Ski RV's, who's sleeping in parking lots?

[apex dave]

Just came into possession of a class-C RV. I’m sure it wasn’t built with cold winter use in mind. What do you guys do about the water systems in the mountains? Do you manage to insulate them sufficiently so that you can use them when it is freezing outside, or do you just pour antifreeze in the water and wait for spring?

Don't use the water system and just use water in containers. Drain the fresh water tank, hot water tank and dump the holding tanks then RV antifreeze the system. Many Youtubes will tell you how. Don't risk exploding frozen water lines and tanks. Follow the directions and don't get antifreeze in you fresh water tank or hot water heater.

[climberevan]

Adapting to winter use has been covered exhaustively up-thread. There are different approaches, but unless your rig was designed around insulated tanks, compromise is required.

[byates1]

frorider, how big have you gone w your tires on your rig? some of the transit tires seem hella small.

no lifting the awd transit i have heard as well.

[simple]

frorider, how big have you gone w your tires on your rig? some of the transit tires seem hella small.

no lifting the awd transit i have heard as well.

I have a 2 inch lift on my AWD transit.

255/70/16 fits which is about 2 inches taller tire. I'm running KO2 tires in that size

[powdork]

My skis with rotte Freeride bindings don’t fit a 6” tube. My 115 waist pow AT skis (marker Alpinists) don’t fit at the tip. My midfat skis with Vipec Evos don’t fit at the heel piece in tour or descent mode.

However I have a pair of 98 waist skis with alpinists that barely fit a 6” tube.

I’m probably not the only Tele skier here who somehow has accumulated 6 pairs of AT skis.

As mentioned above, these are rapid fire tubes. Used for your everyday goto pair. pew pew

[El Chupacabra]

As mentioned above, these are rapid fire tubes. Used for your everyday goto pair. pew pew

If you have a couple of tubes for a couple of goto pairs, do you have... GOTOS?

[DanoT]

Don't use the water system and just use water in containers. Drain the fresh water tank, hot water tank and dump the holding tanks then RV antifreeze the system. Many Youtubes will tell you how. Don't risk exploding frozen water lines and tanks. Follow the directions and don't get antifreeze in you fresh water tank or hot water heater.

^^^Nailed it.
This is what I use for a portable shower with a low flow shower head. Just heat up water on the stove and drain the grey holding tank right after. http://www.hotjugz.com/

[frorider]

I have a 2 inch lift on my AWD transit.

255/70/16 fits which is about 2 inches taller tire. I'm running KO2 tires in that size

Yup. There are two mfgers selling 2” lifts for AWD transit last I heard.

I’m running 32” tires on my Quadvan 4x4, 3” bigger than stock. Could go bigger but I’d need to remove more of the pinch seam in the front wheel well. Currently all I did was grind it down 1/8”. Quadvan front end plus Bilsteins b6 equals a 2 5/8” lift as I recall. So net lift with the 32” tires is a 4” lift.

[climberevan]

frorider, how big have you gone w your tires on your rig? some of the transit tires seem hella small.

no lifting the awd transit i have heard as well.

I just drove my friend's Transit about 1500 miles and asked him about the stock tires, which just look a little small. He reported that he had tried upsizing them a bit and hated the ride and handling, so he went back to stock. IMO the van drove wonderfully, so I'd hate to lose that.

[frorider]

^ that’s a very odd data point. I’d suggest going instead with the billions of owner who upsized with no complaints. I will say that a friend with a 2005 sprinter bought some new tires with a relatively low GVWR, and the handling sucked terribly with the flexy sidewalls.

Might’ve been what happened to your friend

[simple]

I put the stock Transit tires on this summer for the better fuel economy. Definitely less noisy as well. Don't know if I would say handling improved as it pushes more in corners with the little tires. Your friend isn't wrong but the extra meaty tires have their place and one of them is aggressive looks and off road performance

[flabazz]

Planning to build a little bed in the bed of my truck for this season. Any design suggestions? Ski storage?

[Conundrum]

Planning to build a little bed in the bed of my truck for this season. Any design suggestions? Ski storage?

Search function?

