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Old 04-29-2018, 12:19 PM   #1
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Armadillo-New and Improved Boler

Another made in BC egg. Looks like they've done a very nice job on the development. Like the pull out, under trailer, storage drawer.

I can understand that the costs to manufacture are high but their pricing may be a deal breaker from some who will say "I can have a larger Escape for that price."

Nice to see some real efforts made to do things at a higher level instead of the same old, same old.

Ron
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Old 04-29-2018, 12:39 PM   #2
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Like the pull out, under trailer, storage drawer.
That's the one thing that I cannot fathom in practical use. What seals the interior of that box from dirt and debris. How do you get it open after whacking it on a rock and distorting the slides? Too many potential maintenance issues for me to want that box.
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Old 04-29-2018, 04:54 PM   #3
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Armadillo started manufacturing in 2014 from Little Bigfoot molds, not Boler. The brand is leaps and bounds ahead of Scamp, not even in that classification. I was fortunate to see Dave & Charmaine's Armadillo at the Oregon Gathering in 2015 and they've attended several NOGs since then. They love the below floor box. So whatever apprehension you may have about it, it's probably unfounded.

AND if you're going to the 50th Boler Event and Caravan, Armadillo manufacturing is going to be there so you can see for yourself.
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Old 04-29-2018, 05:13 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by Ron in BC View Post
Another made in BC egg. Looks like they've done a very nice job on the development. Like the pull out, under trailer, storage drawer.

I can understand that the costs to manufacture are high but their pricing may be a deal breaker from some who will say "I can have a larger Escape for that price."

Nice to see some real efforts made to do things at a higher level instead of the same old, same old.

Ron
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Stainless Ron ! Lots of cool features too ! Pat
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Old 04-29-2018, 05:28 PM   #5
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The brand is leaps and bounds ahead of Scamp, not even in that classification.

They love the below floor box. So whatever apprehension you may have about it, it's probably unfounded.
That was my thought. It's what Scamp would be if they'd progressively updated and innovated over the years. Still Scamp et al fill a void for entry level trailers. But it does show what an attempt to up date and improve can yield.

Considering our plastic water tanks are in the same position as the drawer, yes, I wouldn't be too concerned about the location or usefulness of the drawer.

And yes, s/s and some quality fittings, nice to see.

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Old 04-29-2018, 07:00 PM   #6
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That was my thought. It's what Scamp would be if they'd progressively updated and innovated over the years. Still Scamp et al fill a void for entry level trailers. But it does show what an attempt to up date and improve can yield.

Considering our plastic water tanks are in the same position as the drawer, yes, I wouldn't be too concerned about the location or usefulness of the drawer.

And yes, s/s and some quality fittings, nice to see.

Ron
Also for me love the portholes ! Kids got me a real one , I supposed to make a table out of it . Love seeing different trailers and sometimes can get idea's .Pat
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Old 04-29-2018, 10:00 PM   #7
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A very well thought out and well built trailer indeed. About the only thing I would disagree with design wise is the porthole window in the back. Needs a proper window - a large one. The view out of the back of trailer is typically the best one, so why limit that with a tiny window? Cute factor sometimes needs to be trumped by common sense.
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Old 04-29-2018, 10:40 PM   #8
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Yeah, the rear porthole window is a turn-off. Must be some structural reason for it; the side windows are big so maybe stiffness was needed in the back. I'm not familiar with fiberglass construction techniques so I'm guessing.

If I had a trailer or anything with a large armadillo logo on it around here someone would shoot it. At night.
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Old 04-29-2018, 10:51 PM   #9
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Yeah, the rear porthole window is a turn-off. Must be some structural reason for it; the side windows are big so maybe stiffness was needed in the back. I'm not familiar with fiberglass construction techniques so I'm guessing.

If I had a trailer or anything with a large armadillo logo on it around here someone would shoot it. At night.
Yeah, I doubt the reason was structural Mike, based on how the shell is built. Quite thick and rigid based on what I see from the cross section on their website. The Bolers had a big rear window and these are based on the Boler design, so no structural reason I can see for the porthole. I think it was just a style decision.Click image for larger version

