Grant Bilodeau, President of Bigfoot Industries, talks about how Bigfoot truck campers and trailers are on the move. That effort provided opportunity for promotion. As the recession intensified, repurchase letters were coming in faster than management could keep up. Thread starter deminimis; Start date Apr 2, 2010; deminimis Explorer. Grant: Yes, we mark center of gravity on every camper. Includes 2500 watt LP Onan generator, electric jacks, swing out dually brackets, air conditioner with heat strip, 3 burner gas stove w/oven, Fantastic fan, skylight with pleated shade, CD stereo, double door refrigerator gas/12V, solar energy panel, dry bath, 25,000 BTU gas furnace and north-south queen bed. Above: The current production team and facilities at Bigfoot Industries. Above: The front office (far right) and production buildings in the background. In building a two-piece fiberglass RV, Bigfoot was leaping decades ahead of the competition. But then they have an aluminum framing that literally conducts heat and cold and condensation directly into their units. Before we had Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place because we continuously had new employees working on three production lines. *Bigfoot 25C9.6LB: dry weight, 2,930 pounds + 50 gallons fresh, 417 pounds + 6 gallon water heater, 50 pounds + 2x 20-pound full propane tanks, 40 pounds + 2 batteries, 130 pounds + stuff, 500 pounds = 4,067 pounds. That’s not something I’m willing to do. Report Ad. All Rights Reserved. Put bluntly, this is one of the best built RVs on the planet. Now we have Dennis Allen order what they need when they need it. Look the same: Tallwater: Truck Camper Discussion: 8: 04-14-2005 08:14 AM My phrase is, “It’s either a Bigfoot, or it’s not.”  If I see something on the production line or on a unit that isn’t fitting to the Bigfoot name, that’s the phrase I use with the team. When you talk about CSA and RVIA codes, you’re referring to Z240 (Canada) and NFPA1192 (USA) codes. Growing too quickly causes issues. Grant: I mainly worked on the production line. Above: Brian McKenzie, certified LEAN greenbelt, CNC routing foam insulation wire channels. TCM: Why was it worth going through all the expanse and effort to bring back Bigfoot? For example, you need a team in the fiberglass shop that specializes in and understands the art of working with fiberglass. The price tag has a big premium, and buyers will want to know if they get that bang for their buck. TCM: You just made a lot of people very excited. .. Posted on June 21, 2018. With the repurchase agreements manufacturers were forced to sign, Bigfoot had to buy back RVs from every Bigfoot dealer that shut down, most of this coming out of the United States. Any sense of timing on a 2500 slide-out truck camper? weighted average selling price. The floors in our 2500-series are supported with an I-beam structure on the perimeter like a house. But, I never say never. And what did Grant Bilodeau mean when he said, “It’s either a Bigfoot, or it’s not”. As it got worse and worse, the owners of Bigfoot decided to end the company. If I’m not happy, it needs to be brought to the standard I want. Bigfoot quality is consistent in all units, from the choice of high standard construction materials to the finest finishing touches. Our 2500-series truck campers have R-8 walls with 30,000 BTU furnaces and thermal pane glass windows. Most of the changes are not visible, but improve the quality of the units and production efficiency. I’ve always enjoyed that process. Grant: Let me answer that question in a different way. The part of LEAN that I follow the most is continuous improvement. We cover all types of truck campers here at Truck Camper Adventure. I have sprayed gel coat and fiberglass just enough to understand it, but never work in there as a full-time job. We work with an independent inspection company in Canada that inspects our production for the Canadian and US codes. Our fiberglass structures will do that. Since we launched in 2010, we have not left a single customer without support. The auto body skills I learned working with my father became very handy later when I became a supervisor and was managing fiberglass repair staff. During a visit about a year after Bigfoot’s re-launch, Grant explained that his focus was not on profits or production, but rather on building a stable and reliable business for his dealers and customers – one high quality Bigfoot at a time. The 2500-series has 30,000 BTU furnaces and the 1500-series has 16,000 BTU furnaces. We continue to get stories of customers using the products in even colder temperatures than listed above. During that process, I earned my black belt in LEAN. On a cold day you can find the aluminum studs by running your hands on the inside