Headed to see Bigfoot in March

[MLP]

Purchased them for my fifth wheel and installed them by myself. It was an easy install. Dial soap and lower the jacks. Popped right on.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Originally Posted by taylojc

Are you getting the weld on or bolt on version?
I am planning to add Bigfoot to my 2021 Quantum RC25. Contacted Bigfoot for an authorized dealer near me in New Mexico (a trip to MI is a bit far!).
The dealer suggested bolt on for ease of future maintenance if needed.
Do you all agree or disagree?

If I recall when looking at mine, it looks like they are both bolted AND welded (??). The next sunny day above 45° I will peek under and take a pic. If so, maybe the Bigfoot installer used the bolt-on kit to hold the brackets while welding?

I specifically wanted mine welded... stable... permanent. The cylinders can be completely rebuilt "in place", and I sure don't plan on ever removing them. If I ever plan on selling the motorhome they are a desirable asset which adds value.

[atreis]

Originally Posted by taylojc

Are you getting the weld on or bolt on version?
I am planning to add Bigfoot to my 2021 Quantum RC25. Contacted Bigfoot for an authorized dealer near me in New Mexico (a trip to MI is a bit far!).
The dealer suggested bolt on for ease of future maintenance if needed.
Do you all agree or disagree?

If you go welded, the only thing welded is the mounting bracket. The parts that would need maintenance are bolted to the brackets. At least, that's how mine is.

[Edensob]

Thank you for the great information. Since this is a significant expense to add to a MH we want to make sure we have it done correctly. I was thinking I would also have the pads added to the feet if the ground clearance does not get too ridiculous.

[wbob]

Originally Posted by Edensob

Thank you for the great information. Since this is a significant expense to add to a MH we want to make sure we have it done correctly. I was thinking I would also have the pads added to the feet if the ground clearance does not get too ridiculous.

There were two of us scheduled for installation at 7:00 am. Myself in a MB Sprinter-based RV and a class C on the Ford 450 chassis. The Ford went first and I couldn’t help but hear the conversation between the owner and the sales rep. The owner was advised that Snap Pads could not be installed because of ground clearance issues. Bottom line: They will not try and sell you something just to make the sale.

Because the mounting hardware is usually welded to the Ford and Chevy frame, there appears to be some flexibility in how high or low they are attached. Consequently, it would appear that adequate clearance varies between makes and models. The ground clearance with the Sprinter chassis is consistent among makes and models because of the way they are attached to the frame.

Note: The Snap Pads were able to be installed on my RV.

[Edensob]

Headed to White Pigeon on Monday for our Wednesday morning appointment. We stayed at Maumee Bay State park in Toledo Ohio on Monday night and that park is fabulous to say the least. The amenities offered to anyone wanting to stay are first rate. Although the sites are power only, each one is well appointed with concrete pad, table, fire ring, proximity to fishable water, bike trails, bath/showers/laundry and there is even a golf course on the expansive property. For those without camping gear or an RV, there are awesome cabins (houses really) and a hotel lodge on the property. If you are ever in the area, for the $31 you won't be disappointed. The trip to White Pigeon is only a couple hours away so we visited a few sites including Tony Packo's restaurant which is just down the road from The Great lakes Maritime Museum (unfortunately closed on Tuesday), Bass pro shops and Menards (we do not have them OMG what don't they have?). All worth taking in. Pulling into the plant after hours we just parked and plugged in to their power for the night. Rain and wind blew all night, but we were warm and dry, just a bit rocky. At 6:30 AM the coach went into the building and we were taken to the local County Kitchen restaurant for a great breakfast and conversation with locals. Two hours later we were picked up and brought back to the plant where the coach awaited us. Control was mounted inside the side door near the solar controller and the hydraulic unit was mounted between the frame rails. I asked about footpads and was discouraged from installing on a Mercedes chassis due to the lower profile of the stock chassis. I will say as I walked around the MH and looked underneath, everything was tucked in nicely. Tom Blessing (bigfoot) our salesman, walked us through the operation and answered all of my questions and we were off. The ride home was a total adventure as we followed a storm making its way across the northeast. Not sure what the wind speeds were, but there were times that all of the high profile vehicles had trouble staying in lane. Amazing how quickly our mileage dropped to an average of 11-12 MPG in that wind. Unfortunately we had to be home on Wednesday night so waiting out the weather was not an option. Diesel was the cheapest in Indiana at Speedway at $4.74/gal everywhere else we hovered abut $5.00 except PA which was $5.39/gal. Emptied all our tanks (and yes I used the levelers to slightly raise the unit to drain things) and blew out lines today as there is cold freezing weather forecast for the weekend. What a whirlwind trip, but well worth it and looking forward to a nice level unit now with little effort.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by Edensob

Headed to White Pigeon on Monday for our Wednesday morning appointment. We stayed at Maumee Bay State park in Toledo Ohio on Monday night and that park is fabulous to say the least. The amenities offered to anyone wanting to stay are first rate. Although the sites are power only, each one is well appointed with concrete pad, table, fire ring, proximity to fishable water, bike trails, bath/showers/laundry and there is even a golf course on the expansive property. For those without camping gear or an RV, there are awesome cabins (houses really) and a hotel lodge on the property. If you are ever in the area, for the $31 you won't be disappointed. The trip to White Pigeon is only a couple hours away so we visited a few sites including Tony Packo's restaurant which is just down the road from The Great lakes Maritime Museum (unfortunately closed on Tuesday), Bass pro shops and Menards (we do not have them OMG what don't they have?). All worth taking in. Pulling into the plant after hours we just parked and plugged in to their power for the night. Rain and wind blew all night, but we were warm and dry, just a bit rocky. At 6:30 AM the coach went into the building and we were taken to the local County Kitchen restaurant for a great breakfast and conversation with locals. Two hours later we were picked up and brought back to the plant where the coach awaited us. Control was mounted inside the side door near the solar controller and the hydraulic unit was mounted between the frame rails. I asked about footpads and was discouraged from installing on a Mercedes chassis due to the lower profile of the stock chassis. I will say as I walked around the MH and looked underneath, everything was tucked in nicely. Tom Blessing (bigfoot) our salesman, walked us through the operation and answered all of my questions and we were off. The ride home was a total adventure as we followed a storm making its way across the northeast. Not sure what the wind speeds were, but there were times that all of the high profile vehicles had trouble staying in lane. Amazing how quickly our mileage dropped to an average of 11-12 MPG in that wind. Unfortunately we had to be home on Wednesday night so waiting out the weather was not an option. Diesel was the cheapest in Indiana at Speedway at $4.74/gal everywhere else we hovered abut $5.00 except PA which was $5.39/gal. Emptied all our tanks (and yes I used the levelers to slightly raise the unit to drain things) and blew out lines today as there is cold freezing weather forecast for the weekend. What a whirlwind trip, but well worth it and looking forward to a nice level unit now with little effort.

Paragrahs! Man! Just looking at that makes my old eyes hurt, let alone trying to read it. I assume the install went well? Good for you!

[Cereniers]

Thanks for the update and happy to hear all went as planned. Looking forward to our own visit in June. We are coming from western Canada and the stop at White Pigeon fits in with our trip to Ontario.

[Edensob]

Sorry Ted. Hate taking up space.


Chris, enjoy the trip. White Pigeon isn't big, but in the heart of motorhome country. Elkhart is only about a 30 minute ride if you want to see where your unit was manufactured. I believe they may still have tours.