Bathroom possiblities

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Hi everyone! I am pleased to find this site with so much information. I have been wanting one of these little campers for a while but didn't know anything about them or where to find one. We plan on selling our popup and buying problaby a casita or scamp 16'. I have been looking and many in my price range don't have a bathroom, and was wondering how expensive it would be to add a bathroom seeing my wife would not consider one without it. Also any advice or opinions on what to buy-casita or scamp, I plan to tow with a 92 ford ranger with 2.9 v-6. Thanks in advance

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Hi Charlie S
I think you will get lots of info from the people here. Anyway welcome .:wave

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Orginally posted by Charlie S III

Hi everyone! I am pleased to find this site with so much information. I have been wanting one of these little campers for a while but didn't know anything about them or where to find one. We plan on selling our popup and buying problaby a casita or scamp 16'. I have been looking and many in my price range don't have a bathroom, and was wondering how expensive it would be to add a bathroom seeing my wife would not consider one without it. Also any advice or opinions on what to buy-casita or scamp, I plan to tow with a 92 ford ranger with 2.9 v-6. Thanks in advance

Speaking as a married guy - I recommend you consider the non-financial 'costs' of NOT having a bathroom. There's a significant value to a certain level of peace and harmony in the household. :)

mkw

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I would think since you are in east Texas, you are going to have an easier time finding a Casita than a Scamp (because Scamps are made in Minnesota, and the Casita factory is in Rice, Texas, which is near Corsicana). I don't think you'd go wrong with either trailer - just find one with the floorplan you like, in your price range.

You might consider going to Rice and having a look at the new Casitas in their showroom, since you're somewhat close. You can then see how the baths are constructed and how much room they take up. I have no idea what it would cost to add one to an older model... and of course the salespeople at Casita probably aren't going to have that info either. But getting a look at it would surely help you make up your mind whether you are really even interested in having the bath.

There are several other members here who are hoping to retrofit a trailer with a bath. I don't know if any have done it yet, though. I think this very question was the point of George Cathcart's post Bath or no bath? in the General Chat forum. If you don't want a bath, the prices on older models are way less than on units with the bath configuration.

Hope to hear more about your soon-to-be-yours trailer!

Welcome to the board! :wave

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:wave Mike you have a veryyyy gooood point!!!!!!!!!!!!
I look at things at a cost view and my other half--well lets just say when shes happy everyone is and vice-virsa or somthing like that.


:wave Also a good idea to look at the show room at casita I think first chance we will. Oddly in my area i have only seen scamps:wave

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Without knowing what your budget it - you can always look older to save some money.

Retro-fitting a bath:
Realistically it kinda depends on what you mean by 'bath'. If you mean a toilet - I personally think that a porta-pot is more than sufficient. That can usually be shoved in any old out of the way place. If it's a shower however - that's a bit tougher to retrofit. Luckily for me - my wife was insistant that she didn't want a bathroom on the thing. We're always at campgrounds, which have perfectly good flushing toilets and roomy showers - nothing to go dump later either. Seems silly not to take advantage of them. :)

My own personal 'cost' story...
When I made noises about wanting to get a bike again (motorcycle that is). My wife made it clear what the cost would be: a new kitchen. That little 250 bike is gonna end up costing the same as a full dress Goldwing! :)

mkw

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[quote]Orginally posted by Mike Watters

Speaking as a married guy - I recommend you consider the non-financial 'costs' of NOT having a bathroom. There's a significant value to a certain level of peace and harmony in the household. :)

I think that pretty well sums it up! :o

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Charles III

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:wave
Don't know what part of East Texas you are in but we are near Tyler. If you would like to see ours we would be more than happy to show you. It is a 17" with full bath.
Email us if you wish to see it.
Gerald & Ruth

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Gerald and Ruth

How do you get a bath tub in a 17" RV.:lol2 :lol2

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:umb Ches, it's like the metric thing. In the US, we understand that when you speak Casitaese, 17' is the same as 17''. At least we don't have to print everything in two languages like you do in the north---well, yes we do too, I forgot. My Japanese radio just came with instructions printed in French and Spanish. Had to have a translation before I could tune it in properly to a country-western station.

