Hi, New member TerryJan Info making Larger bed in 17ft Bigfoot

[terryjan]

Would like to buy 17ft bigfoot but just discovered the "DOUBLE" bed is only 42inches wide! The dinet is 43".
SO, is it possible to either remove the rear bathroom and build a full size double bed.
OR, with CB model remove fridge and build a full size double bed.
How bigger job would this be. Is there structural factors here.
Thanks Terry

[Kai in Seattle]

Hi,

You can always do tons of mods, but it kind of sounds like you need a rig that suits your needs better to start with. Our amerigo has two bed areas, which we needed; other configurations were less useful for us. Cutting out a bathroom and/or closet sounds like a lot of work, YES, there are structural factors, any walls or supports that extend from floor to ceiling are helping to support that ceiling.

There are lots of ways to modify; some people cut out "divots" in the uprights, walls, cabinets, etc., and extend mattresses into that area, but there are also rigs out there with wider beds. Our 1973 amerigo has a 50 - 51" area for the rear bed--still not a full double (54"?) but closer. The front bed has a gaucho option that would allow a 40" mattress. We'll be doing it somewhat differently.

Any mods we're making will have to include keeping those original uprights pretty much intact.

It can be "fun" to "make it your own," and then again, you can get into it and the only way out is forward, while you're mentally kicking yourself from behind!

Why, exactly, do you want that exact rig? What are the advantages that wouild make it worth immediately modifying the main bed area? Do you not want a fridge? Do you not care about the bathroom area?

Not that you need to answer ME, just you need to make a huge list, pros, cons, and everything else you can think of, and consider carefully before you buy, before you make that first modifying cut.

Wishing you the best--if you get the rig, and can post photos, we'd all love to see them and to hear about what you've decided and done!

BEST

[terryjan]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

Hi,

You can always do tons of mods, but it kind of sounds like you need a rig that suits your needs better to start with. Our amerigo has two bed areas, which we needed; other configurations were less useful for us. Cutting out a bathroom and/or closet sounds like a lot of work, YES, there are structural factors, any walls or supports that extend from floor to ceiling are helping to support that ceiling.

There are lots of ways to modify; some people cut out "divots" in the uprights, walls, cabinets, etc., and extend mattresses into that area, but there are also rigs out there with wider beds. Our 1973 amerigo has a 50 - 51" area for the rear bed--still not a full double (54"?) but closer. The front bed has a gaucho option that would allow a 40" mattress. We'll be doing it somewhat differently.

Any mods we're making will have to include keeping those original uprights pretty much intact.

It can be "fun" to "make it your own," and then again, you can get into it and the only way out is forward, while you're mentally kicking yourself from behind!

Why, exactly, do you want that exact rig? What are the advantages that wouild make it worth immediately modifying the main bed area? Do you not want a fridge? Do you not care about the bathroom area?

Not that you need to answer ME, just you need to make a huge list, pros, cons, and everything else you can think of, and consider carefully before you buy, before you make that first modifying cut.

Wishing you the best--if you get the rig, and can post photos, we'd all love to see them and to hear about what you've decided and done!

BEST

Hi Kai in Seattle. Thanks for the tips
Never heard of your Amerigo Looks quite similar to bigfoot. I've never seen one here in Canada. Good luck with your major renos!
We've owned our 14' bigfoot for about 4 years. Its very plain with a 48" bed a shelf/Counter top "came w matresses for bunks" up front for cooking with coleman stove or our single burner 110v electric and a "larder" cupboard in between. We have a portapotty that we rarely use. An electric portable cooler box. Heat is a Cube heater or a Mr Heater Buddy
Have done 3 month trips all over USA & Canada.
On talking with people with bigger rigs very few seem to use the shower. We found our cooler worked fine and the coleman stove can be used in or out.
Would rather keep things simple without all the maintenence.
Our main criteria is a decent bed and a separate dinet.
The 17" bigfoot seems about the right size to suit our needs with a little modification. Was thinking more of the centre bath model and just remove the fridge & stove/oven to fit a larger bed.
Stay tuned! Terry
PS have you checked this out Small Travel Trailer: Camper: Smoakin Concepts Composites Very simple and basic.
A little pricey with CAD exchange rate though.

[Kai in Seattle]

Originally Posted by terryjan

Hi Kai in Seattle. Thanks for the tips
Never heard of your Amerigo Looks quite similar to bigfoot. I've never seen one here in Canada. Good luck with your major renos!
We've owned our 14' bigfoot for about 4 years. Its very plain with a 48" bed a shelf/Counter top "came w matresses for bunks" up front for cooking with coleman stove or our single burner 110v electric and a "larder" cupboard in between. We have a portapotty that we rarely use. An electric portable cooler box. Heat is a Cube heater or a Mr Heater Buddy
Have done 3 month trips all over USA & Canada.
On talking with people with bigger rigs very few seem to use the shower. We found our cooler worked fine and the coleman stove can be used in or out.
Would rather keep things simple without all the maintenence.
Our main criteria is a decent bed and a separate dinet.
The 17" bigfoot seems about the right size to suit our needs with a little modification. Was thinking more of the centre bath model and just remove the fridge & stove/oven to fit a larger bed.
Stay tuned! Terry
PS have you checked this out Small Travel Trailer: Camper: Smoakin Concepts Composites Very simple and basic.
A little pricey with CAD exchange rate though.

Hi, Terry,

Well, you sound a lot like us, keeping things simpler, having basic needs, a decent bed, no shower, not a lot of doo-dads...

