Bigfoot owner wannabe

[oregonswede]

Hi all, my wife and I are thinking of the best kind of trailer for extended travels around the US and Canada. I saw a Bigfoot on the Oregon coast that a Canadian couple had....they loved it. Before meeting them, I was interested in Airstream, but the cost is prohibitive. We're thinking of the 25 foot front bed model of Bigfoot. Has anyone had much experience with this trailer? I got a response back from a guy that had a rear bed 25 foot and he mentioned some of the benefits of that one. Specifically, how does the trailer pull? How is it in side winds? Do they leak? Are they comfortable? Any other thoughts for a newbie wannabe like myself dreaming of a Bigfoot. Any other manufacturers that we should look at? Thanks all.

[FTTRV]

First of all what do you plan to pull a trailer with? Second used 25ft Bigfoot's are few and far between used. I think there is one for sale in Florida and Wyoming but look on fiberglass RV for sale first. Their is a Bigfoot 21RB for sale in WA State. Escape Trailer Industries in Chilliwack,BC makes a 21ft all molded fiberglass trailer. Oliver makes a 22ft. Molded Fiberglass Trailers do not have leaking problems leaking problems like stick built trailers do.

[Bob Miller]

Here's a couple of 25' BigFoots right in Oregon:
New and Used BIGFOOT Travel Trailer For Sale On RV Trader

But you might find a similar Airstream for a bit less these days. BigFoots are now the uber-luxury priced spread of the FGRV's.

But you are in the part of the U.S. where the most BigFoot FGRV's were sold prior to the last BigFoot BK a few years back, so more used ones are available in WA & OR than anywhere else in the states. There is also the "Columbia" that was built by BigFoot at a facility in OR in the late 90's-early 2000's.

And you can always buy a new one in Canada, importing is very easy with a new one, as well as through dealers in the states.

BUT... Importing a used one from Canada that is less than 25 years old can get a bit dicey. Check out what you have to do before buying..... It all has to do with a US-DOT sticker.

[Cathi]

Don't feel bad passing up Airstream because there is a shell corrosion problem in the last dozen years or so. No telling if any particular unit will have it but it seems to occur where there has been cutting and handling such as on the edge of sections or around lights. No doubt the manufacturer knows how this is being caused but has done nothing from what I have seen. There is no warranty for it so a new owner would be out of luck. People are told to sand spots and put something like nail polish on them --- can you imagine your almost new Airstream looking like that?? Maybe someone here knows how that problem is being caused. We passed on them. (The prices are actually much lower than on the stickers, by the way, which means they are sometimes not that different from high end fiberglass.)

[oregonswede]

Thanks for the responses. FTTRV, we plan to probably tow it with our current 1993 Suburban which is a 5.7 liter V8. I found that was not the most gutsy vehicle for towing our tent trailer, but maybe I'm not used to pushing the pedal to the metal so to speak. Bob, is it cheaper to buy in Canada and bring back to the US or buy from a dealer here. We have one only 1/2 hour away from us. Cathy, I've decided against owning an Airstream. I had heard also from people that the quality went down in the last decade or so. Thor Industries now owns it from what I can tell. I was at the library today doing some research and Thor makes several different brands. I like the idea of a solid bottom with no seams and all sealed up. Our 2003 Coleman tent trailer has a chip board floor and it has some water damage which I just noticed. Never buying another trailer unless I LOOK under the trailer also. I'm still leaning towards the Bigfoot...as I like that 25 foot layout. I'm just getting started in the search so am still open to other manufacturers.

[cpaharley2008]

Here is the link for Escape Escape Trailer Industries > Home

[Carol H]

Keep your eyes on the Bigfoot section of Fiberglass-rv-4sale.com - the 25's, in Tualatin, OR & Tallahassee, FL are both listed there.

I dont own a Bigfoot trailer, put have seen a number of them over the years and we do have Bigfoot Campers in the family and can honestly say I have never heard anyone complain about them not being comfortable. Those who own them seem to love them although they are on the heavy side of the Fiberglass trailer world.

[Bob Miller]

Buying new you will have to compare prices yourself. I'll bet that U.S. dealers will cut a better dealer... and you will be closer to the selling dealer if any warrantee service is needed.

A 5.7 in a big Suburban is already a lot of load. You might check your owners manual for specs for that engine and towing. Bigfoots are heavy.....

[FTTRV]

A friend told me on Wednesday afternoon he was selling his BF25ft located in Oregon. A quick call to friends in Texas.They have been looking for one since June. Thursday they made the deal and the trailer was sold. It will be stored in Wa until spring. Good trailers go fast.

