Barth All Aluminum Truck Camper 1967

garryk6 wrote:
Any updates on the Barth?
Enjoy the winter camping! We do here in Alaska, though it can be challenging...
Garry

Nothing new. I hurt my back and haven't been able to work much lately.

I still plan to get it back in action, but it is not a priority.

I have a few more things to do to my Bigfoot camper first. I'm adding two more solar panels to the front angled face for winter charging, and putting automatic lights in the cabinets. I'd also like to duct some heat into the bathroom.

For the Barth, I'm thinking about finding a 4x4 regular cab utility body 3/4 ton and mounting it permanently.

How are things up north?

Any updates on the Barth?
Enjoy the winter camping! We do here in Alaska, though it can be challenging...
Garry

dadwolf2 wrote:
Good thing you said in your post that you weren't parting with the Barth. Many guys (myself included) were getting ready to PM you and start negotiating a price!!

I haven't seen either in person but why do you believe that the Bigfoot 3000 is a better winter performer than Northernlite or even the 2500 series? I thought the two brands were close to being clones. Is the 3000 series something new? I only see a 1500 and 2500 on their website.

I haven't checked this thread for a while. Sorry for the delay responding. I like winter camping. Or I should say, I like to be warm in the winter. It started when I could not find a hotel or motel in ski country when I was young. I resolved not to be dependent on anyone after that.

I looked for a winter capable Bigfoot 2500 series for many years. The prices on those are very high. I changed my focus to the 3000 series and found one I liked. The 3000 series is no longer in production. It is more boxy shaped which is less well suited for fiberglass construction, but also gives them more room and storage inside. The 3000 series is better insulated (R12) than the 2500 series (R8). The 2500 series is all fiberglass which is better. The 3000 series is cheaper to buy and heavier to carry.

I got a good price on mine and only had a few things that needed to be fixed. The savings gave me more freedom to upgrade it with solar panels, and higher capacity batteries. I am delighted by how well it has turned out. Mine has a wet bath, which works fine for me. It also has a rubber roof which seems to be in fine shape. I found a spot at the front center bevel of fiberglass nose piece where there was a 3 inch gap in the insulation--now filled with spray foam.

What is nice about winter camping is many places are empty in the winter. No one bothers me if I pull over for a while. If it's cold out, people are somewhere warm, not causing trouble. There are so few people winter camping that seeing one camper is briefly noteworthy and then forgotten. People are not worried about someone homesteading--they know you are traveling. With that in mind I was only looking at winter campers or camper I could make cold weather capable.

I plan to improve the insulation further by fitting rigid foam panels under the bed, in the cab-over cabinets and over some windows--every place that's feasible. There are always places than could stand a bit more insulation. At some point I'll borrow a thermal imager and find all the remaining problem areas.

All this is just to save on propane. I can boon-dock for a week in the summer until my water runs out. I have similar problems in the winter with propane running out in less than a week. Better insulation means my propane will last longer.

Next up is installing a solar hot water system. I found a 4 square foot solar hot water panel on Amazon that is sized right for a 6 gallon water tank. I'm making a few more upgrades to the water system; including a hot water loop to cycle hot water to the galley sink so no water is wasted waiting for it to come out hot. I also want to modify the winterizing loop to refill my water tank from an external tank. I may add a second water tank in the generator compartment. My water tank only holds 32 gallons, I'd like to double that.

Winter means lower sun angles. I am debating installing stick on thin solar panels on the front of my cab-over which will help keep my batteries charged up during that season when it is facing south.

Good thing you said in your post that you weren't parting with the Barth. Many guys (myself included) were getting ready to PM you and start negotiating a price!!

I haven't seen either in person but why do you believe that the Bigfoot 3000 is a better winter performer than Northernlite or even the 2500 series? I thought the two brands were close to being clones. Is the 3000 series something new? I only see a 1500 and 2500 on their website.

dadwolf2 wrote:

69 Avion wrote:
That is similar to the Avion, but I like the Avion's riveted construction better. I like the Barth's bottom section better for structural integrity.

Couldn't tell by the pictures but if it's not riveted, how is the Barth aluminum panels connected?

"Everything is riveted between the framing and sheeting. The framing is connected to the other framing with rivets, and the sheeting is connected to the framing with rivets.

Nothing is welded, except for the four jack point brackets that were galvanized steel--these are exactly like all the old style brackets common in this vintage--giant L brackets with welded on gussets.

The door, windows, and furniture were fastened with steel machine screws, as was the plywood floor. Some of the inner liner was attached with aluminum rivets also--that thin laminate bonded with ultra thin plywood--forgot what it is called. Incidentally, these door and window screws are on so tight I can't get them off. Everything wants to strip rather than back out.

