WI | SOLD: 1988 Bigfoot 17 - Customized for full-time boondocking

[KL Wilbanks]

I’m selling my 1988 Bigfoot 17 travel trailer. This is a turn-key boondocking setup, extensively renovated and customized for solo full-time living.

This is a thoroughly road-tested setup, ready for off-grid living, complete with virtually every accessory that isn’t part of my truck. Also included are spare and extra parts, leftovers of paint, wax, and other stuff needed for maintenance. I’m downsizing my stuff and giving up the trailer life indefinitely, so everything must go.

I bought it for $6500 in 2010. Drawing on decades of home renovation and sculpture experience, I renovated it myself, except for a few tough jobs like aircon installation and new axles/springs/hitch. The initial renovation took about 6 months of full-time work, spread out over a couple of years. I did not keep exacting records, but I spent at least $8000 on materials and a few pro jobs, and probably worked on it full-time for about 6 months total. After that, I lived in it full-time for 3 years. I never paid for campsites or hook-ups, except for a few winter months when I lived in Albuquerque.

Price: $13,000

STRUCTURAL RENOVATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS

- Ikea Beddinge couch & standard twin bed. I removed the standard dinette, gaucho couch and closet to fit them. Stapled 1x1 structures replaced with wood-screwed 1x2 structures.

- Solid wood slab countertops and aluminum trim. Main countertop capped with solid wood to match other solid wood elements - all finished with Waterlox tung oil finish. All baseboards, corner and wall trim have been replaced with solid aluminum bar and angle iron, attached with stainless steel screws, not glue. Wall-hugging airplane style curtains of my own design, made of aluminum tubes and angle iron.

- Hand-shaped oil enameled inside doors and drawers. Dated fake laminated cupboard doors replaced quality plywood. Bathroom door and drawer fronts modified to match. All painted with Rustoleum oil-based gloss paint, Regal Red. I lived in this for 3 years and there are no scratches on this tough, easy-to-clean paint.

- Custom-built Reinforcement Plates and Bolt-Throughs. I didn’t like the way many of the exterior structures were merely screwed onto the outer fiberglass, so I made aluminum reinforcement plates for them, to spread out the stress. In addition, the particularly high stress attachments are bolted through to the inside for extra strength.

- Solar Power. Three 50w panels, attached to deployment brackets via zip ties or screws - transported or stored in their original boxes. 15 ft. connecting harness and Morningstar SunSaver 20L charge controller, with heavy lug connectors and 4x12 gauge landscaping wire - plugs onto trailer’s vehicle connecting plug. Main +/- battery paths on trailer optimized for solar with short 2 gauge cable.

- Handmade welded-steel wall storage baskets. I am a steel sculptor. I made these to fit area and purpose. The one above the stove fits toothbrushing stuff. The one above the kitchen counter fits spices/bottles, and has eyelets for a small retaining bungee cord.

- Holes vs doors. I went with open hatches with rounded access holes for the storage compartments in the new-built structures, to save weight and trouble. I replaced two pointless cabinet doors with open fronts and aluminum bar fence-style retainers, using a similar design on the storage compartment under the stove.

- Built-in Safe. Bolted to floor, hidden under the bed. Key locked. Large enough for papers, money, handgun + ammo, etc..

EXTERNAL
- Coleman, Airxcel 49000 Series 8500 btu Air Conditioner. Runs fine on 13.3 A (eu2000) generators.
- Maxxfan Deluxe w/built-in rain cover in the bathroom. Where it belongs. Provides full trailer air exchange and eliminates all bathroom odor problems.
- New 5000# Axle, Brakes, 2012.
- New Springs, 2950 lb rated each, 2013.
- Camco Cross-Frame Stabilizing Jacks. 2 pair, permanently attached
- Exterior bubble levels.
- All unused holes carefully sealed with marine epoxy plugs - 5 years, no leaks.
- All external structures properly sealed with marine sealant or butyl putty tape.
- All external screws replaced with stainless steel screws or bolts.

