1-2 year Sabbatical in a FGRV

[Karen T]

Good for you on this entire idea. I hope it works out exactly as you and your mom want.

Here in Colorado you commonly see people with kayaks AND bikes on top of their SUVs. Big roof-mounted racks. We pulled our 21 ft. Bigfoot with a Toyota Sequoia and had a topper on top of the Sequoia. It pulled the Bigfoot perfectly.

The thing about a Bigfoot of that size is that it will have a sizeable fridge. You'll be able to keep a fair amount of veggies fresh in the fridge and can use the fairly spacious freezer as well.

[Lora B]

Hazel, thanks for sharing your experience with inflatables.

Karen- you have the setup we are leaning to right now. I just love the true 4 season aspect of the Bigfoot. It seems like it would be a good fit. My mum would prefer the 25 ft, but I wonder if that will exclude us from some NP or boondocking sights, so I'm trying to sell her on the virtues of smaller.

I also think the issue of water toys is decided: 2 kayaks ontop of the TV. Now, if I could only decide on sequoia vs f150 with topper, I'd be all set.

[Kevin A]

We have Dahon Boardwalk single speed folding bikes and Citizen UHaul 6 speed folding bikes. The Citizens are our regular bikes now.

[papa-t]

Welcome Lora,
Hope your doing well now. If you can afford it I say "Go for it". My Dad is presently in the hospital and not doing well at all. Best hope for now is a rest home; if he makes it. He is only 75 years old. So, do what you can now and make the best of it. Best of luck and happy camping.

[Karen T]

Originally Posted by Lora B

My mum would prefer the 25 ft, but I wonder if that will exclude us from some NP or boondocking sights, so I'm trying to sell her on the virtues of smaller.

I also think the issue of water toys is decided: 2 kayaks ontop of the TV. Now, if I could only decide on sequoia vs f150 with topper, I'd be all set.

The 25 ft. Bigfoot is quite a bit heavier in addition to the extra length (vs. a 21 ft.). I don't think I would have wanted to tow a 25 ft. with the Sequoia. Especially if you end up loading up the tow vehicle, I think you'll have a more comfortable towing experience with the smaller trailer. The flip side, of course, is that you may have a more comfortable living experience in the bigger trailer, especially full-timing. You don't want to buy the tow vehicle only to discover you aren't happy with how it matches to the trailer, so you might want to figure out which size trailer first and then shop for the TV accordingly.

Have you had a chance to go inside both size trailers? I recommend you and your mom do that if you can. I have seen some of the longer Bigfoots that actually felt more confining (to me) because there was a separate bedroom whereas the 21 ft. rear bed layout feels open and spacious (again, to me). If you think you and your mom may want to go to separate, closed spaces from time to time, you can't really achieve that inside a 21 ft. Just some more food for thought . . .

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Lora B

I just love the true 4 season aspect of the Bigfoot. It seems like it would be a good fit. My mum would prefer the 25 ft, but I wonder if that will exclude us from some NP or boondocking sights, so I'm trying to sell her on the virtues of smaller.

I am with the others that suggest you pick your trailer before you pick a tow vehicle. I can tell you from experience that its a lot more enjoyable to be pulling with a tug that has more than enough towing capacity to tow the trailer you purchase as well as a total Gross vehicle Weight rating that allows you to bring along all the extra stuff you want to bring then it is to tow a trailer with a tug that only has a tow capacity slightly over the loaded trailer weight & you need to watch your total GVWR carefully.

Go look inside as many different layouts of 21' and 25' that you can. Call Bigfoot they may be able to help you with that in your area. A different layout can mean a lot as far as how big or small the trailer feels inside. A don't think that the 4' difference between a 21' & 25' is going to change anything in regards to restrictions you may find in regards to places to camp. I think the big shift happens once you go over 13' or 16' feet mark but even then in many places you will still need a raised axle on the tug and the trailer to get into some of the real remote locations. In the NP's and other common boon docking spots I have been in (only 9 states so far) its very common to see 25' trailers out there. A 25' or under trailer is considered in many RV circles to still be a small trailer!

