Best fiberglass campers for the money

[Mike Magee]

Just to throw a completely different floor plan into the mix, have you seen these? Small Travel Trailer | Small Campers | Lil Snoozy


I am partial to the Escapes; I like the look of wood, they have plenty of happy owners and they take care of them. Plus they have more insulation (optional), which would be very helpful not just in cold weather but in hot weather too. Figure their price, then take off about 1/4 of that for exchange rate, and add perhaps $1,000 to $1,500 for delivery.

[Al and Cindy K]

Originally Posted by Jann Todd

......... Casita is way better than Scamp for about the same price...............

Floyd??? Floyd????? You gonna let this pass??????

Just kidding you a bit here Jann. We've only owned Scamps, first a 16S side bath and now a 19D front bath, but have been around enough satisfied Casita folks over the past seventeen years of egg ownership to feel they certainly make a serviceable trailer. So does Scamp. I also like Oliver, Escape, Bigfoot, Parkliner, Trillium, Burro and every other molded fg brand we've come across in our travels. In 2017, we spent 4-5 weeks on Don's Southern Utah Tour with several other folks having various brands of eggs. At the end, I don't think the mfr made one bit of difference in the quality of the experience.

OP - Are you limited by your tow? If so, that's your first cut. Next, as others have mentioned, is floor plan - I'd put that over brand any day. I'm 6'3" and being able to stand straight up to to dress or shower is priceless. The separate sleeping area in the 19' is also a big plus for us - we upgraded to a decent mattress in both campers but, in the 16', had to leave the dinette in 'bed mode' which limited seating. Everything beyond this becomes a function of financial and personal preferences. Good luck in your search and hope you find just the
'right' camper for you.

[PamelaK]

I'd like to see other fiberglass trailers with exterior access to under bunk storage instead of moving the mattress to access storage.

[WizWid]

Originally Posted by PamelaK

I'd like to see other fiberglass trailers with exterior access to under bunk storage instead of moving the mattress to access storage.

Bigfoots

[Glenn Baglo]

Escape installs hatches, inside and out, as the owner desires. Nothing special.

[Al and Cindy K]

Waterproof hatches of various sizes are available at most marine stores and installation is a simple DIY process.

[Fred762]

Originally Posted by PamelaK

I'd like to see other fiberglass trailers with exterior access to under bunk storage instead of moving the mattress to access storage.

My 2018 Casita "Independence" 17' has 5 large hinged doors for the underbunk storage areas..2 on each side of the center aisle and one in the back for the rear storage. We camped on 6 different trips since picking up our TT LAST APRIL AT THE FACTORY.....OVER >6000 MILES AND NOT ONCE DID WE HAVE TO ACCESS ANY STORAGE BY LIFTING THE BUNK CUSHIONS.. BTW, as a surprise, we found that the two twin beds in our Casita are bigger than the twin beds in a 22' Oliver. 75"X30"..vs ours at 83"X31". Our twins easily make up into a full rear king size bed .....IF we want to drop in the 2 table tops and 3 extra cushions, and the piece of 3" memory foam we had left after cutting the toppers for the twin beds. We used it that way one time, but prefer the ctr aisle for access to BR in the night, etc..... BTW our storage for the dirty and bulky "camp gear" is in the 6' bed of our dbl cab Frontier truck or in the rear seat area of same. We wanted clean dry stuff and food inside the TT.

I personally wanted as little access to the inside from the outside as possible. Our Casita INdy is a comfy and tight small TT. I have her winterized in my side driveway now and covered. All possible access is closed and there is a bucket of Damp-Rid siting on the floor which is very little used up so far. Vents closed and so on. I like dry inside.

[David B.]

Originally Posted by PamelaK

I'd like to see other fiberglass trailers with exterior access to under bunk storage instead of moving the mattress to access storage.

