% Off MSRP when new? Bigfoot/Oliver/Escape

[Zybane]

I'm interested in a model from Bigfoot/Oliver/Escape. Most "in-stock" units appear to be only ~10% off MSRP, which isn't much compared to the regular RV market.

In the regular RV market, 20% off is considered the minimum % off MSRP and 30% is a decent deal. MSRP for dealers on 99% on RV's is 45% above the actual cost of the RV for the dealership. So even at 30% off MSRP they are still making a decent profit.

I've spoken to one dealer and won't budge from just 10% off on the above brands.

Does anyone have any thought or experiences on what should/did they pay off of MSRP for their Fiberglass trailer?

[Jon in AZ]

Most of the molded fiberglass manufacturers sell factory direct, where there is minimal discounting and no negotiating. Scamp and Casita run occasional promotions, but they’re very modest.. Bigfoot does sell through dealers, but inventory is limited and dealers are few, so not a lot of price competition.

[Zybane]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Most of the molded fiberglass manufacturers sell factory direct, and there is minimal discounting and no negotiating. Scamp and Casita run occasional promotions, but they’re very modest.. Bigfoot does sell through eskers, but inventory is limited and dealers are few, so not a lot of price competition.

I'm going to Southland RV this weekend in Atlanta, they have both Bigfoots and Oliver's next to one another to compare.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Zybane

I'm going to Southland RV this weekend in Atlanta, they have both Bigfoots and Oliver's next to one another to compare.

Let us know how it goes. I only know what experience has been in the past. Didn’t know Oliver is now selling through dealers.

[Egg White]

Zee,
Have you checked with Trailer World of Colorado in Henderson? They are a Bigfoot dealer. I have solicited quotes for Bigfoot trailers in the past and their prices were more discounted than others I received.

Philip

[oldwave]

Like Airstreams, these are less discounted than convention sticky trailers. However I found that the Denver and Portland dealers offered a better discount than Atlanta. my advice is to get three quotes.

[Zybane]

Originally Posted by Egg White

Zee,
Have you checked with Trailer World of Colorado in Henderson? They are a Bigfoot dealer. I have solicited quotes for Bigfoot trailers in the past and their prices were more discounted than others I received.

Philip

Oh ya great thank you. I see their Bigfoots are $10K below the "sale" price of the Atlanta units. Hopefully I can use that for ammunition if I decide to go with the Bigfoot 25RQ. I'm definitely leaning that way as I think the Oliver, although super quality, is just too small for us and our dogs.

Would be awesome if Oliver came out with a 3 foot longer trailer that was 8 foot wide.

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by Zybane

Oh ya great thank you. I see their Bigfoots are $10K below the "sale" price of the Atlanta units. Hopefully I can use that for ammunition if I decide to go with the Bigfoot 25RQ. I'm definitely leaning that way as I think the Oliver, although super quality, is just too small for us and our dogs.

Would be awesome if Oliver came out with a 3 foot longer trailer that was 8 foot wide.

When we were looking to upgrade our Escape 21 we looked at an Oliver while considering the Bigfoot 25rq. We found that we didn’t like the layout, the small refrigerator and the location of the cooktop unprotected from the bedding area. The wet bath was also a negative. The fit and finish and construction quality was outstanding. Though we have found the Bigfoot to be extremely well made.

If I was a solo traveler the Oliver would have been ok. The Bigfoot has much more room.

[thrifty bill]

To me, if you like the Casita floorplan, then the Oliver is a higher quality, higher priced version. If you don't like the Casita floorplan, then getting the same thing at a higher price, higher quality makes zero sense to me.

One other drawback I see with Olivers are the VERY small windows. Not sure why they did it, but getting ample light into these small trailers is very important to me.

Bigfoots are roomier, and back before Covid days, I saw them discounted at RV shows. I would not expect to see similar discounts from Escape or Oliver. They may offer discounts on options, or a free option or two, on units they have in inventory. These are custom, factory built models, based on an order backlog model. Assuming they are smart enough to adjust/lower production rates, I would not expect to see any significant discounts.

Where I am starting to finally see discounts is in the tow vehicle market. Manufacturers have very little discipline, produce at max rates and then expect dealers to absorb the volume.

[BigDan]

Biggest drawback with the Olivers is the double shell design. No idea why they thought that was a good idea, it makes it much heavier than it needs to be, it’s harder to repair infrastructure as you can’t get to it easily, it robs more of the interior space and it creates a serious heating and moisture issue. Normally with a living space you want one vapor barrier just under the outer wall with insulation on top - this is how your house is designed. That way the two zones - inner and outer - are separated climate zones. This design creates an third inner climate zone between the two which has it’s own temperature, humidity and condensation. But it’s completely closed off.

In one of the factory tour videos they talk about the ‘quality’ of having drainage holes drilled around the perimeter with mesh covering screens but its not quality, it’s a necessary hack to deal with that stupid inner climate zone which collects condensation. The surrounding walls (to living space and to the outside) are covered with that low R value silvered bubble wrap, which is poor mans insulation. It doesn’t do a lot, the silver is just for radiant heat (little of that in that space), and the quarter inch bubble is almost worthless.

Otherwise the build quality and components are top notch, but its based on a terrible design, unless you really, really happen to like fiberglass. I don’t think it’s a real four season trailer with that design.

Bigfoots go through dealers only and I’ve heard you can often get aroundish a 10% discount.

