Newer model Bigfoot Quality

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Hope you have a great trip , we plan on staying home and defending our state from invaders .

No worries from us Steve, we are taking a more westerly route down.

[larryc]

I would caution against the front box on a 25ft trailer. The front storage box adds 2.5 ft to the length of the trailer, making it almost 30ft. If you mainly stay in RV parks that's no problem, but if you like to camp in national parks or national forest campgrounds, even many state campgrounds, 25 ft is the maximum trailer length that can be accommodated. We even found it a tight fit to get into 25ft sites.

[nefldiver]

I definitely have condensation but I only see it being an issue if you camped for long periods and it's always wet. Doing a week or so at a time in cold weather then giving it a chance to dry out for a few days would be fine, I'd think.







The Bigfoot manual strongly warns against allowing moisture buildup in our campers. Being quite airtight, the vapor from just breathing can cause problems as the water condenses inside the walls where it cannot easily dry out. The owners manual (which as a man it is amazing that I read it!) instructs owners to leave a vent or window open in cold weather.

[Russ Foster]

Originally Posted by Sleepy Head

I am considering purchasing a new Bigfoot 25B25RT-rear twin travel trailer. Do any late model Bigfoot owners out there have any comments about the quality of their trailers? Are you happy with your purchase? Any issues to consider?

Thank you!

We are considering a new one....and have confirmed that:
...we can get a bigger skylight (like the size in the 21 ft), eliminate the extended bench seat and have cupboard installed with countertop, eliminate ladder and storage rack as well as generator and solar option( we do not camp off grid); replace bathroom fan with Fantastic fan; no outside speakers...and....order the awning with the Sunbrella fabric that rolls into a solid cover. As many know, the first foot of fabric is ALWAYS exposed to the weather and generally shows the first sign of wear.

One thing I have not confirmed is if a Maaxair Vent cover for the Fant. Fan will "fit" bearing in mind the fresh air vents ( for black and grey water) are nearby. If not, I'll see if the trailer can be built so I can do this. Vent covers are a must in rainy weather....fans can exhaust and no fear of rain entering the cabin.

[Bruce Olive]

MaxxAir vents fit fine on ours. I like having the rear ladder, saves having to carry one if I ever need to check out or clean the roof, which BTW, is easy to walk on for my weight. The rear bedroom model has a lot of great windows, skylight sometimes seems overkill. Although we enjoy the shower skylight immensely. I find the front storage bin very useful, but we take long multi-season trips. To me, our 25RQ doesn’t tow any bigger than the Oliver we used to have (in terms of hauling and maneuvering), but I am sure there are places I took the Ollie that could prove a challenge for our Bigfoot (Chisos in Big Bend, for example). Enjoy. I hope you end up as pleased as we have been.

[Wacenturion]

Originally Posted by larryc

I would caution against the front box on a 25ft trailer. The front storage box adds 2.5 ft to the length of the trailer, making it almost 30ft. If you mainly stay in RV parks that's no problem, but if you like to camp in national parks or national forest campgrounds, even many state campgrounds, 25 ft is the maximum trailer length that can be accommodated. We even found it a tight fit to get into 25ft sites.

Actually 27' long from ball receiver to end of rear bumper.

[damueller]

We ordered ours the way we wanted. I would get the outdoor shower, as we use it a lot for rinsing off after hikes, washing hair outside, it is really handy for us. Keep the ladders and racks. need the ladder to get up there for various reasons.


The awning, well, if you will use it a lot, especially in hot or desert climes , get it. If not, it is a pain. We have experienced panic roll ups and it does restrict width and access in tight quarters. But that is probably not any different than any trailer or RV.


We have had ours for 3 years, 20,000 miles of traveling. We have two external Honda generators, so can hook up one for light use or both for AC or heavy useage.


Extra Storage, we tow with a pickup (F150-more than adequate) so have plenty of storage in the pickup bed. If you are towing with a limited cargo vehicle , than the storage might be useful to you. Or if you are full timing and really long out in the boondock trips, and need the storage, of course, get it. We have gone out for 5-6 weeks at a time and are not lacking in storage, for us. However,our 6.5 foot pickup bed is full.


Definitely get two batteries. One will not cut it unless you are on offshore power all the time. We have camped in winter type conditions, but not below 20 degrees. No problems.


Quality, excellent. Small things happen, but overall we bought it for the quality and you get what you pay for. Have had issues with appliances but not Bigfoot fault. Same appliances are used in most RVs.

[Russ Foster]

What is the F150 like on hills?

[Bruce H]

Originally Posted by Russ Foster

What is the F150 like on hills?

