What year BigFoots are four season?

[Komrade]

If somebody can point to information, would greatly appreciate.

[Donna D.]

I thought that was an option, when the individual trailer was built. Are the trailers built after the bankruptcy all four-season trailers?

[Steve Outlaw]

Originally Posted by Komrade

If somebody can point to information, would greatly appreciate.

Originally Posted by Donna D.

I thought that was an option, when the individual trailer was built. Are the trailers built after the bankruptcy all four-season trailers?

Concerning Four Season Capability, from their website: "All Bigfoot Travel Trailers feature our light-weight two-piece fiberglass exterior and high density insulation, along with thermal pane windows, making them an ideal multi-season towable RV."

Since they do not specifically state they are four season, it would seem that they are not.


Apparently Oliver is now the only player in the fiberglass four season travel trailer game.

[ThomasC]

Originally Posted by Steve Outlaw

Concerning Four Season Capability, from their website: "All Bigfoot Travel Trailers feature our light-weight two-piece fiberglass exterior and high density insulation, along with thermal pane windows, making them an ideal multi-season towable RV."

Since they do not specifically state they are four season, it would seem that they are not.


Apparently Oliver is now the only player in the fiberglass four season travel trailer game.

This 4 page thread says you are wrong. https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...son-94062.html

[Jon in AZ]

All Bigfoots built after 2005-2006 are four season. Before that some are and some aren’t. Dual pane windows are a good indicator.

[Bruce Olive]

Having owned both Oliver and Bigfoot, would say Oliver more 3-season and Bigfoot true 4-season.

[Komrade]

Originally Posted by Bruce Olive

Having owned both Oliver and Bigfoot, would say Oliver more 3-season and Bigfoot true 4-season.

Could you elaborate?

I am pretty much looking at these 2 brands, b/c we want to be able to winter camp,
I thought Oliver had edge, as they claim R16, while I believe BigFoot is R9

[Bruce Olive]

It has been our experience that compared to our Bigfoot we burned more propane and had much more condensation during winter camping in our Ollie. We like sleeping cold with windows open (unless bears are too active). So similar venting in both trailers. This is in snow, lows around 25 F. You’ll be better than fine in either unit.

[Defenestrator]

Originally Posted by Komrade

Could you elaborate?

I am pretty much looking at these 2 brands, b/c we want to be able to winter camp,
I thought Oliver had edge, as they claim R16, while I believe BigFoot is R9

Oliver's claim of R16 is likely based on the two layers of Reflectix between the two hulls. This claim is, quite frankly, bullshit. As a radiant barrier, it's directional and only effective under specific circumstances. Oliver's actually a bit better than Scamp and others because there's at least a small air gap between the two layers, but the fact that there's two on opposite sides means they're sort of less than the sum of their parts. They're usually rated for R-6 each used correctly, but much less than R-1 when sandwiched between layers. As they're used on Oliver, it's honestly hard to guess but maybe around R-5? Which is better than most, but not as good as Bigfoot.

The details matter as well. I've done a decent bit of cold weather camping in my Bigfoot and previously an Escape 19. On paper the Bigfoot should take about half as much heat to keep warm as the Escape, but I found in practice it took about the same amount (despite being about 60% bigger).

I'd say the Escape is good to about 5-10F. I've gone a bit lower, but I can't recommend it. Definitely pushing my luck on pipes, especially around the dump valves.

I can't find a whole lot about the limits of Olivers, but at least one person had some water lines freezing at around 7F outside and another was fine at 11F, so I'd guess it's somewhere around there. One downside to the double-hull is that the pipes are half insulated from the outside and half insulated from the heat on the inside. Ostensibly the heating ducts leak enough heat to keep things warm, but that only goes so far.

I've heard Bigfoots are good to -20F. Personally I've only tested slightly below 0F. Condensation on the windows and especially sills is a pain and something as big as a 25RQ still takes a fair bit of heat to keep toasty at those temperatures, but no issues with comfort or piping.

[Komrade]

Thanks for real life feedback..
I may put Escape back on consideration list, although I do like wider BigFoots, and that I won't have to worry as much about valves.

[Komrade]

Looking at BigFoot, thermal windows and heated tanks are standard on every trailer, can anybody point when they became standard, and what years they were optional?

I believe I've read somewhere that every trailer after 2005/6 might be standard and prior to that may have been optional (with double-pane windows being an indicator)

[bschiff]

I have full timed in my '07 for the last five years. When temps get around 25 or so the heater runs pretty much full time. I don't generally get any condensation however which is nice.

