New to the truck and (fiberglass) camper family

[hesnotheare]

Hello,

After discussing the possibility of buying a trailer for several years, my wife and I rented several different RVs: a small E-Pro 12 trailer; a tired pop-up; and a Sportsmobile camper van we dubbed Lipstick on a Pig. The one thing we learned through the rental process is that we prefer a self-contained RV.

Shortly after returning the Pig I received a notification about a truck and camper that had just been posted on a local classified website. Now it's parked in our driveway - we named her Fae since that was part of the Alaska license plate that now hangs in the garage.

The camper is a 1988 Bigfoot 9.5 Deluxe. The truck is a 1995 Ford F-250 XL SuperCab with a 7.5-liter gas engine and a 5 speed. And, drum roll, 85,000 miles.

We were able to purchase the truck and camper for several thousand dollars below book value. After repairs made to both the truck and camper, we are now about even with book value.

I no doubt will have many questions that I hope this community will be able to help me with. We are looking forward to many adventures with Fae.

[AC0GV]

Originally Posted by Inspector Gadget

Hello,

The camper is a 1988 Bigfoot 9.5 Deluxe. The truck is a 1995 Ford F-250 XL SuperCab with a 7.5-liter gas engine and a 5 speed. And, drum roll, 85,000 miles.

.

Ford likes to skimp in paint on the inside bottom of the doors. I have had the doors painted or spray some oil into the bottom of the doors to prevent rust.
Also if nothing has been changed, keep an eye on all of the rubber parts. You do not want to blow a hose on a hot day headed up a mountain. Great find!

[jimiller5]

That’s a good looking rig and should serve you well. I’ve had several mid 90s Fords and a common problem is that the inner door handle could break forcing you to roll down the window to get out. It’s not a hard repair, but I’d advise keeping one on hand just in case. You can find them on EBay for about five bucks.

[Jon in AZ]

That’s a well-matched pair and handsome, too. Congratulations and happy travels!

Smart move, renting a number of different RVs before taking the plunge.

[thrifty bill]

Amazingly clean condition! And your path is the one to follow, try out a few campers, find out what works and doesn't work, and then pounce on the right one!

Also by getting a matched set, you avoid the headache of finding the right tow vehicle later. Years ago I sold my 5th wheel trailer and the buyer smartly bought my one ton dually at the same time (even though it wasn't for sale).

And regardless of mileage, I would do some long term maintenance as recommended above. Step 1 is any rubber parts: belts, hoses, tires.

[TZBrown]

Welcome to the group. Wise to try out several different types of campers before making the $$ commitment.

I'm sure you will have many great adventures with that

We certainly enjoy ours

[Mike_L]

Good choice, these units should serve you well. I like these trucks but have found these big gasoline engines can be thirsty. Some of my buddies use them. I prefer the diesel engines as they get twice to three times the fuel mileage. Either way you will have lots of power.