Anyone installed air conditioning in Bigfoot 17? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 08-04-2016, 01:23 PM   #1
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Name: Chad
Trailer: 2000 17' Bigfoot CB
Nebraska
Posts: 41
Anyone installed air conditioning in Bigfoot 17?

I have a 2000 Bigfoot 17 CB without air conditioning. I replaced the vent with a fantastic fan and wired it to a nearby light.

Are Bigfoots of this era pre-wired for a rooftop A/C unit? If so, does the A/C unit go where the current vent is located or is it mounted more rearward? Where would I go fishing for the wires?
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Old 08-04-2016, 01:48 PM   #2
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Your best bet would be to contact Big Foot directly.
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Old 08-04-2016, 03:27 PM   #3
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^^^ What they said.


On Scamp there was a time when the roof was only reinforced to handle weight of AC if the unit was ordered with AC. Later at some point they just did them all for AC. Bigfoot can tell you where and if the roof is intended to take the weight, and where wires are routed or if they are already there. Nothing says bummer like stopping and finding one of those road bumps put the AC on floor, and new fair weather skylight in roof.
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Old 08-05-2016, 09:56 PM   #4
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Name: Peter
Trailer: G30 Elite Class C
British Columbia
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Big foot AC install

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Originally Posted by RogerDat View Post
^^^ What they said.


On Scamp there was a time when the roof was only reinforced to handle weight of AC if the unit was ordered with AC. Later at some point they just did them all for AC. Bigfoot can tell you where and if the roof is intended to take the weight, and where wires are routed or if they are already there. Nothing says bummer like stopping and finding one of those road bumps put the AC on floor, and new fair weather skylight in roof.
: my brother in law installed SC unit in his 17' bigfoot If I remember right there is a opening to get in under one of the bench seats, he built a frame around this and inserted one that ran off electric when they plugged in at night said he did not know how he would of survived for long without doing this, it save the day and the long Journey they were on. I put ducting from the unit to the interior of the Bench through it.
Stude
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Old 08-07-2016, 12:13 PM   #5
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Name: Mike
Trailer: Bigfoot 17' DLX
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I don't know about a 2000 model year but my 1989 was pre-wired from the factory for rooftop AC. The junction box is in the cabinet over the range hood (see pix) and as you can see in the photo of the original MagneTek power center, the red circuit breaker for the AC circuit is there. The trailer never had AC but it looked like it would have been a very simple install had I opted to go that route.
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DSC07082_bf_ac.jpg   DSC07088_bf_ac.jpg  

DSC07089_bf_ac.jpg   DSC07102_bf_ac.jpg  

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Old 08-07-2016, 12:41 PM   #6
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Trailer: G30 Elite Class C
British Columbia
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u are lucky person to be near a store to buy rooftopAC unit

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Originally Posted by trainjunkie View Post
I don't know about a 2000 model year but my 1989 was pre-wired from the factory for rooftop AC. The junction box is in the cabinet over the range hood (see pix) and as you can see in the photo of the original MagneTek power center, the red circuit breaker for the AC circuit is there. The trailer never had AC but it looked like it would have been a very simple install had I opted to go that route.
: they were in the middle of no where it was 125*F in the shade and they found a store that sold a 6000BTU window AC unit so they bought it and installed it in the most available spot they could find to cool off to sleep. Lucky for them the truck aC never failed.
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Old 08-07-2016, 02:31 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stude View Post
: they were in the middle of no where it was 125*F in the shade and they found a store that sold a 6000BTU window AC unit so they bought it and installed it in the most available spot they could find to cool off to sleep. Lucky for them the truck aC never failed.
stude
I was only trying to assist the OP with information, not criticize your brother-in-law's solution.
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Old 08-07-2016, 04:05 PM   #8
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pre-wired for a rooftop A/C unit?

