Escape Insulation Package vs Bigfoot 4-Seasons Insulation - Fiberglass RV
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Old 05-19-2018, 05:02 PM   #1
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Escape Insulation Package vs Bigfoot 4-Seasons Insulation

I'm reallly, really ... really ... curious about how the Escape Insulation Package - including form on the underside - compares with the Bigfoot's 4-season's insulation. I see that several FGRV'ers have bought Escapes.

I do a lot of winter camping in Northern California and Spring camping in the Pacific Northwest and Rockies. Not knowing much about Fiberglass trailers, I went to my first FG rally wanting to see which Casita I should buy. A Bigfoot 21 lady convinced me that I really needed the 4-seasons for the type of camping I was planning. My first big trip with my new-to-me-trailer was into Utah by way of Colorado, then onward to Montana and Washington. It was April, I woke of several monings in the snow & never regreted the extra insulation.

Now that my husband in joining me on trips the Escape Queensize beds look really good to me. But what about that insulation?
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Old 05-19-2018, 05:15 PM   #2
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An Escape is not designed , built or advertised to be a true 4 season trailer .
I would stick with your Bigfoot !
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Old 05-20-2018, 02:34 PM   #3
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I would say more like 3-1/2 season. I have a 21 with foam, extra insulation , and double pane.
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Old 05-20-2018, 04:28 PM   #4
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True 4 season trailer

Jane P.,
If you have a 1992 19 ft. Bigfoot you don't own a true 4 season Bigfoot trailer because they didn't come out or build those until about 2006. I see a lot of mis-advertising with people thinking because it is a Bigfoot it is a 4 season trailer- wrong. We have owned 8 Bigfoot's and only one of them ( 2007) was a true 4 season trailer. But we have also camping in -4F ( snowing) and 100+F and been totally comfortable with the standard and pre-2006 Bigfoot insulation core system. Watch the recent "How it's made video from Escape Trailer Industries on You tube to see the new insulation process they offer. With their new body style ( new molds) they are looking more and more like a Bigfoot.

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Old 05-20-2018, 04:33 PM   #5
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I would say more like 3-1/2 season. I have a 21 with foam, extra insulation , and double pane.
I would think that a lot depends on where you live and camp
Here in Northern Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan it is probably a 2 1/2 season trailer in middle America probably 3+
We had snow on the ground and ice on the lakes past May 1st this year in our area We had 38 degrees the other morning and they had frost on Minnesota’s Iron Range .
I realize that if you pump enough heat and have enough money you can heat anything
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Old 05-20-2018, 04:55 PM   #6
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Jane P.,
If you have a 1992 19 ft. Bigfoot you don't own a true 4 season Bigfoot trailer because they didn't come out or build those until about 2006. I see a lot of mis-advertising with people thinking because it is a Bigfoot it is a 4 season trailer- wrong. We have owned 8 Bigfoot's and only one of them ( 2007) was a true 4 season trailer. But we have also camping in -4F ( snowing) and 100+F and been totally comfortable with the standard and pre-2006 Bigfoot insulation core system. Watch the recent "How it's made video from Escape Trailer Industries on You tube to see the new insulation process they offer. With their new body style ( new molds) they are looking more and more like a Bigfoot.

Deb
No doubt the insulation has gotten better over the years Deb. I wish my 19 had the closed cell foam insulation instead of the reflectix they used in 2015. But, the issue isn't really the insulation in the walls, but the exposed plumbing and tanks. For a true 4 season trailer that all needs to be enclosed.

For us, an Escape "is" a 4 season trailer, but only because we live in South Texas, and we don't winter camp up north.
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Old 05-20-2018, 06:09 PM   #7
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We have a 2015 Escape 19 and have been in 19 degree (Fahrenheit) weather in the Rocky MTS with no serious issues. The heater was very effective and we were very comfortable. We did open the doors under the bed to ensure that heat was able to get to the water supply, and that was fine.
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Old 05-20-2018, 08:01 PM   #8
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We have a 2015 Escape 19 and have been in 19 degree (Fahrenheit) weather in the Rocky MTS with no serious issues. The heater was very effective and we were very comfortable. We did open the doors under the bed to ensure that heat was able to get to the water supply, and that was fine.
We've done the same BJ, with the same trailer. Camped all over the rockies when the nighttime temps dipped into the upper teens without any issues. Just remember to disconnect your water hose or you'll have a popsicle in the morning. Temps that dip below freezing overnight aren't an issue. It's sustained camping below freezing where you soon realize exposed tanks and lines aren't going to cut it.
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Old 05-21-2018, 12:29 AM   #9
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Escape Insulation Package vs Bigfoot 4-Seasons Insulation

