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Old 06-30-2018, 09:38 PM   #1
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Name: Jennifer
Trailer: currently shopping
British Columbia
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Towing a 1981 17 foot bigfoot

Hi there my name is Jen. I am looking at a 1981 bigfoot and have a 2015 santa fe turbo which is capable of pulling 3500. Do you think that my santa fe can pull this trailer? The dry weight is 1870? from what I have read here it varies...?
thank you for any info
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Old 06-30-2018, 11:25 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jenhan View Post
Hi there my name is Jen. I am looking at a 1981 bigfoot and have a 2015 santa fe turbo which is capable of pulling 3500. Do you think that my santa fe can pull this trailer? The dry weight is 1870? from what I have read here it varies...?
thank you for any info
Hi Jen,

Welcome to the forum. 1,870 lbs sounds light for a Bigfoot; can you post a little more about the trailer model?

Here's a thread with a similar question.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...les-74253.html
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Old 07-01-2018, 07:03 AM   #3
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Name: Jennifer
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Hi thank you for linking that post
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Old 07-01-2018, 07:26 AM   #4
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Welcome, Jen!

According to the thread Trailer Weights in the Real World (using the linked spreadsheet in post #297), the average loaded weight of a Bigfoot 17 is 3200 pounds with an average tongue weight of 370 pounds. Older Bigfoots tend to be lighter, but even so, you'll be pretty close to your 3500 pound trailer weight rating, and you may well exceed your 350 pound tongue weight rating.

Besides weight, there is frontal area to consider. The Bigfoot is both taller and wider than many molded fiberglass trailers. The added aerodynamic drag at highway speeds and/or against a headwind is significant. Under current J2807 tow testing protocols, your 3500-rated vehicle was tested with a trailer having a frontal area of 30 sf. The Bigfoot 17 is more than double that, at 8' wide and over 8' tall.

One other factor is how much you carry in the vehicle. Tow ratings are based on two people and no additional cargo on the vehicle. Adding passengers or equivalent cargo reduces how much you can tow.

I have a 3500/350 rated Honda Pilot V6 2WD, and with four people and gear, there are times it's working pretty hard to move our Scamp 13 against winds and mountain grades. The largest trailer I would consider towing with it is a Scamp or Casita 16'. In addition to being lighter, they are narrower and more aerodynamic than the Bigfoot 17. In my opinion, either would make a better choice for your vehicle.

Best wishes!
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Old 07-01-2018, 10:09 AM   #5
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Name: Robert
Trailer: 1987 Bigfoot B-17'
Washington
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My 88 B-17 weighs 2800+ lbs before I load it. You will have a really hard time gettin over mountain passes with this set up. Overheating being your enemy.
Overkill is very desirable in towing.
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Old 07-01-2018, 10:18 AM   #6
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Name: MURRAY
Trailer: Ventura
British Columbia (BC)
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Hi Jen
I have a 2012 sante fe with 6cyl. 276hp.
Pull a 13" Ventura, dry weight 1,450 lbs.
Tongue weight of about 80 - 100lbs.
I keep my speed down to 85 kph. Put it in 5th gear. Tack at 1,900 rpm.
This pulls it up a moderate hill. Use 4th gear for steeper hills. You have to work at it to keep it at 85kph. It wants to go 100. On steep gravel hills the 4 wheel option is great. I used to drive a tractor trailer so I know what pulling up hills is all about. A great tow vehicle pulling this weight. Maxing out anything puts a lot of strain on engine and parts. I believe yours is a 4 cyl with turbo. In my opinion I would try to get something a little lighter. You go from a basic 13' trailer, no toilet, no shower, no hot water and after this things get more complicated and heavy. Add toilet, now you have a bigger water tank @ 10lbs/gallon, a bigger water pump(using more battery power), a grey water tank(dragging around more weight until empty, add a shower and things get heavier. I use the outdoor biffs, for my wife I have a portable flush toilet, 2 1/2gals. of water, works great, for hot water put a pot on the stove. No need for a hwt. More weight. This is how I do it. Each to their own. Find what works for you. You will enjoy your find when you get it. Good luck.
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Old 07-01-2018, 10:33 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jenhan View Post
Hi there my name is Jen. I am looking at a 1981 bigfoot and have a 2015 santa fe turbo which is capable of pulling 3500. Do you think that my santa fe can pull this trailer? The dry weight is 1870? from what I have read here it varies...?
thank you for any info
Jennifer,

