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06-16-2012, 09:02 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Trailer: No Trailer Yet
Posts: 5,112
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How Did You Get Introduced to FG Campers?
The Dealerships thread inspired me to start this thread.
Quote:
What was your first experience with an egg and what made you decide to buy one?
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In the mid 80's I decided that I wanted to camp occasionally, but couldn't see owning and storing a camper. A favorite spot to camp was Algonquin Park in Ontario. A few local places rented campers and one year we had a popup, which was a joy to pull, but a pain to fold up or to access on the road. Another year we rented a small sticky that was nice but heavy to pull. Then we noticed the little UHaul campers at a local rental place and decided to try one. It was love at first sight. How nice to be able to just pull off the road and have lunch inside. My little Ranger pickup hardly knew it was there and I could finesse it in place by hand when my backing skills failed me.
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06-16-2012, 09:15 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1983 13 ft Scamp
Posts: 3,082
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My folks had a 16' Scamp in the 90's.
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06-16-2012, 09:24 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Trailer: Trails West Campster 1970
Posts: 3,366
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I used to drive through Los Banos, CA, and see the Burros on a dealer's lot and wish I had one. Much later, when I started thinking about a small RV, I somehow ran across Fiberglass RV (though I don't remember if I was looking for Burros or what.) I lucked out and found my Campster fairly quickly.
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06-16-2012, 10:28 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Trailer: Burro 17 ft Widebody
Posts: 868
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After years of tents and rented tent trailers I found myself with a Honda Odyssey (for a long list of practical reasons) and soon realized that it had a 3500 lb tow limit and was a viable tow vehicle.
I chanced to see an ad for the Burro in kit form and that set the wheels in motion. We didn't get the kit but a newly minted one at a great price and the rest is.........
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06-16-2012, 11:10 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Name: kenny
Trailer: 93 "Lil" Bigfoot 13.5'
Utah
Posts: 519
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back packed my whole life (now 66, still; packing to the lakes to fish and hike) my wife wanted to buy a used Airstream, 23', which we did. My sister bought a Boler. suggested we do Canada and Alaska. felt the Airstream was to big. Found and bought the a 13' Bigfoot . sold the Airstream. All is good. enjoy the smaller trailer. Talked 2 friends into buying scamps. both back packing colleagues.
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06-16-2012, 11:15 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Name: Daniel A.
Trailer: Bigfoot 17.0 1991 dlx
British Columbia
Posts: 741
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I'd been thinking and researching for a few years with my pending retirement.
Bigfoot had always been high on the list, Fiberglass hold there value and don't leak for someone like me with plans of spring and fall camping mostly the last thing I want to worry about is leaks.
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06-16-2012, 11:25 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1975 Trillium 13 ft (Fluffer-Nugget)
Posts: 363
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When I was a kid in the late 70's my parents rented a Boler and towed it behind my Dad's MGB...Hmmm two seater with three people in it....How did that work?
Then when my sister came along, they once again rented a Trillium and towed it with my Mum's AMC Hornet....Classy vehicle!
Both time were great fun and I cherish the memories. I wanted to be able to share the fun with my boys, hence we now own a 1975 Trillium 1300 and are creating amazing family memories for everyone!
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06-16-2012, 11:32 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2007 Casita
Posts: 3,428
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I first introduction to molded fiberglass (or the desire to own one) came with a click of my computer mouse. . We had sold our Class A due to Dh's health and regreted it the first camping season.......... We had never been without a rv and the thought of camping without one put me on my journey for something that didn't have a motor. The only reason we didn't keep the Class A was cause it had a motor! Due to Dh's illness, maintence would have fallen on me. I had always driven and could handle everything about the Class A except manintence of the engine. So common sense said, find something towable, something that could/would be fine if I had to store it for a few years when the time came that he couldn't continue to camp........ Well that time did come a couple of years ago, but we got a couple of years with the Casita, keeping him active with his first love (fishing). I had towed everything from ski boats to utility trailers. Backing up was my issue but figured if I kept it small enough I could push the dang thing in a camp site! Anyway, I googled small lightweight travel trailer. Up popped, fiberglassrv and a obsession was born................
Personally I would have preferred purchasing a older retro egg, Willerby comes to mind! But that wasn't to be. So a Casita it is!
So Thanks Fiberglassrv.com!