Lil Snoozy has access doors on both sides to get at storage under the queen bed.
Dave & Paula

[trainman]

Originally Posted by SJ Headrick

If this has already been discussed, please forgive me and direct me to the correct thread. My husband and I are looking at getting a fiberglass camper, but I am wanting to buy the best for the money. I have looked at Oliver(very nice, but expensive), Casita (more in our price range), but noticed there are Parliners, Escapes and Bigfoot. I toured the Scamp plant and was not impressed with the craftsmanship. Which one would you suggest and why? Thank you in advance for your help.

snojean

I think you will find that each fiberglass trailer manufactured today and were talking Scamp, Casita, Escape, Bigfoot, and Oliver are all quality trailers for what you pay for them. All offer, sleeping, bath, and cooking space, it just that some are on the economy side and some are quite luxurious. Where a Casita and an Oliver are some $40,000 plus dollars difference in price, just one look at them will explain the difference to you right quick. All are good trailers and each one has value as resale prices show this, so purchasing any of them would not be a mistake, in fact many start out with the lower price ones and move up if they feel they want more room, space, and options, it's the american way, no different in automobiles, or homes.

trainman

[Steve Outlaw]

Originally Posted by Fred762

...BTW, as a surprise, we found that the two twin beds in our Casita are bigger than the twin beds in a 22' Oliver. 75"X30"..vs ours at 83"X31"...

Which really makes a difference only if you are taller than 6 feet. But then you're gonna bust your head on the ceiling in the Casita every move you make. So it's tit for tat. Only a few of these trailers are remotely comfortable for those over 72". Being vertically challenged myself, I need a step stool to see in our upper cabinets.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Nealster

I really like what I see on The Armadillo RV site. If you are looking for quality in a 13 1/2 foot trailer they sure look nice, although I haven't been able to actually step in one yet. The 17ft Escape would also be a choice of mine. Someone here mentioned that the Scamp 13 foot deluxe doesn't have the rivets through the hull. I checked with Scamp and they do still use the riveting method even on the deluxe 13 footers. I wish that Casita would still make the patriot. I am not a big fan of the shower in such a small rig especially with the way many manufacturers pump the grey water out of the shower.

Casita Deluxe models have the shower+toilet, non-Deluxe models don't. The grey water is gravity fed from the shower to the grey holding tank, no pumping involved (ditto on the Escapes). it *is* important to remember to close the shower drain before towing on any of these, or the grey water can slosh onto the shower floor.

The 16 foot Casita suffers IMHO from way too small of a grey tank.

[Fred762]

Originally Posted by Steve Outlaw

Which really makes a difference only if you are taller than 6 feet. But then you're gonna bust your head on the ceiling in the Casita every move you make. So it's tit for tat. Only a few of these trailers are remotely comfortable for those over 72". Being vertically challenged myself, I need a step stool to see in our upper cabinets.

Naahh we tried sevceral Casitas b4 ordering, incl the Independence model we finally ordered, and I was just able to slide under the AC vents and Holly is only 5'3" so that was no problem. I know whatcha mean tho..our son in law is 6'3-1/2" and he does duck or bleed as it were. ;-)

That extra bed length (83") does come in handy at times..for cushions, a handy spot for a bag etc etc. and even for the son in law to stretch out w/o banging his feet into the sink sides.

[trainman]

Originally Posted by Fred762

My 2018 Casita "Independence" 17' has 5 large hinged doors for the underbunk storage areas..2 on each side of the center aisle and one in the back for the rear storage. We camped on 6 different trips since picking up our TT LAST APRIL AT THE FACTORY.....OVER >6000 MILES AND NOT ONCE DID WE HAVE TO ACCESS ANY STORAGE BY LIFTING THE BUNK CUSHIONS.. BTW, as a surprise, we found that the two twin beds in our Casita are bigger than the twin beds in a 22' Oliver. 75"X30"..vs ours at 83"X31". Our twins easily make up into a full rear king size bed .....IF we want to drop in the 2 table tops and 3 extra cushions, and the piece of 3" memory foam we had left after cutting the toppers for the twin beds. We used it that way one time, but prefer the ctr aisle for access to BR in the night, etc..... BTW our storage for the dirty and bulky "camp gear" is in the 6' bed of our dbl cab Frontier truck or in the rear seat area of same. We wanted clean dry stuff and food inside the TT.

I personally wanted as little access to the inside from the outside as possible. Our Casita INdy is a comfy and tight small TT. I have her winterized in my side driveway now and covered. All possible access is closed and there is a bucket of Damp-Rid siting on the floor which is very little used up so far. Vents closed and so on. I like dry inside.

