I'm so glad I found this forum. I'm hoping to learn lots from you all. I have a lot to learn when it comes to RVs. I'm not looking to get one until next spring, though, so I have some time to make my way up this steep learning curve.
A little about me and what I am looking for. I have 2 dogs (Twix and Zig Zag). We compete together in the fun, fun, fun sport of dog agility. I once said I never wanted to compete and now, I am addicted. Laugh! Anyway, as I enter more and more agility trials, I find myself being so envious of those who camp right on site in their RVs. I very much want to have our own "home away from home" too.
My TV is a Mazda Tribute, which should have no trouble with the small lightweight trailers I'm looking at. I'm looking for something small; 13' is probably what I am going to go with. I don't need a lot of space as I will not be spending much time there other than to sleep. Nor will I be sharing with anyone other than my dogs. All I need is a bed (I'll leave the bed set up fulltime, most likely), a kitchen, a toilet and a shower. The shower is limiting my options, I'm finding, in the 13' trailers. It's a "must have" for me, though. Remember - I will have spent all day running around in a field with my dog like a crazy woman . I need that shower or ... yuck!
I've been looking at the various fiberglass trailers out there, and have a couple of likely options to fit my needs so far. One day I have to manage to see them in person. One is the Casita Patriot Deluxe and the other is the 13' Scamp with the toilet layout. It looks from the options list that I can have a shower added. If you have other ideas for me that I haven't stumbled onto yet, I'd love to know about them!
Robin, you might want to look at Escape Trailers line of product(s), as they are now also producing trailers for Trillium and their products range from a NEW 13ft.er on up....
A little about me and what I am looking for. I have 2 dogs (Twix and Zig Zag). We compete together in the fun, fun, [b]fun sport of dog agility. I once said I never wanted to compete and now, I am addicted. Laugh! Anyway, as I enter more and more agility trials, I find myself being so envious of those who camp right on site in their RVs. I very much want to have our own "home away from home" too.
All I need is a bed (I'll leave the bed set up fulltime, most likely), a kitchen, a toilet and a shower.
Hi, Robin, I got my trailer for the exact same reason and it is great. I do not have a shower but there are times when it would be nice. I don't trial in California in the summer (or hot weather at all) so I get along without it, but if I did I'd want one.
I set up Xpens outside the trailer so the dogs can have a little more room but since a couple of my corgis will break out of those I crate them during the day.
By the time I get back to the trailer at night (other than to run and switch dogs) it is time for feeding dogs, then dinner, walk them, and then I'm ready for sleep pretty early and with 6 AM wakeup the next morning. So a 13 foot trailer is just fine for me, though I have to warn you it will be dwarfed by those big RV's!
I do only CPE, occasional NADAC, and do see a few other people with small trailers or camping vans. But mostly its the big rigs.
Another reason to consider the new Escape-Trillium is that you may be able to have customizations done that meet the specific needs of your "dog hotel". I don't know how customizable the new Trilliums will be, the I do know that Escape Trailers will in general try accommodate you in every way they can. I have asked for several changes in the trailer I'm buying from them (a 19ft) and they have bent over backwards to give me what I want. They're very good to work with. Use your imagination and ask for the ideal setup -- it can't hurt to ask! Their web site also mentions early bird pricing for the new Trillium: http://escapetrailer.com/
Are you looking to buy new or used?? Do you have a price cap? that can make all the difference in what you are trying to find.
We don't have a shower either, but plan to get one of those tankless propane powered water heaters with a built on shower head, so we can set up a shower outside the trailer. I found one of those shower/potti shelters that self expands (pictured below), a bit tough to roll back up, but sets up in seconds and a porta potti to make up for the lack of facilities in our camper. Solar showers work pretty well too, and are cheap. You just have to shower with less pressure, and at the mercy of the sun being out to heat up the bag. We have used them many times tent camping and they are better than no shower at all.
Robin, you might want to look at Escape Trailers line of product(s), as they are now also producing trailers for Trillium and their products range from a NEW 13ft.er on up....
Oh that's great news! I did look at the Escape a while ago but since it's longer than I'm looking for, and in Canada, it dropped out of my thought process. I remember being impressed with it though - so I'm excited to hear they will be offering some shorter ones. I hadn't even heard of the Trillium. Exactly why I joined the forum - hoping there were options out there that I wasn't aware of! Now I will be watching to see what this collaberation produces
Another reason to consider the new Escape-Trillium is that you may be able to have customizations done that meet the specific needs of your "dog hotel".
That is good to know! Hmmmmm, I think I'm going to have to start looking at lots of floorplans and come up with my ideal setup that will fit in a 13' egg. Then see if they can make it happen for me. Thanks!
Hi, Robin, I got my trailer for the exact same reason and it is great. I do not have a shower but there are times when it would be nice. I don't trial in California in the summer (or hot weather at all) so I get along without it, but if I did I'd want one.
I do only CPE, occasional NADAC, and do see a few other people with small trailers or camping vans. But mostly its the big rigs.
