just started thinking about an RV - so call me green

[zeta]

Hello all,

Wife and kids (10 and 8) just started thinking of moving from tenting to RV. Pop up's are out of the question and don't want anything too big that will take away the camping feel.

Currently LOVING the 1980 bigfoot 17' layout and weight, but these units are impossible to find.

Thus, asking help from the community with:

Any other options with same layout?
Where can i find one near texas?
Anyone know interior height of bigfoot 17', i'm 6'1".

We're a vintage vw family and love the retro, classic looks and simplicity.

Thx in advance,
Z

[Borrego Dave]

Welcome Luis to FGRV. Keep checking the for sale ads a few times a day cuz good ones go fast. Craigs list is another place to look. Probably the biggest thing to watch for is a CLEAN title in the sellers name no matter where you find it listed. It may not be a good idea to narrow your search to just one model and size as you may go a long time in finding it. Try to go to a ralley to see a lot of different makers and layouts. Egg owners are pretty willing to show off their eggs. Don't know what your TV is but you may want to check our thread on "real world weights" for an idea of what moulded trailers really weigh for camping use. Others will chime in soon with other comments for you. We all started off green too. Good luck in your search.

[Lora]

Welcome, Luis.
We have an 89 Bigfoot 17' Gaucho (rear bath). My husband is 6'2" and has plenty of headroom except where the handle to open/close the Fantastic Fan hangs down.
There are two floor plans, which are you looking at?
Check out Fiberglass-rv-4sale.com and you can get an idea of prices and locations.
Some of the various current builders can point you toward folks near you that are willing to show off their trailers. We were able to see a couple of different trailers and it really helped.
Good luck in your search!

[zeta]

Dave,
Thank you for the great ideas. I will need to research the "rally" idea as I don't know whene one may take place near the San Antonio area.

My TV will either be a Toyota Highlander or a 4Runner, both with a towing capacity of up to 5,000 lbs.

Lora,
Thanks for the website and head room info. The height is important to me, so it looks like the bigfoot would work. I like the bunk bed floor plan the most. I will keep an eye open for the bigfoot but will start researching other options too. Reviewed the Casitas, but still like the older look of the bigfoot ones.

Thank you both!
Z

[Borrego Dave]

Well Luis you tug will handle anything moulded except a 5th wheel . You're good to go once you find the right layout and length that works for you. The rallys will really help you out and there is a list of rallys listed on this site.

[zeta]

Dave,
OK just found the rally information in here. Thanks again.
Z

[Lora]

Originally Posted by zeta

Dave,
Thank you for the great ideas. I will need to research the "rally" idea as I don't know whene one may take place near the San Antonio area.

Z

If you look at the tabs at the top of the screen on this website and click on the one marked "more" you will see that there are a rally calendar and a rally map. If you go to the map, you can zoom in on Texas and see that there are 4 relatively near you, the one in Banderas is in April.

BTW, when you see the ads CB means center bath and G means gaucho, if they happen to mention those.

[zeta]

Originally Posted by Lora

If you look at the tabs at the top of the screen on this website and click on the one marked "more" you will see that there are a rally calendar and a rally map. If you go to the map, you can zoom in on Texas and see that there are 4 relatively near you, the one in Banderas is in April.

BTW, when you see the ads CB means center bath and G means gaucho, if they happen to mention those.

Lora,
Oh yes, I already updated my calendar to go to the Bandera one. Thanks for the info on the CB and G, but what exactly is a "gaucho"?

Thanks again,
Z

[Lora]

The gaucho model has a rear bath and a couch on the left similar to the '81 that is currently listed for sale.
Be careful that you verify that it has the upper bunk if that is what you want because some did not come with that.

[zeta]

Hmm, excellent note about the bunk bed feature. Didn't occurred to me to check on that. And yes, I want the bath in the back w/ the sofa on the left and the bunk option.

Again, thanks Lora. Point well taken.

Z

[Roger C H]

If you are VW lovers, you will love this RV:

Dub-Box USA | VW Campers | VW Trailers | Food Carts | Event Carts

[Tom Trostel]

The ceiling of the 1500 series Bigfoot has a slight slope. Its high point is in front of the door and measures 77". Under the air conditioner it's 73". At the rear it's 75". Our 1980 15B17G Standard weighs 2500 lbs. empty. Loaded for camping, the hitch weight is 340 lbs. We drove from home (DFW) to Dayton, Ohio to buy ours. We will be at the Bluebonnet Rally in Bandera, TX April 22-26 with our trailer. Please come over and visit.

http://s293.photobucket.com/user/tom...tml?sort=3&o=6

[rdickens]

In addition to the trailers for sale on this site and on http://www.fiberglass-rv-4sale.com ,
you might try www.searchtempest.com. It will search every craigslist and E-bay listing within a specified search radius of a specific city or zip code. 😊

Ray


Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV

[zeta]

Roger C H -
Wow those are niiice! Looked through their site but can't see how we can get four to sleep in. With that said, what a great idea & look. Thanks for sharing.

