Explorer II
Jul 19, 2025
So I found some more light water damage in the propane tank compartment and the under the battery compartment.
If anyone has any tips on how to get the propane compartment out I would be appreciative.
Id also be curious if anyone can point me in the right direction for somone who has replaced the compartment. It seems to be some sort of molded plastic/rubber unlike anywhere else in the camper and I’ll likely need to replace it as well as the door to the compartment.
For the battery compartment I’m likely just going to put some plywood over the hole and fiberglass it shut. As I’ve switched to Lifepo4 batteries and those like to be inside.
For the bottom of the camper I went ahead and got new and improved insulation and went with an r8 insulation which should hold the heat and keep it cool better. While down there I also added some insulation to the water pipes.
- StirCrazy
  Moderator
  Jul 21, 2025
  for your battery compartment, why don't you get a normal insulated door and put it there, that would let you load and remove batteries from the outside
- StirCrazy
  Moderator
  Jul 19, 2025
  that propane compartment should just be a steel liner that is slid into place from the outside then anchored down. I would Imagin if your carful you can find all the fasteners and then just pull it out
  - FreeMotivation
    Explorer II
    Jul 20, 2025
    It's not metal, the inside is some sort of rubberized material that is flexible. Do you know where I could purchase a metal compartment?
Grit_dog
Navigator II
Jul 16, 2025
Fwiw, whoever hired whoever to re-do this forum, should have made sure the geek squad was not dyslexic….lol.
Following a conversation on this forum is like trying to chase a herd of mice. It goes in all directions randomly….
- Grit_dog
  Navigator II
  Jul 16, 2025
  But looks like the OP hasn’t contributed in days so hope he got the answer he needed….
  - FreeMotivation
    Explorer II
    Jul 16, 2025
    No solution yet, just don’t have any more real relevant information to post yet. Been a busy work week with no time to investigate further. Hoping tomorrow I’ll have some time to look into it more and update.
Grit_dog
Navigator II
Jul 12, 2025
PS delamination on RVs typically refers to the fiberglass walls delaminating from the backing.
Grit_dog
Navigator II
Jul 12, 2025
Seatbelts are not OE straps for a rv water tank. Plus they look new.
so good news is he fixed that. The warping is a plastic water tank, no?
The other warped areas are probably also holding tanks not necessarily a problem. But….
It’s an old camper. Could probably use a little work. If its rotten or broken, shore it up.
Not unreasonable to put a couple $ worth of time and materials into an old TC. It happens. To be expected.
- StirCrazy
  Moderator
  Jul 17, 2025
  
  Seatbelts are not OE straps for a rv water tank. Plus they look new.
  so good news is he fixed that. The warping is a plastic water tank, no?
  
  actually yes they are, Bigfoot use them for years to hold up the tanks, I am not sure what they are using now. I might have to go for a cruise to the factory, 40 minutes from me and see if they are still using "webbing" not seatbelts, to hold the tanks up.
  - FreeMotivation
    Explorer II
    Jul 19, 2025
    If you do please update me here I’d be curious if they changed the design to what.
- FreeMotivation
  Explorer II
  Jul 12, 2025
  No the warped panels were the what was covering the water tanks. They are slightly deformed I think I could fix those easily,
  I am more worried about that wood that has black marks and is very brittle to the touch. Do you think the repair needs to be made now or can it wait?
  Is there anything else I should look for while I am in there?
  Thanks for your time!
  - Grit_dog
    Navigator II
    Jul 12, 2025
    Pictures don’t always tell the whole story.
    But black = mold or mildew…whatever. Spray it with some diluted bleach or something. It’s an old camper.
    If it’s rotten or cracked, repair or replace it. Bout all I can say in general.
    
    Can’t say what repairs may or may not be needed. But from my limited TC experience fixing busted tank straps and shoring up the base area a bit, most all the support for the camper comes from the perimeter. Anything in the middle is mostly holding up the tanks, at least on the old Arctic Fox I worked on.
    Ultimately I used a bunch of 5/4 cedar decking to cut into some additional support and bearing area.
    can’t say eggzactly what your camper needs.
    But it’s one reason folks warn to generally not “use” the camper off of the truck or fill the tanks without some support under the bottom of it.
    I did it for years though, only to have to do a little fixin on it. Not a big deal.
FreeMotivation
Explorer II
Jul 11, 2025
Here are the photos.