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06-16-2012, 03:31 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1977 TM14 Surfside / 2007 Toyota Tundra V8 2wd
Posts: 289
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I was camping with my motorcycle tent trailer and was going to Sask. by myself for a family reunion. I wanted something that I could lock a door and feel safe. I had been driving by Escape trailers for a few years, so I stopped in and a love of fiberglass was born. Marina
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06-16-2012, 05:14 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Name: Laura
Trailer: Winnebago
Iowa
Posts: 127
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It was somewhere back in the 70's. My 1966 VW Beetle had been totaled. I was at a VW dealer in Ottumwa IA, looking for a replacement. On the lot was this cute little trailer called a Love Bug, that could be pulled behind a VW. I had to look at it, and fell in love with it, but was not in a camping mode back then. I was more interested in replacing my wheels. I don't remember the price of it. I am sure it was not more than about $3.000.
Latter I looked at a gentleman that built them here in Iowa. Don't remember the name of the trailer. But I know he is no longer in business. Now I look at Scamp, Casitas, and Lil Snoozy's. Still haven't got one.
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06-16-2012, 05:38 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Name: Mike
Trailer: 93 Burro 17 ft
Oklahoma
Posts: 6,026
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Another U-Haul renter here. Before that rental I never paid attention to FG eggs. But I kept driving past the U-Haul place and seeing the 13ers parked there, and it struck me that if my Dodge Omni could tow my 4x8 utility trailer, maybe it could tow that little egg also. It could, and it did... about 2000 miles!
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06-16-2012, 06:47 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Trailer: Casita
Posts: 188
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My wife and I went to an RV show in 05 and saw a Cabin A trailer. I had never seen a hard side that small, so when we got home I looked up small trailers on the net. Casita was the first one that came up. I ordered one about two months later.
Dick
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06-16-2012, 06:56 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Trailer: 92 16 ft Scamp
Posts: 11,756
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Many years of ocean kayak camping and back country camping. After one very wet 12 day trip kayaking up on the Northern BC Coast I saw a Casita at the ferry terminal while heading home. Told myself that would have been a more comfortable place to have spent 12 wet days :-)) Having borrowed family members Bigfoot's for camping & grown up with boats I liked the idea of a fiberglass trailer. Live in a big city so owning a big truck was out, so the trailer needed to be small. Still love doing kayak camping but not as frequently - enjoying seeing more of North America from the land side rather than the water side.
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06-16-2012, 08:45 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2009 Trillium 13 ft ('Homelet') / 2000 Subaru Outback
Posts: 2,222
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I know the time and the place.
It was at Fort Worden campsite near Port Townsend, WA, 9 Sep 2008. We were camping in our Laacke & Joys Wildwood Wrangler tent that we had used for all of 40 years. I told my wife that I just couldn't take this sleeping on the ground not to mention the cold nights (25° F at Bryce Canyon in July!) and thought that we were going to have to give up camping altogether because hauling tons of trailer around the country didn't appeal to me at all.
All of a sudden, a gentleman from Tacoma pulled into a site near us with a Casita. I took one look and knew I had to have something like that. I hadn't known such a small, compact trailer existed.
I don't remember when we found FGRV, but I am sure it was shortly thereafter, and I am indebted to all you folks that helped in my FG education.
The 2K tow rating of our Subaru dictated a 13' something and we liked the Trillium as much for the close proximity, (Sacramento, CA), and lack of a big delivery bill. Now we are very glad we have Homelet because she is as good a quality if not better IMHO to anything else. Then, too, I didn't need another project, so buying and fixing up was out.
We contacted Tom and the rest is history. He was very patient answering all our questions and going along with what we wanted, (no refrigerator?)
I was retired for 6 years at the time and my wife was going to retire Jan 2009, so the timing was perfect. We received Homelet 10 Dec 2008 and have loved every minute of owning her.
__________________
A charter member of the Buffalo Plaid Brigade!
Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.
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06-16-2012, 09:01 PM
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#15
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Moderator
Trailer: U-Haul 1985
Posts: 3,436
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I'm a recent convert (10yrs). I camped when I was younger, but got out of it while raising my family. Then, in early 2000, I felt like something was missing from my life, and it became clear that it was camping. When I went to a RV dealer to price out a small trailer, they didn't have anything shorter than 19ft. They said that it wasn't profitable to make smaller trailers. So I hit the web, to find out what small used trailers were out there. I stumbled onto FGRV in one of my searches, and joined up. That turned me onto the FGrs and the positives of Glass Campers (such as low weight, less maintenance, reasonable cost to own). After that, there was no considering a stickie, I had to go for the Glass Class of camping
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06-16-2012, 09:16 PM
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#16
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Commercial Member
Trailer: No Trailer Yet
Posts: 803
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At one time we were planning a RV trip to Alaska and did not want to pull our beautiful Airstream. Found a 83 Bigfoot Gaucho. It was then we discovered glass and have never driven to Alaska.
