Do Squared off trailers have more room?

[melissab]

Hi All! I was just wondering if the squared off trailers (like the Trilliums) have more usable interior space than eggs that are more rounded like Scamps and Casitas? Do you think the beds seem bigger b/c of the squared off corners?

Melissa

[Emily R.]

Hi All! I was just wondering if the squared off trailers (like the Trilliums) have more usable interior space than eggs that are more rounded like Scamps and Casitas? Do you think the beds seem bigger b/c of the squared off corners?

Melissa

I dont' know about more space, but the Trillium has more head room than the Boler when your standing in them.

[Weinel, Alan]

Yes, other things being equal, the rounded corners of the Scamp et al make the beds smaller - at least for ONE party!

Hi All! I was just wondering if the squared off trailers (like the Trilliums) have more usable interior space than eggs that are more rounded like Scamps and Casitas? Do you think the beds seem bigger b/c of the squared off corners?

Melissa

[Robin G]

yes, A larger example, might be a 25 foot stickie and a 25ft Airstream (if you have ever been in an airstream) that might help give you a picture.

[melissab]

Are there any other "squarish eggs" other than Trillium and Surfside? Would you count the Escape and Bigfoot in that group?

yes, A larger example, might be a 25 foot stickie and a 25ft Airstream (if you have ever been in an airstream) that might help give you a picture.

[Booker B.]

The Escape profile is very close the Trillium - I think they actually used the Trillium as the foundation for their molds. Bigfoot is also very square.

[Ed Harris]

The Fiberstream is much roomier feeling than any other comparable rig I have been in.
Unlike the Airstream from which it was inspired the roof does not curve but is flat until the sharp curve to the walls.

If I go from the Stream to the same size Scamp the feel is like night and day though they are the same length.
The flat roof also make it feel much taller inside and more open.

I have also had 2 Trillium's ad really did not get that same open feel in them as they were both more squred off but also much less tall inside.

Hope this helps.

Ed

[Chris Z]

I did notice the 16' Scamp cabinets were larger than the 17' Casita due to the roof shape.

[Bruce H]

Sure a squared trailer will have a little more interior space in the corners. The rounded trailers are more aerodynamic and they pull easier at highway speed. That was the main idea or selling point of the Airstreams when they were introduced in the 1950s by a man who had experience in the aircraft manufacturing industry. A vehicle with squared edges traveling through the air creates more turbulence than one with rounded edges. That is more critical at the front of a vehicle but squared edges on the rear of a vehicle also create useless turbulence. The scientific principle is that turbulence is wasted energy that comes from the energy stored in the fuel. There has been quite a bit of government and private research on this. The trucking industry (driven by economics) has undergone substantial changes in the shape of the tractors over the past 25 years. The average fuel economy of a tractor trailer rig has increased approximately two miles per gallon (from around 5 mpg to around 7 mpg) due in large part to the more aerodynamic design of the vehicles.

[Robin G]

mellissab, Another thought if your looking for a "egg" shape that has a more roomier feel than say a Casita, Scamp, etc. I would suggest looking at an EggCamper. It's a very roomie egg with the head room of a stickie and since you are currently pulling a larger stickie, seems like you would have a tow vehicle that could easily pull a EggCamper.


Also the Bigfoots are beautiful, more squared more roomier glass option.

[melissab]

Thanks for all the great info. I am currently pulling a pop-up camper with a gross weight of 2400 lbs and an empty weight around 1900 or so. It has no bath, no hot water heater etc. Just 2 beds (queen and double), dining area, tiny fridge, tiny sink, 2 burner stove, battery, single propane tank, furnace and A/C. We never travel with water and I barely notice it behind my 2005 Toyota Sienna. I was reading the "real" weights folks listed their 16/17 foot Scamps and Casitas loaded and ready to camp and they seem to hover around 3000 lbs or more. My tow capacity on my van is 3500 lbs and I'm a firm believer in the 1000lb rule for my comfort level. I wish manufacturers would put the "out the door" weight of their campers instead of before fridge, battery, propane tank etc. I know owners will still add to that with food, clothes, linens, kitchen utensils but I think if buyers had a true "out the door" weight folks wouldnt get themselves in trouble buying more trailer than they really should. Been there done that and learned my lesson! We really would love to have a 17ft trailer. Hubby is 6 ft and 280lbs and I'm 5 ft and average so we really would like the space. We also have 2 kids so if we get a 13ft trailer it will be for use with just me and hubby (rarely happens) or me and the kids (happens frequently). Me being short, I hate setting up the popup. Mainly getting the door on and off the ceiling, lol. Being all girls I also would prefer a little bit more security with solid walls. I was thinking a 15ft Trillium would give more room without getting too heavy (hopefully). I'm looking for pix/specs on the Fiberstreams on this site now.

Thanks for all the fantastic info! Keep it coming.

Melissa

[Robin G]

Smart Women Melissa!

[melissab]

Thanks, Robin. I've learned so much from this Group. I really appreciate all the info folks post. This site is so fascinating I lose hours in my day sometimes just combing through posts. It's not till the kids or hubby ask what's for dinner that I realize just how long I've been on, lol.

Melissa

Smart Women Melissa!

[Robin G]

Know what you mean! LOL......................................

