Roof support, 1989 Lil Bigfoot

[Jon in AZ]

It’s a pretty rare model. Unless you plan it, the odds of two Lil Bigfoots in the same campground at the same are infinitesimal.

Even two Scamps is uncommon.

[Kenny Strong]

Ellpea
I do not have a support bracket between countertop and cabinet above. Other "lil" Bigfoots that have posted pictures have not had a support. I have never felt a support was needed.
The bolts with a nut protruding thru the skin of the trolley front and rear are where the upper cabinets are attached thru the roof of the trailer. The bolt heads on my trailer are covered with gel coat. they blend into the existing gel coat.
In the winter. I have placed a 2x4x72 approx. length. in the center of the trailer spanning from floor to ceiling. I put a 12"x12" plywood spacer on the floor and the ceiling under the 2x4 ends. the 2x4 was too long to just fit in-between the ceiling and floor so it was set in place at a slight angle and tapped into a 90 degree vertical position. the ceiling moved very little.
I have never seen another 13'. I have owned this trailer for 10 years.
I converted the closet next to the entrance door to a pantry. I took the clothes hanger rod out from the top of the cabinet. I put in three shelves.

Later Kenny

[Kenny Strong]

Hold the level next to the roof vent. In both directions. It does look depressed. Mine is the same. water can puddle here.

Later Kenny

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Kardon

Just an aside, Jon, while San Francisco does have trolley cars, the picture you posted is of the famous S.F. cable car. San Franciscans are sensitive about that sort of thing. Karin

Karin, I completely understand how citizens of an area are sensitive about things like this.

Those of us in (actual) Northern California are sensitive about anyone living south of Sacramento saying they live in "Northern" California, but I see arguments happening all the time, often including people from as far south as Carmel and Monterey INSISTING they are in NORTHERN California!

[EllPea in CA]

UPDATE: I just noticed what Kenny said about the bolts holding up the cabinets!
This explains why I have five of these...

I noticed yesterday this in looking at the photos. This looks like some kind of repair, and there is also kind of a dark area around it, like a stain, or possibly where water HAS pooled. This is at the front of the trailer, curbside of the "trolly", above the front of the cabinets, most likely... I may have to get a ladder out and take a photo from the front!

It looks like somone has caulked the heck out of it...



Maybe there was an antenna there? Or? There is a better look above in the photo with the level

I also noticed that there's nasty caulk around the roof vent (visible in other photos), although so far I haven't found any leaks. I would like to put in a fantastic fan at some point... so this would all have to be cleaned away.

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

It looks to me that you now have another good reason to go camping! Enjoy!

Very true! I'm anxious to get out. I have some repairs, cleaning, and upgrades to do, but I'm already "hankering" to go!

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

It’s a pretty rare model. Unless you plan it, the odds of two Lil Bigfoots in the same campground at the same are infinitesimal.

Even two Scamps is uncommon.

Jon, this is very true. Probably why we get excited, honk, and take pictures every time we see something even remotely similar!

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Kenny Strong

Hold the level next to the roof vent. In both directions. It does look depressed. Mine is the same. water can puddle here.

Later Kenny

Kenny, I'm going to go out and see if I can reach the vent and try this.

Regarding your comment above about the pantry... that's my idea as well! My son-in-law has amazing skills as a cabinet builder, so I was also going to request some drawers in this area. We'll see if I can snare him in... he's booked all the time (but is very intrigued at the idea of doing something in my trailer) but maybe I can get in line!

UPDATE: I didn't feel safe reaching over to the vent, my ladder isn't really tall enough for the photos I was reaching for... but I'll investigate this further with a better ladder and someone to hang on to me while I reach over there!

[EllPea in CA]

I thought there was just one, but I actually found five. This is one of them at the rear:



I was really wound up and also upset, and then realized these might be supports for the cabinets, as they are all in the appropriate area. There are three up front. Two that would support the front cabinet, and one that would support the front end of the galley cabinet. It is likely there's another one for the rear end of the galley cabinet, but I didn't go around that side. There are two more at the rear for the rear cabinets.

