Thinking of selling 1990 Lil' Bigfoot

[GrahamD]

We're thinking of selling the shell of a 1990 Lil' Bigfoot. We bought it in what we thought was good condition, but soon realized that it had leaked from the bellyband and thru an owner-added electrical outlet for *years*. The floor was completely rotten, the cupboards were embedded with mildew, the rat fur wallcovering was hiding pounds of mold. We stripped it down and have managed to replace the floor, patch the fiberglass where it needed it, repair the interior holding strip for the bellyband (quite a job), replace the bellyband itself, and we're planning to have the window glass replaced (Lucite) front and back. But we're honestly just DONE with the thing and so disillusioned and worn out that the idea of camping in it is...yuck.

We paid $5200 for it. What do you think we might reasonably expect to get for a waterproof shell from a 1990 Lil'Bigfoot?

Thanks!

[Donna D.]

I won't begin to give you a price...it will be what a buyer is willing to pay and what you're will to sell for. You'd probably sell it for more closer to next camping season too.

BUT, if it were me (and it's not) we're out of the regular camping season here in the Pacific NorthWET for some months to come. I'd set the LilFoot aside for the winter and let emotions cool. Right now you're upset and probably more than a little angry. Hang out here on the forums and take in some of the enthusiasm we all have for these lightweight molded fiberglass trailers. Next year, when the weather is warm and dry...you may want to take the trailer out and experience nature. You'd be surprised how quickly your affection for that trailer will come back. After all, you've done a lot of work (99% of the hard stuff) and now can make it uniquely your own.

Best of luck

[pjanits]

I agree with Donna, Graham.
Give it a rest and try again in the spring. The hard part is over.

[Pat R]

Hey Graham, if I can add a little advice... Listen to Donna on this one. Take a great big breath of air and let the egg sit for a couple of months and stay on this site reading and getting really cool ideas. I really bet you will come out of winter with a whole new feeling towards your situation.

Most of the tough dirty work is done for you. Now you get to do the fun stuff. From here on out it is possitive stuff. Go get em...

[Alistair Camelford]

Theres a 92 17' Bigfoot in the Ontario RV Trader for about ten grand this week. Seems to me you'd have to price your 13' way below that to sell a shell. I'm with the others...hold on till spring and re-evaluate your decision. You may not have much more to do to make it "campable". Best of luck...Alistair

[Gina D.]

Don't sell it!

Personally, I would think it great to have a blank slate! Think of the possibilties.. only your imagination and wallet can limit what you do.

The bad part of Burros or any double shell egg is that you have zero ability to change floor plans. The furniture is a molded part of the structure.

Look what Mike Watters did with his play pac.. gutted and rebuilt to suit his need.

You could have a masterpeice there!

[Brian B-P]

I think the trailer at its current state is quite desirable, just as an unfinished basement in a house is more valuable to me than an questionable effort by some previous owner. You know exactly what you're working with, and can do what you want.

As for resale value, I think it's time to let go of the purchase price - it just doesn't matter anymore. The value of the clean starting point will likely be lost on a potential purchaser, so I think it would be below the market average for the trailer type, so it might not be a good point to sell. Anything you add back into the trailer from this point should add to the resale value, so why not keep going? As Pat said, it's all positive from here!

I also think that it might help to realize that it's more than a body "shell" - it's a complete chassis as well. Even without interior finishing (or even any appliances), it is a usable camping trailer. It might make sense to use it a couple of times next spring before completing the work.

[Frederick L. Simson]

We're thinking of selling the shell of a 1990 Lil' Bigfoot.

We bought it in [b]what we thought was good condition...

But we're honestly just DONE with the thing and so disillusioned and worn out that the idea of camping in it is...yuck.

I understand what you are feeling.

I will hazard a guess that your shell's value right now may be only 10% of what you paid for it. That would be a bitter pill to swallow. This is why we as a group believe you might be better off if you are able to put it away for a season, and heal from your dissappointment.

I believe that the market for an empty shell might be small, a niche within a niche.

[Mike Watters]

Although Bigfoot trailers typically sell for considerably more than the usual eggs - I suspect that's mostly due to the higher level of materials used internally. With that gone - the premium is also gone.

Gutted 13' eggs are tending to sell on eBay for something like US$1000. Better than 10 cents on the dollar - but still bad.

From your description it DOES sound to me like you've done all the irritating unpleasant parts already. From my own personal perspective - "repair" work is tedious and irritating. I'm always left with the impression I haven't actually accomplished anything when doing 'repair' work. It's the interior refitting which is the fun part. I'm always left with great sense of accomplishment when I'm doing that.

I'm not saying the perspective is sane - but that's how I feel.

Anyway - Playing around with alternative floorplans and building up the interior is honestly kinda fun stuff. How nice that ends up is only limited by your own abilities. Note: Although I'm quite flattered by Gina's assessment of my PlayPac - I'm honestly not all that good at woodwork.

There's all sorts of interesting cheats to get around what you're not good at though. My favorite (which I didn't use on the PlayPac, but I HAVE used on our house) is using cheap DIY cabinets from a big box hardware store. Although the bodies are built from junk, the faces are very nicely constructed. It's not hard to rip the faces off and build a box that fits the trailer better to attach the face to.

Also - don't underestimate the value of refitting the interior to EXACTLY your desires! Myself as the example: I value a comfortable place to sleep, convenience and storage. I don't value being able to cook inside or having an internal flush toilet (Portapotties are fine).

I would agree with the suggestion that you step away from it for awhile though. Wait, relax, give some thought to the refit and attack it anew in the spring.

Mike

[Jan Adams]

You can also purchase just the doors and we were able to purchase unfinished doors for one of our projects. Since they were wood, we were able to "trim" to down to fit our project, if needed.

Most of the time, we purchase the doors and then make the frame to fit.