new member i have 1980 bigfoot i have gutted looking to rebuild a need advice

[daryl66]

hey im daryl alberta canada.
i have just gutted 1980 b16 bigfoot looking for some tips on rebuild from electrical to ceiling supports

[Glenn Baglo]

Ask first. Then gut.

[Mountain Moma]

Welcome

Best of luck.

[ZachO]

You'll want to start something of a "project thread", maybe in the modifications section of the forum.

As it is, your question would require a textbook. A restore from a gut is a huge job with volumes of information on all the different systems. If you have specific questions, ask those.

I haven't gutted and rebuilt my Bigfoot, but I did gut and rebuild a different camper. There are people on this forum who have or are currently restoring a trailer from a complete gut. With a more focused question, you'll get some good advice I'm sure.

[Kai in Seattle]

We entirely gutted (and pulled from frame and replaced) a 1973 Amerigo.


Here is my total advice to you: everyone else is making good points. That's #1.


# 1A is, don't become discouraged. Take rests. List your work and work your list.


Never look back, never give up, never surrender!


BEST
Kai

[stude]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

We entirely gutted (and pulled from frame and replaced) a 1973 Amerigo.


Here is my total advice to you: everyone else is making good points. That's #1.


# 1A is, don't become discouraged. Take rests. List your work and work your list.


Never look back, never give up, never surrender!


BEST
Kai

: so u don't forget what was in the spot your looking at, pictures do wonders especially now that we have digital pictures that we load right into the computer and can always go back to that area u ripped out to look it over.
Stude

[Kai in Seattle]

Stude and Daryl,

Another good point...we ended up following the original manufacturer's general placement of ceiling supports (we call them "walls" and galley supports; the concept of not looking back was meant for "regrets," not for good ideas on how to put things back in. As Stude says, don't entirely forget what went where. Sounds like you've already gutted, but you know what you took out. Consider replacing it roughly at least. The builders originally gave these trailers a whole lot of thought and engineering; partly these trailers' long lives are due to all that.

Ours, in the gutting process (notice the old vinyl floor) -- and the walls we took out, saved for templates. Boy, that was useful--and we nearly didn't keep them!

Never surrender!

BEST
Kai
PS we love photos; helps us give advice, too.

[NikkiHunter]

Hello!
I've recently gutted a 1980 BigFoot B-17 as well, because... there wasn't an option - everything was rotten due to extensive water damage. Good thing we only paid $1000!
Anyhow, I'm curious about how you supported your walls and ceiling.

Thanks!

[Kai in Seattle]

NikkiHunter:

Hi! When first gutted, for a while, the walls and ceiling held themselves up, but with a slow sag. As soon as we had our floor plywood in, we set up two scraps of ply (ceiling and floor) and a 2x4 prop at a slight angle. We cut it a bit long to start with and it gradually eased the ceiling and roof back up. We proceeded to finish the three suport areas--the kitchen supports on each side of the galley countertop, the front niche we call the "putin," and the side shelving that once held a fridge and drawers.

Instead of the original 1x1 framing with 1/4" ply on each side for the front niche all and the fridge/closet side walls, we used 1/2" plywood alone. Our trailer has notches in the molded ceiling to show where these wall tops go...with screw holes to show how they were attached. We had considered moving the walls but when we realized the trailer was so thoroughly designed for those wall locations, we went ahead and used the preset spots.

2x4 brace shown with upper piece of ply to spread the pressure

side closet with shelves shown

galley supports shown made of scalloped marine ply, attached with brackets Paul cut from L shaped aluminum channel

front "Putin" (we put the potti in it -- also as a joke) showing side wall of 1/2" plywood and privacy curtain made of a large beach towel we already had and a curtain rod attached inside.

This is one of the fun times with your trailer, may you thoroughly enjoy it and truly make it your own, as we say here.

BEST,
"K"

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by NikkiHunter

Hello!
I've recently gutted a 1980 BigFoot B-17 as well, because... there wasn't an option - everything was rotten due to extensive water damage. Good thing we only paid $1000!

Thanks!

Original poster has only posted one time and that was 2 1/2 years ago. I would not expect an answer from him but others have done it. Every cabinet, bench/closet, etc helps provide structure to these trailers. So well thought out replacements are a must.

Don’t leave it unsupported in the interim. Better to put in some temporary bracing. Good luck with the project!

[k corbin]

It is an old thread. But for those who look at it just remember that the ceiling of the Bigfoot trailers has a different support system than all the other fiberglass trailers. So re supporting the ceiling is unique to that brand, it is not done the way your trailer might have been supported. So please advise the person to find threads specifically created about remodeling Bigfoot ceiling supports rather than looking at how you did it on your different brand of trailer. We all want them to have great success!