Class C

[snuffy2]

We have owned a few bumper pulls and still have a Bigfoot 25RQ. We love it and do not want to let go of it. We pulled it almost 10K miles in 2019.

We are looking at a new hobby and need some information on older Class C trailers. In the past I raced motorcycles, ATVs and other things. We recently purchased a Honda SXS for some off road fun. We have made a few trips towing it behind our truck but we hate renting motel/hotel rooms or cabins and wouldn't consider a double tow.

I'm asking for input on 70's through 90's Class C campers preferably Chevrolet drivetrain with BB engine. We will be towing 3500 LBS is why I prefer BB.

Any recommendations on what was junk or what wasn't?

[thrifty bill]

25 years is a long time in the life of a motorhome. Maybe there were a couple of models I am not familiar with. Bigfoot made a MH at one time. Note, it was not molded FG.

Important consideration, low miles or not: chances are it has been exposed to the weather for those 25 years. I looked at some that old with insanely low miles (25,000 or less). Turns out they were permanently placed in a campground, and despite low miles, they were beat. And the motors were not routinely run. So mechanically, they had issues. Imagine a vehicle with its last oil change being 10 years ago..... And the gas being that old. And the seller delusional thinking their low mile MH was a creampuff worth a significant PREMIUM.

Not familiar with the Honda SXS. But there are a lot of systems to automatically load a motorcycle into the back of a pickup. Maybe a four wheeler could do the same.

I see you are in FL. Great place to find a used MH.

[snuffy2]

This SXS is too big for back of truck 68" wide. It's more of a sport vs utility.

FL huh? I'll start checking craigslist!

[Jon in AZ]

If it were me I think I’d be looking for a truck camper. If you have a 3/4T truck or larger to pull the Bigfoot now, you can probably find something that will work. Not as roomy as a Class C of course, but you don’t have to deal with maintenance or insurance on an older motorhome.

[Raspy]

Jim,

It seems like such a serious downgrade to go to an old CLass C with it's old drivetrain and body structure. There seems to be a lot of them around though.

It is hard to put a 68" with side-by-side in the back of the truck, but they do make racks that put the front wheels over the cab. Even that option seems a bit much. Really high with a huge rack.

Why not swap out the P/U bed for a flat bed and then stay with your Bigfoot, that you really like? You could even put on some low sides to carry firewood and gear. And there are fuel tanks that sit under the flat bed, in front of the rear wheels, that could turn the truck into a gas station for the quad and eliminate a bunch of gas cans.

[snuffy2]

Truck bed campers that I've seen usually didn't allow the use of the rear hitch, we thought about that though. Wouldn't do a flatbed because we also use a rack when we tow the camper. We usually camp in spots with water like FL keys so we haul a Hobie Tandem Island on the rack, what surprised us was we gained almost 2MPG when we started doing this.

[Jon in AZ]

Depends on the bed length, but there are campers that fit all but the shortest beds without overhang. They may not have bathrooms though, which could be a deal-breaker.

Pretty sure you could add an overhead rack on a flat bed. I’ve seen contractors with them. What size and configuration truck do you have?

[snuffy2]

2018 Chevy 2500 HD, 4 door 6.5 ft bed.

[Jack L]

Previous posts have brought up some very valid points about the pitfalls of an older motor home. To answer your question - "what WAS junk or what wasn't junk" in addition to Bigfoot, Born Free and Lazy Daze were well built when new. After 25 years, who knows. Look carefully. Bigfoot has a molded fiberglass roof and composite panels for the sides. Born free is built from molded fiberglass roof and side components, Lazy Daze is built from aluminum components and is very solid. Most of these have Ford chassis. I've considered a class C myself and found the Lazy Daze to be the most available units.

[snuffy2]

Thanks Jack, that was what I was asking, what was and wasn't junk.

[Eddie Longest]

I was looking at a motor driven RV about 15 years ago. The advice I was given is stick with a 90's model with a fuel injected engine. You may see an increase of about 2 mpg which could be a 20% increase in mileage. This was when I got into fiberglass trailers.
Eddie

[John in Santa Cruz]

we used to rent class C's to go to a music festival when my wife was pregnant, and then after the kids were born for a couple years. I'd *NEVER* own one of those.

we looked at and test drove a bunch of slide-in truck campers before we turned our focus to fiberglass. didn't find one I'd want to drive. all were top heavy wallowing pigs, even the ones on the 350/3500 dualy trucks with substantial suspension upgrades.. and the campers were cramped, even the largest of the Lance's we saw.