1984 Bigfoot 5th Wheel Updates

[Maureen M.]

We were encouraged to get this posted at the recent NOG. This is the Bigfoot trailer we have listed for sale here:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/in...howtopic=29122

Here is a couple BEFORE pictures of the trailer when we first purchased it. It needed some TLC to get it back into shape.




Here are some AFTER photos of the exterior after it had been scrubbed, new lights installed, windows resealed and new tires.




More pictures to follow...

Chris

[Maureen M.]

The old floor was really ugly.




We updated the floor with additional plywood and new solid vinyl flooring. I used Trafficmaster Allure vinyl plank flooring, which was a great choice for an RV being waterproof. It was easy to work with and intricate cuts were simple using a pair of tin snips.




The cushions and valances also needed replacing.




Here you can see the new cushions. We had them reupholstered at a local shop, and Maureen made the new valances. We also had the curtains dry cleaned since they were still in good shape. It sure made a difference, and were we ever glad to get rid of those brown stripes!




More pictures to follow...

Chris

[Maureen M.]

The wallpaper needed to be updated as well...




Here is a shot taken after painting with a special primer before hanging the new wallpaper.




And finally the new wallpaper in place.




Lastly, I worked on repairing several spider cracks in the roof. I used a fiberglass reinforced jelly applying several coats and sanding each coat...




Lastly I applied two layers of Interlux marine epoxy primer and two layers of Interlux marine Brightside polyurethane finish. I did a light sanding between each coat. I was definitely impressed with the Interlux products. The primer was so tough it took some effort to get it sanded.




Now the trailer is ready for someone to enjoy in the great outdoors!

Chris

[Phil Underwood]

i love getting to read posts like this ... good work

[Lizbeth]

Very nice, I like the new colors!

[Christi V.]

wow.. you have done a fantastic re-do!! I love the interiors of the BF... if they werent so heavy I would consider one... .....

[Maureen M.]

Thanks, Christi, for your nice comments. Just to let you know, this trailer has a dry weight of only about 2,750 pounds. Very light for its roominess. It's the single axle model and tows easily with our 6-cylinder Nissan Frontier.

That's one of the main reasons we went on a hunt for the Bigfoot 5th-wheels from the 80s. Bigfoot Industries increased the weight by quite a bit when they changed it to a dual axle model, and they seem to keep making their trailers heavier and heavier. It's also nearly two feet wider and has more headroom than your Scamp, so just in case you are at all tempted, we can make you a deal!

Chris

[Charlene Urso]

What beautiful changes you have made. It really gives a fresh new feeling to the 5th wheel. It is inspiring to read posts like this. Thanks for sharing!
Charlene

[David and Nancy]

I am especially intrigued that you tackled the wallpaper project. My 97 Bigfoot has some areas where the wallpaper is starting to come loose. Probably due to condensation. I would love to completely replace it eventually, but it seems like such a huge amount of work. Did you pull out window frames, etc. ? How did you get the old paper off? Is there a special type of wallpaper that should be used in RVs? I would love to know what you learned doing your project.

Dave

[Maureen M.]

Dave,
The wallpaper project was just about as easy as installing wallpaper in your home. The original wallpaper was attached to the wall well. So instead of chemicals and scraping, we cleaned and sanded the wallpaper then primed over the top with Zinsser primer. We had it already in our garage from another home improvement project. This paint has high adhesion to almost all surfaces. Maureen and I then rough-cut the new wallpaper and installed it as normal. The true test of any marriage. After the glue set-up, I used a sharp knife to trim the excess.

I did remove some of the windows, but not specifically for the wallpaper project (although it helped along one edge.) I pulled both side windows by the dinette, cleaned the area and window frames really well and applied new butyl tape to seal them. The windows are easy to remove. They just have A LOT of screws to take out. Once the screws are removed and the interior ring is removed, just apply even pressure from the inside to break the seal. I had Maureen outside just in case I pushed too hard. Once the window is out it made cleaning much easier. Now with the new seals, all is water-tight.

Hope that helps.

Chris

[David and Nancy]

Chris: Thank you for the details on the wallpaper project. I already removed the interior ring from one of windows last year. It was a tedious job, but not that bad. I was attempting to re-glue the wallpaper that was de-laminating around the windows. That did not go well at all. I found out that the original owner had replaced the windows after they had been broken by vandals with BB guns. I have no idea whether he properly sealed them at the time, but the wallpaper is now bubbling up around all the window frames. There is a sloppy line of silicone applied to the outside edge of the frames which shouldn't be necessary if good butyl tape was used to seal the frames to the fiberglass. So I will probably take them out and re-seal them as you did. That would be a good time to re-paper. But unlike you, I will have to remove quite a bit of the old paper first, at least around the windows. But I was happy to hear from you that it's OK to paper over the old wallpaper where it is still intact. Thanks again for your very good inspiration.

David

[peterh]

Maureen & Chris, you did a great job on the Bigfoot you're selling . . . It'll be great to see what happens to the one you want to keep!

--Peter

[Maureen M.]

Well I can't just leave it alone. During the NOG, I received several comments regarding our "less than perfect" entry step. Well with help from my brother-in-law who is very talented with a MIG welder (he is a machinist working for a large airplane company here in the Puget Sound region) we beefed up the framing and installed a new step. I know I am still pouring money into a trailer for sale, but I know the future new owner will appreciate the work.

As for our "keeper", that will have to wait until this trailer has a new home and I have the cash flow to make those repairs.

[Maureen M.]

Well, it is now time to start working on the 1987! We sold the 1984 trailer today! Thanks all for your nice posts.
Chris