Sold my beloved Bigfoot

[trainjunkie]

Well, it had to be done. The circumstances that provoked me to buy a Bigfoot a few years ago have changed, so I decided to sell my vintage 1989 B17G. Today a really nice couple up here in Alaska bought it, and they are folks who appreciate the whole fiberglass thing, especially when it's a Bigfoot. I wouldn't be surprised to see them join up here eventually.

I feel a bit melancholy about it after all the blood, sweat, tears, and money I put into making the trailer what it is today. I have some incredible memories to hold on to, not the least of which was introducing my twin sons to camping and the whole RV experience, which they absolutely love.

But between my wife and I, our two rapidly growing sons, and two dogs, we simply outgrew that little 17-footer. It served its purpose, it's better today than it was when I bought it, and now it will continue to serve new owners for the foreseeable future.

As for me, I plan to replace it at some point in the not too distant future with a bigger and newer Bigfoot. I'm sold on Bigfoots, this one was amazing. I can't imagine owning anything else except, maybe, an Escape. But a new, 25-foot BF would be my dream rig and that will probably be my target when I'm ready to become an RV owner again.

For now, I'm going to take a break from this community to tend to an increasing number of life's demands. I'll check in from time to time, and engage again when I am, once again, a molded towable owner. I just want to thank all the folks here who shared wisdom, information, and encouragement as I navigated my way through the restoration process on my previous Bigfoot. There is simply a ton of information and advice here that one can't get anywhere else. I have also tried to play it forward by contributing information on my experiences in the hopes that they help other BF owners down the road.

One thing I did before I sold my trailer was to scan all of the original owner's manuals for the trailer itself, and all the original appliances. I have already uploaded the manual for the Elixr Trav'ler 4-burner range, which is pending approval from the mods. Once that is up, I'll continue to build high quality PDF files from the scans of the other manuals and upload them to the Document Center. Hopefully these will help other owners down the road.

Thanks again to everyone who was so helpful here. I'm looking forward to having a reason to come back on a regular basis as I've been doing the past few years.

Cheers!

Mike

[john madill]

that sure is a pretty trailer! just how long is the camping season in Alaska?

I spent about an hour in Alaska 40+ years ago courtesy of the Army, in jungle fatigues on the way home. it was April and very cold.

never flew over so many mountains!

heading back there this September for a little longer stay with a land/cruise package.

[Evergreengirl]

Good luck in all your future endeavors, Mike. Those folks got themselves one very nice trailer! Hope to see you back here someday soon.

[Jack L]

Gosh Mike, I'm sorry to see you go. I was hoping that some day our trailer paths would cross and we would get to meet. Some of the experiences you shared have been very helpful to me. Best if luck on your adventures.

[WaltP]

Mike
Hate to see you go, but pleased you'll likely be back. I do understand and Just today I've decided to sell my 2002 17CB for the opposite reason. I want to downsize a bit, with a 17' Escape in mind. I love the Bigfoot but being solo and doing a lot of boondocking, I think a little less will be more. It's a hard decision after putting a lot into some mods and upgrades.
I'll particularly miss the great fridge/freezer, the additional floor space, and the ducted furnace.

Walt

[David and Nancy]

Hi Mike


Good call on skipping the 21 and going to a 25 at some point. With a family of 4, space is at a premium. We started with a 21 and loved it for several years. But when Nancy saw a 25 at a rally, I knew the days of the 21 were numbered. Luckily, as you know, a Bigfoot is easy to sell. And I found a great used 25.


I lived in Alaska when I discovered Bigfoots. I had an old Scamp at one time, and then a new Casita. But neither was ideal in the Alaska climate. I had to winterize by the end of September. And the lack of insulation and single pane windows kept the furnace running way too much.


I am in Wyoming now, where it is often colder than southcentral Alaska. Bigfoot extends my camping season as long as I want.


Good luck and thanks for your contributions to the forum.


Dave

[Franswa]

those are lucky people you sold to.....after you'd completely sorted out the BF.....there's lots of trailers out there that just get used some and parked for years, left alone, neglected.... It's a lucky buyer who finds one that the seller knows inside out and kept up/improved as he went.....best regards, F

[Badger]

Mike, best of luck in whatever your next adventure holds but I wanted to say thank you for all of your insightful, intelligent posts. As I have researched FGRV's and specifically Bigfoots over the past year your posts have been some of the most helpful and well thought out. Thanks, you will be missed and I look forward to your return.

[Gardnpondr]

Originally Posted by trainjunkie

Well, it had to be done. The circumstances that provoked me to buy a Bigfoot a few years ago have changed, so I decided to sell my vintage 1989 B17G. Today a really nice couple up here in Alaska bought it, and they are folks who appreciate the whole fiberglass thing, especially when it's a Bigfoot. I wouldn't be surprised to see them join up here eventually.

I feel a bit melancholy about it after all the blood, sweat, tears, and money I put into making the trailer what it is today. I have some incredible memories to hold on to, not the least of which was introducing my twin sons to camping and the whole RV experience, which they absolutely love.

But between my wife and I, our two rapidly growing sons, and two dogs, we simply outgrew that little 17-footer. It served its purpose, it's better today than it was when I bought it, and now it will continue to serve new owners for the foreseeable future.

As for me, I plan to replace it at some point in the not too distant future with a bigger and newer Bigfoot. I'm sold on Bigfoots, this one was amazing. I can't imagine owning anything else except, maybe, an Escape. But a new, 25-foot BF would be my dream rig and that will probably be my target when I'm ready to become an RV owner again.

For now, I'm going to take a break from this community to tend to an increasing number of life's demands. I'll check in from time to time, and engage again when I am, once again, a molded towable owner. I just want to thank all the folks here who shared wisdom, information, and encouragement as I navigated my way through the restoration process on my previous Bigfoot. There is simply a ton of information and advice here that one can't get anywhere else. I have also tried to play it forward by contributing information on my experiences in the hopes that they help other BF owners down the road.

One thing I did before I sold my trailer was to scan all of the original owner's manuals for the trailer itself, and all the original appliances. I have already uploaded the manual for the Elixr Trav'ler 4-burner range, which is pending approval from the mods. Once that is up, I'll continue to build high quality PDF files from the scans of the other manuals and upload them to the Document Center. Hopefully these will help other owners down the road.

Thanks again to everyone who was so helpful here. I'm looking forward to having a reason to come back on a regular basis as I've been doing the past few years.

Cheers!

Mike

Thank you soooo much Mike! I have an 85 we are redoing now. Loads left to do on it and I can't wait until we can camp in it!! Sure hope it doesn't take you long to get another RV.

[trainjunkie]

I don't know why the image I posted in the original post isn't showing up for me. Can anyone else see it? Anyway, here it is again. I'll miss that little trailer but it has a good home now. Thanks for all the positive comments. This is a great little community.