I really like the riveted construction. I'm debating drilling out a bunch of rivets, and cutting the top vertically on both sides at the cab-over junction, and lifting the whole thing up and riveting in a ladder frame 12" high to make some more space inside. I have given some thought to putting in a basement but it is probably not worth that much effort. You could do anything with this type of construction. Want a side door entry? Easy, just drill out rivets, add the framing, skin it and bolt on the door.

I'd like to raise the front windows, and the extra height in the cab-over area would be nice for a thicker mattress and room to sit up. More height on the inside gives space for a taller fridge and more storage.

I may table all these more radical plans because I'm buying a 3000 series Bigfoot, which I'm picking up tomorrow if it is as described. That would give me the best made winter capable camper, and I might instead go ultra light on the Barth. I've studied the market and i don't think anyone else makes a better insulated out of the shop 4 season camper than the Bigfoot 3000 series, with the 2500 series and Northern Light equivalent right behind.

I won't be parting with the Barth though. I really like the design and construction. I came with storm windows, although I broke all the spring clips getting them off. I am looking forward to designing and rebuilding it. I call it Sleeper because it will look like an old camper on the outside, but be much nicer than expected on the inside. Having a blank canvas is nice to work with.

My primary goal is to have a true 4 season camper--good for and temperature. I'd like to be warm and comfortable all the time. I want to be able to simply stop and park for a while, if travel is too hazardous and wait it out. I'm done this often enough, waiting out storms when sailing. I was stuck in Cape May for a few days last year with inexperienced crew. There is something elementally satisfying about being warm, dry, and cozy in the worst of storms and weather.

I love storms, deep snow, and 4 wheel drive. I've been plowing for many years and have seen extreme conditions (twice recently with dumps over 32") and love being out and about in the worst of it. We plow during the worst storms to try to keep up with it. Generally I turn back on plowing in "white out" conditions when I find myself driving off the road. If I had radar I would keep going--another silly idea I have--putting radar on a plow truck!

Here is a silly idea. I've been thinking about building a lightweight V-plow carried up off the ground 10-12", without a cutting/trip edge and springs, and none of the power functions, tilt, scoop, up and down stuff, just as a light weight trail breaker to knock enough snow aside so that my 4x4 could carry me though anywhere. When the snow came, I'd be heading out to meet it.

I am mighty excited about this Bigfoot 3000 series with it's R12 insulation. All it needs is a new battery and my friend sold me a 270 Amp Hour 8D battery for $50--it is a very good used battery. I have a solar panel I can put on it, but it might not fit well. I'll have to see. I'm thinking about buying some new ones. I have a charge controller, but I'm selling that and getting an MPPT controller. No Genset, no AC, and I'm trying to keep it as light as possible.

69 Avion wrote:
That is similar to the Avion, but I like the Avion's riveted construction better. I like the Barth's bottom section better for structural integrity.

Couldn't tell by the pictures but if it's not riveted, how is the Barth aluminum panels connected?

It is all riveted.

Outer skin is aluminum, as is all the framing. There were a few pieces of wood used as reinforcing wedged in the framing. These were for the four jack points and a couple of places on the front wall adjacent to the front of the pickup bed for supporting the water tank cover.

On top of the framing was a piece of 3/4" plywood which was removed in these pictures.

garryk6 wrote:

NightSailor wrote:

69 Avion wrote:
That is similar to the Avion, but I like the Avion's riveted construction better. I like the Barth's bottom section better for structural integrity.

I don't get this? The Barth is all riveted, and all aluminum framing. The Barth has no welding anywhere.

It has a larger volume and more interior space. The edge the Avion has is its lighter weight, and better aero-dymanics. It would be easy enough use the same techniques used to build the Barth to fabricate an aluminum bottom section on an Avion--which would make it indestructible.

Sailor,
I agree that Avion should have gone the direction of your Barth. Ozone question about your framework. Is the framework riveted, screwed or welded? I can tell the skin is riveted like the Avions, but couldn't tell from the pics about the framework.
Thanks!
Garry

I'm seeing rivets at each framing joint in the walls. The bottom appears to be i-beam shapes that fit into one another. I don't see any rivets in the bottom, but I don't really see any welds either.

NightSailor wrote:

69 Avion wrote:
That is similar to the Avion, but I like the Avion's riveted construction better. I like the Barth's bottom section better for structural integrity.

I don't get this? The Barth is all riveted, and all aluminum framing. The Barth has no welding anywhere.

It has a larger volume and more interior space. The edge the Avion has is its lighter weight, and better aero-dymanics. It would be easy enough use the same techniques used to build the Barth to fabricate an aluminum bottom section on an Avion--which would make it indestructible.

Sailor,
I agree that Avion should have gone the direction of your Barth. Ozone question about your framework. Is the framework riveted, screwed or welded? I can tell the skin is riveted like the Avions, but couldn't tell from the pics about the framework.
Thanks!
Garry