Quote:
Originally Posted by Deb & Chuck View Post
Jane P.,

If you have a 1992 19 ft. Bigfoot you don't own a true 4 season Bigfoot trailer because they didn't come out or build those until about 2006. I see a lot of mis-advertising with people thinking because it is a Bigfoot it is a 4 season trailer- wrong. We have owned 8 Bigfoot's and only one of them ( 2007) was a true 4 season trailer. But we have also camping in -4F ( snowing) and 100+F and been totally comfortable with the standard and pre-2006 Bigfoot insulation core system. Watch the recent "How it's made video from Escape Trailer Industries on You tube to see the new insulation process they offer. With their new body style ( new molds) they are looking more and more like a Bigfoot.



Deb


Hi Deb,

Wow, that is a surprise to me: The underside of my trailer is completely covered - pipes, etc are protected from elements. Windows must be double payned as there is no condensation. What do I have if it is not a 4-season Bigfoot?
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Old 05-21-2018, 08:19 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by Jane P. View Post
Hi Deb,

Wow, that is a surprise to me: The underside of my trailer is completely covered - pipes, etc are protected from elements. Windows must be double payned as there is no condensation. What do I have if it is not a 4-season Bigfoot?
You can tell pretty easily if the windows are thermal- a careful look at a pane should reveal two pieces of glass with a black seal between. The issue with holding tanks is whether the furnace is ducted to provide heat to the tank area. Just being covered is not enough.

I know that newer Bigfoot 1500-series models (designated 15BXX) do not have the full 4-season upgrades, while the 2500-series (25BXX) models do. I'm not sure how cold-weather upgrades were packaged on older units. I would be curious what you have.
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Old 05-21-2018, 01:19 PM   #11
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Bigfoot four season insulation package

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jane P. View Post
Hi Deb,

Wow, that is a surprise to me: The underside of my trailer is completely covered - pipes, etc are protected from elements. Windows must be double payned as there is no condensation. What do I have if it is not a 4-season Bigfoot?

We have a 2003 Bigfoot 25RQ that we bought used in 2015. It definitely has the four-season package, which was offered as an option. I think the extra package might have been offered on models from early on; not sure about that.



As indicated by one of the other posters, if you have a model 2500, you have the package, which includes the higher density insulation, double pane windows, as well as covering for the tanks underneath the trailer.


Though the "new" Bigfoot (from 2010 forward, after the bankruptcy) doesn't seem to have access to prior sales records, you might be able to get the answer to the question about the insulation on your current unit if you contact Bigfoot with your VIN number.
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Old 05-21-2018, 07:47 PM   #12
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Not sure about Bigfoot, but a 19' Escape with all the insulation options can handle multiple overnight lows in the 4-8F range. It burns through a tank of propane every 2-3 days though, and any lower would definitely be a problem in terms of condensation and freezing pipes.
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Old 05-22-2018, 10:40 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by Jon in AZ View Post
You can tell pretty easily if the windows are thermal- a careful look at a pane should reveal two pieces of glass with a black seal between. The issue with holding tanks is whether the furnace is ducted to provide heat to the tank area. Just being covered is not enough.

I'm not sure how cold-weather upgrades were packaged on older units. I would be curious what you have.
Hey Jon, I am now curious to see what I have. What do they say about the word "assume"?). To answer your first point, I definitely have thermal windows.

Deb & Chuck are the acknowledged Bigfoot experts, and she seems to be stating that thle term "4-season trailer" did not come into being before 2006.
So, perhaps the fiberglass community began to interchange insulation upgrades with 4 seasoned trailer - like referring to "Xerox" instead of "copy machine". Per Deb, maybe we should be more precise with our terminology and reference pre 2006 Bigfoots as having "cold-weather upgrade package" or "insulation core systems" - which I am confident I have, given the cold, stormy weather conditions I have encountered. By the way, I am also comfortable in warm weather (though I still want a rear ceiling fan).

