How much $ deposit when ordering a Bigfoot? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 05-29-2022, 03:17 PM   #1
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Name: PG
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Question How much $ deposit when ordering a Bigfoot?

I had a dealer tell me they require a $5,000 non-refundable deposit.


What were your experiences?
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Old 05-29-2022, 04:23 PM   #2
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As a reference point, Escape and Casita require both require a $2000 deposit.

$5K sounds a bit spicy, IMO.
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Old 05-29-2022, 04:27 PM   #3
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Is it "non-refundable" too?!
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Old 05-29-2022, 05:07 PM   #4
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Sounds about right. Bigfoots are rarely carried in stock by dealers and many people want a specific build that the next person may not want. The dealer I am familiar with does this routinely on Bigfoots. Not so much on other trailers.

Curious. Where is the dealer? (Don’t need a name).
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Old 05-29-2022, 05:31 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by PG75 View Post
Is it "non-refundable" too?!
If you cancel your order within 0-30 days, Casita keeps $600 of it.

If you cancel after that, Casita keeps $1200 of it.

I don't know how Escape handles refunds.

Casita doesn't offer many customization options, so if a customer cancels an order while his/her trailer is being built, there's a good chance that it can be easily sold to someone else.

Escape has a very wide assortment of customization options, so they're in a different situation if a customer cancels an order.

Neither Casita nor Escape use dealers, so there is no potential for dealer "mark-ups" on deposits.

Casita sales reps aren't on commission, and the prices of their trailers and options are fixed, and published - which means that there isn't much incentive for them to upsell.
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Old 05-29-2022, 06:19 PM   #6
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I ordered a new Scamp, payed a $500 deposit. Canceled the order when I purchased a used Scamp. I then received a full refund from Scamp.
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Old 05-29-2022, 06:32 PM   #7
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Escape refunds the deposit up until you turn in your build sheet. That wouldn’t be until right before they started building it. They charge you the processing fee that the credit card companies charge them for taking the deposit and refunding it to your card.

I think the deposit was $2000. We found ours used within two weeks of putting our deposit down.

I wouldn’t mind $5000 down if it was fully refundable and the party holding the deposit (dealer or Bigfoot?) is credit worthy. Don’t want to lose a deposit in a bankruptcy.
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Old 05-29-2022, 08:57 PM   #8
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A $5,000 non-refundable deposit? That's a deal-breaker. Walk away. Tell the salesman why. Maybe they will call you back in a few days.

--Dan Meyer
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Old 05-29-2022, 09:09 PM   #9
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Maybe they will call you back in a few days.

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More likely, they won't, given the market these days.
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Old 05-29-2022, 11:49 PM   #10
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Apache in Portland had a 2000 deposit
Refundable if before production starts at least my salesman told me so
Trailer world was 5000 non refundable but also has a good reputation
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Old 05-30-2022, 07:23 AM   #11
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Casita, Escape, and Scamp sell factory direct, so deposit policies are non-negotiable. Take it or leave it. They’re very different trailers, so I don’t think many people are cross-shopping based on deposit policies.

Bigfoot sells through dealers, so there is the possibility of comparison shopping. There are only a handful of dealers, so try several. Remember you’re shopping all the terms of the deal, not just the deposit. Weigh cost along with convenience and reputation.
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Old 05-30-2022, 08:03 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
More likely, they won't, given the market these days.
I agree, though I’m seeing a lot of signs the overall RV market is cooling. Fuel prices, general inflation, stock market losses, and pandemic tapering (with impulse buyers looking to exit) are all having an effect. Even in molded fiberglass, I’m seeing more used units for sale, and asking prices appear to be moderating.

I don’t think it’s going to give the OP any leverage with a Bigfoot dealer in the short term, though, especially on a custom factory order.
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Old 05-30-2022, 01:39 PM   #13
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I spoke to two dealers. RV Canada in Ottawa, and Get-Away RV in BC.

Both said $5,000 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit.

That's ridiculous!

I LOVE the trailers, and the fact that they're Canadian, but not this aspect, so I'll look elsewhere.

Very disappointing.......
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Old 05-30-2022, 02:02 PM   #14
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Maybe the deposit wouldn't be an issue if they included a time limit in the contract. It's not costing you extra, whether you pay now or later. I can see that the dealer would want to be protected against a Lookie Lou who might change his mind during the wait.
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Old 05-30-2022, 05:01 PM   #15
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Maybe the deposit wouldn't be an issue if they included a time limit in the contract. It's not costing you extra, whether you pay now or later.
Yep.

You don't want to be waiting 4 years for your trailer to be delivered - particularly if they're keeping you at the back of the list, behind other customers who didn't put down a deposit.

A clause to refund most of your deposit right up to the point where they started actually building your trailer would also be good.
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Old 06-01-2022, 05:54 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
More likely, they won't, given the market these days.
Exactly.

Each dealer has an allotment. If you don’t buy it someone else will. Right now the lead time on new orders is about 1 1/2 years.

When we bought our BF through Trailer World of Denver they required a $5,000 non refundable deposit. There was some wiggle room for extreme cases like you dying or something like that.

If you can’t afford the loss, don’t sign the contract.
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Old 06-04-2022, 10:25 AM   #17
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It’s no wonder the market for used “eggs” is so brisk! When I bought my ‘83 Burro in mid-resto (the hardest work done) I paid just a little more than the lowest deposits you guys are quoting. Of course this was a decade ago, but still…
At my age and financial status, the “Burrito” probably won’t be replaced any time soon.

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Old 06-04-2022, 11:07 AM   #18
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It’s no wonder the market for used “eggs” is so brisk! When I bought my ‘83 Burro in mid-resto (the hardest work done) I paid just a little more than the lowest deposits you guys are quoting. Of course this was a decade ago, but still…
At my age and financial status, the “Burrito” probably won’t be replaced any time soon.

Froggie
The lowest deposit mentioned is Scamp's at $500 (mentioned in post 6). They at least don't seem to mind if buyers back out. There's always someone else ready to fill that slot. From a manufacturer standpoint, the cost of cencellations is the trouble of contacting people to fill the slot and adjusting the production schedule. Not sure exactly how Scamp manages that, but clearly they've got it figured out.

It's different for a Bigfoot dealer. Volume is much lower, and they stand to lose another sale when a production spot is taken and later cancelled. Taken against the cost of a new Bigfoot ($60-90K maybe?), a $5K deposit is less than 10%. I don't see it as unreasonable.

But I don't see a Bigfoot in my future, either. With gas prices what they are and so much uncertainy around vehicle manufacturing, I'm going to stick with a small trailer that can be towed with a wide range of smaller vehicles. We also paid less than a Bigfoot deposit a decade ago.
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Old 06-04-2022, 12:34 PM   #19
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I had a dealer tell me they require a $5,000 non-refundable deposit.


What were your experiences?
Bigfoot went broke, did someone start up the company again?
Deposits are great, you get the profit up front & it is really hard to make the company deliver if they do not want to, since they already have the profit in pocket..
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Old 06-04-2022, 12:48 PM   #20
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Bigfoot went broke, did someone start up the company again?
Deposits are great, you get the profit up front & it is really hard to make the company deliver if they do not want to, since they already have the profit in pocket..
Yes. Bigfoot went broke during the 2008 downturn. They were up and running by 2011. The factory is 20 kilometres from my house.
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