Hi Bobbie, nice to meet another agility addict here I mainly do CPE as well, though I also do USDAA. CPE is definitely my favorite venue though. I do trial in some warm weather here in California; I need that shower!
Same here, mostly bigger rigs, but there are more and more small ones setting alongside them. I think gas prices are having an affect there. What will be really amusing is when I join my parents' and their camping group. I usually go out with them once a year; I sleep in their van now. They have a 21' trailer and look tiny next to everyone else in their group. So when I show up someday with a 13' egg ... Laugh!
Are you looking to buy new or used?? Do you have a price cap? that can make all the difference in what you are trying to find.
We don't have a shower either, but plan to get one of those tankless propane powered water heaters with a built on shower head, so we can set up a shower outside the trailer. I found one of those shower/potti shelters that self expands (pictured below), a bit tough to roll back up, but sets up in seconds and a porta potti to make up for the lack of facilities in our camper. Solar showers work pretty well too, and are cheap. You just have to shower with less pressure, and at the mercy of the sun being out to heat up the bag. We have used them many times tent camping and they are better than no shower at all.
Thanks for the shower info. I'm thinking that an outdoor shower wouldn't work well for me given where I will most often be set up. A lot of agility trials, you are basically set up in a parking lot. Some are better than others (you get a bit of land and a table) but mainly it isn't anywhere along the lines of a normal campground experience.
New or used ... I'm not opposed to used if I can find what I want. It makes me a bit nervous in that I don't know the right questions to ask the seller to be sure I'm getting a good trailer. Hopefully a few months on here will help me there, though. Still - at this point - new is the way I am planning on.
My price cap is $20,000 but, I'd prefer to be in the $15,000 range. If I can get what I want at $10,000 or under, all the better!!
April - That shower is EXACTLY what I was going to suggest. I love that enclosure. I use it when we tent camp in the mountains and will likely adopt it for the trailer as well. For hot water we use one of those water heater bags (black backing, set it out for the day, it heats in the sun, then hang it in the shower enclosure). The only problem for Robin with this setup is the runoff. When we do this, we're usually in the mountains and there's no one to complain about our water. If she sets up on grass, likely no one will notice. But at the shows I've seen around here, the trailers/RVs are on the blacktop, and the runoff would be, well, pretty obvious.
In my Jeep, I have an under-hood waterheater that works GREAT! When I'm on the road, I open the valve that allows the water to run in its own tubes just outside the exhaust manifold. The tube heats, the water heats, and a pump circulates it to a tank on the back of my Jeep. At the end of the day I have water that, if I'm not careful, is too hot for anything! (I run it for awhile, then check it at the next stop.) I use the same pump to run the water through a shower head attached to my rollbar. Somehow this setup could be adapted to fit our 'glass setups, perhaps even in a tiny toilet enclosure. Larry????
Thanks Jenpb, tell me, do you have the same exact shower/potti shelter? If so, how long have you been using yours, and how durrable is it? We were a little concerned about it's lasting ablility, and thought we would not use it every time we set up, unless it turns out it can handle the multiple uses well. Got any feed back you can give me?
Robin, You have a very reasonable cap for a new model. There is also Boler in CA but I don't know If they are making new campers or what kind of layout they offer. If we had that kind of cash margin when we started looking for a fiberglass camper, I would have gone for a new one for sure. Used campers are great!! but they also come with hidden issues that even the owners may not be aware of. They can turn in to projects before you know it, as we are finding out with our 1983 model. Of course that is not to say there are not well maintained excellent condtition, trouble free used ones out there, we just had a very low spending margin and found one for $1500... we knew it was going to need some work. I am still very glad to have it, and nothing can express how happy I am to have found this forum. The only thing I knew about FG campers when I first got into this was that I wanted one... and boy did I have a lot to learn. There are so many useful threads you can read through, and I have found the most wonderful and helpful people here, when I have any questions I get answers. I hope I can do the same for others as I am becomeing more experienced with our camper. Glad you are on board, please keep us updated as to what you find! Best wishes!!
I can see why you want a real shower inside. I would not feel so safe out in a tent thing.
But....I would not want to forfeit the space inside the 13 the shower would take up.
Search for Gina's old posts about how she did her shower in her 13. She used a Rubbermaid type tub and shower curtain in the middle of her 13. When she took everything down she had the whole 13 to use. With two dogs underfoot that 13 with a shower is going to be really small.
Just another option to think about.
Come up to Bandon Jul 17 - 19 to see lots of different trailers.
It makes me a bit nervous in that I don't know the right questions to ask the seller to be sure I'm getting a good trailer. Hopefully a few months on here will help me there, though. Still - at this point - new is the way I am planning on.
My price cap is $20,000 but, I'd prefer to be in the $15,000 range. If I can get what I want at $10,000 or under, all the better!!
In the list at the left of every page on this website, you will find "Buyer's Check List." Try it, you'll like it.
A 13 with that many dogs is tuff, even without a bathroom. I have done it.