[bobinyelm]

Sure a squared trailer will have a little more interior space in the corners. The rounded trailers are more aerodynamic and they pull easier at highway speed. That was the main idea or selling point of the Airstreams when they were introduced in the 1950s by a man who had experience in the aircraft manufacturing industry. A vehicle with squared edges traveling through the air creates more turbulence than one with rounded edges. That is more critical at the front of a vehicle but squared edges on the rear of a vehicle also create useless turbulence. The scientific principle is that turbulence is wasted energy that comes from the energy stored in the fuel. There has been quite a bit of government and private research on this. The trucking industry (driven by economics) has undergone substantial changes in the shape of the tractors over the past 25 years. The average fuel economy of a tractor trailer rig has increased approximately two miles per gallon (from around 5 mpg to around 7 mpg) due in large part to the more aerodynamic design of the vehicles.

Another factor of the more-rounded design is greater strength and potentially lighter weight.

Just like a "real" egg is exceptionally strong, so are designs like the Scamp and Casita, for the same reasons. Large flat areas, and unsupported flat areas (sides/roofs) tend to rack or deflect unless heavily reinforced, whereas curved designs achieve their strength via the shape itself.

If you have even seen a sticky after a roll-over accident, it just disintegrates, whereas most "eggs" hardly look any different (even though they may sustain significant damage, nevertheless) post accident.

Bob

[Dana T]

Melissa, as you saw from Frederick's measurements, the Compact Jr, and the Campster tend to be considerably lighter than your popup. There are a bunch of similar trailers with similar weights, but these models of the lightweights seem to show up the most often on craigslist. Ours is outfitted with a 3-burner stove, 5 drawers full of pots, pans, cutlery, etc, a tiny sink, and gravity furnace (they are notoriously heavy). The fridge isn't installed yet, and we have no air conditioner, but I always carry at least 100 pounds of water, so the 1300 lbs our trailer weighs would be pretty close to what it would be if it was configured like yours -- no water but with small fridge and AC.

When your husband is along he can raise the top to accomodate his height, but when it's just you and the kids you will probably have enough headroom without raising the top. My wife is 5'2" and she can stand up straight and tall in ours with the top down. I, on the other hand, far prefer the 6'4" interior height with the top up.

What may be a real problem for you is that there is just one bed. If everyone is happy sleeping in the same bed there is no problem. Oh yeah, that bed is wide -- 71" in ours.

[Sandra Lair]

Another advantage to the rounded design: I've had to sit through a few storms in our Scamp and the wind just seems to flow around it without shaking the camper. It's pretty amazing!

Sandra

[melissab]

Thanks Dana! I hadnt looked at these models yet. I had no idea the bed is so wide. Me, and my 6 and 13 y/o girls should have no trouble sleeping in the bed. If my 6 y/o starts kicking (notorious for that) it looks like I could put some foam on the floor for her to sleep on with her legs extending under the dinnette a little if necessary. From the album pix I see a stove and sink to the left of the door but what is to the right? A closet maybe? Is there room for a porta potti? What is the interior length of these? They look bigger than a 13ft Scamp type egg.

Thank you for the info,
Melissa

Melissa, as you saw from Frederick's measurements, the Compact Jr, and the Campster tend to be considerably lighter than your popup. There are a bunch of similar trailers with similar weights, but these models of the lightweights seem to show up the most often on craigslist. Ours is outfitted with a 3-burner stove, 5 drawers full of pots, pans, cutlery, etc, a tiny sink, and gravity furnace (they are notoriously heavy). The fridge isn't installed yet, and we have no air conditioner, but I always carry at least 100 pounds of water, so the 1300 lbs our trailer weighs would be pretty close to what it would be if it was configured like yours -- no water but with small fridge and AC.

When your husband is along he can raise the top to accomodate his height, but when it's just you and the kids you will probably have enough headroom without raising the top. My wife is 5'2" and she can stand up straight and tall in ours with the top [b]down. I, on the other hand, far prefer the 6'4" interior height with the top up.

What may be a real problem for you is that there is just one bed. If everyone is happy sleeping in the same bed there is no problem. Oh yeah, that bed is wide -- 71" in ours.

[Dana T]

Hi Melissa, the body of the Compact/Hunter/Campster-style trailers is just under 10' long. The reason they can look bigger than the Scamp is that the door is in the rear, which means when you look inside you're looking the full length of the body -- with a Scamp's side door you see 6' to the left and 2' to the right.

Another reason it looks bigger is that instead of trying to make multiple beds like the Scamp, it makes only one. For us that's an advantage -- we really like the WIDE bed. And it makes into a WIDE dinette -- we had five people seated at ours happily chatting about trailers the other day. We could have just as easily seated six! Each dinette seat is 6' long, so you can see even with six we weren't crowded.

To the right of the door is the refrigerator and a narrow clothes closet. Underneath each is a cupboard and you could put a small portapotty in one of them.

Joe Domingos' trailer is a little different in that his model has a very small potty room in place of the clothes closet and the cupboard underneath. Be aware that the "room" is so small that when you (or especially your husband) use it you/he will probably want to leave the door of the potty room open. Just pull the shades for a little privacy until you're done...

[Dana T]

Getting a little closer to the topic title, what others have said about the advantages of rounded eggs vs squared-off ones is all true. The Compact/Hunter/Campster-style trailers are more squarish than rounded, and the large flat panels do flex more readily than the rounded Boler/Scamp-style trailers. They also have more wind resistance, which hurts gas consumption. However, they are lighter, have (for us, at least) a much more functional bed/dinette, and lots of headroom -- an important point for me because I'm 6' tall. But the poptop means the trailer isn't tall at all when it is being towed or stored, partially making up for its non-aerodynamic shape and making it easier to store in a garage or under a patio cover.

I have not yet found the perfect trailer, and there are things I dearly wish were different in the Compact Jr that I have, but it comes the closest to meeting my needs at this time.