[Karen T]

We love our 21 ft. Bigfoot and it is an extremely comfortable trailer for us. I wonder how well a 25 ft. would work with your Suburban if you weren't satisfied with how it towed your tent trailer. As Bob mentioned, Bigfoots are heavy trailers compared to other fiberglass trailers. What you get in return for the weight is excellent construction and 4-season capability.

[FTTRV]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Here's a couple of 25' BigFoots right in Oregon:
New and Used BIGFOOT Travel Trailer For Sale On RV Trader

But you might find a similar Airstream for a bit less these days. BigFoots are now the uber-luxury priced spread of the FGRV's.

But you are in the part of the U.S. where the most BigFoot FGRV's were sold prior to the last BigFoot BK a few years back, so more used ones are available in WA & OR than anywhere else in the states. There is also the "Columbia" that was built by BigFoot at a facility in OR in the late 90's-early 2000's.

And you can always buy a new one in Canada, importing is very easy with a new one, as well as through dealers in the states.

BUT... Importing a used one from Canada that is less than 25 years old can get a bit dicey. Check out what you have to do before buying..... It all has to do with a US-DOT sticker.

I is almost impossible to import a trailer from Canada if less than 25yrs old. You will have to find a dealer in Canada such as Mike Rossman. They can do the proper paper work and certification of propane, brakes etc. It will costs you some dollars. I just was working on a deal for a Bigfoot 2401 it got to complicated so quit.

[Carol H]

I think Chuck that its when you buy a used one that it gets a bit complicated for the average person to sort out but if one buys a new one in Canada Bigfoot would probable take care of the paper work for the buyer as Escape does.

[Franswa]

I think Carol's got it right....On it's site Escape explains how they do it in detail....basically the "export" the trailer to the states (drive it across the border or trucked further south, buyer's choice)....the buyer takes possession IN the states with all paperwork done by Escape. I'm sure Bigfoot would have a similar system.

[Bob Miller]

Ya But..... Bigfoot has an established dealer network (small, but a lot bigger than Scamp, Parkliner and Oliver combined~~~ LOL ) in the U.S. and might not be so keen or cooperative on arranging a direct sale for much less than MSRP. Most dealers are advertising 20-25% off MSRP.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Ya But..... Bigfoot has an established dealer network (small, but a lot bigger than Scamp, Parkliner and Oliver combined~~~ LOL ) in the U.S. and might not be so keen or cooperative on arranging a direct sale for much less than MSRP. Most dealers are advertising 20-25% off MSRP.

Your right Bob, there probable is a better change of negotiating a better price with a dealer vs the factory... But I suspect if you are wanting a trailer with various options (custom for your needs) that the dealer doesnt have in stock and they need to order it then it may be a push.... never know though. Depending on interest rates at the time it may be cheaper for someone in the US to purchase directly from Canada. Although currently that may not be the case as not a big margin either way.

As with all things best to do a little homework before pulling the trigger.

[Franswa]

oooops, you're right Bob...I forgot about the dealer network for BF.....Escape hasn't gone there...(yet) so they have set up a system to sell directly to US buyers...I was walked through it on their site....sounds simple enough

[padlin00]

FWIW, I dropped BF a note last week asking about seeing a trailer and how the new post reopening compared to the pre closing BF's, here's the response.

"Hi Bob

Sorry do not know of anyone in your specific area as we have really just started trailer distribution in the East.

We do have a new dealer in Milwaukee Wisconsin, Prosser RV.

They will be getting another trailer in early Dec as their first trailer sold right away. It is a B25 RQ.

Our trailers are built with the same structural integrity and design. We are using the same tooling, with 300 plus years of Bigfoot experience. We are always making enhancements with updated decors. We have also moved many of the past popular options into our standard built trailer."

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by padlin00

FWIW, I dropped BF a note last week asking about seeing a trailer and how the new post reopening compared to the pre closing BF's, here's the response.
"

Bob the new owners of the brand name worked as managers of the original Bigfoot as did many of the current employees. At the same place as well.... only real difference between the two companies is the slight name change (required to protect the new owners from old company financial issues) and the fact they have stopped the production of various motorhomes & Class A's etc that they were making in the years prior to their closer and what many would say is what put them into financial trouble when the economy started to suffer. The new Bigfoot has pretty well gone back to producing what was the original companies core biz for years - truck campers and smaller trailers.

[Glenn Baglo]

Soft market caused Bigfoot to go out of business, but it probably started with:

"Bigfoot Industries suffered a serious setback in the spring of 1998 when Terry Mayall, who founded the company, and two directors died in a plane crash near Moses Lake in Washington."

[Carol H]

Yup Glenn, I am pretty sure you would find a lot of locals who would agree with you on that. The new board took the the company in a direction that those who know the men who died in that crash would probable never have taken it. If that crash had not happened it is very doubtful Bigfoot would have gotten into producing Class A motorhomes for example.