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06-16-2012, 11:36 PM
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#17
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Moderator
Trailer: Fiber Stream 1978 / Honda Odyssey LX 2003
Posts: 8,222
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Puck - Lite House - Compact Jr. - Fiber Stream
The seed was planted back in the mid 1980's when I bought a 1979 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible from a friend. I used to commute past a used vehicle consignment lot and there was an Eriba Puck there for a long time. Well, I couldn't afford the Puck at the time but I would stop and visit it often.
Later on a flight home from back east, the airline magazine had an ad for the Lite House trailer. I sent for their sales information, but thought it was too expensive. Remembering the Puck and figuring I might be able to afford something used, I started picking up the " Auto Trader, RV edition" magazine at the convenience store every week.Then in 2000 I bought a 1991 Camry Station Wagon from another friend. It was a V6 and had a trailer hitch receiver on it because they had a boat...
I found the Compact Jr. in the Auto Trader. It was cheap because it was an empty gutted shell. I thought of the Johnny Cash song, "One piece at a time..." and decided that's how I could afford the trailer. While surfing the internet I found " Vintage Vacations." I spent a lot of time on that site, but the Compact Jr. was different from those trailers and I didn't quite fit in.
A member on that site, Lizbeth, told me that I belonged at FiberglassRV.com and that's how I found this site. I spent so much time here that eventually I was invited to be a Moderator.
__________________
Frederick - The Scaleman
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06-17-2012, 12:27 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
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In the mid 70's my dad's brother had a 13' Trillium. I think I was only in it once. I remember thinking that it was so much bigger on the inside then the outside. I also remember them on the road as dad drove up to my grand father's cottage, (now my dad's cottage).
Last summer when I packed my family of seven into a Safari mini van, and drove from Calgary to my dad's cottage in Ontario. I was so over loaded that I scared my self. Driving is the only vacation that I can afford. Airfare for the seven of us is out of the budget. For the cost of one vacation, I was able to purchase a 1997 Savana travel van, and a 1978 Trillium 4500. The Trillium turned out to be in incredibly good condition, for its 34 years. I spent the next few months being stupidly giddy. I could not believe what a valuable yet economical package I had purchased. I remember saying something like, "plan B is looking a lot better". I realized that with a few modifications that I could make the trailer last another 50 years. I am now in the process of getting one for each of my kids. Two now have trailers, three more to go.
The three trailers that I have are all Trilliums, but I think then next few will be late 80's Bigfoot fifth wheels.
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06-17-2012, 06:15 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Name: Wayne
Trailer: Airstream Sold, Nest Fan
Ontario
Posts: 2,002
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenny Strong
back packed my whole life (now 66, still; packing to the lakes to fish and hike) my wife wanted to buy a used Airstream, 23', which we did. My sister bought a Boler. suggested we do Canada and Alaska. felt the Airstream was to big. Found and bought the a 13' Bigfoot . sold the Airstream. All is good. enjoy the smaller trailer. Talked 2 friends into buying scamps. both back packing colleagues.
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Cool/Ironic
We thought about getting back into RVing and started looking at eggs and bigfoots as we had a V6 Mini Van. Stumbled into Can AM in London and test pulled a 34' Airstream with a V6 car. What a sweet ride with no drama. Ended up with a Coleman pop up which worked great for 5 years. But the memory of the Airstream drive never went away. Ended up with a 23' Airstream and owned it now for 10 years.
We still find the eggs interesting. Some day we may find ourselves with one. Then we could get a smaller, more economical, 4cyl car.
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06-17-2012, 09:37 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Trailer: Trillium 1972
Posts: 148
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2008 I started searching the web for vintage trailers. I wanted something that was solid, small, because of pull weight concerns- I had a 95 Dodge caravan at the time. Somehow I stumbled across FGRV website and began looking. I thinknit took me almost 9 months to find a FGRV somewhat close to me- Im in Pennsylvania. Well, I finally found a 1972 Trillium in NJ by the shore that was listed on this site and bought it sight unseen. Since, I had to sell it about two years ago because I had totaled the van and didnt have full coverage; I needed a vehicle for the family to get around. I ended up selling the Trillium to a nice man on this site from Virginia. He also bought it site unseen wuthin 24 hours of it being listed. I was soooo sad to have to sell it. ;( But I began looking again, and now started to zero in on which FGRV I really liked and began my search. About 9 months into my search I fou d a Fiberstream for sale on this site. I spoke to the man about the condition iver tge phone and made an offer- BUT, it was in Iregon and I wouldnt be able to make the 5600 mile trip round trip for 5 mo ths. He said no probkem, and held onto the trailer for me. When I finally made the trip, the Fiberstream was in the exact shape he described and I was one happy camper!-just last month I found another Fiberstream, but in Montana. The wonderful peopke on this site went to look at it for me and I bought it!!! This Fibersyream is in Montana, and I pkan to get it this September. Right now its in storage. Now Im in the marjet for a Boler!!!
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