So, yeah, maybe for what you need, it makes entire sense. And yes, I'm sure it can be done. All these mods take some effort, sometimes a lot more than you bargain for, but YMMV, your mileage may vary. It will work out for you the way it works out for you, not for anyone else.

Our Fg-16 amerigo is being redone with two bed areas, one of which is also a settee for daytime. We'll have a folding table, not the original dinette, no fridge (using a 7-day cooler), the small square ceramic heater (we have 2), and a one-burner propane grill for cooking outside. We plan on using the "straw" dishes and the "cornstarch" utensils and not doing any dishwashing...we won't even use a water tan, but will re-use 2-liter pop bottles and our home water. We'll shower in campground facilities when we do, and keep it simple. If I want amenities beyond our basic bed and warmth and picnic-style meals, I'll stay home. We may not even add a TV or the microwave I'd planned on.

Most of these rigs have a basic similarity; the big diff with the amerigo is that it's a fiberglass outer shell, but a stick-built interior. So it's the best and worst of both worlds. Luckily, we're long-time house remodelers (our own houses, in small ways) and have some resources, lots of tools, materials, experience, and access to the machine shop my husband, Paul, retired from only two years ago, so they still remember him well. He just went in today, and among other things, scored 8 feet of nice chain to lock the two batteries onto our trailer tongue. Score!

We, too, have a portapotty, not sure how much we'll use it. Certainly at night! I'm afraid of creatures in the dark, having once been trapped idn a public restroom for several hours by what I thought was a coyote prowling nearby outside...finally I was so sick of being int here I decided to make a dash for it and fight my way if I had to, only to realize at last it was a nearby tent camper SNORING. Boy, was I embarrassed for my silly self! But better red-faced than eaten by a coyote!

Good to meet you!

Kai in Seattle
(Kathleen & Paul NEAR Seattle)

BEST

[terryjan]

UPDATE!
We bought a 17ftCB bigfoot last fall.
Have put portapotty in bathroom (wife says its fine for occasional use)
Have removed the fridge and bought a 3cu ft Residential one. This allows for shortening the hole it goes in. Remove the galley and we're in business for a full size double bed.
Will post pics when done.
Terry & Jan

[k corbin]

I vote for leaving things as they are and each person having their own bed. So much easier to get a good nights sleep if one person has to get up in the middle of the night. Also no one to steal the covers off of you.

[terryjan]

So, you leave both beds set up ?
We like to have a bed and a dinet without the set up hassle.
Besides I still love my wife and to sleep in the same bed

[John in Michigan]

terryjan, we have 2 campers:

- Trillium 4500 owned since 2015, have put 10,000 miles on it, pretty much done renovating: We have rear dinette permanently set up as 52" (full size) bed; large front gaucho used for seating, lounging, etc.

- Boler 17 owned since 2016, not used yet, still renovating: Same problem that you have. 42" front dinette converts to bed and rear gaucho converts to 42" bed. We want to modify so that we have one permanent bed for two people (at least 46" wide), but still no idea how we are going to accomplish this.

Welcome to the forum and enjoy sorting this out!

John

[terryjan]

Hi John,
Did you consider making the dinet the permanent bed and rigging a table to the wall of the bathroom opposit the gaucho couch.
PS Not sure how practical as we have the cb model

[John in Michigan]

terryjan, our Boler 17 is the rear gaucho model. Problem is that the dinette is in front, and immediately behind it are the bathroom on the left and the entry door on the right. Expanding the dinette area into a permanent bed interferes with the entry door.

Converting the rear gaucho into a permanent bed is also a challenge because immediately forward of the rear gaucho is the fridge/heater cabinet on the left and the kitchen on the right. So, would have to take several inches out of the cabinets on the left and right.

terryjan do you have the side gaucho or rear gaucho Bigfoot?

[John in Michigan]

terryjan, if you search by using the search button at the top of this page, and then entering "Bigfoot 17 bed" you will find other threads on this topic. I found several. Here is one example:

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ion-30450.html

EDIT: Use the search option at the BOTTOM of the search page. That works best.

[terryjan]

OK, So we're reading off the same page.
Heres a link to a website with our layout.

Bigfoot 2500 Series 25B175CB | Travel Trailer

My idea is to cut 7" off the fridge opening (we already bought a smaller fridge.
Remove galley. Build bed 54x72, and see what room we have left for a galley(not much!)

[Thenniged]

Originally Posted by terryjan

OK, So we're reading off the same page.
Heres a link to a website with our layout.

Bigfoot 2500 Series 25B175CB | Travel Trailer

My idea is to cut 7" off the fridge opening (we already bought a smaller fridge.
Remove galley. Build bed 54x72, and see what room we have left for a galley(not much!)

Hey,
Did you end up making this change? Do you have any photos of the finished product? Would you do the same thing over again?

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by k corbin

I vote for leaving things as they are and each person having their own bed. So much easier to get a good nights sleep if one person has to get up in the middle of the night. Also no one to steal the covers off of you.

That’s been our solution. We sometimes spend couple time in the small “double” bed in the evening, but when I’m ready to roll over and snore, I roll all the way to the single bed at the front of our Scamp.

We both make nighttime potty visits, and rarely at the same time. She’s a night owl and I’m an early bird.

Converting beds to daytime seating is a 5 minute job morning and evening, made easier by sleeping bags with liners and oversized duffle bags for storage.