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RE: West Coast Jamboree 2022, Who is Interested?
Sure wish we could have attended. Old arthritic knees just did not cooperate...
Time for replacement...
Jim and Sheila.
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bigfootford
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04/25/22 06:07pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Road tripping for used TCs
A few years back I got a PM from a new member of RV.net tc forum. He lived in Texas and asked me if I could go take a look at a Lance 10.x 199x camper and a 199x dually Cummins Dodge truck. Said it was in his family's dad's estate The family here in Sac was offer him the TnC for their share of their estimated value of the T n C. They told him the Camper was in great shape.... I Told him I would go take a look but did not know much about the Dodge. The family did not expect me to get involved... They though the guy would accept their offer...ahhahaaaa.
I set up a time to go look and off I went.... Well that Camper was a soggy mess. Two jacks had been ripped out and put back on and they were loose.. Inside there was LOTS of leakage and some actual paneling rot... I looked in every cabinet and could see stained wood, even the curtains showed that they had dried water stains... I took lot's of pictures. The truck was rough too.... I emailed my findings and what I thought... He thanked me immensely and even sent me a very nice gift!
So if there is a need to have someone go take a look at a camper one might consider doing a request on the forum for a knowledgeable member to go take a look.
Even if the camper is local it is nice to have someone along with you that knows RV's tag along to offer input. Never hurts.
I have done this several times.
Jim
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bigfootford
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04/14/22 12:23pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Trip Report: 9 weeks of aimless wandering
What a great report! We have traveled in the same areas and style as you folks although not with a trailer....
Reminds me of old Sleepy's reports...
Thanks for the renewed memories.
A trip to family in Fla for 2019 Thanksgiving, before Covid.... but a redirection of our trip due to bad weather...We too are backroads travelers.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/R2dQhkFGaHNfw6qX7
Jim
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bigfootford
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04/01/22 07:37pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Trip Report: New Mexico Atomic History
Great report! we love that area of the S/W...
Jim
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bigfootford
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01/22/22 10:28am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Let's talk air bags...
F250 SWD. 4400lb camper... Air Lift bags for 20 years. Air to level 40psi. when loaded. 10 unloaded. I measured the wheel well to ground empty and that is my air up loaded level.
I also use the bags to level at a camp site. I have the onboard pump and cab control.
Jim
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bigfootford
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01/17/22 11:25am |
Truck Campers
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RE: West Coast Jamboree 2022, Who is Interested?
We are still in.......
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bigfootford
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01/09/22 11:35am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Mr Buddy Heater Permanent Install?
The Wave 3 is a good heater but lacks in cold temps imho..I have a buddy/big buddy and a wave 8 at this time..I opted for a 'lil buddy heater over a wave 3 when I bought this TC simply because the wave 3 didn't keep my previous Lance 8.6 warm at all in snowmobile weather.
I have been using the wave 8 in my 9.6 Lance and it does a great job except I think the pad went out on it again..I changed to the little buddy heater early this morning and all is well..I have had three wave heaters that the pads needed replaced..That is the only beef I have with them..I think they are superior to the buddy heaters for RV use but the Buddy heaters work..
Jayco
Interesting that your pads failed. We keep our wave covered when not operational and is inside the cabinet. We have used our wave a LOT over the 14 years we have had it.
Our BF stays warm in the 20's on high but we set it on low at bed time.
Wow a wave 8 produces some heat!!!!
Well at least you are warm using the buddy.
Jim
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bigfootford
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01/03/22 11:20am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Mr Buddy Heater Permanent Install?
I would install a Wave 3....
Here is mine done 11 years ago. It still works perfect! Used it on our cross country Thanksgiving trip to Fla..
Bigfootford's Wave3 installation.
Jim
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bigfootford
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01/02/22 12:21pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Honda Eu2000 valve job/repair
My take away: Why spend $240 for an old broken generator that you don't know you can repair? Then, put in all that labor with the possibility of needing expensive parts. Why not spend $500 on a different brand and get a brand new generator?
I have an EU200i and enjoyed seeing the complexity that is under the covers.
Maybe it was a challenge for the young man and curious....
That all said it does make me wonder why so much carbon. As he took apart the Gen it was quite filthy internally, dirt and dust etc. I believe the gen had a lot of hours on it.
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bigfootford
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12/31/21 10:36am |
Tech Issues
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Honda Eu2000 valve job/repair
Watched this video for fun and enjoyed it. Think some of you will too. Guy has the skills to do a full teardown and re-assembly and no left over parts and the **** thing runs.
I have performed a partial teardown for a repair and getting the covers/skins back on correctly is sometimes not so easy..hahahaa
Honda EU2000i repair.
Jim
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bigfootford
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12/30/21 03:09pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Purchasing Warped Roof 1997 Bigfoot 2500 9’6”?
Great post HMS!
Jim
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bigfootford
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12/22/21 11:39am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Purchasing Warped Roof 1997 Bigfoot 2500 9’6”?
Twice I have had my stairs trap the door shut and have had to climb out the escape hatch on the side. It works but you must go out feet first, step on indent at the bottom of the window on the crew cab and then slowly lower till you find the jack foot with your toe. From there grab the top of the jack with a death grip and step off to the running board. The second time the crew cab window was open so was a lot easier. Always make sure your steps don't shift on you. One time it was the snow and the other time the dogs were tied at to the jacks and they moved it. Lots of fun.
Now that story is one for the books!
I have a porch that is lower than the basement access door. My steps are attached to the porch.
Nothing can hang the door up... If something did happen to the door latch then I can now get out via the escape hatch.. Or god forbid, the window.
https://i.imgur.com/tad3TVYl.jpg
Jim
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bigfootford
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12/19/21 12:03am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Purchasing Warped Roof 1997 Bigfoot 2500 9’6”?