walls to feel the cold as it transfers right through. TCM: What can you tell us about that experience? The team I managed included the assembly line, cabinet stop, prefab, and upholstery. I have a strong understanding of how they come together. For more information on Bigfoot Industries, visit their website at bigfootrv.com. That team eliminates the problems and inefficiencies of new hires and high production volume. In Canada, you have to build to Canada’s standards. Grant: We did not make floor plan changes, but we made many other design and material improvements. Calgary, Alberta. Surprisingly the Capri is rated in your top ten. The MSRP of the 15C9.5FSLB is $33,344 USD and the 15c9.5FSSB is $32,880 USD. TCM: How were you able to resume production in the same 85,000 square-foot multi-building complex in Armstrong, British Columbia where Bigfoot was originally produced? I’ve done pretty much everything else for production. Bigfoot 25C10.4 Bigfoot Industries has come out with a model that is a premium fiberglass truck camper. Like many proven and profitable RV manufacturers at the time, Bigfoot was shut down by anxious banks and repurchase agreements. The same 9½ foot short box camper as a 1500-series camper is about 2,500 pounds. Truck Camper Adventure is a free, online magazine offering truck camper news, reviews, travel tips, and more. *Bigfoot 15C8.2SB: dry weight, 2,061 pounds + 32 gallons fresh, 266.9 pounds + 6 gallon water heater, 50 pounds + 2x 20-pound full propane tanks, 40 pounds + 2 batteries, 130 pounds + stuff, 500 pounds = 3,047.9 pounds. I was still installing cabinetry, but now I was responsible for managing a small team. Apr 16, 2011 #2 2aroundtheworld said: When I told my friend that I bought a Bigfoot camper and a GMC truck, he sent me this picture of his neighbor's camper... Click to expand... A little bit of cleaning would make the camper look fine. I selected the best people that had that same trust in me. To accomplish that, we brought back a select number of Bigfoot dealers. There is no wiggle room. Apr 2, 2010 #1 We just spent two weeks traveling throughout Baja with our truck camper. 2001 Bigfoot 25C10.6 fiberglass truck camper requires 8' bed truck. From about grade four’s summer vacation I helped my father. Copyright © 2007-2020. Over the years I continued to learn this trade. If I started building the 3000-series, it would take me away from the 2500 slide-out camper. The 2021 Bigfoot 15C9.5FR is a hard-side, non-slide, wet bath, long or short bed truck camper. Maybe it was blind passion. It just so happened that the dealership was hosting a radio station that afternoon. Many of our team members have twenty and even thirty years of experience at Bigfoot. The 2021 Bigfoot 25C9.6LB is a hard-side, non-slide, wet bath, long bed truck camper with an MSRP of $42,126 USD. When the opportunity presented itself, I said, “Let’s just do it.”. With our LEAN experience and training, we have been able to keep many of the LEAN practices in place. .. *Bigfoot 25C10.6: dry weight, 3,180 pounds + 50 gallons fresh, 417 pounds + 6 gallon water heater, 50 pounds + 2x 20-pound full propane tanks, 40 pounds + 2 batteries, 130 pounds + stuff, 500 pounds = 4,317 pounds. The second-to-none two-piece fiberglass construction and industry leading four-season capabilities are a big part of what makes a Bigfoot a Bigfoot. My goal is to meet or exceed the expectations of our customers. The long term relationship was already there. The 2500 versus 1500 difference for the 9½ foot short box floor plan is almost exactly 500 pounds. For example, we practice just-in-time inventory better than we were able to achieve before. Grant: At first I didn’t see the path to advancement. Just for fun, here’s a crossword puzzle on truck campers. Can you guess the... 393. Now we only have one production line populated with a highly experienced team. You also want people that you trust. Starting with the manufacturers base dry weight, the equation adds the full fresh water weight, full hot water heater weight, full propane tank weight, battery weight, and 500 pounds for stuff. RVIA is an inspection agency which inspects to make sure you build to those legislated codes. Truck Camper Magazine is a free online RV magazine dedicated to truck campers, the RV that can go anywhere, camp anywhere, and tow anything. Grant: I was just talking to one of our dealers just before this interview. Our quality inspector has been with Bigfoot since 1984 and started in quality control and inspecting Bigfoot products around 1997. Hint: What’s the one thing the 2500-series has always been missing? Click here to request a free Bigfoot Camper brochure. The other important ingredient is our uncompromising approach to quality. I believe in taking the time