What Design Improvements Are Needed?

[David B.]

[QUOTE=Tom 72;674451]I won't tease you. It is innovative and includes twice the fiberglass and half the resin. They vacuum infuse the resin.

I believe that is the way our Lil Snoozy is formed also. Very strong, not requiring any interior furniture for support. The Lil Hauley is a cargo trailer they make that is just a Lil Snoozy shell.
Dave & Paula

[CalCop]

Steve, Maybe you should design and build your own trailer. That way it would meet your standards perfectly

[k0wtz]

Robert your thoughts match mine one time we were cooking on a coleman gas stove guy pulls up in a 500k rig. Right away he asks what we were doing we told him at the time we had a 40f redone bus and we didn't like cooking smells in our rig.


he couldn't believe this and immediately went off to walmarts to get one. next thing I knew he was cooking outside having a ball. and yes lots of people bring their whole house with them they pull up spend an hour hooking all the junk up and you never see them until they depart.


to me this is camping and I bought a 13f scamper for these very reasons I want to be forced outside to enjoy life and meet people hard to do this setting in a lazyboy watching tv!!


good luck


bob

[k0wtz]

tom 72 I like the trailer I wonder what the start-up costs would be for this?


bob

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by k0wtz

I want to be forced outside to enjoy life and meet people

Bob,

The funny thing is that this was not what I wanted when we started trailering as I am not very outgoing. However, it has turned out to be one of the best parts for me.

Especially the kids; I start chuckling just thinking about some of the kids that we've met and seen at campgrounds over the past couple of years. Some people don't like having kids run around their space. I find I really enjoy it as it puts me in touch with a person I used to be long ago.

For kids, there is still a little magic in the world. That's a precious commodity which can be sorely lacking as we grow older. I would never want to deny them their chance to enjoy it while they can for they too will find themselves old all too soon.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Tom 72

Airstream's Nest project is a good start. So is Basecamp. It shows they have noticed this segment.
Be careful what you wish for. If Airstream leads and others follow, your resale values could suffer. This pic doesn't show it but the back door is nice. Happier Campers have a full width back door.

I've owned several rear door trailers and I consider it to be a nonstarter.
As you point out it may work good for a cargo trailer.
With the prices on the Nest or the Happier Camper being what they are, they pose no threat to the resale on existing fiberglass trailers.
I have what I want, so resale will only be an issue for my estate.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by floyd

I've owned several rear door trailers and I consider it to be a nonstarter. <snip>

Floyd,

Why do you say that? We were attracted to the little Snoozy and were actually going to buy a Compact (jr?), but then "Casita happened", so I've never actually lived with a rear-door travel trailer.

If you would care to tell more about that I'd be interested to hear it.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Civilguy

Floyd,

Why do you say that? We were attracted to the little Snoozy and were actually going to buy a Compact (jr?), but then "Casita happened", so I've never actually lived with a rear-door travel trailer.

If you would care to tell more about that I'd be interested to hear it.

A more conventional trailer with a side entry allows for a more comfortable and usable layout, especially if you want a bathroom/shower.

I had a Compact Jr. to which I had added stab jacks to the rear bumper. One day I parked it in my shop to do some finish work on it.
It was parked sitting on the tongue jack, but without the stab jacks deployed.
I went to enter the trailer and when I stepped up on it, the trailer came out from under me like I had stepped on the back edge of a child's skate board. I fell back and the trailer landed back on the tongue jack about 4-5 feet forward of its starting position.
I like curbside entry when stopped while in transit as well.
The design tends to be rear heavy and less stable when well equipped.
Most of these things are subjective or can be compensated for.
These trailers are pretty cool in some ways and some people like them, just not my cup of tea.

[Civilguy]

Ah, yes, I can see the issue there Floyd.

I was sometimes negligent about deploying the stabilizers in the Casita when it was parked at home, but was fortunate I never overcame the balance when I crawled onto the bed to do some task.

However, you said a rear entry design trailer would be a "nonstarter" for you; it sounds to me like that Compact was almost more of a "self-starter"!

[David B.]

I have had the tongue come off the ground with our 13’ Standard Scamp when I failed to deploy the stab jacks, and the wife joined me at the table. I have never had that problem with the Lil Snoozy as the axle sits farther toward the rear of the trailer. Personally I prefer the rear entry layout over any other curently made FGRV on the market in a 17’ range, as it just feels so much larger.
Dave & Paula

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by David B.

Personally I prefer the rear entry layout over any other curently made FGRV on the market in a 17’ range, as it just feels so much larger.
Dave & Paula

I have to agree with you Dave after the "tour" of yours a couple times. Came close to buying one last year too.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by David B.

Personally I prefer the rear entry layout over any other curently made FGRV on the market in a 17’ range, as it just feels so much larger.

This truly shows how we all view things differently. I strongly agree with Floyd on this issue in that I see a side entry as being more conducive to a useful layout. I have been inside at least three Lil Snoozies, and every one of them has seemed cramped to me, perhaps even claustrophobic. The only things I like about the Snoozy are its aerodynamic shape and its full sized bed, although one person has to crawl over the other to get out of bed. I wouldn’t own any trailer with a cassette trailer, and I find a room A/C poking out of the wall to be (as Donna D would put it) fugly. But obviously, some people have other opinions; I would have never had the opportunity to be inside a Lil Snoozy otherwise. Then again, I find Casitas somewhat confining, but I attribute that perception to the fact that the top of my head essentially brushes the ceiling when I walk around inside one. I personally find the interior of an Oliver roomy but uninviting due to sterile, “like a hospital operating room” look. But isn’t that part of the reason that this forum exists......so that we (and we are all different individuals) can share our differing opinions and experiences while relishing our shared preference for molded FG trailers?

[lisantica]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

I wish Scamp would re-do the front bench mold to include a notch around the footwell with a ledge for a table molded in. Then they could sell the front bench models either as a sofa/bunk or as a front dinette.

That's my wish as well.
A few weeks ago I had the front couch out:


I was starting to visualize just how nice a front dinette would be:


But I had a trip planned and I had to put it all back together. I haven't abandoned the idea and will revisit it again some day (hopefully soon).

[Mikmay]

Originally Posted by CPW

This truly shows how we all view things differently. I strongly agree with Floyd on this issue in that I see a side entry as being more conducive to a useful layout. I have been inside at least three Lil Snoozies, and every one of them has seemed cramped to me, perhaps even claustrophobic. The only things I like about the Snoozy are its aerodynamic shape and its full sized bed, although one person has to crawl over the other to get out of bed. I wouldn’t own any trailer with a cassette trailer, and I find a room A/C poking out of the wall to be (as Donna D would put it) fugly. But obviously, some people have other opinions; I would have never had the opportunity to be inside a Lil Snoozy otherwise. Then again, I find Casitas somewhat confining, but I attribute that perception to the fact that the top of my head essentially brushes the ceiling when I walk around inside one. I personally find the interior of an Oliver roomy but uninviting due to sterile, “like a hospital operating room” look. But isn’t that part of the reason that this forum exists......so that we (and we are all different individuals) can share our differing opinions and experiences while relishing our shared preference for molded FG trailers?

The solution to the problem of having a side door or rear door entrance is if someone would design a trailer with both ,oh wait! Someone has its the HC1 and the one thing I can guarantee is with that rear door open you will not feel clostaphoric.