Thinking of upgrading to a bigfoot. Too big?

[huasnaian]

I have a 1989 Lance squire 8.6ft camper that I carry on my 2001 ram 3500 DRW. I take this camper on quite a few forest service roads and lots of blm land. So far I have not had any problems getting stuck or being too big going off pavement. Exploring dirt roads is a high priority for me. I also carry a dual sport motorcycle on a front hitch mounted carrier. With my Lance and bike I am about 22ft long.

I live in California and have traveled mostly in the warm western US. I have been longing for a 4 season camper that I could explore further during the cold months and eventually make an Alaska trip. I really like the fiberglass campers after making some small repairs on my older lance and keeping it watertight.

A friend from out of state wants to get rid of his late 90s Bigfoot 2500 series 10.6ft camper. I am very tempted to buy it as they are hard to find but I am not sure if I should hold out for a 9ft model.I am worried about the extra length of the camper and the extra weight limiting me from some forest roads and blm routes. New length would be 24-25ft and I would gain over 1k lbs.

Does anyone have experience increasing the size of their camper? Did find it harder to park? Did you notice the extra weight?

[huasnaian]

Kayteg1 wrote:
Not exact models but having basement/attic Fleetwood, I bought side entrance Lance for driving it across the continent.
Main reason for the switch was condition of Fleetwood, but there is more to bigger height than cleaning forest roads.
High camper has COG higher, so less stabilization, more rocking, more fuel and even it happen only twice on my trip, with Lance I drove under 12' bridges, when basement model would make me driving around the city.
The Hosts I have seen are good for those who appreciate big screens and recliners, so not my kind of camper at all.
Life is always compromise, so make your choice carefully.

Thanks Keyteg1. I could deal with going around bridges but obstacles on dirt roads would be more of a concern. No other easy route if you come across something you can't fit under.

I am a little turned off by extra height because I feel like I am already too tall. I really want a 4 season camper but I would only use it a few times a year currently, compared to my bi-monthly trips around CA. However, a 4 season camper would open up a lot more camping opportunities for me. I have a budget of under 10k and can not find an arctic fox or similar in decent shape within my budget.

How much more rocking do you think I would expect compared to my camper?

[Kayteg1]

Not exact models but having basement/attic Fleetwood, I bought side entrance Lance for driving it across the continent.
Main reason for the switch was condition of Fleetwood, but there is more to bigger height than cleaning forest roads.
High camper has COG higher, so less stabilization, more rocking, more fuel and even it happen only twice on my trip, with Lance I drove under 12' bridges, when basement model would make me driving around the city.
The Hosts I have seen are good for those who appreciate big screens and recliners, so not my kind of camper at all.
Life is always compromise, so make your choice carefully.

[huasnaian]

HMS Beagle wrote:
I went from a 9.6 Bigfoot to a 10.4 Bigfoot on the same truck. The camper increased in weight from 2800 to 3500 lbs. The larger camper has more storage so there is the temptation to load more junk in it. For some reason, the truck drives better with the 10.4 than it did with the 9.6 - CG further forward maybe.

The length increase is noticeable - the 9.6 was no longer than the truck with the tailgate down, while the 10.4 is another 18". I hang out more in a supermarket parking lot, and parallel parking downtown is a bit more difficult and obvious. But I've still been able to go where I want and park where I want - just have to watch it a bit more.

I think a bigger change you will notice going from the Lance is the 2500 Bigfoot series are basement campers, and are around a foot or more taller.

Also, my truck is an extended cab, and I think yours is a full crew cab. The crew cab truck is already 18" longer, so combine that with an almost 11' camper and you are going to start feeling pretty long.

Thanks for your input. I have the small bench seat for a backseat in my truck with the small 1/2 rear doors that open backwards. I am not sure what dodge calls it but I call it an extended cab.

I didn't think about the height. I am already 11.5' tall with my current camper on my truck. That might be my limiting factor more than weight when on forest roads.

Do you ever take your rig off road? Ever driven a heavy camper thru the sand?

[HMS_Beagle]

I went from a 9.6 Bigfoot to a 10.4 Bigfoot on the same truck. The camper increased in weight from 2800 to 3500 lbs. The larger camper has more storage so there is the temptation to load more junk in it. For some reason, the truck drives better with the 10.4 than it did with the 9.6 - CG further forward maybe.

The length increase is noticeable - the 9.6 was no longer than the truck with the tailgate down, while the 10.4 is another 18". I hang out more in a supermarket parking lot, and parallel parking downtown is a bit more difficult and obvious. But I've still been able to go where I want and park where I want - just have to watch it a bit more.

I think a bigger change you will notice going from the Lance is the 2500 Bigfoot series are basement campers, and are around a foot or more taller.

Also, my truck is an extended cab, and I think yours is a full crew cab. The crew cab truck is already 18" longer, so combine that with an almost 11' camper and you are going to start feeling pretty long.

[lhenry8113]

Take a look at Arctic Fox, made by Northwood MFG. in Oregon-they're 4 seasons and well made. Lars

http://northwoodmfg.com/