Tom Trostel -
Exactly the info I was looking for. BTW, you are the reason my attention became focused on FGRV after finding some pictures of your bigfoot in some Texas landscapes. Will plan on going to the Bandera rally. Hope to see you there and hope you don't mind if I pick your brain a bit. Thanks.

Rdickens -
I was not aware of the "searchtempest" tool. Will definitely give it a try. Thanks.

Again thank you all for the info and guidance. I'm going to do a search on this site to learn more about trailer weight vs. tongue hitch weight and how weight distribution affects your ride. As I was reading other threads noticed this topic may be important to fully understand.

Happy new year FGRV folks!

Sinc.
Z

[stevebaz]

When I was looking for my Scamp I placed an ad on websites such as this one with what I was looking for and how much I was willing to pay and how far I was willing to travel. These trailers go so fast it was unproductive for me to search and call after work to purchase one. Too many buyers and flippers in the mix to compete with if your still working and not retired. The want ad was much more productive and the seller is much more motivated when they know how much your willing to spend. It cuts out the tire kickers, flippers and low-ballers. What ever you do have your finances all figured out. Cash in hand always works.

[zeta]

Originally Posted by stevebaz

When I was looking for my Scamp I placed an ad on websites such as this one with what I was looking for and how much I was willing to pay and how far I was willing to travel. These trailers go so fast it was unproductive for me to search and call after work to purchase one. Too many buyers and flippers in the mix to compete with if your still working and not retired. The want ad was much more productive and the seller is much more motivated when they know how much your willing to spend. It cuts out the tire kickers, flippers and low-ballers. What ever you do have your finances all figured out. Cash in hand always works.

Stevebaz,
This is a good idea, but I really don't know what I want aside for simplicity and sleeping four. I saw the 1980 Bigfoot and loved the bunkbeds for the kids, general layout and look. But the more I read the more "at loss" I find myself, since there are sooooo many things that I have not considered, such as...doubled pane windows, axle size/construction, wheel size, springs, ETC ETC ETC ETC. All this is foreign to me.

I do know that FGRV will be our choice. Although my kids are young now, we do foresee ourselves always using the unit w/ or w/o kids. Scamp, Escape, Trillion, Oliver, ParkLiner are a few I'm reading about. As far as size, we would like to keep it small but try to get the most "room" from the layout. Shower is not important and would be happy w/ just a porta potty unit. Again, trying to stay as close to tent camping as possible as the reason to go out there is to be out there. Hmm, I think that's gonna be my signature.....

Thanks again Stevebaz.
Sinc.
Z

[Mike Magee]

If you are looking only for used trailers, you might not have the opportunity to be really choosey. Scamp and Casita are the most plentiful brands, so you'll see more of them for sale than any others. Other brands might require a long wait followed by a long drive to go get it.

Now, if you can buy new, you can order it just the way you want it.

Casitas are built in Rice, TX. The 17' is 6'3" interior height, if I'm not mistaken.

[Roger C H]

My wife and I have a Porta-Potti in our 13' Trillium. I don't know how one would handle the privacy issue with children.

I think that minimalism is the basis for FG trailers. Once one gets over 15-16' it seems to me to be counter productive. There is a "disease" called "Two-Footitis" where one always wants an RV just a little bit bigger.

[zeta]

Originally Posted by Roger C H

My wife and I have a Porta-Potti in our 13' Trillium. I don't know how one would handle the privacy issue with children.

I think that minimalism is the basis for FG trailers. Once one gets over 15-16' it seems to me to be counter productive. There is a "disease" called "Two-Footitis" where one always wants an RV just a little bit bigger.

Roger CH -
Jajajajajajajajajajajajajaja, "two-footitis" jajajajajajaja, that's a good one and just today my wife and I were discussing the same thing, "well baby maybe we should go w/ the 19' since it is only two more feet and we get blah, blah, blah."
Thanks again Roger! I'm onward w/ the reading of this community forums. Just the place I needed.

Happy new year!

[Glenn Baglo]

Well, I would go for the 19 Escape instead of the 17 I have, if I were starting afresh.
But, that would involve a new tow as well, and I'm not willing to go that far.
That two feet gives you a permanent bed and a four person dinette, and four inches more width in the kitchen aisle.
When we camp with friends who have a 19 and the weather is inclement, we end up having dinner or playing cards in their trailer. That's not in the cards in a 17.
Not sure why we have to divide into camps, those who choose to camp in a 13 foot trailer and those who prefer to stretch out in a 19.
Read the forums and then do what you want and need to enjoy the experience.