1978 10' Bigfoot Pop Top Trailer - Fiberglass RV
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Old 08-24-2009, 06:53 PM   #1
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I found a Bigfoot Pop Top Trailer on the Fiberglass Rvs For Sale site. It says it is 10 feet and about 700 pounds. Looks similar to a Compact Jr. Has anyone seen one or know anything about these trailers?

It's listed in Belleville, ON for $3,400. www.fiberglass-rv-4sale.com

Are there anymore Fiberglass Pop-Tops out there I might not know about?? (I know Compact Jr, Hunter II, Cadet, Trails West Campster, Miti-Lite.)

Thanks for your expertise!
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Old 08-24-2009, 08:40 PM   #2
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News 2 me....
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Old 08-24-2009, 09:07 PM   #3
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Sure looks like a Hunter Compact II. I wonder if it truly is a Bigfoot or did Bigfoot take on some shells or a mold? Ah the mystery continues.
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Old 08-24-2009, 09:12 PM   #4
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I vote for a reworked Compact II.
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Old 08-24-2009, 09:24 PM   #5
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It's driving me crazy, as I've been searching and can't find a thing about a pop top Bigfoot. The outside looks nice. Maybe one of our Bigfoot experts will weigh in, or somebody will call about it (Hint Hint Ontario people.) Sure would like to see it in person.
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Old 08-24-2009, 10:40 PM   #6
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Here are a couple of versions of the ad for the trailer. (I'm not sure which one fiberglass-rv-4sale for sale got their info from, or even if they did take their info from one of these two.) The Kijiji ad does reference the cruising.ca one as the more "original" one for potential buyers to refer to.

It certainly does look like a Compact II. It's true that folks shared their molds around, but usually there is more than one of something; sure seems like we would have heard of it if Bigfoot made these, doesn't it? The other thing is that the seller says that the original interior wasn't anything to write home about, and from what I've seen, nice interiors are a hallmark of the Bigfoot trailers.

Link to Kijiji ad:

http://belleville.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle...QAdIdZ150224995

Link to cruisers.ca ad:

http://www.cruising.ca/trailer/

Sounds/looks like they've added a "cat door" to the right side of the trailer near the rear.

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Old 08-25-2009, 05:01 AM   #7
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I think this owner is a "questionable historian". In addition to the Big Foot name, he says the trailer weighs 700 lbs. It's closer to 700 kg. And, he claims 22 mpg towing with a minivan. I've towed our Compact Jr. over 15,000 miles using two different minivans and averaged 15-17 mpg. I sure he's using a single tank average at 40 mph, on flat land, with Imperial gallons.
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Old 08-25-2009, 05:42 AM   #8
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It is ABSOLUTELY a Hunter sibling of some sort. With all that striping, it sure reminds me a LOT of the Family Wagon Hunter sibling that someone had posted a while back...
The interior sure doesn't look bad, but not exactly the same as I've seen in other rigs. Would be interesting to hear more about it though...
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Old 08-25-2009, 07:23 AM   #9
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Thanks everybody for giving your thoughts about this very strange trailer!

Raya, the additional pics and info are great! They are larger than the ones I found and give a better "look" at the condition, etc.

I, too, questioned 700 lbs! Especially after reading it has a "head". I'm still trying to picture where that would be located in a 10 foot Hunter type floor plan.

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Old 08-25-2009, 10:05 AM   #10
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The toilet in a Compact II (no shower) is in a small closet to the right side when entering the rear door.
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Old 08-25-2009, 10:15 AM   #11
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Yes, that is a Family Wagon. The striping is identical to what my trailer originally had.
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Old 08-25-2009, 11:17 AM   #12
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We got to the bottom of this mystery in short order! Good job!

Thanks, Tom, for helping me picture that potty configuration!

Mark--do you (or anyone?) have any other pics of the Family Wagon? This is fascinating learning about all these great fiberglass pop tops!