My 2013 F-150 with the tiny 3.5L ecoboost had unbelievable power pulling hills, mountain upgrades etc. Not so much engine braking going down hill though. The engine reaches it's maximum torque at low 2,850 RPM. I had to order the truck to get the max cargo capacity package and the max towing package which I wanted because a Bigfoot 25 is kind of heavy. No Ford dealer ever stocks an F-150 with those two packages.

[damueller]

We have the 3.5 ecoboost, max tow packages, 4wd and awd (standard in Lariat). No problems whatsoever as far as power, in fact too much power lulls you into going faster than the cooling system can take away the heat.. Not saying the cooling system is under designed, my foot can be over heavy.

The precaution is not to push it too hard as to cause overheating, two turbos generate a lot of heat under load. Just watch the temperature gauge and keep it under 238-240 degrees. Going down, tow/haul mode and brakes are good, but again just drive prudently.

I learned my lesson going west out of Denver over the Rockies on I-70, was moving along passing trucks and it went into limp mode as I pushed it too hard, the temp was rising and kicked out at 240. The computer will not let you overheat the engine.

Bottomline, plenty of power for climbing.

[Russ Foster]

and that s pulling a 25 ft??

Did you upgrade suspension at all or was that included in the "max" tow package?

What does this package include?

Many thanks

Russ

[snuffy2]

Wife and I have a 2018 25RQ. We have only been hot weather camping but we can tell the insulation is better. We turned our AC on in the FL keys while we went bike riding. When we returned about an hour later the AC was had the temp at 64 degrees in the camper and wasn't having any troubles keeping it there.

Only issue we had was the hot water heater controlller was burned out on delivery. We acquired a new one under warranty, I replaced it and no more worries so far.

As far as cold weather our next trip will only be in the 30 degree area. I did use the heater here lately when it was freezing without problems just to see if it worked. Once the propane heater heated the camper a small electric heater maintained it, use their power instead of my propane, yep I'm a tightwad.

So far we have traveled 3K miles plus the 2.7K the delivery had and no issues.

[Bruce H]

Originally Posted by Russ Foster

and that s pulling a 25 ft??

Did you upgrade suspension at all or was that included in the "max" tow package?

What does this package include?

Many thanks

Russ

The heavy duty cargo package and the max tow package are two separate packages. It is better to have both on an F-150 for a heavier trailer.



Ford and other manufacturers have a section of their web site that gives particulars. They have a feature called "build a vehicle" where you can choose each option you want and each is described.



When my 2013 model was close to 100,000 miles (in 2017) I went back to the dealership and ask them to give me a price to order a new one with the exact same options (Lariat, Ecoboost, crew cab, 4WD, above packages etc.) They still had my truck in their computer. The new one stickered at $60,000. They wanted $54,000 less $21,500 for my trade. That succeeded in getting me to leave.


A few days later, doing an internet search, I spotted a new F-350 XLT single rear wheel, 4WD with the 6.2 liter gasoline V8 and several upgraded packages including a trailer tow package. It had a $52,000 sticker price. I wound up buying it for $44,000 and getting the $21,500 for my F-150.



I really, really like this F-350. It was $10,000 less money, when towing, it is smoother, handles better, more comfortable and less tiring to drive on long trips, feels safer AND a big plus: I was able to throw away my much hated equalizer hitch.



It gets about 9 mpg when towing and 14 when not towing. The F-150 got 10.5 mpg towing and 17 mpg when not towing. The wind direction affects those figures dramatically. Your results may vary.

[ATHiker]

Originally Posted by snuffy2

Wife and I have a 2018 25RQ. We have only been hot weather camping but we can tell the insulation is better. We turned our AC on in the FL keys while we went bike riding. When we returned about an hour later the AC was had the temp at 64 degrees in the camper and wasn't having any troubles keeping it there.

Only issue we had was the hot water heater controlller was burned out on delivery. We acquired a new one under warranty, I replaced it and no more worries so far.

As far as cold weather our next trip will only be in the 30 degree area. I did use the heater here lately when it was freezing without problems just to see if it worked. Once the propane heater heated the camper a small electric heater maintained it, use their power instead of my propane, yep I'm a tightwad.

So far we have traveled 3K miles plus the 2.7K the delivery had and no issues.

What are you using for a tow vehicle?

[damueller]

Originally Posted by Russ Foster

and that s pulling a 25 ft??

Did you upgrade suspension at all or was that included in the "max" tow package?

What does this package include?

Many thanks

Russ

Yes, I pull a 25RQ.

I did no upgrades to the truck after I took delivery. I ordered it with "max" tow package to get the factory upgrades to frame, brakes, wiring, axles, hitches all made to tow up to 11,000 pounds. In the deal, the payload is 1820 pounds. also included was anti sway built into the truck, so if the trailer starts to sway the computer does something with the brakes and speed to stop it. I never have problems with sway, if I start to feel something, before I can react the system has it under control. I should read the book about it I guess.

