Vintage Bigfoot Parts Guide

[trainjunkie]

After completing quite a few upgrades on my 1989 Bigfoot B17G Deluxe trailer over the past couple of years, I thought I'd share some of the information I've collected from various sources on a few of the miscellaneous parts I've sourced. Hopefully this information will save others facing similar tasks from the hassle and time expenditure of searching for some of these items. BTW, you can read all about the trailer here if you want:

trainjunkie's Trailer :: Boomer Caboose - Bigfoot B17G Deluxe

While my trailer was nearly all original when I bought it a couple years ago, I make no guarantees that the parts on mine are the exact same ones on other early Bigfoot trailers. It's clear that Bigfoot changed sometimes vendors on components from time to time, and from year to year. But I've tried to include a number of photos to simplify the identification of parts. Some of these parts might work on other fiberglass travel trailer brands as well

Many of these old trailer parts are long obsolete, but I've tried to include manufacturer names, the proper part name, and original part numbers to make searching easier using search engines or eBay.

Entry Door Assist Handle

The one on my trailer is a Bargman number 74-32-001. The official part description is: Assist Bar Lighted with Switch Chrome

As far as I know, these are obsolete and no longer available from the manufacturer. However, they can be found in RV stores and on eBay. I recently found a couple NOS handles at a trailer supply retail store in Southern California.

BTW, if you just need the lens for the light, I've been told these are also obsolete but can still be found out there. The part number for the lens is 74-32-030. Pop that into Google and you'll see them come up on numerous sites.

[trainjunkie]

Clearance Light Lenses

I didn't want to go LED and just wanted new lenses but I soon discovered that the original 2-1/4 inch clearance lights on my trailer were made by Stratolite (No. 104) and lenses for those are almost impossible to find in quantity. I could occasionally find a red lens, or a light assembly, but never a complete set of replacement red and amber lenses.

A little side note here. Stratolite used to make a lot of lighting equipment for the transportation industry, including railroads. As someone who has been a railroader off and on for over 20 years, I am familiar with the brand and thought it would be really cool to keep the Stratolite lenses on the trailer. But the original ones were so faded that some of them had turned clear, and all of them were dull and ugly. Unfortunately, Stratolite seems to be no more, and the company that took over their line, Clartec, doesn't have clearance lights that small, so my efforts to keep the Stratolite lenses were for naught. Fortunately, I found a great replacement.

Peterson Safety Systems makes lenses that fit the Stratolite surface-mount light bases perfectly.

Vehicle Safety Light| LED Lights - Peterson Manufacturing Company

For the amber lenses, I ordered B100-15A lenses, and for red B100-15R lenses. They fit the Stratolite bases perfectly and I haven't lost one yet.

A note on these. I've seen them referred to as "2 inch" and "2-1/2 inch" lights but for the record, the outside diameter of the base, where the lens mounts, is 2-1/4 inch, as is the inside diameter of the lens.

BTW, I ordered mine from Fox Tail Lights: FoxTail Lights.com

[trainjunkie]

Tail Lights

The original tail lights on my Bigfoot are Miro-Flex lights, which is also a line that Clartec now owns.

Welcome to Clartec Corporation

Remarkably, these are still available new through a number of RV retailers. Mine are the ones with back-up lights, and the left one has the license plate mounting bracket and light. So the left one is part number MFTL340

MFTL340

And the right one is MFTL341

MFTL341

I ordered mine, with an extra set of replacement lenses, from Makarios RV at:

RV Parts | RV Accessories | Motorhome Parts | RV Supplies | MakariosRV

[trainjunkie]

Other stuff

Door trim screw cover

The extruded aluminum door trim has a U-shaped plastic screw cover. I wanted to change mine out from black to colonial white and I traced down the original source to AP Products. The colonial white "Elixer" screw cover is part number 011-354-5 and is on their site here. It's available in a lot of RV retail stores.

8'SCREWCOVER CW (E) 5PC [011-354-5] - $12.35 : AP Products, RV/Mobile Home Hardware

Although I haven't purchased anything from them, I tracked down the original supplier to Bigfoot for entry and baggage doors which is Vision Manufacturing.

RV Doors - Vision Manufacturing

Vision's sister company, Sun-View Industries, supplies Bigfoot with single and thermopane windows. I inquired with them about upgrading from single to thermopanes, and it's possible. But I'm still undecided on that as it's just shy of $2,000.00 to change them out.

RV Windows by Sun-View Industries

You can read about the replacement Atwood water heater (and all-new plumbing) here:

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...7-a-58944.html

The replacement furnace here:

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...com-62437.html

And the Dexter replacement for the original Standens axle/hubs/brakes is here:

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...xle-60915.html

Hope this info helps others down the road. Cheers!

[trainjunkie]

Just a follow up. I discovered an aftermarket company that is making a replacement lens for the Bargman 74-32-001 Lighted Assist Bar.

Porch Light Lens | specrec.com

[Donna D.]

Fantastic, absolutely NICE of you to share this information. I've captured the link. In the future if someone ask, I can point them to YOUR thread

[Cathi]

Yes, Mike, very good of you and, Donna, you are a professional pointer by now.

