Show me your 21 or 25 foot Bigfoot with a lift kit

[Rushin]

Hey all! Anybody on here has a 21 foot Bigfoot with a lift kit? Looking for inspirations.

[Rzrbrn]

Ch and see if the leaf springs are underslung. If so, maybe you can mount them over the axles.

[Rushin]

Originally Posted by Rzrbrn

Ch and see if the leaf springs are underslung. If so, maybe you can mount them over the axles.

Pretty sure it's got drop axle. So to do anything worth a while I need new straight axles.

Looking to see how these look lifted.

[btroxell]

A few months ago, I did a 2" lift using this https://store.lci1.com/correct-track...sion-alignment product (sorry, no pictures). Flipping the axles would have given me a 5" lift, more than I wanted and this gives me the option to adjust the alignment of the axles if need (it was not).

Ben

[Rushin]

Originally Posted by btroxell

A few months ago, I did a 2" lift using this https://store.lci1.com/correct-track...sion-alignment product (sorry, no pictures). Flipping the axles would have given me a 5" lift, more than I wanted and this gives me the option to adjust the alignment of the axles if need (it was not).

Ben

Dose your trailer come with a straight axle or drop axle?

[btroxell]

My trailer has a straight axel but these shackles are installed where the leaf springs attach ti the frame.

Ben

[Travelin2]

We have a 2002 year model 21RB. I did the axle flip. It has straight axles so all I had to do was purchase 4 spring perches and weld them opposite of the stock ones. The bolt pattern on the brake backing plate flange has a square bolt pattern so flipping the brakes was easy peasey. I think there was a caveman that did one recently.

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by Travelin2

We have a 2002 year model 21RB. I did the axle flip. It has straight axles so all I had to do was purchase 4 spring perches and weld them opposite of the stock ones. The bolt pattern on the brake backing plate flange has a square bolt pattern so flipping the brakes was easy peasey. I think there was a caveman that did one recently.

Confused. If you welded on new spring perches, opposite the original ones, and put the spring over the axle, why does it matter that the backing plate has a square pattern?

Sometimes the axles can actually be "flipped", but it sounds like you just moved the springs.

Maybe we should call it a "spring over" lift instead of an "axle flip".

[Travelin2]

You are right Raspy. It's been awhile since I did this and I was at the time thinking I would have to rotate the axle housings but now that you mention this, I can remember string lining the axles and they did have about 3/8 inch arch so I could not rotate (flip) the axles. I just bought new brake units from Dexter and welded the perches on top. So I guess I went from underslung to overslung. I also replaced the springs at the same times since the left side was starting to sag.

[Raspy]

John,

Thanks.

[Travelin2]

Here's pictures while in the messy stage.

[Rushin]

Originally Posted by Travelin2

Here's pictures while in the messy stage.

Very cool! How much did it it cost to do this setup? Looks like this was a whole new setup, axles, springs, hubs and brakes?

[Raspy]

Rushin,

Review post #9. Re-used the axles with new spring perches welded on top, bought new brakes and springs. I wonder why he bought new brakes?

[Travelin2]

The reason I changed all the brakes was due to the lining coming off of the shoes of the others. The previous owners had had complete new brake units put on all wheels less than two years before we bought it but they bought the cheapest brakes that etrailer sells, which of course is made in china or some such. The first trip we took with it, I noticed one brake was running warmer than the others. When we got home I crawled under it to check the adjustment and could tell there was something amiss. I pulled the drum and the complete lining on one shoe had come off in one piece. It was obviously sliding around and wedging itself in some fashion. The stickers were still on the backing plate so I was able to deduce where they came from.

I figured if that brake failed the others weren't far behind so I bought 4 complete brake units from Dexter. They are made in the USA. Cost about $200.
The axles were made by Standens in Canada. I called a division they have in Indiana and got a set of 4 springs. They cost $137 shipped to Florida.
The spring perches I bought on Amazon for less than $20.
I bought Timken wheel seals for about $35.

The spindles and bearings were good and the brake drums were good .

[Len S]

Originally Posted by Rushin

Hey all! Anybody on here has a 21 foot Bigfoot with a lift kit? Looking for inspirations.

Just curious ; why would you want a lift kit ? and put the trailer higher
up into the wind stream ? Thanks

[Rzrbrn]

Why jack it up? We did the same with our Casita. Need the extra height to clear pot holes and such when good docking. Even with a raised Casita, we have encountered roads that were impassable and we had to turn around. Some of the roadways to, and in, the primitive campgrounds are full of very deep potholes.

[Rushin]

Same reason Rzrbrn did it. We have a Casita now that has 30" BFG tires on it and has about 10 inches of clearance.

I actually ended up buying a 25b21rb a few days ago in CA and decided we like our Casita more. So it's up for sale now.

[Rzrbrn]

Rushin, we just finalized our purchase of the BF 25B25RQ. I DO NOT want to hear that you like your Casita more...not after what we just went through...I am joking. We like our Casita also.

[Rushin]

Originally Posted by Rzrbrn

Rushin, we just finalized our purchase of the BF 25B25RQ. I DO NOT want to hear that you like your Casita more...not after what we just went through...I am joking. We like our Casita also.

Haha, no worries. I am sure you will love it. There are a couple things I personally did not like about the bigfoot. My wife hates me for putting my foot down and saying I want to keep the Casita.

Practical issue was that our f150 (2015 2.7 Ecoboost) got 10mpg puling a totally empty dry Bigfoot for 750 miles. We get 14-14.5 pulling a fully loaded Casita with water, two dirt bikes, two moutain bikes and extra 12 gallons of water in the back of the truck. So I can image with all loaded up we would be glad to get 8-9. Plus I could absolutely feel the Bigfoot behind the truck and could at best do 60-65 in 5th. While with the Casita I can do 70-75 in 6th up hills.

As far as not so practical things. Our Casita is 1998 and the bigfoot is 1997. Casita feels modern and "clean" on the inside. Bigfoot feels extremely dated and more like a traditional stick camper even though I know it's not.

For me to love it and want to call it home I would absolutely have to gut the thing down to fiberglass and get rid of desgusting luan and contact paper walls that just induce gag reflex in me. And i am just not ready to do this huge project.

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by Rushin

I would absolutely have to gut the thing down to fiberglass and get rid of desgusting luan and contact paper walls that just induce gag reflex in me.

That's funny. But absolutely one of the things I don't like about so many trailers. A "picture of wood", stuck onto cabinets made from glued together sawdust, just doesn't do it for me. I've never understood how reminding me of what wood might look like, with a picture, is somehow warm, comfortable, or possibly durable. As soon as it gets bumped, or wet, it falls apart.