Exact payload and towing capacity will depend on how you configure your truck. I ordered a supercab with 6.5' bed, FX4 which is 4 wheel drive with some offroad protections underneath, Lariat which includes an AWD option along with the 4wd, which I use a lot on gravel/dirt/wet roads and patchy snow and ice.

No matter what brand you buy, if you are towing 5000 pounds or more with a 1/2 pickup, my suggestion is to get a max tow package. If you plan to tow close the rated capacity, then the max payload is probably a good idea as it will give you a higher axle ratio and more beef in the frame.

I don't modify. If I would have to modify the F150 to get more capacity, I would go Super duty or 3/4 ton. A properly equipped from the factory F150 will handle a 25' Bigfoot just fine. I had to order mine as it is impossible to find a max tow on the lot.

[damueller]

...and furthermore, as Bruce H testified, a super duty or 3/4-1 ton will always (guess should never say always, but usually) handle a load or trailer better than a 1/2 ton.
Just depends on what you are comfortable with and what fits your needs.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Bruce H

I really, really like this F-350. It was $10,000 less money, when towing, it is smoother, handles better, more comfortable and less tiring to drive on long trips, feels safer AND a big plus: I was able to throw away my much hated equalizer hitch.

I have found pretty much the opposite to be true, Bruce. Until just over a year ago I have always had a Ford Super Duty since they came out with the Power Stroke engine. I bought my first F-150 3 years ago now, and love the more comfortable ride and better drivability way more that the F-350, prompting me to sell the latter. I often pull my dump trailer when loaded is often around 9,000 lbs without a WDH and it tows it like a charm.

I can't argue the better price or dumping the WDH though.

Not that I never would, but I would be hard pressed to go back to a Super Duty, as I much prefer the F-150. If/when I get a Bigfoot 25' I would at least give it a good go for a while.

[steve dunham]

I’ve driven , rode in, and towed with 1/2 , 3/4 & 1 ton trucks
I found there was little difference in handling , ride , comfort, steerring or braking .
We currently own a 1/2 ton Ram 1500 V8 which is adequate for towing our 17 ft Casita.
If we bought a Bigfoot trailer we would also be buying a new 3/4 / 1 ton truck
I would not even attempt to pull a 25 ft Bigfoot with any 1/2 ton truck .

[damueller]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

I’ve driven , rode in, and towed with 1/2 , 3/4 & 1 ton trucks
I found there was little difference in handling , ride , comfort, steerring or braking .
We currently own a 1/2 ton Ram 1500 V8 which is adequate for towing our 17 ft Casita.
If we bought a Bigfoot trailer we would also be buying a new 3/4 / 1 ton truck
I would not even attempt to pull a 25 ft Bigfoot with any 1/2 ton truck .

Well, if I was driving Dodges, I would get a 3/4 ton, too.
LOL
Couldn't resist the opening.

If I were to describe the "PERFECT" tow vehicle for 7000 lbs or more it would probably be a Dodge diesel. In my case, I needed something that would fit my garage, was not wanting or needing diesel when a very adequate gasoline alternative was available (in my opinion the 3.5 has better drivability than the 6.2), and I liked all the bells and whistles I could get on the 2015 F150. IF it had been 2017, I would have had a hard look at a F250.

It boils down to what a person is comfortable with and meets their personal needs.

Happy hunting

[Wacenturion]

As far as tow vehicles for trailer hauling, I went a different route. After downsizing from an 09' Bigfoot motor home and purchasing an 08' 30th Anniversary Bigfoot 25B25FB, I opted to not go the new vehicle high dollar route.

I hunt and fish and need a 4 wheel drive vehicle for those times during the year. Also needed something with power to tow a boat and another utility trailer I use for a UTV. While we had the motor home, I looked and found a pristine used 2002 Ford Excursion Limited Ultra with the old reliable 7.3 Powerstroke diesel. Had 126k on the odometer. Just broken in. Had all the options available and four rear captain seats as well which I preferred. As a reference, the cost new loaded in 2002 was right at $54k.


When we made the change from the motor home to trailer, I already had a vehicle that would serve us well. Almost 70% less than a brand new truck with everything I needed in an utility vehicle. It's a beast. No cat convertor on these rigs. Great economy and more power than I would ever need. Hills do not exist. Going downhill is a pleasure. In my opinion the perfect vehicle with as much inside storage as a pickup offers. In addition I can easily afford maintaining the Excursion compared to the expenditure of a new vehicle.

I only throw that out there as an alternative to someone debating on tow vehicles, costs and possible alternatives. Although 7.3 Excursions from 2000 to 2003 are going up in price getting harder to find in excellent shape, they are out there.