[jgilliam1955]

Escape & Bigfoot are 4 seasons made for the Canada winters.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by jgilliam1955

Escape & Bigfoot are 4 seasons made for the Canada winters.

Don't know about Bigfoot, but I wouldn't count on an Escape being 4 season. I don't think they even claim that. Mine, with no extra insulation and with single-pane windows isn't going anywhere, even in coastal mild winters.

[Perryb67]

Originally Posted by jgilliam1955

Escape & Bigfoot are 4 seasons made for the Canada winters.

We previously had a 2003 25' Bigfoot 2500 with double pane windows and extra insulation. It kept things very toasty at 0F with little condensation around the windows, but by opening the ceiling vent a crack the condensation went away. I'd call it a four season camper.

We now have a 2018 Escape 5.0 fifth wheel with double pane windows, and all the insulation offered. Compared to Bigfoot, Escapes double pane windows are a joke, but at least they don't frost up. Cold air starts washing off the windows at 32 F. The windows in the Bigfoot were quite thick, similar to household windows, and ours appeared to have argon in them. They turned gold in the sun, reflecting the heat in warm weather. Our Bigfoot also had thermal shades, whereas Escape just sun shades. The Escape windows are, well, RV windows.

Starting at about 20 F we can feel the lack of insulation with cold radiating from the walls of our Escape, something that didn't happen with our Bigfoot.

Bigfoot heats the tanks so the floors are reasonably warm in below freezing weather. We need to rely on rugs and thick socks in the Escape so our feet don't freeze, despite the optional underfloor belly insulation.

I could go on and on about the differences, but our Escape is NOT a four season camper, but we do make it work down to probably 0 F. We do have tank heaters in the Escape, but so far have never had to use them. We also don't plan on cold weather camping, but since we camp in fall, winter, and spring sometimes have no choice.

Don't get me wrong though, we love our Escape for it's mobility. It camps in spots our Bigfoot would never fit, is 1,500 pounds lighter, has a full queen bed not a short queen, and is only 17 feet behind our truck vs 26 feet for the Bigfoot, including the WDH.

We're always looking for the perfect camper, which I'm sure is overlooking the Fountain of Youth.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Bigfoot 0995]

Suggest you try the Bigfoot Owners club website "www.Bigfootowners.com"

You can register as a quest then go to the forums and search. Others have mentioned 2005-2006, I believe those with thermo windows is the key. I previously owned a 2006 1500 series camper and currently have a 2007 25 ft Travel Trailer, both have thermo windows, the trailer has the heated basement. From that period forward they all have thermo windows its not an option and are considered 4-season trailers. We don't winter camp but have overnighted in winter transit as cold as 25deg F with no issues.
Craig

[jgilliam1955]

[QUOTE=Perryb67;824846]We previously had a 2003 25' Bigfoot 2500 with double pane windows and extra insulation. It kept things very toasty at 0F with little condensation around the windows, but by opening the ceiling vent a crack the condensation went away. I'd call it a four season camper.

We now have a 2018 Escape 5.0 fifth wheel with double pane windows, and all the insulation offered. Compared to Bigfoot, Escapes double pane windows are a joke, but at least they don't frost up. Cold air starts washing off the windows at 32 F. The windows in the Bigfoot were quite thick, similar to household windows, and ours appeared to have argon in them. They turned gold in the sun, reflecting the heat in warm weather. Our Bigfoot also had thermal shades, whereas Escape just sun shades. The Escape windows are, well, RV windows.

Starting at about 20 F we can feel the lack of insulation with cold radiating from the walls of our Escape, something that didn't happen with our Bigfoot.

Bigfoot heats the tanks so the floors are reasonably warm in below freezing weather. We need to rely on rugs and thick socks in the Escape so our feet don't freeze, despite the optional underfloor belly insulation.

I could go on and on about the differences, but our Escape is NOT a four season camper, but we do make it work down to probably 0 F. We do have tank heaters in the Escape, but so far have never had to use them. We also don't plan on cold weather camping, but since we camp in fall, winter, and spring sometimes have no choice.

Don't get me wrong though, we love our Escape for it's mobility. It camps in spots our Bigfoot would never fit, is 1,500 pounds lighter, has a full queen bed not a short queen, and is only 17 feet behind our truck vs 26 feet for the Bigfoot, including the WDH.

We're always looking for the perfect camper, which I'm sure is overlooking the Fountain of Youth.

Enjoy,

Perry[/QUOTE
Thanks for this information. This answered a lot of my questions also.