Hello fellow campers ...

This is my first post and I am seeking help/info on how I can get my 1989 BigFoot 9.5 to fit on my 1997 F150. Previously, I was running a 1993 F150 with a Ford bed liner and the camper slide in&out perfect.

I decided to retire the 1993 F150 and buy the newer 1997 F150 [already set up to haul a Northern lights camper by previous owner]

Well silly me for assuming this would be a perfect truck to truck match because it was not! I first realized when I backed under and slid all the way back to about 2 feet from front bed contact when I noticed the width of the end [abutment] was about 3 inches too wide.

Obviously Ford, in their wisdom, changed the width of the F150 full size beds

The BigFoot is a clam shell gel- coat design and I was wondering if there is any way of successfully moding the camper to fit. I do not want to part with either ... the BigFoot 9.5 is a beautiful camper and the 1997 F150 [tow package plus springs] is a much better equipped truck.

Any Ideas .... cut, shave 1.5" - 2" off each side and re-fiberglass? Anyone else run into this problem?
Thanks again for any help offered.
duck

Hate to say, but you are putting way too big of a camper in a 1/2 ton truck. I'd trade up to a bigger truck. The bigger payload will be way more suited to the bigfoot, not to mention it will fit in the bed.

Hi there and thanks for the reply.

My BigFoot 9.5 is only 1150lbs [factory listed weight on the sticker] maybe 1500 lbs wet. As I wrote earlier, this truck has been re-sprung and set up for a Northern lites camper that was heavier than my BigFoot. I have all the paper work that had to be submitted to the Insurance company after the truck was re-sprung. I put 30 sheets of 1/2 inch 4x8 drywall in the back and the truck barely sagged on the springs ... she rides very stiff & tight with no load ....

Now back to my original question ... Has anybody run into this problem in dealing with the smaller Ford box width at the back? My old 1993 truck does not have the pressed/stamped & factory spot welded bracket/rear corner posts like the 1997 .... these jut out into the box about 2 inches on each side. That looks like my problem ... maybe re-engineer the rear corner posts ... that could give me the extra 4 inches that I am looking for .... any ideas ... who has had this happen to them and what was their work around?
ThanX
dduck

if it were me id pull the bed off and mount the camper to the frame, then make my own storage compartmentsin the spaces left. either that or modd the bed to allow it to fit.

but thats just me.