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...eping+in+truck

[frorider]

I put the stock Transit tires on this summer for the better fuel economy. Definitely less noisy as well. Don't know if I would say handling improved as it pushes more in corners with the little tires. Your friend isn't wrong but the extra meaty tires have their place and one of them is aggressive looks and off road performance

AM rims / tires usually chosen for wider stance, which along with wider tire width, improves asphalt handling of any tall vehicle. Trade off is more stress on bearings (and more unsprung weight) but in my case I’m running much lower payload than the rated 4000 lbs so I’m not too worried there. And I’ve upgraded the mediocre struts / rear shocks to deal with the heavier unsprung weight.

[stupendous_man]

Looking to purchase this 1997 Bigfoot 2500 9’6”, and everything looks good except for the front section of the roof. It appears to be sagging in front and to the side of the bedroom skylight. Rainwater is pooling in front of the skylight as well.

Is this evidence of water damage? I’ve heard on other forums that pooling rainwater is a bad sign. The rubber siding on the windows looks like it’s starting to pull away as well.
I tried to highlight the areas of concern in the attached photos.

The asking price is $10,200. Thank you for any advice.

[Norseman]

Meh, fiberglass sags with age and sun exposure.

[Tamburello Rouge]

Only $80K for this cream puff:

https://jalopnik.com/this-80-000-coz...-bo-1848188426

#vanlife

[apex dave]

The 2500 is their most insulated (and heaviest) unit. Pooling isn't a problem unless it allows water to collect in such a way that it can get inside. Check for water damage, soft plywood and bubbled luan inside every possible opening. Get a ladder and inspect the all roof fixtures for cracked sealant around their perimeters. If you see cracking use Dicor to fill the cracks.
https://dicorproducts.com/product/se...-lap-sealants/
You can also remove the windows and reseal with butyl tape if you suspect they are leaking. While Bigfoot is less likely to leak than other units all sealants deteriorate over time and regular maintenance is key.

[stupendous_man]

The 2500 is their most insulated (and heaviest) unit. Pooling isn't a problem unless it allows water to collect in such a way that it can get inside. Check for water damage, soft plywood and bubbled luan inside every possible opening. Get a ladder and inspect the all roof fixtures for cracked sealant around their perimeters. If you see cracking use Dicor to fill the cracks.
https://dicorproducts.com/product/se...-lap-sealants/
You can also remove the windows and reseal with butyl tape if you suspect they are leaking. While Bigfoot is less likely to leak than other units all sealants deteriorate over time and regular maintenance is key.

Thanks so much for the really great info. Is the sagging caused by delamination of the insulation and framing from the fiberglass shell?

The seller says the roof has been resealed yearly. Are there any particular areas or openings I should ask the seller to send pictures of?

While I will inspect everything in person, the camper’s 1900 miles away, so even going for a look is a big commitment.

[apex dave]

I don't know what would cause sagging. Pictures of every opening in the roof might be useful if there are big problems but won't give much info for the more common subtle leaks. It's a pity you can't inspect the interior for leak damage as that is the real test for the average buyer. (there is another pressurized test that only a dealer can perform)
Here is an excellent video on Bigfoot camper construction.
https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/...bigfoot-shell/

[Norseman]

The resin will slowly creep over time, especially with exposure to heat and/or consistent pressure. My NL has a couple sags in the roof but it's still watertight and structurally sound.

Sagging roofs are discussed somewhat often on RV forums.

Boat hulls will deform similarly if left on the stand too long.

[Norseman]

Edit Cut double post

[DanoT]

As far as the Bigfoot "water pooling", while it indicates a slightly deformed roof low spot it also means that the water is not leaking into the camper in that area, otherwise there would be no pool.

[billyk]

Don't use the water system and just use water in containers. Drain the fresh water tank, hot water tank and dump the holding tanks then RV antifreeze the system. Many Youtubes will tell you how. Don't risk exploding frozen water lines and tanks. Follow the directions and don't get antifreeze in you fresh water tank or hot water heater.

Thanks!

[Trackhead]

Looking to purchase this 1997 Bigfoot 2500 9’6”, and everything looks good except for the front section of the roof. It appears to be sagging in front and to the side of the bedroom skylight. Rainwater is pooling in front of the skylight as well.

Lotta $$ for an older Bigfoot, but the clamshell design will last forever. I have a 1993 Travellaire (similar to Bigfoot design) that had water damage from living in coastal Alaska. I ripped out interior and remodeled, good for another 30 yrs. Those shells are bomber. The sagging window seals can be replaced very easily.