Bigfoot Travel Trailer or not?

[Lucie Bee]

A friend of mine is interested in some of the comparisons that might have been made by some of you when purchasing/deciding on your Fiberglass RV. Did any of you consider the Bigfoot? If so, what are some of the pros and cons that you discovered.

Do any of you have any suggestions about other lightweight TT's that might be more spacious without going above an 18 footer?

[Anne H]

I looked at Bigfoot's before deciding on an Escape.

Bigfoot's, very simply, have big feet! - By that, I mean that they are wider and heavier (at least the newer one's are) and that is a big deal to some of us. Because of the extra width, it seemed more spacious than my Escape to me.

They are very nicely finished trailers - Lot's of well-thought out, convenient and sturdy features (I especially liked the step, the easy opening of the front rock guard, and outside entry assist handle).

For me the deal breaker was width and weight - but for someone who is more concerned with spacious, the Bigfoot is definitely one to look at.

Different models have different floor plans which will affect your perception of space, as will how much time you plan on spending in the trailer and what you'll be doing. Lot's of folks don't mind a small dinette area if they eat most meals outside - that kind of thing.

[Robert Brummett]

I considered the Bigfoot. As a lone traveler I didn't think the extra room would usefully offset the added width and the extra weight. Or the extra cost, which is not insignificant. I liked the way the Casita was the same width as my truck; it makes it much easier to maneuver and much more comfortable on the road, too. Since I was planning to put quite a few miles on whatever trailer I bought, I felt the lighter, more aerodynamic Casita was the best choice. If I were to be spending most of my time in the cooler climes I might have looked longer—and more longingly!—at the Bigfoot. As it is, I feel I made the best choice in the Casita.

[BobB]

The price of a Bigfoot seems really high in the USA. The ones I have looked at were loaded with options, around $35K for 21.5 and $30K for 17.5. I couldn't get dealers to answer my emails. I'm not sure the exchange rate (0.85 per Can $) explains the prices. Too rich for my blood!

[Roger H]

Yes, I've given Bigfoot some consideration. I have a 17' and a new 25' rear queen!

They are top notch. They have features that none of the others have, such as being a full four-season trailer with dual-thermopane windows. I have a 15B17CB, the 1500 series 17' model. The 1500 series have 1" of foam insulation, the 2500 series have an inch and a half. The new ones are 17.5' and 2500 series trailers and are a little heavier than my '04.

The Bigfoot tows a little harder than the Scamp 16 custom deluxe, but I still tow it with my V6 Tundra without problems. Both the Scamp and the Bigfoot 17 have 3500 lb axles. The curb weight as equipped is very similar on both. I attribute the harder towing to the more squared shape and larger frontal area of the Bigfoot, which also gives it it's additional interior size.

I sold my '02 Scamp CD side dinette for almost what I paid for my '04 Bigfoot. They can be found for reasonable sums.

I'm a Bigfoot convert.

Roger

[Donna D.]

And, I'm really, really, REALLY sorry BigFoot quit making the 5th wheel

But maybe because of that, Reace has found a west coast niche for the Escape 5th wheel

[Loren G. Hedahl]

My parents upgraded to a Big Foot fifth wheel from a Scamp 13.

The reason was they had traveled extensively throughout the West in the Scamp, knew the places where they would like to re-visit and settle in for a longer stay.

The Big Foot fit that mode of their retirement days with more space and especially more comfort during days where the weather demanded staying in. Also, the long evenings in the winter were more enjoyable in the Big Foot.

This was just one of many trailers. In the end they both said the trailer the would choose if they were young again was the Scamp. That was the one they had the most fun with.

Loren

[Joe Mielke]

Lucie,

I have a 17' Bigfoot. Before I purchased I looked at the Casita, Scamp and others.

With two full size adults and occasional kids (when they are not in the tent) we just found that we needed the extra room of a Bigfoot. We also wanted a little more insilation for sound proofing. I like a quiet camper!