Am I correct in thinking that my Element (1500 lbs. tow limit) could only handle the Compact Jr.?? Seems like the other Hunter's run heavier.
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Old 08-25-2009, 11:36 AM   #13
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In my opinion, the various Hunter/Compacts are old enough that you would almost have to weigh each one individually to know which you could or couldn't tow. I think any of them might be light enough, yet also that any of them could be too heavy --- there's just no way to know without weighing the exact trailer you are considering.

Now true, the Compact II's (etc.) would probably have been heavier as a group, due to the optional "bathroom" and maybe a slight tendency towards being more likely to have a three-way fridge, furnace, oven, or what have you; but I know of a number of Compact Jr.'s that now weight 1500# or 1600# or more, so there is no guarantee short of putting a real number on each trailer.

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Old 08-25-2009, 12:50 PM   #14
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Thanks Raya!

I lay in bed at night thinking how I could make a trailer lighter (who needs sleep, eh???) So, I say, "I don't need no stinkin' oven, furnace or 3 way fridge!!!" I'll just rip em out (but save them in case of resale!!)

Actually, since I'm a lover of fabric and textiles, I've been toying with the idea of replacing cabinet doors with fabric/canvas or at least make cut outs in the doors and staple the fabric in the open space to reduce weight. (I know I'd have to secure things well inside the cabinets, but think that's a given any way!) Ah---but I get ahead of myself.

I need the camper FIRST! Sure would like to have that Perris Pacer in AZ. OR: "Help me OBE WAN FLOYD!" (Perhaps he is restoring my dream camper as we speak.)

Enough of my silliness--back to cleaning the Guinea Pig Condo before vacation this weekend.
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Old 08-25-2009, 01:29 PM   #15
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Actually, removing the cabinet doors in many of our eggs would be a big weight savings, as they were made of (comparatively) heavy particle board type material. Many people paint them to get rid of the faux woodgrain, but others make new ones of lighter wood.

Covering small compartments such as these on sailboats is something people have come up with many solutions for (and they can turn over through 360º!). Ventilation is especially important on a boat, too.

Some folks do use wooden cabinet doors, and others make decorative cutouts in the doors to lighten them and to provide ventilation. Sometimes people just have a wooden "frame" on the door with some kind of mesh in the middle. Other ideas do include canvas (or Sunbrella) with snaps or twist fasteners along the edge(s), Phifertex (mesh cloth), or even just some criss-crossed bungie cords (that doesn't work for china but will work for folded clothes).

Sliding wooden door pairs that are riding on tracks can be made of pretty light wood.

So, no, you're not going crazy

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Old 08-25-2009, 03:28 PM   #16
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I know the rear table on my 17' Burro is pressed wood and man o man does it weigh a ton.
It's on my list for replacement. The doors are cheesy 1/2 inch flakeboard, and they are flaking, they are on their way out too.
On my old 13' Burro I changed all the doors to clear pine shelving, very pretty, sort of an Ikea look.
That's become sort of pricey so I'm not sure where to go next maybe I'll bite the bullet and get the clear pine again or maybe birch plywood.
Maybe I'll just have another Manhatten and think some more.
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Old 08-25-2009, 03:38 PM   #17
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Old 08-25-2009, 09:31 PM   #18
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pjanits, head over to your local ReStore (it's associated with Habitat for Humanity) and check out shelving, cabinet doors, etc. I often find very nice pine or birch that people have ripped out while remodeling -- and the price is right too. Like $1 to $3 per 42" x 15" cabinet door, or about the same price for vertical-grain pine shelves 4 feet long by 11" wide and a full 1" thick. They also have Corian, but that's a tad heavy for our trailers...
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Old 08-25-2009, 09:34 PM   #19
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Oh yeah, a few weeks ago our ReStore had brand new, still-in-the-box Ikea shelves for $1 each. But I don't especially like them because they are really particle board with a very thin veneer -- the result being that they have the weight and dimensional instability of particle board.
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