Casita or ?

[Thane]

I hope you are having fun with all the information!

I bought an Escape because I need beds for four, I liked the floorplan, I liked the construction method and I liked having the door centered on the side.

I needed beds for four and the bunk beds on Escape are designed for 120 pounds vs. 80 pounds on other units. Here is a link that discusses some family issues with these trailers. http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.ph...dly+floor+plans

I liked the floorplan because it has windows at both ends so the trailer seems pretty spacious and when the kids go to bed I can put up a curtain so they have their own space to play and sleep.

I liked the construction method because we like the wood cabinets rather than fiberglass cabinets and the cabinets are built up and attached to strong points in the shell so there are no fastneres through the sides and top.

I liked the door being centered so when it rains the door area is protected by the awning.

The Escape has some features that I like such as no roof mounted AC and a water and waste tank monitoring panel.

I know this is sensitive, but I think the new Oliver trailers are outstanding but a bit too pricey. I think they are the luxury trailers of the FG world. I think the Escape is a good balance of features and price but understand that the price tag is higher than the Casita and Scamps, which are fine trailers as well. I think the Casita is better then the Scamp for mostly superficial reasons, I basically like the interior of the Casita better.

I have a spreadsheet that compares the 2007 Escape, Casita, and Scamp. I think it is accurate buit it misses lots of Scamp info. I'll change it t PDF so I can post it tomrrow. Send me an e-mail and I'll send it to you as an excel spread sheet if you like.

Best of luck, you can't go wrong!

[Pete Dumbleton]

If you guys want some more Oliver comments, go to RV.NET and search 'oliver' on all forums. I have run across several posters there.

BTW, for those who chastise folks here for recommending larger tow vehicles, some of the BulgeMobile pullers with 1-ton pickups are telling a Sedona with 3,500 lbs capacity that all she can pull is a pop-up! One was skeptical that the WB of 119" was long enuf because that's all a Ford Expedition is....

[SherryNPaul]

Hi, Pete's right, there are a number of comments on Olivers on RV.net. Also, you can check the oliverforums.com website for more comments from some owners. If you go to olivertraveltrailers.com, (manufacturer's website), you'll find a button for "calendar". This calendar displays the shows where Oliver reps will be showing trailers. If you don't find anything close to you, call Robert at Oliver, ext 229. Many of us who already own (and love) our Oliver trailers have volunteered to give tours of our own trailers in our regions, as the other FGRV owners do.

Before we bought the Oliver, we learned a lot about fiberglass trailers in general from this forum. Thanks to all of you who participate here!

After looking at everything under the sun (stick-built, aluminum cage, etc.) for two days at the megaRV show in Tampa, visiting RV dealers, and looking at various brands of dealer direct fiberglass rvs, online and in person, we picked the Oliver because it most closely met our needs, and gave us (we felt) a really solid, well-engineered, forward-looking fun product, and a great value for the money.

I won't bore you with the details, but we've now towed our Oliver on two long trips and one short one, and spent most of our nights without hookups, about 3500 miles. We've had a lot of fun so far, and would be glad to respond to your questions as best as we can, and we'll keep you posted on the forum as our joys (and problems) occur. The whole Oliver group is a easy and friendly to work with, totally conscientious about customer service, and very open to help with our ideas and mods.

Thanks again to all of you for your experience and ideas. I don't post often, but I look at the forum almost every day for great ideas from all of you.

Sherry

[Jen'nBarb]

We also have the Escape 17 and would agree with what Thane is saying. The Escape is a very well made trailer and we like the front window.

The other question I have with the Oliver, which may not be a problem, is that the bathroom is at the front of the trailer while the dump valve is at the back. Everything I have learned thus far about tanks would tell me that running the dump pipes the length of the trailer could be a mistake.

That said, you can't really go wrong if you go with one of these fiberglass trailers.... they are a superior product than the "other" kind.

Jen

[SherryNPaul]

Totally agree with Jen, you can't go wrong with any of the MFGRVs.... they last and last.... My aunt and uncle enjoyed theirs for over 15 years... You just have to look around and pick what fits your camping style, number of people, personal taste, and budget... This forum, manufacturer websites, and personal visits took a lot of time and research, but it was worth it to us.

As far as the holding tanks on the Oliver, no problems to report here. The long, horizontal fresh and holding tanks are of larger capacity than most campers of its size, molded or otherwise. Their protected placement, between the inner and outer fiberglass hulls, nestled into the molded bottom hull formed to follow and rest on the aluminm frame, was actually a big draw for us. Since we bounce (as gently as possible) on unpaved and country roads a lot, we liked the idea of unexposed tanks and drain pipes and connections. Gravity does the "dirty" work at the dump site... and, I suppose, if necessary, it would be easy to give gravity a gentle boost with the electric jacks. We hardly ever camp with full ... or any... hookups, for that matter.

I think the Escape 17 floorplan is excellent if you need four sleeping spots... we only have three spots, like many of the 17s, but there are only two of us. The Escape front window makes sense with the central galley and beds at each end, and it does have a cover to guard against gravel, right? The rounded front of the Oliver is wisely used for a larger full bathroom and closet area, but we have plenty of light from the other big windows. Though we looked at the Escape online, we didn't look in person at the Escape because of the distance to bring one home... Florida to western Canada is a really long trip...

Pricewise, Oliver and Escape probably top the list of their type, and these two are pretty comparable in price (especially if you want a shower and a good vent fan, both necessary to us ... ) We looked at the online pricelist, and the Escape may possibly even cost more, comparably equipped. I don't know. We spent a little more on the Oliver than some other brands, but feel we got good value and longevity in the aluminum frame, bulldog hitch, engineering, double hull all around, no particle board anywhere, and the extras included in the base model.