[FTTRV]

Originally Posted by trainjunkie

After completing quite a few upgrades on my 1989 Bigfoot B17G Deluxe trailer over the past couple of years, I thought I'd share some of the information I've collected from various sources on a few of the miscellaneous parts I've sourced. Hopefully this information will save others facing similar tasks from the hassle and time expenditure of searching for some of these items. BTW, you can read all about the trailer here if you want:

trainjunkie's Trailer :: Boomer Caboose - Bigfoot B17G Deluxe

While my trailer was nearly all original when I bought it a couple years ago, I make no guarantees that the parts on mine are the exact same ones on other early Bigfoot trailers. It's clear that Bigfoot changed sometimes vendors on components from time to time, and from year to year. But I've tried to include a number of photos to simplify the identification of parts. Some of these parts might work on other fiberglass travel trailer brands as well

Many of these old trailer parts are long obsolete, but I've tried to include manufacturer names, the proper part name, and original part numbers to make searching easier using search engines or eBay.

Entry Door Assist Handle

The one on my trailer is a Bargman number 74-32-001. The official part description is: Assist Bar Lighted with Switch Chrome

As far as I know, these are obsolete and no longer available from the manufacturer. However, they can be found in RV stores and on eBay. I recently found a couple NOS handles at a trailer supply retail store in Southern California.

BTW, if you just need the lens for the light, I've been told these are also obsolete but can still be found out there. The part number for the lens is 74-32-030. Pop that into Google and you'll see them come up on numerous sites.

I stock the lens as pictured.
Chuck

[trainjunkie]

Hi Chuck,

I wasn't trying to suggest where to buy these items, only what they are for identification purposes. I'm glad to hear you have some of this stuff though. I figured you would.

Be well.

Mike

[Tom Trostel]

To add to this excellent list of parts for early 1500 series Bigfoot models, I thought I would mention that my 1980 has different lights. The tail lights are Reflect-O-Lites 650. These are easy to spot because they have 6 external screws that are at the edges of the lens. The clearance lights are also Reflect- O-Lites and are oval, not round. If one looks at 1979, 1980, and 1981 models these can all be spotted. I don't know when Bigfoot switched to other models. These are very rare. I searched eBay for 5 years to find a replacement for a cracked lens on the tail light.

[Gardnpondr]

Tickled pink to find this. Just got us a Bigfoot 1985 so will be needing some of this stuff. Trying to clean it up now. But I did notice some of those round lights needed replacing.
THANK YOU!

[PascalD]

Have a 1995 21' Bigfoot, looking to find the catch that secures the travel cover for the front window. The small spring has gone missing and it appears that the small pin with the groove also. Looking to find replacements (2 pcs)
Have any ideas or part numbers like you posted for the door/porch light. That was awesome as it just so happens that that was one of the items i was looking to replace. Thanks!

[ZachO]

Oh man, thanks for resurrecting this! I miss having Mike around....

I missed this thread the first time around. I'll need to bookmark it. I need the entry door assist handle, and yeah, they're obsolete, and the one or two I did find...the people knew it! Not cheap.

[Sharon Pantelidis]

Thank you for all that info; did you have to replace the roof's air circulating fan.
Ours is broken and needs replacement.

[Jack L]

Originally Posted by PascalD

Have a 1995 21' Bigfoot, looking to find the catch that secures the travel cover for the front window. The small spring has gone missing and it appears that the small pin with the groove also. Looking to find replacements (2 pcs)
Have any ideas or part numbers like you posted for the door/porch light. That was awesome as it just so happens that that was one of the items i was looking to replace. Thanks!

It's doubtful you will find those latches. I was faced with the same problem and the best solution i could find was to make new ones using aluminum angle, stainless steel jam nuts and these plungers.

2 of WN 717.10 Series Stainless Steel Non Lock-Out Type Stubby Hand Retractable Spring Plunger with Pull Ring, 1/2"-13 Thread, 0.56" Thread Length
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC

Sold the trailer so no photos available.

[rogerfb]

Any idears I need several rear drawer slide mounts 86 17ft
Thanks Roger

[rogerfb]

My Bigfoot drawer is Delta Guide 100 All parts are available from
Swisco inc Hope that helps someone as my drawer rear mounts were broken

[Tiffer]

Originally Posted by FTTRV

I stock the lens as pictured.
Chuck

Hi Chuck - wondering if you still have tail light lenses for the B17, and possibly a line on the whole assembly or a suggestion? One of my lenses is broken and the conductive base is heavily corroded. I'm in the general Vancouver area of BC.

[jayoh999]

I have replaced all the exterior and interior lights on this B-17 with LED's. The amber markers had lost virtually all their colour. Some of the red ones burst into pieces when squeezed for removal, as did even the interior dome lenses. I will try to keep as much of the original flavour as possible; however, after 36 years, degradation thrives! hahaha

[cdn2a]

Anyone looking for marker lenses that look almost like the originals on the B17.


Grote 45413 and 45412. The lenses seem to be compatible, the bases almost a direct fit, the mounting holes need to be elongated and then they fit. Uses the newer 194 bulb style.