So now my question is, do these look right? There may have been some kind of stress fracture in the fiberglass, as I see painted stuff, or something, around and in some cases streaking away from the pimple, or bolt, or whatever it is.

I have no idea what the blue stuff is!

[Jon in AZ]

Could the blue-grey be residue from duck tape? Nasty stuff.

[EllPea in CA]

This is just WAY too much caulk around this thing.



Fortunately, the vent is only about 10 x 10", and if I want to put in a fan, I think this whole shebang would just be sliced out... so we wouldn't have to fuss with cleaning that nastiness off of there.

It's amazing what you find out with a ladder and a camera.

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Could the blue-grey be residue from duck tape? Nasty stuff.

John, I just don't know! If it was leaking, maybe someone covered it with plastic, or something, and duck taped it down. I also wondered if a blue tarp had been left on it for too long, with weights to keep it in place?

I also wondered if someone was trying to put identification up there which would be visible from above (don't some people do this to identify in case of theft?)

It does look like "V" "I"...

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Yes, "trolley roof" refers to the bumped up part in the center, which serves the dual purpose of increasing headroom and adding rigidity to the roof. Early Bolers had flat roofs, but after a year or two they realized sag was a problem and added the trolley. Most of their descendants inherited that feature. So named because it recalls the raised center of the famous San Francisco trolley cars.
Attachment 139752

as an SF native, I must note that is a CABLE car, not a trolley.

THIS is a trolley, like I rode to school in the City in the 1960s.



or a newer one,



the distinguishing feature are the overhead trolleys that power these all electric busses.

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

as an SF native, I must note that is a CABLE car, not a trolley.

THIS is a trolley, like I rode to school in the City in the 1960s.
(snip)

the distinguishing feature are the overhead trolleys that power these all electric busses.

John... but these trollies DO NOT HAVE THE TROLLEY ROOF! So, should our roofs be designated as CABLE CAR ROOFS instead????

(also, as a Northern California dweller, I appreciate someone from Santa Cruz identifying as "Mid Left Coast"!)

[Jon in AZ]

Okay, okay... here’s a real trolley car with a trolley roof... from Brooklyn.

[John in Santa Cruz]

yeah, I was thinking some of SF's Streetcars (electric rail cars with a single trolly) ahd that style roof when I rode them in the 1960s, they still had a fair number of the older styles, like this restored one (from 1914, but they still ran a few of these in the early 60s)..



and this postwar one, which was most of their fleet of Streetcars in teh 1960s



but I've not found one with the 'trolly roof'

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Okay, okay... here’s a real trolley car with a trolley roof... from Brooklyn.
Attachment 139776

Phew, what a relief! I really didn't want to start talking about having a cable car roof!

[Jon in AZ]

Thinking they used them in many of the major cities, but when it came to SF, they had to switch to cable technology in the central part of the city due to the steep inclines. Traditional overhead trolley lines were used in other parts of the Bay Area, and the old-style cars eventually replaced with newer versions, losing the distinctive roof feature in the process.

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

as an SF native, I must note that is a CABLE car, not a trolley.

THIS is a trolley, like I rode to school in the City in the 1960s.



or a newer one,



the distinguishing feature are the overhead trolleys that power these all electric busses.

Where I grew up (Prague), what ran on rails was a tramway, what ran on tires was a trolley bus (those words are universal). The rails provide the current return, so the trolley has two wires, tram has one. And as shown, the drivers had to be well trained in resetting the wire feed, pulling on those ropes. Fun to watch!

[Nancy Del]

Originally Posted by EllPea in CA

And back to my original question... does anyone know if the LB actually came with supports from the kitchen counter up to the cabinet? I do not see any signs of anything being removed.

Good Day! Our Lil'89 do not come we a support on top of the kitchen counter.
we have a snag in the center...still working on getting it fix somehow