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Old 09-22-2019, 04:05 PM   #1
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Name: Brad
Trailer: Interested
Montana
Posts: 130
Searching For Bigfoot-Any clues?

Hello Everyone,
It has been a bit since I last posted.I have decided that I am going to try to purchase a Bigfoot 21Ft.To save some money rather than buying new I am considering a used trailer.I have been shopping 2006 and newer.There is not a lot of used available but when I find the one I want to be ready.I know lots of members here offer opinions and quality answers.So could you give me some advice to help me find bigfoot?I am looking for ideas of what I should pay,what pitfalls to be aware of,any advice that would help that someone could offer?

Thanks in advance!

Montana Brad alis Bob
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Old 09-22-2019, 07:25 PM   #2
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Name: Jack L
Trailer: Sold the Bigfoot 17-Looking for a new one
Washington
Posts: 1,561
When you are looking on Craigslist or similar sites, look for Bigfoot and Big Foot. Sometimes people spell it incorrectly.
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Old 09-23-2019, 07:34 PM   #3
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Trailer: 1974 Boler and 1988 Bigfoot
Posts: 186
Searching for Bigfoot

Hi I see you are in the US. If you go to Fiberglass-rv-4sale.com you will find Bigfoots for sale in the US and Canada. There is a nice one for sale it is a 30th Anniversary Edition. in Colorado. Looks very nice. As for pitfalls remember you are buying a Bigfoot unless it has some pretty big holes in it not much else to say, good luck. Oh yes I have owned a Bigfoot for the last 12 years. Three different models. Good luck. Also if you find one in Canada you get to use that very strong American dollar. Rick..
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Old 10-01-2019, 02:42 AM   #4
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Name: Elliott
Trailer: Bigfoot
Everywhere
Posts: 462
The real pitfalls are the appliances and fittings. The shell is fine/repairable and the frame's probably OK (but worth a check), but things like the refrigerator, water heater, pump, and converter are the same quality as in any other RV. Decent, but once they're a few years old (especially going back to 2006), you'll want to budget a bit for potential replacements. Not saying you'll need it per se - they could be fine another decade - but those are probably the biggest risk on a used Bigfoot.
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Old 11-01-2019, 08:31 AM   #5
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Name: Stu
Trailer: 2003 21RB Bigfoot
Coos Bay, Oregon
Posts: 115
Take the time to have the seller demonstrate all appliances (fridge in 12v and 120v mode, furnace, oven, stove, fans, lights, water pump). I don't know how many times I've heard "it was working the last time I checked" .

Be sure to bring a flash light and look in all nooks and crannies to see if there are any signs of water intrusion or leaks. Turn on the water pump to pressurize the water system. Once it's pressurized it shouldn't kick back on. If it does there is a leak somewhere.

Batteries and tires condition? Do the trailer brakes work? Unroll the awning to check condition. Get under the trailer and check to make sure there is no damage (especially in the back by the tanks).

This all just helps establish what a fair price is for the make/model/years condition. I watched craigslist for about a year and a half to know what a good price is. Search tempest https://www.searchtempest.com is a good way to search/monitor multiple states. Be ready to go with cash in hand when you see the right one. When I got my 2003 I left at midnight and drove 9 hours to get there in the morning. There were other people there already trying to bid-up the price
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Old 11-01-2019, 10:10 AM   #6
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Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,137
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On a late model unit, don't plan on saving very much. The savings may be in free upgrades/options (if you want them).

FG don't go down much in value. Thats one benefit of owning one.

And now we are in the off season, you may find a discounted new one priced very close to used. A dealer with a new 2019 is likely to be very motivated to move his remaining inventory.
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Old 11-01-2019, 11:19 AM   #7
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Name: Brad
Trailer: Interested
Montana
Posts: 130
Great information added by all.Thank you for taking the time to do so.Very helpful.
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Old 11-01-2019, 11:44 AM   #8
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Trailer: 16 ft U-Haul VT
Posts: 2,867
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Join the Bigfoot forums on Facebook. Sometimes they are for sale there, especially when people upgrade to a 25' Bigfoot.

