Hi! New Here

[Nancy Ha]

HII I am new here, and not familiar with such chat forums so this is my third attempt to post.

Anyway, I am so excited to find this site!! I would like to graduate from tent camping but do not like the big, huge, honking RV's that you need a gas guzzling tank to tow.
So, I don't have a trailer yet but have been looking.

Perhaps you guys could answer some questions for me or direct me to another site where I could get more info.

How small of a car can tow these trailers?

Do you know how many of these are sold a year? I suspect more small trailers will be sold as gas prices continue to rise.

When were these first made? I notice some are around from the 70's.

I notice the Burro, Scamps and Casida have carpeting all over them. How does that work with camping? I think it would be hard to keep clean, particularly w/ a dog! Dirt, mud, fur!

I kind of like those Egg campers made in Grandville, MI. No carpeting!

Any info. you can give me would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Cam A]

How small of a car can tow these trailers?

The small trailers - 13 foot - can be towed by nearly anything.
15 foot - require 2000 pound tow capacity - older Subaru Legacy, for example
Anything larger requires 3500 tow capacity - full size vans, trucks.

Do you know how many of these are sold a year? I suspect more small trailers will be sold as gas prices continue to rise.

Sales figures unknown; more and more manufacturers are coming out with new fibreglass trailers.

When were these first made? I notice some are around from the 70's.

Yep, the 70's were the big decade, some early ones may have been manufactured in the late 60's.

I notice the Burro, Scamps and Casida have carpeting all over them. How does that work with camping? I think it would be hard to keep clean, particularly w/ a dog! Dirt, mud, fur!
I kind of like those Egg campers made in Grandville, MI. No carpeting!
Any info. you can give me would be very much appreciated.

Take some time to browse through the archives; there is more information than one person can absorb. Beware! It is addictive and can lead to trailer-itis.

Thanks!
[/quote]

[Suz]

Welcome! Like Cam said, it just depends on what trailer and how it is euipped as to what you need to safely tow it with. Are you planning on getting a new tow vehicle? If not, what do you have?

Dimension wise, the Egg Camper in Grandville, is probably the largest trailer just under the Bigfoot. Casita has a 17", but the Egg is wider and taller inside. If you like the looks of it and you want to stay small, try finding an old Burro or something similar. They are made the same way. Trillium also makes one that I believe doesn't have carpet on the walls.

Lots and lots of options so take your time and decide what you want to tow with and then go from there... or decide what trailer you want, then get a tow vehicle accordingly.

Meantime, Welcome aboard!

[Donald Stahl]

Hi Nancy ! Welcome to the fantastic world of fiberglass.
To cover a couple of points - we have a 17 ft. Casita with the carpeted interior. Now, you may have preferences about this, but must tell you that the carpet does serve as an insulation factor, albeit not like your house. It also does quite well to keep out exterior noises, important when one is trying to get some shut eye.

As for gas mileage - depends on thee weight of the trailer. Some have posted as much as 20 mpg pulling a 13 footer. With our 17 ft. we average around 16mpg, though the best to date has been 18.

I am sure you will get some good info from the folks on this site. Have a good day, and get that trailer ready for this camping season ! If gas prices get much too high, you can always adapt . We have. We have already reserved the neighbors driveway for our outing next year.

[Kurt & Ann K.]

Nancy.
Welcome and we're glad you found FGRV.
We've had our 17' Casita 4 years. For 2 years we travelled with 3 dogs. When actually "living" in the travel trailer weekly vacuuming maintains the carpeting. Not much different than home except it's smaller and one gets to vacuum some of the walls.
The carpeted walls make an enormous difference by eliminating noise from outside. Casita backs the carpet with insulation which is quite effective in keeping the inside temperature comfortable.
The size tow vehicle depends on how many creature comforts you require and how much room you need to enjoy them. If there is no water heater, bathroom, air conditioner, furnace, etc. to contribute weight a modest sized vehicle is adequate, as Cam mentioned. Previously owned travel trailers are available as people step up from tents to tent campers to "bare bones" units, to increasing amenities and often as a family grows.
What those of us on this forum have discovered, is that fiberglass units survive the rigors of age very well. The appliances may wear, but the physical structure lasts much better than the "stick-built" units.
Enjoy the education process, then spend your cash wisely and become a happy camper.
Attending a rally, so you can be exposed to a variety, will expand your knowledge better than any other method.

