Did Bigfoot Auction Gavel Rap End of Era?

It was sad to report the demise of Bigfoot Campers of British Columbia. Tuesday, January 27 marked the day of the auction to liquidate the remaining assets of the company.

Interestingly, at least one truck camper aficionado attended the auction; his comments were revealing. One particular auction lot was for trademarks, rights, the company website, documentation, and molds and jigs all sold--for the grand sum of $165,000. Bigfoot was Bigfoot by virtue of its two-piece molded fiberglass construction. Does the sale of this lot including those molds and the rights to the old company's trademarks signal the possibility of a future resurrection of this remarkable truck camper?

Only time will tell.

Coping With a Jack Catastrophe

Sometimes in our truck camper journeys, something goes wrong. For this TC owner, with the truck camper half-on, half-off the rig, the unthinkable happened: The camper jack brackets on the front of his rig bent. As a result, the camper started a side-wise slide, which fortunately stopped when the edge of the camper met up against the side of the truck's bed rail. It could have been worse--if the bed rail hadn't been there to stop the slide, a real tragedy would have been had.

What caused the issue? We don't have the specifics on hand, but one possibility is that in raising the camper on the jacks, the owner may not have kept everything on the level. When raising a TC, it's critical that the lift is applied evenly--not allowing any corner or end to get much higher than any other corner or end. With corner jacks like these, it means running back and forth, raising the jack just a bit, then going to the next jack, raising it, and so forth. Don't keep the pressure evenly distributed, and a weak link--in this case the jack brackets crumpled.

But what do you do with a problem like this? Here you are, with the rig in the air, and a real problem at hand. Happily this TC owner was home, where he could easily secure items to get himself out of the fix. Some carefully applied blocking and a couple of bottle jacks were able to take the weight off the damaged jack brackets. There's no doubt in our minds that this would have been a real adrenaline rush situation, and one we hope to never see for ourselves. It's also a good reminder to regularly inspect your jacks and jack brackets for damage or any signs of strain, and make repairs quickly.
photos: Bob n Renee on flickr.com

Newbies Corner: The Chicken & Egg Truck Camper Question

For many new to the world of truck camper RVing, a frequent issue is something like: 'I really love a such and such pickup truck. What kind of camper should I get for it?' It's a chicken-and-egg proposition that can scramble the mind. But we'll go over it easy.

First, if you are in the delightful position to be able to buy a new truck and camper at the same time, more power (and cash) to you! Here's the lowdown, though. It's best to examine your RV needs first, choose the camper, then go about the business of picking out what's the best pickup truck to support your choice of a truck camper.

When truck campers first appeared, there weren't a lot of options available. These days options abound, including slide-outs, extended cabover length, metal siding, fiberglass siding, large bath, small bath, and on and on it goes. Really, much of it boils down to weight. The more options, the more the weight, the bigger the pickup to support the whole endeavor.

Sit down, decide what you really have to have in your camper, then shop the market. For those looking for a new model, fresh off the dealer lot (or ordered from the factory), you'll have a much easier time determining how much the new camper will weigh. When buying a used rig, your choices are obviously fewer--it's what's available on the market now, or wait and see. Hopefully the camper you settle on will have a legible manufacturer's certification tag that shows the weight of the rig. But beware, dealer (or owner) added options won't likely be included in the weight listed on the tag. If possible, have the camper weighed so you know what you're getting into.

Once you know the weight of the camper (and don't forget to add the weight of water, propane, gear, groceries, and passengers) then it's time to evaluate what truck will effectively (and safely) carry the weight. Unless you're willing to go to a "pop up" style truck camper, which may be great in warm weather, you'll find a half-ton pickup probably won't support most TCs. Even the common 3/4 tonners will not meet the need of larger and heavily optioned campers. But don't cave in and try and make a too-small-truck fit the bill--you'll regret it and maybe pay for it in a dramatic way.

Chicken or egg? Camper or truck? Pick the camper first, then the truck, and you won't have a 'Humpty-Dumpty' situation on your hands--leaving you to pick up the pieces.