Honestly, part of the decision what what we could find used with the best deal. All of these used have great resale value and tend to go fast unless they are real fixer uppers. We got to the Bigfoot and made an offer before anyone else did!

- Joe

[Yves Pelchat]

I'm also the proud owner of a Bigfoot .

My BF is a 1989 17 ft DLX. I bought it from Harry Gaudier. It was in an excellent condition, when I bought it. I only had to give it a through cleaning and wax (on the outside). The interior was perfect. The floor is perfect, rock solid. No rot whatsoever. Obviously, the trailer was properly cared for. Thanks Harry!

I'm a guy that likes to look at how things are made. So, last summer, I decided to take a look at the condition of the frame of the Bigfoot. It was a little rusty, being a 1989, but otherwise, it was in excellent shape. So after a couple of days, sweating, sanding and re-painting, I had a 1989 Bigfoot, with a like NEW frame.

While I had my hands dirty, I decided I would not stop there.

So,

I decided to add many improvements to the trailer: Complete re-sealing of all body joints, and windows. All inside and outside LED lighting, a new microwave oven, about 6 new 120v AC outlets (inside and outside). A new Inteli-Power 9160 60A converter, with charge wizard. Brand new blinds on all windows (to replace the stock curtains). A new 5.1 5x100W DTS home theater system + 100W subwoofer. 19'' inch swivel LCD TV. A new MaxxFan. A new electronic monitoring system, to monitor: Inside temperature, outside temperature, hot water temperature, fridge temperature, battery condition, black water level, grey water level. I also made the gaucho bed into a permanent bed, with a real mattress.

I even added an electric tongue jack (no more cranking ).

For 2007, the only thing i'd like to replace (with so many add-ons, the trailer is getting heavier ), is the stock 3500lbs axle (and 14'' tires), with a 5000lbs axle and 15'' inch tires.

Yves.

[David and Nancy]

I love my Bigfoot 21. I also loved my Scamp 16 and my Casita 17. Just get SOMETHING that your truck will pull and your camping group will fit into and have fun. I wish I could have kept them all. My old beat up Scamp was great for going down really bad roads and not worrying about hurting it any more. My Casita was sleek and aerodynamic, easy to pull, and to park. My Bigfoot is spacious and warm, but heavy and wind resistant. They are all great, they all have their limitations.

[jrnutpaul]

Pat and I are on our third trailer...All of them have been Bigfoot's

We started with a 1993 17' and then went to a 1989 20' 5th wheel and now we have a 1994 20' 5er.

We like the extra width ( 1 big foot ) and the insullation and the solid fiberglass under body.

I think we finnally found the trailer we will retire in ( just two more years to go )

Paul

[Rick B]

I had a Bigfoot 17 and really liked it, and have considered another. I looked at the new 2401 yesterday, which is a flat sided gel-coated unit with molded front and back fiberglass caps, and a crowned fibreglass roof. This is Bigfoot's foray into slide models, but sells for over $50k Cdn - a bit rich for a 24 foot trailer.

[Chris B]

We considered the Bigfoot, Airstream and Casita. The king size bed in the Casita won! The Bigfoot was 2nd place, but the bed configuration lost. It's a great trailer, well insulated and well made, but like everybody says, it's heavier. If they change the bed configuration someday, it could be an option for us.

[Brian B-P]

The 24-foot Bigfoot is certainly a different beast - it's not moulded fiberglass (in the sense we mean that in this forum) at all. You can see this in the model designations: not only is it in the 3000 series (rather than the last of the moulded units in the 2500 series), but the letter in the middle is "T" (presumably for "Trailer") rather than "B" (the original "Bigfoot", I guess). So it's a 30T2401, while a traditional 25-foot unit is a 25B25.

The 30T2401 (or just T2401 in some literature) is one-third heavier than the 25B25, and roughly similarly priced.