Curiously, this little engine has quite a bit of torque across a very broad RPM range. It's listed as having 269 ft-lbs. @ 1750 rpm.

http://www.automobile-catalog.com/cu...ort_2_0_t.html

If this is all gobbledegook to you, it basically means that this engine might be "the little engine that could" for towing.

As you are located adjacent to the Coast Range and so many mountains, I am assuming that you might want to tow in some challenging conditions. So, it would be good to have a capable vehicle.

I'd like to see if we hear from someone who has experience towing with this specific engine as I think it actually might have some promise if you are willing to operate within its limitations. You also might want to search the web and see if there are reports on other forums from owners who are towing with this engine, such as I have linked below. I expect there is plenty of information out there.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...6-a-74858.html

Quote:
Originally Posted by herons View Post
Just returned from a 7,000 mile trip with my brand new Scamp 13' w/bath. Towing with a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Turbo. We passed everyone in sight - 18-wheelers, RVs, other stick-built trailers, 5th wheels - even in snow squalls. Had lots of power, did three crossings of the Continental Divide, and had absolutely no problem pulling the Scamp up and over 8,000 to 9,000 foot mountains.

I couldn't be more pleased with the performance of the car!
https://www.hyundai-forums.com/dm-20...-fe-sport.html

https://goo.gl/Py9aVb
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Old 07-01-2018, 11:11 AM   #8
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Name: Jack L
Trailer: Sold the Bigfoot 17-Looking for a new one
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Originally Posted by Jon in AZ View Post
Welcome, Jen!


Besides weight, there is frontal area to consider. The Bigfoot is both taller and wider than many molded fiberglass trailers. The added aerodynamic drag at highway speeds and/or against a headwind is significant. Under current J2807 tow testing protocols, your 3500-rated vehicle was tested with a trailer having a frontal area of 30 sf. The Bigfoot 17 is more than double that, at 8' wide and over 8' tall.

One other factor is how much you carry in the vehicle. Tow ratings are based on two people and no additional cargo on the vehicle. Adding passengers or equivalent cargo reduces how much you can tow.



Best wishes!
As Jon stated , the frontal area on the Bigfoot is a very important thing to consider. In a windy situation, it's an even bigger issue.


The weight numbers mentioned previously, all seem realistic. From a purely digital standpoint, the trailer weight could be kept under the maximum specification of your tow vehicle however, you would be right on the edge of being overloaded. My personal practical experience towing a 17 Bigfoot makes me want to discourage you from trying this.
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Old 07-01-2018, 11:34 AM   #9
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Bigfoot

Jen I can't speak to whether or not the Santa Fe will be a good tug but can help with the weight. We owned a 1981 Bigfoot 17 Gaucho and our weight going down the road fully loaded for a 7 day trip was 2450 lbs on a certified scale ( that is 2200 lbs trailer and 250 tongue weight ). We don't take as much as some might , don't fill the fresh water tank , make sure the black water tank is empty etc . ( and dump the black water before heading home ). Lee and Norma
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Old 07-01-2018, 03:36 PM   #10
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Name: Shawn
Trailer: Bigfoot
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Consider a wind deflector for your tow vehicle. We tow a 1980 17 ft Bigfoot and the deflector makes a huge difference.
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Old 07-01-2018, 09:32 PM   #11
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Name: Jennifer
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thank you all for your responses. I am going to try pulling it tomorrow and if it is not doing well I think I will be looking at getting a different tow vehicle. I will let you now how I do!!
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Old 07-01-2018, 09:33 PM   #12
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thank you..very good to know
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Old 07-01-2018, 09:41 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MurrayC View Post
Hi Jen
I have a 2012 sante fe with 6cyl. 276hp.
Pull a 13" Ventura, dry weight 1,450 lbs.
Tongue weight of about 80 - 100lbs.
that is way under the recommended 10-15% tongue weight for stability...
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Old 07-01-2018, 09:41 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by Jenhan View Post
thank you all for your responses. I am going to try pulling it tomorrow and if it is not doing well I think I will be looking at getting a different tow vehicle. I will let you now how I do!!