Kurt & Ann K.

[Doug Mager]

Welcome to our group

Does THIS tell you anything? LOL!!!

[Nancy Ha]

Thanks. This is so great!

I have a 95 Subaru outback now with "only" 95,000 miles. It has a Class 1 trailer hitch on it now. I think my next vehcile will be a Subaru Forester, Honda Element or something like a Dodge Caravan.

Thanks.

[jack maloney]

No carpeting in my UHaul, and no vacuumingl! Smooth shiny fiberglass walls and vinyl flooring make it bright inside, and easy to keep clean with a broom and a damp cloth.

As for towing, we've hauled the UHaul coast to coast with a '98 Subaru Outback.

[Gina D.]

Burros do not have carpet on the walls. They are glass just like the Uhauls.

I tugged a 13 foot Burro with a Honda Element for a very long time. You can't go wrong with a 13/E combo!

[Kristen Beck]

Hi nancy,
just a quick note about towing with a small car. We just got our scamp, 13', a few weeks ago and I towed it beautifully behind our Honda Element. No hesitation at all, even pulled the "hills" in oregon great. I personally like the fuzzy walls. It's not shag carpeting just a nice marine style cloth but does help with sound and insulation. My husband and I decided on the fiberglass trailer because of the size of our tow vehicle and the size of our family two adults and two small dogs, its just the perfect size. Once you get one you will love it! As far as keeping it clean, I use a rubber bristled broom that sweeps the carpet beautifully. No vac. required while camping. I did see one for sale on the forum in Vancouver Washington. Sounds like a dandy, you might want to give the owner a ringy ding. Good luck with your quest, keep us all posted!

Kristen Beck
Medford, Oregon

[Kevin & Georgetta]

Hi Nancy,

Welcome from West MI.

We stopped and saw those same eggs in Grandville last weekend. They are nice but a little pricey for me. We are currently redoing a Burro to pull behind our Honda Element and Jeeps.

[peterh]

Hi Nancy,

I think the 13' trailers are great for solo campers and fine for shorter trips for two people who are both very fond of each other and keep the same sleep/wake schedule.

We (my wife and I) recently "graduated" from tent camping to trailering, and we love our new toy. Because we have divergent sleeping paterns we opted for a 19' Scamp 5th wheel so we can leave the bed set up in the loft full time and still have a dinette/sitting area where I can sit while I'm awake and she's sacked. (This also means she wakes up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee, a sure winner in our household. :-) )

Our 19' 5th wheel is one of the larger fiberglass RVs; we tow it wth a Ford Ranger with a 3-liter V-6 engine that can run on E-85 or regular gasoline. Using "regular" gas it gets 19-20 miles per gallon without the trailer and 16+ MPG with.

I imagine towing a 13' Scamp or Casita pulled by a Honda Element would have an even smaller MPG difference than we do with out truck/trailer combo. Not only is a 13' trailer less than half the weight of our behemoth, it also has a much smaller "wind face," the frontal area of the trailer that spread outward from the profile of the tow vehicle creating a "wind face" the tow vehicle has to pull the trailer through.

Good luck!

--Peter

[Carol H]

Thanks. This is so great!

I have a 95 Subaru outback now with "only" 95,000 miles. It has a Class 1 trailer hitch on it now. I think my next vehcile will be a Subaru Forester, Honda Element or something like a Dodge Caravan.

Thanks.

If you are wanting to stay in the Subaru family keep in mind that the new Outbacks towing cap is 3000 lbs with a tongue weight limit of 200 lbs. They take a Class II hitch. Subaru requires that you use brakes on anything over 1000 lbs.

Have fun looking at the different trailers.

Carol

[Adrian W]

Scamps have a fabric covering (often refer to as "rat fur") not really carpet. It is over a layer of Aluminum bubble rap-like insulation material which if I remember correctly is R-15. I know it is well insulated, quiet and very dust free. The tan fabric will not meldew, they told us at the factory, some is in the shower area. I has not presented a problem, however we have not been letting our dog inside this RV as we had in the past. I am sure any of the brands would be a great trailer to have.
Good luck i n your quest.