ELECTRICAL
- 2x6v Farm & Fleet Golf Cart Batteries. New, with 1 yr instant replacement and 2 yr overall warranty. With NOCO marine battery box & padlocked welded steel security bracket.
- LED Lighting. All internal and external lights now LED, except 3 vanity bulbs in bathroom.
- Tri-Metric TM-2030 Battery Monitor, new 2014.
- IntelliPower 9100 Converter, 45 amp - new 2012.
- Fixtures. All light fixtures replaced with premium, brushed nickel/stainless, or aluminum.
- Heavy Duty Marine On/Off switch shuts off entire DC breaker board, under couch.
- Progressive Dynamics Electrical panel w/Square D breakers, new 2012.
- Outlets and Accessories.
Bed and couch area are each equipped with:
3 cigar DC plugs, properly wired for 15 amps per fixture
2 plug AC outlets
1 Caframo Bora Marine Fan
1 Swiveling LED Reading Light

WATER SYSTEMS
- Revolution 4008 Water Pump, new 2012.
- 3M 0.2 micron undersink Biological Reduction filter, new filter 2016, plus extra filter 2017.
- Thetford Aqua-Magic Style II toilet, ceramic bowl.
- Kohler kitchen faucet, w/spray pullout, new 2017.
- Oxygenics Body Spa, low-flow, high-pressure shower head.
- Locking door for external water inlet, 2013.

GAS SYTEMS
- Atwood Hydroflame 8012 Furnace - new 2013.
- Atwood 6 Gallon LP Gas Water Heater - new core, 2014.
- Old oven/stove replaced with new cook top, 3 burners & custom food storage bin, 2014.
- Main LP regulator, replaced 2014.

ACCESSORIES
- Hitch lock, water filling hose with 1.0 micron sediment filter, jack foot, etc… all included.
- Remains of matching paints, wax, strippers, sealants, etc… also included.

That's most of the highlights on what is unique about this trailer. *I am assuming the audience here is familiar with the basics of a Bigfoot 17.* The one thing about this trailer some might not like is the lack of refrigerator. It didn’t work when I bought it and I did not want to replace it - very expensive, and propane refrigerators are responsible for most trailer fires. I simply don’t like the idea of driving around in the trailer or leaving it unattended with flames burning. I removed the all the working parts and insulated the space behind for efficiency. I found that two brands of small ice cooler fit well inside, and the door and freezer compartments are good for semi-cold storage of condiments and vitamins. My plan was to buy a high-efficiency DC freezer/refrigerator with a Danfoss compressor to make my own ice every few days - they only cost a few hundred and can run on solar power. However, I ended up just buying ice, which worked fine and cost $1/day or less.

Full photo set here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pindra...57684454868684

[Jane P.]

Very impressive workmanship!

Tried to PM you. How did you get power to bathroom ceiling for your Maxifan? I'd like to put one into my '92 Bigfoot 19.

[KL Wilbanks]

Originally Posted by Jane P.

Very impressive workmanship!

Tried to PM you. How did you get power to bathroom ceiling for your Maxifan? I'd like to put one into my '92 Bigfoot 19.

Good idea. Given the fact that your sewage is exposed every time you flush, I don't know why they don't just install one there in the first place. I even ran it on low speed all winter.

I don't remember exactly where I brought the wire up. Probably between the shower wall and the insulation on the side of the trailer. There are lots of wires under there and a storage hatch for access. The shower wall is very thin and not attached to much. I probably used an electrical fish tape. The real issue with the fan is anchoring it. You have to dig out the styrofoam around the hole you cut and insert a wooden frame. It can't just be attached to styrofoam and two thin sheets of plastic. I called Bigfoot for renovation advice, at least twice, and talked directly to whoever is in charge of building them. I recommend doing that if you have specific questions and want the definitive answer.

[Jane P.]

Thanks for reply.

I have a rear bathroom. It seems you do as well. Am I correct?

Also your Gaucho bed mod/replacement looks great. You have solved a problem of replacing a fairly uncomfortable bed & leaving room for the storage cabinets & bathroom door. MY QUESTION: Can you still lift the bed to access the fresh water tank?

Once again, incredible craftsmanship has gone into your refab.

[KL Wilbanks]

If you look at the construction photo near the bottom of this photo set, you can see the water tank access. A piece of plywood with large ventilation holes sits on top, and is easy to take off, but you'd have to take both it and the mattress out of the trailer to do anything. I have never needed to access the tank in that way, except when I was renovating and setting it up.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pindra...57684454868684

[neiljb]

I took power from the closet next to my washroom, super easy on my 1981 17ft

[KL Wilbanks]

Trailer is now sold. I don't know the formal listing procedure.