Whichever brand you buy, new or used, I'm sure you'll love MFGRV. They're all relatively lightweight, and each brand has separate personalities, weaknesses, and strong points. This forum is a testament to the longevity and loveability of this fun class of trailers.

Happy trails

Sherry

[ronsmith100]

Well I feel like I may be starting something, but...my husband and I are trying to decide which is best for us; the Casita...we like the pics of the 17' SD, or maybe the scamp...that 5th wheel is very interesting or maybe the Eggcamper or the Oliver. How do you decide?

We are trading up from a Pop-up which I thought I would like but found it to have TOO much setting up and down when we travel cross country. I have been looking on line and at Jacyo feather lites, which look really cheap to me and Dan says...No, Too Big. So here we are trying to make a decision on what to do. We know we like the fiberglass RVs, who wouldn't, but which one???

I have been reading many of the threads, so I know I will get some good opinions. Thanks in advance.

Mags

I have a Casita 17' spirit deluxe. Quality is outstanding.
However I wish I would have waited until either Scamp rebuilt from the fire or Escape began offering their 5th. If the dollar hadn't taken such a dive I may have considered selling the Casita (they hold their value strong) and buying an escape 5th

Just my thoughts (I was a rookie a couple years ago)

Ron

[Thane]

Post removed, I didn't mean to cause trouble with the spreadsheet. It's what I used to select a trailer and all the data is what I could find at the time.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Might I suggest that the name of the pdf document be changed to "Why I bought an Escape". It appears to be quite biased.

[Donna D.]

Might I suggest that the name of the pdf document be changed to "Why I bought an Escape". It appears to be quite biased.

I didn't find that at all, what I do know is Scamp (and maybe Casita) aren't real forthcoming about what options are available. Reading on one of the other forums, it's almost like some of those options are secrets and if you don't ASK, they don't volunteer. It's possible Escape is very upfront about what can be ordered, hence the spreadsheet reflects that info....

[ronsmith100]

I didn't find that at all, what I do know is Scamp (and maybe Casita) aren't real forthcoming about what options are available. Reading on one of the other forums, it's almost like some of those options are secrets and if you don't ASK, they don't volunteer. It's possible Escape is very upfront about what can be ordered, hence the spreadsheet reflects that info....

They are very upfront and not even in the slightest "secretive" about anything.
What you may be referring to is that after they print the brochures they may find a new option to tryout. If you ask the dealer if there are any options not mentioned in the catalog he will tell you. One example when I bought mine was a powered tongue jack. I passed... I think there was another unpublished option but I forgot what it was. Again, Casita is not hiding anything. "Not forthcoming" paints a bad picture IMO

[Bigfoot Mike]

All the options for the Two Casita 17 foot models and Three 17 foot Floor Plans are on their website. Like all of the manufacturers, there are extras you may want and can ask for. I had all the TV shelves and electrical duplicated on both sides of the back of the trailer and the outside TV antenna NOT installed. You just can't go crazy will modifications. ALL Casitas come Microwave ready. I sent Thane a list of corrections. I feel the problem with the spread sheet is, that it does NOT represent all three Standard floor plans and both Standard and Deluxe models. There would need to be 6 columns to correctly show what Casita has.

Three 17ft. Floor Plans - Spirit, Freedom, Liberty
http://www.casitatraveltrailers.com/17-layout.html

Features on Standard Models
http://www.casitatraveltrailers.com/standardmodel.html

Features on Deluxe Models
http://www.casitatraveltrailers.com/deluxemodel.html

PS: The Website doesn't do the Liberty Floor Plan justice in my opinion.

[Dean & Mary]

We also have the Escape 17 and would agree with what Thane is saying. The Escape is a very well made trailer and we like the front window.

The other question I have with the Oliver, which may not be a problem, is that the bathroom is at the front of the trailer while the dump valve is at the back. Everything I have learned thus far about tanks would tell me that running the dump pipes the length of the trailer could be a mistake.

That said, you can't really go wrong if you go with one of these fiberglass trailers.... they are a superior product than the "other" kind.

Jen

Having done a lot of trailer research like the rest of you, I wanted to comment on the Oliver black water drain pipe. We came so close to buying an Oliver and still envious of those that own one, even though we love our Bigfoot. The tanks on the Oliver run most of the length of the trailer. So the pipe from bathroom to tank is short and the pipe out of the tank to dump value is short. I love the way they do their tanks and their impressive combined size for a 17 foot trailer.

If your camping needs require a four season trailer like our needs do, then you can elimate serveral nice trailers. They all seem to have a good resale value, which makes Jen's statement "you can't go wrong with one of these fiberglsss trailers" so true.

[SherryNPaul]

... I wanted to comment on the Oliver black water drain pipe. We came so close to buying an Oliver and still envious of those that own one, even though we love our Bigfoot. The tanks on the Oliver run most of the length of the trailer. So the pipe from bathroom to tank is short and the pipe out of the tank to dump value is short. I love the way they do their tanks and their impressive combined size for a 17 foot trailer.

If your camping needs require a four season trailer like our needs do, then you can elimate serveral nice trailers. They all seem to have a good resale value, which makes Jen's statement "you can't go wrong with one of these fiberglsss trailers" so true.

Thanks. I tried to convey this in an earlier post, but sometimes I just can't make the picture out of the words. You did a way better job. The long, low Oliver tanks work out really well in many ways, especially in capacity. Since the tanks are enclosed in between the double hulls, we're looking forward to good four season results in some of our favorite places... North Carolina, Minnesota, and upstate New York...

Sherry