Bigfoot propane compartment

[TxGearhead]

My 2008 Bigfoot always has water on the propane storage compartment floor. The previous owner, I assume, installed a nice thick rubber waffle mat for the tanks to sit on. I'm not sure if that was done to keep the bottom of the tanks dry or just because.
The question...the bottom inside lip of the compartment looks like it has been hacksawed off. I can see how someone would do that to try and get the water to drain, but it don't work. I don't see water blowing up in there from the missing lip area, I think the door it self would prevent that. So where is the water coming from, the louvered door vents?

[GoinThisAway]

bcbigfoot wrote:

GoinThisAway wrote:
Good job TxGearhead! Another fix of a poorly designed item. I don't know whether Bigfoot cuts out the bottom lip of their propane compartment to make it easier to get the tanks in and out or if they think water will get in through the louvers and so needs a way to run out. I'd have to believe the former as, since adding the lip back, I have yet to see any water standing in the compartment.

All Bigfoots have this lip cut out intentionally so that no propane can gather in bottom of the compartment. Propane is heavier than air.

Yeah, forgot about that for a moment. They need to redesign the propane compartment to incorporate a platform in the bottom that is the same height as the lip. Then they can save a step and not have to cut out the lip.

[TxGearhead]

bcbigfoot wrote:

GoinThisAway wrote:
Good job TxGearhead! Another fix of a poorly designed item. I don't know whether Bigfoot cuts out the bottom lip of their propane compartment to make it easier to get the tanks in and out or if they think water will get in through the louvers and so needs a way to run out. I'd have to believe the former as, since adding the lip back, I have yet to see any water standing in the compartment.

All Bigfoots have this lip cut out intentionally so that no propane can gather in bottom of the compartment. Propane is heavier than air.

I figure the space taken by that thick rubber mat, almost 3/4", won't leave much air space for propane behind the new lip.
Propane is quite dangerous and will settle as low as possible. It does have a recognizable stank though, from my 35 years in a refinery.

[bcbigfoot]

GoinThisAway wrote:
Good job TxGearhead! Another fix of a poorly designed item. I don't know whether Bigfoot cuts out the bottom lip of their propane compartment to make it easier to get the tanks in and out or if they think water will get in through the louvers and so needs a way to run out. I'd have to believe the former as, since adding the lip back, I have yet to see any water standing in the compartment.

All Bigfoots have this lip cut out intentionally so that no propane can gather in bottom of the compartment. Propane is heavier than air.

[GoinThisAway]

Good job TxGearhead! Another fix of a poorly designed item. I don't know whether Bigfoot cuts out the bottom lip of their propane compartment to make it easier to get the tanks in and out or if they think water will get in through the louvers and so needs a way to run out. I'd have to believe the former as, since adding the lip back, I have yet to see any water standing in the compartment.

[bigfootgrey]

Merry Christmas!

[TxGearhead]

I got energetic and pulled the tanks out, towelled it dry, and sprayed it with the garden hose pretty good this afternoon. Opened it up and it was dry!
Thanks for all y'all's help.
Merry Christmas.
I'm ready for Tulsa and The Chili Bowl.
https://www.chilibowl.com/

[bigfootgrey]

Good deal! Being a vented compartment door, some water will get in but overall it will be a lot drier

Bob

[TxGearhead]

Ok done deal.
I installed the angle yesterday and let the adhesive cure overnight. This afternoon I ran a small bead of silicone on the exterior side of the angle.
Mowed the front yard.
By then the silicone had cured pretty good and I stuck the weatherstripping on the angle. I used 5/16" x 3/4" black foam weatherstripping. I closed the door and felt some resistance but had no way to tell if or where the door was touching the seal. So, I used some Vaseline and put a small dab in about 6 places on the door sealing area, closed the door and latched it, opened it and found 6 spots of Vaseline on the weatherstripping. Whether it is compressing enough I dont know. I'll spray it down with a water hose to check, maybe tomorrow.

[TxGearhead]

^^^Thanks. I bought a length of 3/4" x 3/4" aluminum angle, about 1/8" thick. Cut to about 22" and used Liquid Nails Construction adhesive to cement it. Any longer than 22" and it would be into the curve of the corners and would leave a gap along the bottom.
I'll get some stick on weather striping next and experiment with that.

[bigfootgrey]

Here’s a pic of aluminum and weatherstripping in place. A thin bead of caulking on both sides of aluminum before weatherstripping is installed. Dri-Dek mats keep tanks elevated and allows air to circulate.

Bob

[work2much]

Our past 2006 10.6 had the same issue. I used to sop it up with a sponge.

[TxGearhead]

NGaMountains wrote:
Same thing here. Glad you asked TxGearhead. As a first-year owner of mine I was having the same head scratching about how the water was getting in there.

One would think Bigfoot would have addressed this in the last 20 years.
...one would think...

[NGaMountains]

Same thing here. Glad you asked TxGearhead. As a first-year owner of mine I was having the same head scratching about how the water was getting in there.

[TxGearhead]

Thanks everybody.
54suds or anyone...how do I search for "BIGFOOT OWNERS ARCHIVES"?

I'll be looking for some angle aluminum and weatherstripping.