Feathercraft makes a very nice collapsable ocean as well as fresh water kayak. Have several friends who have owned them for a number of year now with no complaints.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by stevebaz

You want your toys with the car not the trailer.

Steve has it right.
Now that you've decided on 2 kayaks. Roof mount them on your vehicle.
You can use a front rack on the tow vehicle for 1 or 2 bikes. Or 1 bike if room allows for the second on the roof with the kayaks. Or the second bike can go on the back of the trailer getting moved to the back of your vehicle when in that mode. Some put their bikes in the trailer for travel but that means moving them in or out at every stop.

A couple of thoughts. You might want to consider a twin bed layout or something similar. Reace can be pretty creative with the Escape interior. When is the last time you slept with your mom for an extended period of time?

Which brings me to the 2 airdales. Are they bed dogs or floor dogs? What do you plan on doing with them when you are out biking or kayaking or even touring for that matter. We travel with a couple of dogs and they can be very limiting to some activities.

Decisions, decisions...

[Lora B]

Sorry for my slow reply, I was out if town TT shopping. Please excuse my typos as I'm on the iPhone. As always thanks for the time and replies!

Yes as many have said we are waiting to upgrade the TV until after we have placed an order on the TT.

I hadn't realized reace would alter the configurations of the escape interiors.. I will be shooting them an email to see what's possible.

I almost bought the 25b25fb this weekend. However just prior to looking at the bigfoot I had looked at a non fiberglass arctic fox. Man those things are heavy, but seem very solidly built. The 25 p floorplan had a slide so obviously when I stepped into the model I wanted to see the bigfoot felt tight width wise. I decided to wait and do a little more hunting as we still have time. Although I really think the bigfoot is the one. The 21 escape seems a little restrictive. Dinettes aren't very comfy on rainy days when trying to read for any period over 45-60 minutes.

It's been years except for the few hospital weeks after my transplant since I slept in such close proximity to my mum. I understand we will definitely need space. However, I am an experienced backpacker and do hope as my health improves to take some solo overnight-5 night trips just me, the dog and a tent. This is why both dogs are coming. As single women we both feel safer with the dogs and will not mind splitting up. Between exploring the local sights, hiking, photogaaphy, kayaking and requisite campsite outdoor lounging, I don't expect we will both be inside for more than sleeping unless it's a rainy day. And that's why we have Truck to escape to the nearest town or indoor attraction or we can bury ourselves in the laptops editing photos or reading a kindle. Perhaps I'm overly idealistic. But I do recognize the challenges. we will meet up at times with her friends or mine at various stops. I anticipate boondocking solo for a week at a time while she visits with old sorority sisters in az,nv, and mt. And we plan to visit a few major cities along the way (months apart) where we will actually splurge to do the whole hotel thing, dine out, spa, catch a nfl or MLB game or see the symphony, while the dogs spend a few days at a doggie spa.
I like our not entirely flushed out plan

The dogs sleep on their own beds or sofas (my dog grabs a leather chair at my apt). My mum's dog usually sleeps on his own dog bed but has been known to sneak up on a sofa. I think we will try putting dog beds or blankets down at night for them to nest in. When we are both away from the campsite at same time we will either put the dogs in a doggie daycare for a few hours or leave them in the rv in their own soft sided crates with appropriate climate control going. After a long morning hike they tend to sleep.

Thanks for the feathercraft heads up. I'll look into that as well. But with a cap/topper on a truck we will be able to just mount some kayaks and a SUP on top of the car. The bikes could be placed in the covered truck bed, if I decide to bring them.

Thanks for letting me ramble.
I

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Lora B

But with a cap/topper on a truck we will be able to just mount some kayaks and a SUP on top of the car.