[Zybane]

I saw both the Oliver and the Bigfoot.

A few things with the Oliver Elite II:

At 6'4", I couldn't even lay down on the bed without hitting. So that ruled it out.
It's even smaller than I thought it would be.
It had quite the adheasive/fiberglass smell.
The quality was really high.
IMO price is a bit high for what you get. To me it seemed more like a $70K trailer, not a $100K one.

Bigfoot 25RQ:

No place on the A-Frame to mount most WD hitches as it had the front cargo box.
Exterior and underbelly looked nice, although some rust spots on frame already.
Roof is good, although on this warm day the sealant tape they used on all roof fixture was able to be easily manipulated.
The headroom was actually even tighter than the Oliver. I had to take my shoes off in order to clear the main ceiling. I have to always duck under the air conditioner which my wife says is a deal breaker.
Good quality, although not excellent quality like the Oliver.
Surprisingly the Bigfoot had the tallest shower.
Disappointing to see steel and not aluminum steps.
Not enthusiastic about leaf spring suspension.

Dealer would not haggle on price.

Due to the size limitations on both, a fiberglass unit may not be in the cards. Maybe I'll look at a Lance or go back to an Airstream.

[daveandalice]

If you're going to look at alternatives to fiberglass you could check out the Intech aluminum trailers.

They have a 22' and a 26', 8'4" wide outside, 7' inside height, twin or queen bed,
separate toilet and shower spaces.

It looks like there's a few dealers in Colorado.

https://intech.com/rv/models/aucta/willow/

[Zybane]

I did, they had one there. Was actually quite impressed till I found out they literally have zero insulation. They claim an air gap in the wall is insulation.

[oldwave]

You’ll be post 100 k for an Airstream, though they are very nice. My Bigfoot has aluminum steps. It’s not hard to put on a wd hitch. If you want to stay in Fiberglas, an Escape 5.0 has the ceiling height.

[daveandalice]

Another thought is a trailer like the Escape 5.0 would not require as large a tow vehicle as the larger trailers would require.

[Moots]

Interesting message because in 2020, my wife and I were considering purchasing a Bigfoot or Oliver. I was leaning toward the Oliver, but my wife really didn't like them -- wet bath, narrower etc.

Long story short, we purchased a 25 RQ, and it has been the best travel trailer we have ever owned (My wife was right.). We have two dogs. They go everywhere with us. If you buy the Bigfoot, make sure you get one with the storage in front (over the hitch), so handy.

Also, we live in Colorado and know the folks at Trailer World of Colorado. They are honest, fair, and sell plenty of Bigfoots to people from all over the US. Just come to Colorado and pick one up!

[Francis C]

You can’t go by the regular RV market. They don’t sell moulded Fiberglass trailers that will last for 50 years with good maintenance.

[Perryb67]

Originally Posted by Moots

If you buy the Bigfoot, make sure you get one with the storage in front (over the hitch), so handy.

The downside of the front storage box is you now have a 27' camper that will be around 400#'s heavier.

Many parks we camp can't handle a 27' trailer and even 25' knocks us out of many sites. For us, we ignored any Bigfoot with the front storage box. We still have plenty of room for more needless $#i+.

Food for thought,

Perry

[BigDan]

Originally Posted by Moots

Also, we live in Colorado and know the folks at Trailer World of Colorado. They are honest, fair, and sell plenty of Bigfoots to people from all over the US. Just come to Colorado and pick one up!

I’m planning of going through them but it’s the same distance to drive there instead of direct from the factory (a bit longer to Trailer World actually). Should be fine driving up for a factory pick up and save on delivery fee correct?

Originally Posted by Perryb67

The downside of the front storage box is you now have a 27' camper that will be around 400#'s heavier.

Many parks we camp can't handle a 27' trailer and even 25' knocks us out of many sites. For us, we ignored any Bigfoot with the front storage box. We still have plenty of room for more needless $#i+.

We’ve had a number of discussions here about it, your input has been a good data point. I have also heard from a number of others who say it hasn’t been an issue - for them. Maybe Moot is another one. I’ve been collecting input to help me make our decision.

I don’t think there’s an absolute right or wrong answer here, it really depends on the individual. Given that I have got a lot more pro-storage votes than negative-storage. Small sample size, but on this forum I’ve talked to maybe five people who have it and say it’s fine, and against is you and maybe one other person. And comparing to say the Escape - has anybody ever complained about the extra front tongue storage box on that? Not that I’ve heard.

Having said that a shorter trailer never hurts. And also for that extra length you’re not getting a lot, if the trailer had a couple extra feet on the interior that would be something. But it would be awfully useful to have that space for the around the trailer stuff - chairs, gas fire pit, table and misc bits. Finally I suspect it helps with the aero which doesn’t hurt as I’ll be towing electric.

[oldwave]

Perry is a good friend and for the type of camping they do and the tow vehicle they have the short tongue was the wise choice. We went with a 2500 Ram and do not usually camp in limited space camp grounds ergo the extension . I do like the extra storage but it sure adds tongue weight. That said I doubt if it’s much different aerodynamically.
If you a have a 1/2 ton and you want the extra storage pay attention to your payload. Sounds like electric truck towing may be moot point though ?
I’d say near 2000 lbs payload is comfortable for the extended tongue.
We have 32000 lbs with the Ram