CindyL
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1988 Bigfoot Silver Cloud, "The Egg Carton"
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Old 11-01-2019, 12:37 PM   #9
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Name: Stu
Trailer: 2003 21RB Bigfoot
Coos Bay, Oregon
Posts: 115
Here's a 2006 in Yakima for $25k https://yakima.craigslist.org/rvs/d/...001813718.html Nice upgrades but seems a little over priced to me.

Here's a 2005 in Denver for $15.5k https://denver.craigslist.org/rvs/d/...987943346.html It will go fast at that price
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Old 11-11-2019, 07:15 PM   #10
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Trailer: Scamp 13 ft
Posts: 77
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Bigfoot Travel Trailer for sale Facebook page

You may want to add this to your list of places to check!

Bigfoot Travel Trailers for sale Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/5458...738/?ref=br_rs

Julie
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Old 12-05-2019, 06:29 AM   #11
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Name: Mike
Trailer: Bigfoot
Florida
Posts: 29
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I was in the same boat> I was looking for several years. BTW I like the older bigfoots better than the new ones anyway. So I found some nice used units that were priced between 15-25K. My wife and I wanted to have the option to finance because we did not want to deplete savings. Lo and behold the banks use the NADA book to determine the loan value for RV's. Unbelievable how low they were....not even in the ballpark. They were pricing a 2008 21 Ft RB in pristine condition at 5K!! I contacted NADA and worked with them to bring their prices in line with reality and LO and Behold we now have a more realistic pricing on the NADA for future buyers. I ended up paying cash anyway LOL.
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Old 12-06-2019, 08:35 PM   #12
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Name: Brad
Trailer: Interested
Montana
Posts: 130
Thank you for adding your experience to the discussion.
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Old 12-07-2019, 04:44 PM   #13
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Name: jane
Trailer: big foot for sale
South Carolina
Posts: 9
2005 Big Foot 17.5 For Sale

Hi, I can text pictures if you are interested and answer any questions. 843-602-0912. I am asking 20k.
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Old 12-07-2019, 06:50 PM   #14
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Name: jane
Trailer: big foot for sale
South Carolina
Posts: 9
i am selling 17.5 Big Foot for 20k, text me if you want pics or have questions 843 602 0912 im in SC USA
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Old 12-09-2019, 10:55 AM   #15
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Name: Shangie
Trailer: Northwood Nash 22/1977 Trillium 4500
Washington
Posts: 151
Have you found your Bigfoot?

Don't talk yourself into purchasing one in poor condition due to scarcity. Pictures are not worth a thousand words and often misrepresent true condition.

After extensive traveling to see trailers that look really nice in pictures, we have found those same ones to be in neglected condition with owners minimizing major flaws such as water intrusion. Comments such as "all trailers leak a little don't they", 'we don't think it is a big deal because it is a good quality trailer" and you have to expect some issues when they re used, right?". One of my faves is "yeah, I didn't see that the linoleum was peeling back, must have been where the dog bowls were" (this at the entry of a Bigfoot that also had exposed wood across from that area that I could stick a fingernail into).

Everything we have looked at is advertised as very good condition yet we have found water stains on the ceiling, twelve year old tires, leaking windows? Caulking not checked in ten years.

While true that anything used will have issues, water intrusion means damage and if the RV owner did not semi annually inspect and maintain caulk joints, water more than likely has intruded.

it seems you cannot ask enough questions to ascertain if you should travel a thousand miles to see a used RV. Not because owners are liars but because they honestly do not view their RVs like an outsider would and what is maintenance to one person is not the same to another. Most RV owners do not maintain caulk lines.

