Not new, but a new camper for me...

[Night Sailor]

Not an egg but it suits me.

I bought a Bigfoot 3000 series truck camper. These can be had at more reasonable prices than the smaller Bigfoots because you need a dually to carry one at 3000 lbs. Also the 2500 series is much more popular. Conversely, these 3000 series have more room inside and are much better insulated--the consensus is these are the best winter truck campers made.

I've been looking for a Bigfoot camper for many years now. This one leaped out at me because it was virtually unused. Even though it passed through three owners and is 15 years old, it has hardly been used and stored in a barn the whole time. The original shower curtain and hangers are still sealed in plastic, plumbers putty from the installation was never cleaned from the bathroom sink drain and aside from being dirty on the outside, the interior looks like a camper that is just off the lot. It was lacking all the important things a new owner would add like a garbage can, cutlery and knife blocks--all the normal mods new owners do. I found one coffee pot inside, an extra fan and a very old Sport Illustrated Swim suit poster. There is hardly a nick on the gelcoat and only the plastic trim inserts and some rust on the electric jacks, take away anything from it's appearance. There is so little for me to do that I expect it won't take long to make the modifications I want to make it suitable for me and to look perfect.

It doesn't have Air Conditioning or Solar Panels. I don't care about the former, and plan to install the solar next month.

I am thrilled with the deal I made and particularly pleased to have a camper rated to down -40 deg (C or F), with a very quiet furnace. I'm looking at putting in a Wave 3 heater and a 120V electric heater on the wall facing the dinette if I can reinforce it a bit, to improve the heating capabilities.

I added a 270 AH Marine 8D gel cell battery to it when I picked it up. It filled the battery compartment perfectly. I plan to update the converter, add solar panels and MPPT controller, and perhaps another battery in the generator compartment. All the windows are double pane except for the bathroom, which I'd like to change to double pane. It also needs new velcro to secure the vent insulation covers.

I have LED interior light bulbs due in this week, and a few small lift mechanisms for the top opening pajama lockers in the cab over. Next I plan to pull the exterior lamps and replace these outside lamps with LED's and reseal them.

I found one small stain on the carpet under the dinette which I think will come out with some carpet cleaner, and a hole in one vent screen-which will be more work to remove, and a cheap bathroom fan not working. The roof vents could use new butyl tape, and one window seal showed some signs of cracking in two places. I plan to re-bed everything since it is tight now, I want to keep it that way.

[Glenn Baglo]

A stain under the dinette and a small hole in the vent cover.
How did you get this steal of a deal?

[Pam Garlow]

Wow, with all that damage, you should'a dickered the price down further.

That recessed awning on the side is sweet!! I'd love to see it extended out. You got a wonderful new toy, congrats!

[Carol H]

Nice find! It looks a lot like the one my brother sold about 5 years ago. Its original owner wasn't in BC on the Island by chance? His had solar from the factory though. He sold it when he bought a new boat that combined weight with the camper was over the top for even his really big truck - or at least that's what he got told at the road side weight checks they set up here in BC. We use to laugh that we had to buy the beer at destination as a case of it would put the set up over the limit.

I used it a number of times before I got my own trailer - it was very comfortable & pretty well insulated. I slept it one Christmas when we had a shortage of beds in the house and it was very comfortable with only a small cube heater.

[David Tilston]

Nice! I think Big Foot makes a fine product.

[Night Sailor]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

A stain under the dinette and a small hole in the vent cover.
How did you get this steal of a deal?

Like I said it was a heavy camper. Not many people can carry something this big. And the 2500 series is about 10 times more popular, particularly the 10.6 model with dry bath. Mine is a wet bath--something I hoped to avoid, but given the condition, I can deal with it. It is still big enough that the shower curtain will keep the head dry.

I also bought it in December--the best month to buy, and I paid cash, just before Christmas--certainly the best option. I'm glad to help out this nice young man who was given the camper and planned to use the money for a down payment on a house here in January. It was a win-win for everyone.

[Night Sailor]

Originally Posted by Pam Garlow

Wow, with all that damage, you should'a dickered the price down further.

That recessed awning on the side is sweet!! I'd love to see it extended out. You got a wonderful new toy, congrats!

I like that it is recessed also. It was a bit harder to clean but less likely to rip off with tree branches. Which reminds me I need to limb some of the branches in the back driveway.

I have not cranked out the awning yet. I saw a picture of it out and the crank is available. It has been opened up but a few times. Maybe I'll do that today. We have a storm coming in and I'd like to drop the camper off before it hits and get is lower it down so I can start planning a porch and staircase for it, which I'll leave here at my home. I'll need some better stairs to get into it also. I am working on a design in Google Sketchup.

The only thing I don't like is the interior upholstery color. It is a teal colored pattern which I don't like all that much. I am seriously thinking about changing that to a brown tweed, and using some of that for the valences. The only problem is the accordion blinds are blue green also. So perhaps I can find a nice blue green tweed for the dinette and I can leave the rest alone.

The dinette has no headroom below the cabinets for four people to sit unless two are children. I may just leave the dinette set up as a lounge with lots of pillows and put a TV on the back wall. That way two people can cuddle there and there is space underneath for the dogs.

[Night Sailor]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Nice find! It looks a lot like the one my brother sold about 5 years ago. Its original owner wasn't in BC on the Island by chance? His had solar from the factory though. He sold it when he bought a new boat that combined weight with the camper was over the top for even his really big truck - or at least that's what he got told at the road side weight checks they set up here in BC. We use to laugh that we had to buy the beer at destination as a case of it would put the set up over the limit.

I used it a number of times before I got my own trailer - it was very comfortable & pretty well insulated. I slept it one Christmas when we had a shortage of beds in the house and it was very comfortable with only a small cube heater.

No, I bought it in the mid-west of the US. I will weight it soon. I can carry 5040 pounds. I should have plenty of margin on weight.

The furnace works fantastic. I find that in 30 degees weather it heats up in about 15-30 minutes or so. I turned on the heater, did a few chores and when I came back opened it up it was toasty warm. I was happy to see it warmed up that quickly. I would like to change the thermostat to a digital type for my precise control. One with an microprocessor and time cycling on the temperature would be very nice.

[Night Sailor]

One of my reasons for getting this camper. Interior shots follow






One of my first mods. These struts hold up the doors to the pajama lockers.