I don't think anybody could answer that question with absolute certainty....

my 97 CB did came out of the factory with an AC unit on the roof...at some point somebody removed it and installed a fantastic fan in it's place (different climate/priorities) it has that red breaker (20A) in the panel mentioned earlier and of course there is an abandoned wire in mine

your roof could certainly support an AC unit as the shells were all built the same.....my guess would be that if you have and unused red breaker in your fuse box there is probably a wire run up to the roof for the AC unit as well....I'd look behind the power center for a rolled up bit of 14/2 wire (?) taped up/secured to the bundle of wires

good luck
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Old 08-07-2016, 08:08 PM   #9
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sorry if offended u!

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Originally Posted by trainjunkie View Post
I was only trying to assist the OP with information, not criticize your brother-in-law's solution.
:I still think you are lucky to be able to install a rooftop unit, takes about 2800Watts to fire ours up and it is 13,500BTU, we have a rather large and noisy Gen set. But if you can put on roof then u don't lose any storage area.
I hope it all works out for u.
Were sitting in a center Island Truck stop with a McD's, gas bar, and store. all in all not to bad but have to pay toll price for spending night here and for time spent on toll road, working our way to Witchita, Halstead, Dodge City Kansas Tomorrow and Tuesday then into Colorado.
stude
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Old 06-08-2017, 12:50 PM   #10
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Name: Chad
Trailer: 2000 17' Bigfoot CB
Nebraska
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Installing soon

Bought the unit online a few weeks ago. I am going to attempt to install this weekend. Thanks for all the info provided!
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Old 06-08-2017, 03:54 PM   #11
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Trailer: Egg Camper
Tennessee
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Late to the party, but I found this web site when researching mini split systems. 12k btu cooling only $299

Still working on the budget with a kid on the way, but some day....

Jason
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Old 06-08-2017, 05:16 PM   #12
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Name: Daniel A.
Trailer: Bigfoot 17.0 1991 dlx
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I had air conditioning installed on my 1991 Bigfoot, Yes it goes where the fan is in the middle the only power change on mine was I had to have a 20 amp breaker added to handle the air conditioner as it requires its own circuit. The roof bracing is already there.

I'm using a 9200 Polar Cub when on after the first 20 minutes I can set it down to about half power to maintain the trailer at around 72 degrees.
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Old 06-08-2017, 06:02 PM   #13
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http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/m...cture8802t.jpg

9K Btu mini split heat pump in a 1985 Scamp
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Old 06-09-2017, 07:42 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by redbarron55 View Post


http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/m...cture8802t.jpg

9K Btu mini split heat pump in a 1985 Scamp
I like that idea for my Egg. I'm looking at the idea of putting the outside unit on the back bumper, but concerned about weight hanging that far back. The alternative is up front like yours, but then it needs a cover to protect it from road debris. Well, more so than rear mount I would guess.

Jason
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Old 06-12-2017, 07:59 AM   #15
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Name: Chad
Trailer: 2000 17' Bigfoot CB
Nebraska
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Install complete

Ok, except for lifting the a/c unit onto the roof, the install was a breeze !

The electrical panel already had a 20 amp breaker labeled and wired to a junction box above the sink.

Also, there was a open channel in the roof to run the wire from the hole in the ceiling towards the cabinet above the stove. Basically, I had to drill one hole inside the cabinet, fish the wire thru that and run to the junction box.

Bigfoot rocks!
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Old 06-12-2017, 08:47 AM   #16
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Good to hear things worked out.
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Old 06-12-2017, 10:33 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chud13 View Post
Also, there was a open channel in the roof to run the wire from the hole in the ceiling towards the cabinet above the stove. Basically, I had to drill one hole inside the cabinet, fish the wire thru that and run to the junction box.

Bigfoot rocks!
Thanks for providing this info. I want to install a ceiling fan in the center vent but didn't know how to run the wires. Hopefully, my Bigfoot also has the channel for the wiring.
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Old 06-13-2017, 07:11 AM   #18
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Name: Chad
Trailer: 2000 17' Bigfoot CB
Nebraska
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Before I installed the a/c unit, I had a fantastic fan and I did have to drill a new channel for that. I wired it to the nearest light which was less than two feet away.
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