We now ask when was the last time the caulk lines were redone. If the trailer is more than two- three years old and no one has inspected the caulk joints, we have found water intrusion so we are not traveling. We ask for close up pictures of caulk lines. At that point several owner have discovered, during the photo shot that they have missing caulking. The caulking one is now is our first question.

We checked out one stored in a magnificent garage. However what the owner did not mention before we drove extensively was that they were snowbirds and the trailer was not under cover for 8 months out of the year. Its condition reflected that. So now we ask about that as well..

When you start to ask about routine maintenance you get a pretty good idea of how well maintained something is. Trailer tires generally need to be changed out every five - seven years whether you use them or not. Caulking inspections every six months whether the trailer is used or not. Recaulking usually every year due to all the variable that affect all caulked areas, including windows and tail lights.

We have seen failure after failure in RVs including floor damage in molded fiberglass due to lack of routine caulking maintenance. Adding questions about that to your arsenal of questions and hopefully save yourself a lot of time and expense. Don't want a trailer so badly that you overlook water intrusion unless you can afford to have the work done or are able to tackle it yourself.. That's all I can add. We are also actively searching and have turned down several now due to water intrusion from windows and roof mounted items leaking. Also, if there have been professional repairs, ask for receipts so you can see what was done. Many owners who don't do routine maintenance may not know how to properly refit a window or repair a dry rot issue properly.
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Old 12-09-2019, 11:07 AM   #16
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Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shangie View Post
We too started looking

A bit of advice. If you want people to read your posts, break them into paragraphs. I took one look at this solid block of text and was overcome. 😁
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Old 12-09-2019, 03:06 PM   #17
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Name: Shangie
Trailer: Northwood Nash 22/1977 Trillium 4500
Washington
Posts: 151
Thank You Glenn

Thanks for pointing that out to me. Revised the post.
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Old 12-09-2019, 03:11 PM   #18
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Trailer: Escape 17 ft
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shangie View Post
Thanks for pointing that out to me. Revised the post.

And, I read it.

Good post. 👍
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Old 03-29-2020, 12:40 AM   #19
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Name: Bob
Trailer: Bigfoot
California
Posts: 63
In 2015 we bought a 2000 bigfoot, ours is a truck camper.
Overall we have been lucky our rig was pretty well cared for but it showed its age.
The biggest things to look out for but in no order;
Leaks check very carefully around all windows, doors, hatches, vents, lights and any other opening. Check to make sure the roof penetrations have been sealed.

Delamination, where the outer layer of fiberglass un-bonds from the layers below.

Condition of the holding tanks.
There can be some funky stuff growing in the fresh water tank and the black and grey tanks may have been parked partially full and then the liquid evaporated out leaving you with a mess.

Condition of all of the mechanicals and appliances.
Especially the water heater and fridge, those two are very expensive to replace.
Often the anode rod has never been replaced and the hot water tank has never been flushed.

Check the battery water level, if it's a flooded lead acid battery and there is acid above the plates then it's a positive sign the owner takes care of their stuff.

Speaking about batteries
The charge converters are also suspect on older units.
I bring a good flash light, a camera, a mirror and now a Bluetooth inspection camera.
Look under, in, behind, below and around everything. Pull out every drawer, every panel, anything that opens, slides, swings, flips or pivots should be.
Don't forget to look under the mattress.

Then check dates;
Tires
Coach batteries
Smoke detector
Carbon monoxide and propane monitors
Propane tanks.
These all have a limited lifespan, some are easy to replace some more costly.

But if you have to replace them all that gets expensive very quickly.

Our camper now five years on has been great, it's still kicking along and it's still in good shape, the gel coat needs more love, and we try and wax it a couple of times a year.
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Old 03-29-2020, 09:31 AM   #20
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Name: Brad
Trailer: Interested
Montana
Posts: 130
Saving this.Thank you!

This is very good overall information for everyone.I would recommend you start a thread for others to read and add to.If you choose not to I will start a thread off with your information if ok with you!
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