to thoroughly test new products. Grant: After the shutdown, Bigfoot sat idle for a year. I was just so committed to Bigfoot. He took Bruce’s designs and built actual truck camper and trailer prototypes. For further information on this model, check out the Bigfoot 9.4 Review. It doesn’t matter if it’s a slide-in or a chassis-mount, a hard-side or a pop-up, if it’s a truck camper and it’s carried on a truck, we cover it. The biggest benefit you’re getting from that premium price is the durability. I was also involved in product development and had direct access to the President of the company. It just made sense. Welcome to the third entry in January’s Mega Mod Contest. We don’t hide behind the fine print of a warranty. With a base MSRP of $43,260, the 2018 Bigfoot 25C10.4 is a premium-priced non-slide truck camper, but you can literally see the quality at every turn. The experience also helps when I’m working with a team member to solve a problem, or when I need show someone the Bigfoot quality standard for a particular step. Jan 6, 2020 - Explore Charlene Schiewe's board "Truck camper magazine" on Pinterest. This press was used for 3000 and 4000-series products. I can also answer almost any question, or demonstrate what I’m talking about. TCM: You bought Bigfoot Industries by yourself? Left to right: Doug Wurz, Quality Control, Rob Ferroux, Production Manager, and Grant Bilodeau, President. I don’t think I approached buying Bigfoot as a risk at the time. Through a lifetime of four season, adventure fun, there’s a Bigfoot RV perfect for you. I want to make sure our business and production is consistent and steady. From there, Grant negotiated space within the original Bigfoot facility and hired just enough of the best production people from the original company. It’s either right or it isn’t. Prior to starting at Bigfoot, I worked with my dad at his auto body repair shop. Then we started with dealers on the west coast of the United States. That same two-shell fiberglass design is still state-of-the-art today. TCM: We really appreciate you talking to us about Bigfoot Industries. Home » Truck Camper News » Bigfoot On The Move. 2. About two years later, I was promoted to Line Supervisor. Truck Camper Adventure is a free, online magazine offering truck camper news, reviews, travel tips, and more. TCM: The Bigfoot Owner’s Club (BOCI) is still an active organization. Of the six truck camper manufacturers struck down during the Great Recession, perhaps none was more shocking than the demise of Bigfoot Industries. Grant: There’s some work to do on the shell structure, but it’s going to happen. TCM: How did things progress for you at Bigfoot? TCM: For those who are not familiar with Bigfoot products, what makes a Bigfoot a Bigfoot? TCM: How about the actual weight with options? Will we see a Bigfoot motorhome again? Are the truck campers and travel trailers currently on the same production line? Starting with the manufacturers base dry weight, the equation adds the full fresh water weight, full hot water heater weight, full propane tank weight, battery weight, and 500 pounds for stuff. Bigfoot customers regularly report how impressed they are with the insulation of their Bigfoot. Besides, neither company needed anything close to 85,000 square feet of production space. Above: Bigfoot molds ready for next production sequence. Given all the years of experience I have across the entire production process, I could build a Bigfoot. Make sure to add the weight of additional options for your truck and camper matching calculations. We are always improving. TCM: You have talked about the 1500 and 2500-series. The Truck Camper Magazine Buyers Guide uses a standardized equation to calculate truck camper wet weights. I don’t have an answer as to when. Click here to read all Bigfoot articles in TCM. Grant: The 2500-series has 1.5-inch walls and the 1500-series has 1-inch walls. Grant: Yes, they’re on the same production line. $ 10,500 . One Mega Mod will... Just for fun, here’s a crossword puzzle on truck campers. That’s what we do. The gentlemen that had acquired the company’s assets weren’t doing anything and eventually started shopping for someone to purchase it. We currently have a strong west coast presence and are looking to build on that. Our team is passionate about quality and consistency of production. Starting from the ground up, we are able to use LEAN systems and practices that were more difficult to maintain at the old Bigfoot. Grant Bilodeau, President of Bigfoot Industries, talks about how Bigfoot truck campers and trailers are on the move. Bigfoot management saw that I was doing well with final finishing and moved me to cabinet installation. Grant: To answer that I’d like to quickly review the history of the company.