It is a continuing shame that Bigfoot doesn't mold a flat into the roof where the hatch goes over the bed.
It is a code requirement that there be a second means of egress, I've had 3 Bigfeet, two had a hatch you could climb through, my current 10.4 has a Heki which I can easily climb through but it is not rated for escape for some reason so it has a tilt out side window to satisfy code. I ordered the 9.6 I had from the factory (about 96 I think it was) and asked for no hatch, no luggage rail, and no ladder. Why drill all those holes in an otherwise watertight roof? However I ended up with the hatch and ladder because of the escape requirements: must have the hatch, and a way to climb down.
Haw, the 2000 comes with BIG side window on the drivers side. That is the fix for the mandated escape hatch.. Boy I would not like to escape through that head first or leg first..hahahaaa
Agree about the flat roof! Geez look at the Northern light roof... HOLY cow...
Jim
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bigfootford
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12/18/21 07:22pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Front axle
My 4,400lb fully loaded BF camper only puts 300lbs extra on the front tires.
Jim
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bigfootford
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12/18/21 12:50pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: New polar cub Mach 8 AC and the Honda eu2000i question
Back years ago I installed a piece of 1/4" tubing from the intake assembly into one of the intake tubes, drilled a hole in the bottom of the 2000 next to the bowl drain tube....
After my 2000 has sat for a while and won't start after a couple of pulls I just squirt starter fluid up that external tube and the 2000 starts after the 1-2nd pull..
I did this to a couple of buds 2000's too... A life saver.
Jim
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bigfootford
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12/18/21 12:47pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Purchasing Warped Roof 1997 Bigfoot 2500 9’6”?
What Covered Wagon and HMS said is right on.
One place not mentioned is where the sewer drain access is. Using a flashlight look insdide and feel the walls.. There is part of the floor on the top of the door. Check that too for no sag and moisture damage.
I will mention again that my 2000 BF's vent over the door was a 12x12 vent, not a hatch.
I installed a 24x24 escape hatch that is metal framed.
The roof of these BF's are arched. The hatch can not sit flat. So I had to build up the roof with Butyl tape to compensate for the arch. As much as I tried to be careful tightening the hatch down to the roof the fiberglas arch flattened some and I ended up with a slight dip over time between the front of the hatch and the nose of the BF. That meant there was a bit of delam of the inside ceiling foam and wood inside roofing which is about 1/8". So I decided to live with the dip. That was 15 years ago.
The only leak I have had with my BF after I fixed a factory issues with a window was one from running light leak.
I do yearly maintenance for all the vents on the roof. I did replace one vent in the bathroom but not for a leak.
Oh, and if the roof vents for the black and gray tank little covers come off and it is raining water will end up inside the camper and from what I have found it will pool in the area of the sewer drain valve area. On my BF there is a little drain hole on the bottom of the camper where the valve access door is located.
The windows should all have a bit of butyl tape oozing out around the edges between the outside window frame and the fiberglass. If they do not inspect the separation and see how deep the cracks are. I had a great friend that had an 86 FB that was leaking from several windows due to this issue. He removed all the windows and resealed.
I discovered this issue after my camper was about a year old. I went around each window inside and lightly tightened the screws.... Some screws were totally loose... Boy did those window Butyl tape ooze. I trimmed it off.. 20 years later I still have a bit of butyl tape showing and no separation from the camper to window outside frame!
Hope this helps you... Our BF has almost 200,000 miles on it and has been on 2 trucks.
Jim
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bigfootford
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12/18/21 11:02am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Purchasing Warped Roof 1997 Bigfoot 2500 9’6”?
That looks like a 24/24 vent/escape hatch... BF did not put them on. A 12/12 is what normally is there.
I put a 24/24 vent/escape hatch in my 2000 years ago.
The curvature of the roof required a build up of the surface of the camper due to its arch. The vent frame is metal, not plastic and will not conform to the arc of the roof.
I used extra layers of Butyl tape to compensate but as I pulled the vent frame down It did create a bit of a dip in the front of the frame of the vent. I just let it be, That was 15 years ago. The fiberglas is pliable and the gelcoat has never cracked.
In my opinion, if there is no indication of water intrusion it would be a great deal.
BTW... Look in the cabinets on each side of the head of the bed and into the clothes storage on each side of the bed... Check for water damage there. That is where the water will go!
Even a leaking running light on the front of the camper will leak and run across the front head of the bed and then into the side cabinets! I learned that pretty easy years ago.
Jim
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bigfootford
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12/14/21 11:21am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Renting My Truck Camper
Back in 2014 we did a TC Alaska trip from Calif. We saw well over 100 TC's on the road that were Canadian rentals... All were Adventurer campers on 3/4 ton trucks.
Not sure if they are still doing that but I did talk to some of the renters and they really liked the TC idea.
Jim
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bigfootford
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11/23/21 07:27am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Putting some glide in the ride….
Not sure which type of truck you have, but setting the air pressure of your bags, here is what some of us do.
Camper off, measure the distance from the ground to the wheel well center.
Load the camper with everything you want in it fully wet and put it on the truck if it is not on already..hahahaa
Measure the distance and put enough air to raise the rear of the truck, ground to wheel well back to what you measured and that is it.
My truck is a 94 f250 460 gasser crew cab. My camper weights, fully wet and loaded 4200lbs
My bags only need 40psi to bring the bed back to unloaded height.
My bags are AirLifts.
Jim
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bigfootford
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11/03/21 10:49am |
Truck Campers
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RE: Been a busy year
Here is a loop we have done a couple of times over the 30+years of TC'ing!. Indian ruins loop.
Great in early fall or after school starts in the spring....
Indian ruins loop.
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bigfootford
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10/18/21 11:43am |
Truck Campers
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