Now, when I began looking at older Bigfoots I did contact Bigfoot owners on this forum for information. Among other things, I was advised that it's important to look at the underside of the trailer to see if it is covered. It was my understanding that if unless the underside was covered, it was not a 4 seasoned trailer.

I also read that, in the Bigfoot 4 seasoned trailers, the furnace worked in conjunction with the plumping and tank to provide protection. But I never found any written information on how that worked. Given Deb's post, I now wonder if that integration referred to the newer models manufactured after my 2006.

I have the heater on a thermostate which I lower to 63 degrees at bedtime. I am able to sleep comfortably in 30 degree weather without it kicking in more than once or twice during the night. So, the heat doesn't escape through the trailer walls. I have traveled throughout the rockies and the pipes & water tank remain clear in freezing weather. I camped a lot of rainy days in Northern California & the Pacific NW, with no condensation. So, if the trailers manufactured in the 90's were not "true" 4 seasoned, they did have effective insulation.

And, hey, maybe the Escape installation package is closer to my Bigfoot than those post 2006 models.

I'm looking forward to hearing from owners of older Bigfoots who have moved onto Escapes.
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Old 06-02-2018, 10:56 AM   #14
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Escapes problem is that the gray and black water tanks and discharge lines are outside the heated space. Even with several gallons of pink stuff, the resulting slurry won't flow so you can't dump. Look at Lance or Oliver Trailers for more robust winter capability. Oliver is very capable but SO expensive.
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Old 06-04-2018, 06:14 AM   #15
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...Oliver is very capable but SO expensive.
Don’t you get what you pay for?
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Old 06-04-2018, 06:18 AM   #16
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Yes, but it doesn't make sense to me to purchase capacity (winter worthiness) if you aren't going to use it. You use yours in the snow and cold? How is the frame holding up?
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Old 06-04-2018, 01:24 PM   #17
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Yes, but it doesn't make sense to me to purchase capacity (winter worthiness) if you aren't going to use it. You use yours in the snow and cold? How is the frame holding up?
I agree. There is so many considerations that go into decisions regarding your purchase. About 15 Year’s ago, a Pro dog trainer I was working with suggested that I purchase a small, used travel trailer & join his training group as they follow the field trial circuit up into Canada & down into Montana. I had originally began researching fiberglass trailers because I passed a Casita on the Freeway. It was so very cute - a miniature airstream. I later learned that these trailers were relatively light & well built with few problems plaguing “stick” trailers. But I also came to appreciate that a Casita would not meet my individual needs.

Now that hubby is joining me, I must evaluate if the Bigfoot will work on long training trips - in particular, whether we should “upgrade” to larger, separate bed. Aside from “winter worthiness”, switching considerations for me includes cost of a new TT, increased gas costs due to weight, piece of mind when towing those additional 2 feet (solo travel is still in my future). Olivers are, unfortunately, out of my league.
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Old 06-07-2018, 03:47 PM   #18
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Yes, but it doesn't make sense to me to purchase capacity (winter worthiness) if you aren't going to use it. You use yours in the snow and cold? How is the frame holding up?
Actually, it should and does make sense. It seems most people either don’t realize or forget that four seasons means more than “winter worthiness.” These trailers have the same capability to keep heat out as keep it in. It’s great to be warmer in cold weather but it’s equally great to be cooler in warm weather. We have camped comfortably down to -27 wind chill, but not by choice. We (and you too, I would expect) are much more likely to encounter hot weather than extremely cold. So you really would use its four season capabilities whether you expected to or not.

Our frame is just as good as the day it was built.
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Old 06-07-2018, 05:26 PM   #19
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Escape Insulation Package vs Bigfoot 4-Seasons Insulation

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Escapes problem is that the gray and black water tanks and discharge lines are outside the heated space.

This is true, but it can be mitigated to a certain extent if you add the underbody spray foam and 12V tank heat pad options. Extended cold temps can still be a problem though as the discharge piping beyond the tanks is not heated, although Escape did add heat tape to the piping as a custom modification for a few customers in the past, and other owners have done so themselves.
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Old 06-07-2018, 05:32 PM   #20
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Still not convinced Steve. The insulation, double windows and added insulation underneath the Escape perform pretty well in hot environments. Where the Oliver stands out is not in the insulation but containing the water systems within the heated space. Unless you specifically need this capacity, I wouldn't spend twice as much money for an Oliver. Jealous of your frame robustness however. Our steel frame shows some rust.
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