Sterling1
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Re: What is the minimum clearance I need between the truck cab and camper overhang?
This is the way manufacturer's with perimeter frame construction do (did?) it when you ordered it with a riser from the factory. I've been using a rubber mat with my camper and when I removed the access panels to look around I noticed one of the cross pieces for the access panels had been pushed up. I suspect this is due to the rubber compressing around the loading points causing an upward pressure in areas that weren't designed to take loading. There are a multitude of screws that secure the access panels to the bottom of the camper. I'm just be putting some additional screws between the existing screws to secure the 2x4s to the camper. If I remove the 2x4s I can just put some more screws in the holes to have some more screws securing the access panels. I also used some L brackets connected to the 2x4s to locate a 2x6 underneath the fresh water tank so any loads that make it through the insulation will be transferred to the truck bed.11Views0likes0CommentsRe: What is the minimum clearance I need between the truck cab and camper overhang?
I opened up the panels so I could look around under there. It looks just like the picture I posted other than the picture is reversed (the long part of the L shaped fresh water tank is on the other side when looking from the bottom). The L shaped basement walls may be the most solidly constructed portion of the support. The perimeter walls have venier holding in foam board insulation so I can't tell how thick the wall is above the the base framing. What concerns me is the fresh water tank. The tank is supported by "seatbelts" with lag screws into the bottom of the floor. There is 3/4" foam board between the bottom of the tank and the access panel. The foam board has witness marks/indentation from being compressed between the tank and access panel/truck bed. Most of the indentation is on the long L section with not much on the short L side. I can stand on the foam board without leaving an indentation from my shoe so there is probably a fair amount of load being transmitted through the foam to the truck bed when bouncing along with a full tank. If I decide to go with 2x4s I'll probably go with 5 going crosswise (one at each lateral support plus one at the back) plus an additional one between the two straps in the picture to support the water tank in that area. I'd use 2x4 blocks between them to support the perimeter and basement walls. I'm still considering doing a 3 piece platform but using 3/4" plywood on the top because of what I saw at the water tank. The challenge would be keeping them light enough for my wife and I to easily load and locking them in place without making it an ordeal every time I load and unload the camper.250Views0likes1CommentRe: What is the minimum clearance I need between the truck cab and camper overhang?
The more I look at it the more I think I'm just going to attach 2x4s at the perimeter of the camper and at the basement walls. I'll use a few screws on each 2x4 to secure it to the "joists" so I can easily remove them if I need to get at the access panels. I'll need to bridge the three supports at the back of the back of the truck bed with a 2x4 since there isn't a single "wall" there. Keeping them attached to the camper will make loading and unloading easier.387Views1like6CommentsRe: What is the minimum clearance I need between the truck cab and camper overhang?
Since my old truck had 2 1/8" clearance at the and never hit the cab in 20 years it would seem that 2 1/2" would be more than enough. Both the old truck and camper are 2000 model years and I'm pretty sure the Bigfoot was designed to go on that truck. Is the concern that the new truck will flex more than my old truck? With regards to the additional strength of 1" plywood I'm not sure what benefit it would have. The way the camper is designed it has a subfloor that bears all the weight of people, appliances, etc. It has "joists" around the perimeter and forming the basement walls that transmit the loads from the subfloor to the truck bed. The water tanks are suspended between the joists and have removable access panels. So as long as I have support where the joists are the plywood wouldn't have any significant loading. I'm just trying to keep the center of gravity as low as possible and minimize the extra weight of the platform mainly for ease of loading/unloading the camper. But if there is an actual benefit of a platform with increased height and weight then I'm willing to do it.337Views0likes1CommentRe: What is the minimum clearance I need between the truck cab and camper overhang?
I got my truck and thought I'd post a follow-up. I set my camper on my bed supported by some 2X4s (raised 1.5"). That gave me 2" minimum clearance at the center of the cab and about 3" at the clearance lights at the front of the cab. Just looking at it it is hard to imagine how I could get enough flex to make contact and even if I did make light contact at the center of the cab it seems the sheet metal would just flex and bounce back out. However I only have an inch at the shark fin antenna at the front of the cab so I need to relocate that unless I want to raise the camper another couple of inches. Now I need to figure out how to make a platform. Bigfoot campers have a perimeter frame so it doesn't do much good to have it supported other than around the perimeter of the camper and basement. I could make a 2X4 frame to support it at the proper locations around the perimeter and basement but it would be awkward placing it in the bed and keeping it at the correct location. I could attach it to the camper to make loading easier but I don't like the idea of putting a bunch of screws into the camper. I could also use plywood on top of the frame to hold it together but then it would be quite heavy to load and unload. I'm contemplating dividing it up into three separate platforms to make it easier to put in and out them into the truck, maybe using 2X4s and 1/2" plywood. Any comments from Bigfoot owners?328Views0likes0CommentsRe: What is the minimum clearance I need between the truck cab and camper overhang?
If I have to raise it then I'll probably shoot for more than 1 1/2". If I can get 1 1/2" clearance without raising the camper then I'll probably give it a try. My current truck has 2 1/8" at the minimum clearance point and it has been that way for two decades without problems, and I don't expect the new RAM to have more frame flex than my 24 year old K3500.717Views0likes0CommentsRe: What is the minimum clearance I need between the truck cab and camper overhang?
I'm still waiting for the truck, the scheduled delivery date to the dealer slipped from November 11 to November 19. Depending on how things work out I may not get it until the beginning of December. I contacted Bigfoot to get their input on the minimum cab clearance I would need. I couldn't get a firm answer that they hinted 1 1/2" should be enough. I was picturing the problem as the frame acting like a hinge between the cab and bed but they seemed more concerned about twisting and contacting towards the outside of the cab.1.1KViews0likes3Comments
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