Are you going to take it to the Coquihalla summit and then head down, west toward Vancouver? Are you going to find yourself in the slow lane with a semi stopped two hundred yards ahead of you, but find that both of the left lanes are full of vehicles going the speed limit or much more?
I did that in my Subaru Loyale GL Wagon, towing a tent trailer, and glazed my brakes. Same brakes that I had spent $300 on a week previous.
It's not about pulling. It's about emergency lane changes and stops. It's about keeping you and your family safe.
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Old 07-02-2018, 10:30 AM   #15
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Just a caution, Jen... a short test tow with an empty trailer may not give you an accurate picture of real-word towing conditions.

I had a vehicle with a 2000 pound tow rating when I first bought our 13' Scamp, dry weight around 1350 pounds. I did a test tow that included a fairly steep (but not long) grade and all seemed well.

Once we loaded it up and came to a 15 mile grade against a 30 mph headwind in triple digit temperatures, we overheated our transmission on our very first trip. The combination of being close to the limit and encountering severe towing conditions tipped things over.

No permanent damage was done, thanks to electronic sensors, but it convinced me that having some margin is a good thing. It also made me aware of how much wind affects a full-height travel trailer. There was no wind when I did my test tow.
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Old 07-18-2018, 11:08 AM   #16
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Name: Lonny
Trailer: Bigfoot 25B21FB
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Hello, I used to own a 1983 Bigfoot 17 and bought it in Vernon. Taking it home to the coast was not too much of an issue with my Honda Odyssey van until I hit the Coq pass coming out of Kelowna. It was a huge grunt to pull that trailer empty at 75-80km/hr.

I used that van for the remainder of the season but stayed away from any roads with a large hill. I did find that the van worked really hard pulling in the wind with the large frontal area and boy, it was always exciting when a truck went by us in either direction. I used to laugh (when finally off the road) that we made it. And made sure I did not drive it more than 200 kms as it was exhausting to drive it for too long.


Then there was the gas mileage issue that came up when towing. It dropped below 10 miles to the gallon which meant as I was filling up the tank at the gas station, my wife was locating the next station on the GPS and plugging it in for the next destination. I even ran into some trouble where the next gas station was beyond where we were going and had to carry a gas can in case.


Overall, it was an experience and great reasons to trade up. It did get us into camping up to a point where we were camping 80-90 nights a year. Always wonder about the poor guy who eventually bought that van however, how he made out with it.


Pretty hard to beat a half ton truck as a tow vehicle knowing what I know except for some of the swing room needed in some places, but road trips are now relaxing even for the occasional 8-9 hours day.
Hope this helps someone!
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Old 07-18-2018, 12:45 PM   #17
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Name: Ben
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Just because you can doesn't mean you should. I would consider upgrading to a full size SUV or half ton truck or consider a smaller lighter trailer like a Scamp. Just my opinion. I have a good bit of towing experience mostly heavy haul construction trailers behind ton trucks and larger.
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Old 07-18-2018, 03:01 PM   #18
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Name: WALT
Trailer: Bigfoot
Washington
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We pull our 2004 CB 17 with an F 150 with a 5.0 liter engine. Dry weight is 2670 and we usually are close to 3500 lb capacity. I would call this a comfortable tow, but wouldn't want to pull it with anything less. We definitely feel headwind and elevation gain, and the transmission temp gauge and reduced MPG let us know the truck is working hard. Don't forget to factor in your transmission (should have a cooler) and rear-end gear ratio. Check your manual or dealer. You really don't want to be on a busy freeway or highway with a maxed-out tow vehicle.
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Old 07-18-2018, 05:22 PM   #19
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FWIW we tow our 2002 Bigfoot (3400 pounds actual) with a 2017 Dodge Durango (must have factory tow package) 20,000 miles so far and it hasn't missed a beat.
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