Camper Shells

[GregLucas]

Does anyone know if Bigfoot or Northern Lite will sell just the fiberglass shell?.

[trainman]

I doubt that any manufacture would want to do that. I have seen manufactures build custom trailer for other companies for road shows and there products that they sell, but I would think the cost would be higher then you would want to pay. Buying a older trailer and stripping out the inside would probably be the better way to go on price. Don't know where you are going with this, but I would say you want to do a build yourself and save money.

trainman

[gordon2]

I think Scamp does.. or at least they did IIRC.. No idea about the companies you asked about but you could call them and ask.

[GregLucas]

The reason I asked was not based on wanting to save money but for wanting to build the interior the way I want it. I have reached out to both companies I mentioned but have not heard back yet

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by GregLucas

The reason I asked was not based on wanting to save money but for wanting to build the interior the way I want it. I have reached out to both companies I mentioned but have not heard back yet

There would be an awful lot to think about. Much of the interior structure strengthens the walls and roof. There is weight distribution. Wheel wells get in the way.

Curious what you want to build that isn't already available, given the restraints I mentioned ( and other restraints ).
Another just occurred to me. Escape attaches wood blocks and strips to the fibreglass during the build. Interior structure is fastened to those blocks, avoiding through-hull rivets / screws.

[Jon in AZ]

Scamp used to sell an (almost) bare shell. The did include the closet by the door for structural reasons. Don’t know if they would still do that.

Happier Camper sells a bare shell. Lil Snoozy did, called the Lil Hauley, until they folded. Both of those use construction methods that don’t require additional interior support.

You can also look up Florida-based Chariot Trailers, which makes a line of molded fiberglass cargo trailers.

[GregLucas]

Sorry guys, I should have mentioned that I am looking for a pickup truck camper shell, not a trailer.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by GregLucas

Sorry guys, I should have mentioned that I am looking for a pickup truck camper shell, not a trailer.

Even less room for innovation.

[Jon in AZ]

Do you mean a topper or an empty slide-in unit? BIgfoot and Northern Lite make slide-ins. There are plenty of other companies making molded fiberglass toppers.

I noticed when we were in eastern Canada last summer a lot of utility pickups had a tallish molded fiberglass unit on the back. They all looked similar, so I’m assuming one company made all of them. I think they might have been full slide-ins, and they had swing open doors on the back.

[GregLucas]

Maybe I am not using the right terminology but here is what I am talking about:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bigf...=1201&bih=1239

[Justus C]

Even if they would sell you an empty shell, I can't imagine it's any cheaper than buying a used shell and gutting it yourself. This used trailer would have windows, a door, exterior lights, and possibly usable appliances for your build.

If you watch Bigfoot's production videos, the whole process of building and finishing the shell is laborious, takes up space on the production floor, and uses what I'm guessing is the single mold and plug combo for that particular length of camper. That means your empty shell is holding up production of a completed camper that retails in the neighborhood of $40,000. I have no idea whether they will do that or not, I just know if I was running the business I would want a return on investment of an empty shell commensurate with the cost of production plus the "loss" incurred by not building it out. Food for thought.

If you are wanting a new shell, it sounds like you're ready to make the trip to BC and haul it back. Since you're going that way anyway, some searching of Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Kijiji in that region should net you a long list of campers for sale. Maybe you'll get lucky and find someone who is in over their head with a gutted project, trying to minimize their losses.

[ZachO]

I can't remember which company around here uses them, but I've seen some pretty nice utility slide-in molded fiberglass units on work trucks. Not sure who's actually building them for this company.

You can search google for something like "molded fiberglass slide in utility truck topper" and click images to see some examples like I've got below. I can't find anything quite as big as what I've seen around here, in a really brief search I just did. But none of them are as large as a true camper slide in, and none of them have the large cab-over area big enough for a bed.

I think buying a used unit and gutting it would probably be the best option, but it's definitely worth doing some research first.

[GregLucas]

Thanks for all the info guys.

[Dudley]

Spacekap

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by GregLucas

The reason I asked was not based on wanting to save money but for wanting to build the interior the way I want it. I have reached out to both companies I mentioned but have not heard back yet

Did you reach out by calling them on the phone? Or did you reach out via email or text?

The old fashioned phone call works the best. I just got an email request I made to Casita answered FOUR years later. I am not calling out Casita. These are small companies and very busy. They may just not get around to answering.

IMHO, your best bet is to find a well used BF camper in "needs lots of love/project" condition. Two sold on ebay in the last two months. Not common for sure.

[Dudley]

There is an older Northern Lite or bigfoot just down the back alley from me that has not been used for years. Too bad its so far from you or I could check what he is doing with it.

[ZachO]

Depending on where in Alberta you are...

I drove to Alberta to buy my Bigfoot. Of course Montana is that much closer than Wyoming, but still. Traveling to find your camper isn't out of the question if you're really serious.

[Dudley]

I did the opposite, drove to North Dakota for our Casita

[ZachO]

Grass is always greener...

Although given the current state of affairs, Canada may win out these days.

[Civilguy]

Here's a link for Googling 'pickup service body fiberglass'.

It looks like there's quite a variety of manufacturers and dealers. You might also try 'fiberglass utility truck boxes' (no quote marks) and similar searches as you become familiar with the terms they use to describe these units.