BUT, if you want a bath, and you have a budget like that, Scamp does make a model with a front bath.. in a 13. You could get a new one and still have money left over.
What I did was very simple, others here have done it as well.
I got a large rubbermaid tote and set it on the middle of the open floor area. I hung a shower curtain with suction cups and tucked the bottom of the curtain into the tub.
I had a Coleman shower pump, but many make such an item. I warmed water in a large pot on the stove, and submerged the pump into the pot, turned on the pump and hand held the shower head while standing inside the curtain tub combo.
After my shower, I dumped the water in the tub down the sink, hung the cutain outside to dry.. walla. Done. .
Others have fashioned the shower head on the ceiling, or attached it to a "Track" that is permanently mounted to the ceiling that they hang the curtain on.
It is not difficult to do at all. The tub also served as a place to store all the shower equipment.
Hi Robin - I raised & showed Rotties for 10 years and always thought I'd like to try Agility (with a different breed).
Our Scamp 13 has no bath, just the porta-pottie in the cubby under the front bench. This works fine for us - we use CG facilities if available during the day. When we started full-timing, we took a page from Gina's book and carried a Coleman showerhead, curtains, rods, etc. in a storage tub which was to double as the "shower pan". However, we've never put that plan into action, since we received a terrific 'privacy room' as a gift from my daughter. I think the brand is "StanSport" from Cabela's. We have used it extensively when dry-camping on the BLM lands at Quartzsite and at many Forest Service CG's, which seldom have showers. I feel safe enough using it, but I'm not traveling alone - it really does work, and you could wait until later in the evening when the pups are in bed to shower 'under cover of darkness'.
We have been inside the 13 footers with the front bath - they are very nice, but I would hate to give up the light and view from our wonderful big window in the front!
Sounds like you are doing solid research. Good luck in finding the FGRV just right for you. Take care, L 'n D
__________________ “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.” A. Einstein
Interesting ideas about shower options! Thanks all!! I will definitely consider that rubbermaid tub as an option when looking at floorplans. If I find the perfect one without a shower ... I'll know there is a way around that. Cool!
I measured my garage yesterday, as I hope to store my egg (I love that term!) in there. The opening is 8' across, so they fit ... though not a lot of room for mistakes. I'll have to quiz you guys on clever ways to backup since I'll have to be doing it solo. The length is actually longer than I thought. A 16' would fit, but I would have a narrow aisle left next to the washer/dryer. Since the only way to the backyard is thru the garage, that might make me claustrophobic after awhile. So as much as I'd love the extra space in a 16' egg, I think shorter will work out better. That said, I'm excited the garage is longer than I thought as that makes the 15' Trillium option very appealing! Now I can't wait to see what they will be offering this spring.
I'd like to add, this forum and all of you are awesome! Thanks! I've been so overwhelmed whenever I started looking into RVs. I still feel like there is sooooo much to learn but I know where to find answers.
Uh oh. You can tell I'm not used to thinking about that 3rd dimension. I went and checked - just short of 7'. About 6'10" would scrape the garage door when it is opened up. Then I went to check a few specs; that brings me down to earth quickly. The Scamp and the Trillium are too tall to fit. The Casita does though - so at least that gives me an option. Fortunately, I am only 5'3" so wouldn't have a problem with the lower interior height that some seem to have.
To go longer/taller, I'd either have to store it elsewhere or convince my landlord to let me pave over the side yard next to the driveway. Not sure they'd go for that! I have to keep the weight in mind too. My Tribute is rated for 3500. I know from the reading I've done here already, that I want to keep well below that for safety reasons.
Ok, I am getting some very good parameters to help me in my search. This is good!
A Casita would not fit. They are over 7 feet exterior height. Older Bolers would fit (again, not available new.)
This is why I got a Campster! (Unfortunately not available new.)
Some people do take the wheels off the trailer for storage in the garage, you can find threads on that if you search the forum.
Instead of paving you might consider lawn pavers... not sure what they are called, but they go in the lawn, grass grows over them, but they keep your wheels from sinking into mud. The landlord might not mind that at all.
another "Shower" option for you involves the tub, but scales it down to a Navy Shower.
I have a full shower in my 17, but only actually use it every other day or so if boondocking. This saves water and holding tank woes. Since I have a wet bath, I fill the bathroom sink with hot water and use a wash cloth to soak down, I then soap up and scrub, then rinse down using the washcloth and clean water from the sink again. You are just as clean as showering, but you don't get the nice relaxing stream.
You could use the tub instead. Water from a washcloth does not splash everywhere.
You could wash your hair in the sink. I wash my hair on shower day.
. I need that shower or ... yuck!
1975 Trillium 
Trillium in hybernation
1970 Trails West Campster
2011 Escape 15A
I mainly do CPE as well, though I also do USDAA. CPE is definitely my favorite venue though. I do trial in some warm weather here in California; I need that shower! 
Junior
1999 Casita Liberty
2015 Escape 21
the GDec
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