That's true on bed size as we have the Independence Casita, we would like to move up someday, but the Oliver and Bigfoot are our only options with single beds. I'm leaning toward the Oliver and the wife the Bigfoot, I know I will win, because I'm not going all the way to Canada to get a trailer, well that's my story and I'm sticking with it for today. PS, the Escape 5.0 does now offer single beds in the sleeping area, but still a little short on the length.



trainman

[GingerB]

Originally Posted by SJ Headrick

Thank you everyone for your advice and comments. I did find the article in Trailer Life about the fiberglass trailers and it was a big help. I am leaning toward the Casita since I live in Oklahoma, but really like the Escape, just not sure about the picking it up or the money exchange. I have never done anything like that. My husband and I have decided to go to Casita headquarters in May to tour and ask questions. Thank you again.

We just picked up our Escape in November and Escape makes it very easy. We paid thru Transferwise and, again, so easy. Not trying to make your decision more difficult, but don’t let the little administrative details force your decision.

[Anachron]

I saw the Armadillo at the BC RV show yesterday and I have to say I'm enamoured with it. Small and well laid out. There's no bathroom, just an optional porta-potty that slides out from under the dinette bench, which is enough for the requisite 'midnight run'. I wouldn't want to dedicate any more precious sq footage to a wet bath in a unit that size.

What really caught my eye was the shell design. The outer shell, insulation, and inner wall are all one piece. They don't need the cabinets to give it structural integrity. I think manufacturing that way is partly what makes them more expensive, but on the upside you don't have to pay extra for upgraded insulation.

I also like the ability to choose your color palette. That's one of the areas of disappointment I have with Escapes. I'm probably going to catch a lot of flak for this, and I know Escape cabinets are solid oak vs arborite finish, but they're so dark and 1980's.

[Glenn Baglo]

Escapes now use maple.

[Nealster]

Originally Posted by Anachron

I saw the Armadillo at the BC RV show yesterday and I have to say I'm enamoured with it. Small and well laid out. There's no bathroom, just an optional porta-potty that slides out from under the dinette bench, which is enough for the requisite 'midnight run'. I wouldn't want to dedicate any more precious sq footage to a wet bath in a unit that size.

What really caught my eye was the shell design. The outer shell, insulation, and inner wall are all one piece. They don't need the cabinets to give it structural integrity. I think manufacturing that way is partly what makes them more expensive, but on the upside you don't have to pay extra for upgraded insulation.

I also like the ability to choose your color palette. That's one of the areas of disappointment I have with Escapes. I'm probably going to catch a lot of flak for this, and I know Escape cabinets are solid oak vs arborite finish, but they're so dark and 1980's.

Did you notice if the Windows were double paned? On line I can't figure that out.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by Anachron

They don't need the cabinets to give it structural integrity. I think manufacturing that way is partly what makes them more expensive, but on the upside you don't have to pay extra for upgraded insulation.

I also like the ability to choose your color palette. That's one of the areas of disappointment I have with Escapes. I

In my experience in business price is not based on cost, instead it’s based on the market. Hence Apple can sell products for 3 to 4 times the manufacturing cost.

Now eventually if the market will not provide an adequate margin, you either have to reduce your manufacturing cost or cease business.

As far as wishes on certain brands, to me that’s one of the best parts of the FG trailer market. In the stick trailer market, the floorplans and construction looks so similar across brands anymore. But in the FG market, each brand is pretty unique. Casita is a lot different than Scamp, which is a lot different than Escape, which is a lot different than Snoozy, and so it goes.

I like the fiberglass interior, squarish shape, and jalousie (sp) of the vintage Trillium, so I have one. My wife and I really like the floorplan of the Escape, so I have one of these too.

Now if I was King, i’d have Escape adopt a FG interior and it would be “perfect “. But I’m not.

[jgilliam1955]

Good advice here. Find out the build time. We ordered a LIL Snoozy & it will be 18 months in April. ( We were told a year wait. )
All the used Fiberglass sell fast. It is only 2 of us and the Snoozy fit everything on our list. What is nice, if it doesn't work for us, we can sell it & get our money back. Good luck!

[Bernese Bunch]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Escapes now use maple.

This is such good news for me. So tired of looking at red oak cabinets! Glad I found this old post as Escape is closed this weekend and I'm anxious to get details.