Sounds like you are making head way on picking out what works best for you. As someone who often travels on their own I should warn you that although I loved being able to mount things to the roof of the tug, I find it hard to get items off & on the roof on my own. More so now with a truck with a higher roof line than my previous tug. Something to consider if you plan to do any kayaking when off on your own adventures without your mom.

Carol

[Night Sailor]

You will like the Bigfoot if that is your ultimate choice. I am amazed at how well insulated mine is. I turned on heat and brought it from. 9 deg F to 65 and having to peel off layers in a short period. Comfy in 30 minutes and toasty in an hour. The furnace regulated the temperature very well which is important for my dogs.

I like slide outs for space but opted to avoid them because I wanted weather proof and no leaks or drafts for longevity. If you winter camp slides are a bad idea.

The flat roof of a Bigfoot is perfect for mounting solar panels and anything else you might like, like satellite TV or other antennas. I am thrilled with my solar panels and love my electric blanket as it allows me to avoid furnace use much of the time.

As for tow vehicles, they all seem to get the same mileage while towing--about 12-13 mpg. It takes a certain amount of energy to move something heavy. That cost fuel. If you want to save money on fuel smaller camper are better. Smaller is less scary towing also. Personally, I would go bigger and drive slower.

The smaller tow vehicles don't hold up as well. The big advantage of a smaller tow vehicle is the fuel economy when you are not towing. A smaller tow vehicle is more economical. Which is the primary advantage to a tiny egg camper.

For a Bigfoot, I'd recommend a Chevy or GMC 2500 series with a Duramax diesel. The two wheel drive's get better gas mileage but the 4x4's never get stuck. 22 mpg is achievable with these.
I would feel comfortable buying one of these with more than 100,000 miles. They are built like tanks and superior to anything else available.

I had a very scary experience getting stuck towing once and would never consider 2 wheel drive again. These pickups have better brakes than anything smaller. Dodge and Ford 3/4 ton diesel pickups are good options also.

[Lora B]

Night-

Can you tell me more about your solar power set up? I'm just beginning my research on solar.

I'm curious how most full timers access the internet. Cellular or satellite? Do people travel with a sat. phone?

You have piqued my interest, what kind of dogs do you have? How do you handle them when you leave for a few hours?

In the past few days I've come to the same conclusion a 4x4 250/2500 truck.
I hadn't really considered buying a used truck. I'm somewhat worried about the transmission being abused by a previous owner. Maybe I'm too paranoid? Decisions decisions....

[Night Sailor]

I have six 205 watt monocrystaline panels, a 40 amp charge controller, two 200 AH mastervolt slimline AGM batteries. This is overkill for the summer but has worked well in several long stretches of cloudy rainy weather.

I have a spike in the ground type tether for the puppy. The mom stays close usually. I don't leave then unattended for long and I am careful to excerise them several times a day to keep them tired.

Forgot you other questions. Sorry I did not see your post until now.

[Night Sailor]

For Internet access I use my iPhone or pull the SIM card out and put it in a MiFi jet pack which creates a hotspot. I use an amp and a marine antenna for that.

I doth have a sat phone but plan to get one -- mostly for my boat. I recommend the iridium service. Buy their best sat phone and a. 500 minute for one year package and this will provide twice a day up and download of email if you done send and re sieve attachments or reply with all the text of a conversation going back several exchanges.


Please update us on your progress. Hope you are strong and well.

[arlon]

On the kayak storage issue, I use an AIRE inflatable kayak (not a pool toy). It folds up into a small tub I can put about anyplace.

[Night Sailor]

Originally Posted by arlon

On the kayak storage issue, I use an AIRE inflatable kayak (not a pool toy). It folds up into a small tub I can put about anyplace.

I know a few people that use these to get to shore from yachts anchored out. On shore you deflate them, stuff them in a backpack and take them with you. No worries about wall-eyed PO'd crazies slashing your dink.

I like the folding kayaks better but those take too long to set up and take apart.


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