Back to the point: Charley III, no, if you really think you'll eventually want a bath in your trailer, buy it that way now. A conversion would be difficult and expensive. But if the porta-potty would be adequate, buy a used (not new) one now. Trailers without baths depreciate greatly when they go out the showroom door and you can pick up a real bargain.

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Yeah, but, if you do get a trailer with a toilet, be careful how you use it! I once had this smilie friend ... well, you get the picture.

<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3e43c3be2e0c3sm_Flush.gif/>

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The on-going question. Surely it is a matter of preference with equally convincing arguements on both sides. But here is what I actually just faced. Just food for thought.

I purchased a used trailer with a bathroom. I doubted whether I would ever really use the bathroom. Thought that the camp facilities would be fine with me. (I really had no desire to dump that thing) I had tent camped and back packed so this would be an upgrade for me. One night I rolled into a facility that had only partial hookups available, but had great showers/bathrooms. I thought this would be good since I had antifreeze in my system (I brought bottled water just in case) What I found was that when you have an 80 lb dog to consider, must get dressed, go out in the rain when it is 40*, at ten pm, middle of the night, and early in the morning, and, well, your toilet was just a few feet away, it's pretty much a no-brainer. Port-a-potty? Well, I would have had to dump that in the morning before leaving. This way, it was still cold and raining, so I just hooked up and went on down the road and waited for better weather to dump.

So...that's my story. Be perpared. If you have it, you will use it.;)

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Thanks for all the advice. I think what we have decided to do is look for a 16 or 17 footer with the full bath. We cannot afford to buy new at this time so we will go the good used route. I could do just fine with just a porti-potty but as I was reminded I need to consider the lovely other half who loves to camp but must shower or bathe at least once a day. By the way I just got my Casita brochure in the mail today and was supprised that the new prices is not that much more than what I have been seeing used, I guess that says something about the value of these little trailers. Once again thanks to all and may God bless!:lol

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:wave Charlie III;

Camping or traveling is another question? We have a 16 ft. Scamp with a side bathroom. It has the toilet and a shower. You have to sit on the toilet to take a shower. I have used the shower once in the two camping seasons we have had it. I tented for years and then got an old popup. In 2000, we found a use Scamp with a bathroom. We use it for low impact visits to family and we don't have to go in their home in the middle of the night. We have stayed at a Flying J and other truck stops overnight, while travaling. In campgrounds you still have to go to the toilets and showers to here all the news. We use ours mostly at night. We have been in a few campgrounds that the bathrooms were so far away you had to pack a lunch.:lol :lol

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:wave
Chez, now I know why I don't post much.:o
I really thought that in a Casita the shower, commode and lavatory were a full bath. Works for me.:lol

George:
Thanks for the " and ' differences. 10-4 on all those instructions of the different languages. Guess I should have proof read my message but yet, why do that, I did that for a living, now I'm retired.

Ruth:ola :banana

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:r Ches
Now I know I'm really in trouble after misspelling your name. Sawrry! :red :banana

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Hi Guy
I'am flexible.Call me what ever makes you feel comfy.:wave

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it's a real luxury in the boonies where I go- most are in tents and mud for 3 or 4 days. I can go outside, but on rainy/snowy/cold nights, why? At racetracks you cant go outside in the midst of 30,000 spectators and campers, either. A cold shower after coming off track and sweating in leathers is GREAT. A hot shower at the beach(literally in the parking lot with our rigs) after a cold swim....can't beat it. That's why I bought a small fiberglass RV, it blends perfectly with my lifestyle. Here's a trick for those wet toilets.........an ell curtain.<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3e445d38919a1dry bath 2.jpg/>

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Orginally posted by Gerald and Ruth Whitfield

:wave
now I know why I don't post much.:o
I really thought that in a Casita the shower, commode and lavatory were a full bath. Works for me.:lol

LOL! Me too - so do we call it a 1/2 bath? When we were doing some RV shopping i even learned there was a difference between a wet shower and a dry shower. The dry shower thing really threw me! I had a mind movie of someone standing in the shower stall pouring that "dry bathing" powder, that is used to clean dogs, etc. w/out water, all over himself :shg

I will learn the lingo one of these days.

Roberta