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Old 04-29-2018, 11:27 PM   #10
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I saw 3 of these trailers and talked to the guys at the RV show locally here a few weeks ago. They all have years of experience in building fiberglass trailers for other companies and did what they needed to do to make this trailer the best it can be. All the trailers are custom, so if you want a bigger window in the back...just ask. The interiors look modern and they put everything in there you may want except a walk in bathroom. I think that might be in the next generation.
However you really need to want a small trailer...as some do...because with the same options as the Escape 17 they are about the same price.
As for looking out your back window here in BC...that would just be solid trees about 30 feet away. Unless your camping in a clear cut private camp ground side by side there is generally nothing to see out the back of your trailer. Most of our provincial parks are heavily wooded and the only view is out the front...the way you backed in. Different parts of the country offer different views.
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Old 04-30-2018, 12:02 AM   #11
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Here's a view from my back window, and another, and.
Attached Thumbnails
Kettle rear view.jpg   Race Rocks.jpg  
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Old 04-30-2018, 08:44 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by Ron in BC View Post
... I can understand that the costs to manufacture are high but their pricing may be a deal breaker from some who will say "I can have a larger Escape for that price." ...
We met an older couple at an Alabama State Park pulling an Armadillo with their BMW. They could easily have afforded something larger, but that's not what they wanted. They wanted the most comfort and style they could pull behind their little "touring" Beamer. It made for a cute camping combo.
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Old 04-30-2018, 09:14 AM   #13
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Here's a view from my back window, and another, and.
Nicely framed, Glenn. Just curious where you are. We’re on our cross country venture, currently at the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey, one of my favorites, but headed northwest to BC.
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Old 04-30-2018, 09:39 AM   #14
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First pic is https://www.hellobc.com/accommlistin...cial-park.aspx

Second is https://www.hellobc.com/accommlistin...k-rv-park.aspx
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Old 04-30-2018, 11:20 AM   #15
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Also for me love the portholes ! Kids got me a real one , I supposed to make a table out of it .Pat
I sometimes incorporate odd ball items into projects but for the life of me I'd have a hard time finding a way of putting a porthole into a table.
If you do it, post it.


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About the only thing I would disagree with design wise is the porthole window in the back. Needs a proper window - a large one. The view out of the back of trailer is typically the best one, so why limit that with a tiny window? Cute factor sometimes needs to be trumped by common sense.
Seems like several of us aren't crazy about portholes as styling features. With no front window it definitely needs a rear window.

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I saw 3 of these trailers and talked to the guys at the RV show locally here a few weeks ago. They all have years of experience in building fiberglass trailers for other companies and did what they needed to do to make this trailer the best it can be. All the trailers are custom, so if you want a bigger window in the back...just ask. The interiors look modern and they put everything in there you may want except a walk in bathroom. I think that might be in the next generation.
That was my sense of their goal. If they ever get to the stage where they're making a 17 with a bathroom I'm betting that they'd find a market, not a huge one, but one where folks would appreciate and pay for a little higher level product.

Ron
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Old 04-30-2018, 12:23 PM   #16
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Armadillo started manufacturing in 2014 from Little Bigfoot molds, not Boler.
So which is it I wonder? Are they actually the same molds? This is what their website says:
"The Armadillo recreational trailer is made from the same molds that produced the legendary Boler and L'il Bigfoot trailers.These molds have been out of production in Canada for many years but have now been rescued, repaired, altered and improved."
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Old 04-30-2018, 01:13 PM   #17
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I sometimes incorporate odd ball items into projects but for the life of me I'd have a hard time finding a way of putting a porthole into a table.
If you do it, post it.




Seems like several of us aren't crazy about portholes as styling features. With no front window it definitely needs a rear window.



That was my sense of their goal. If they ever get to the stage where they're making a 17 with a bathroom I'm betting that they'd find a market, not a huge one, but one where folks would appreciate and pay for a little higher level product.

Ron
Will do Ron . Need a sturdy base though . It is a real porthole from a ship . Solid brass and double thick clear glass . Just kind of fixed ,updated ,my albums on forum yesterday . I have lot going on ,but it keeps nagging me . Pat
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Old 04-30-2018, 01:46 PM   #18
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A neat small package of high value that will fit the bill for some.

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Old 04-30-2018, 01:58 PM   #19
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That was my sense of their goal. If they ever get to the stage where they're making a 17 with a bathroom I'm betting that they'd find a market, not a huge one, but one where folks would appreciate and pay for a little higher level product.

Ron
Isn't that what you already get with Escape? You supply the components and pay Escape extra to install them.
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Old 04-30-2018, 03:56 PM   #20
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So which is it I wonder? Are they actually the same molds? This is what their website says:
"The Armadillo recreational trailer is made from the same molds that produced the legendary Boler and L'il Bigfoot trailers.These molds have been out of production in Canada for many years but have now been rescued, repaired, altered and improved."
Since the Li'l Bigfoot was a copy of the Boler 1300, the original is the Boler. I doubt that any of the many sets of moulds of this shape were actually used to make both Boler and Bigfoot trailers.

By "out of production in Canada" they are presumably acknowledging that Scamp 13' (before that mould set was lost in a factory fire and a new version was built) and Casita 13' (now out of production) used the same shape until recently.

There are probably some differences in details which would show which moulds were used, and what was changed. The Li'l Bigfoot had an unusual tapered (in plan view) frame, so if the Li' l Bigfoot floor was fiberglass like an Escape (many Bolers, including mine, have a plywood floor with the fiberglass ending around the edge) that shape would be visible; the Armadillo's frame (shown in construction photo slideshow) appears to be straight.
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