Help me decide....

[cpaharley2008]

I have inspected both a local Scamp as well as a local Casita. I have seen many pictures of both on line and read all about the issues pertinent to each. I have also been in contact with Egg Camper and this one interests me because it is all electric, no propane and somewhat lighter and bigger than the other 2 above. My indecision is trying to decide how often would I have to use heat while not plugged in. I have a generator for summer a/c use but the winter camping is another issue. Can anyone tell me if they can use their trailer in the winter using battery and propane only, or battery only without propane? I think that I would have access to electric 75% of the time and I'm leaning towards the Egg Camper. I could always add a catalytic heater later if needed.
Help me decide which one is most practical summer and winter via your own observations, thanks for reading.

[Raya]

Hi Jim,

Pardon me if you have already read this, but here is a thread that you might find useful. Quite a few people took the time to add their thoughts:

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...per-32572.html

[Ray N]

In our area, (Florida and Alabama), the state parks all seem to have full hook-ups, plus there aren't many nearby BLM or National Forests/parks, so all-electric would be fine around here. If your state parks don't usually provide electricity or you plan to visit areas where you might be doing boon-docking or otherwise staying at non-electric sites, (and don't want to mess with a generator), then I would definitely prefer getting a unit with propane. If we ever take our EggCamper out West, we plan to buy a little Honda/Yamaha generator for our trip.

In our case, the only reason we bought the EggCamper instead of a Casita or Scamp is because of the 6' 7" of headroom, (I'm 6' 4" and don't want to have to hunch over while cooking dinner). If it wasn't for that, I would have probably bought a Casita or Scamp and had the propane. Propane used to be offered with the EggCamper, but I think it adds two or three thousand $ to the purchase price, and it just wasn't worth it for us because of where we camp.

[mcbrew]

I could be wrong, but I doubt that a similarly equipped Egg Camper would be lighter weight than a 16 foot Scamp. Do not trust the weights that the manufacturers provide. Almost all of them are heavier than mfr claims.

Having said that... the Egg Camper does look nice. I have never seen one in person, but I have looked around on their website. I like the double wall construction... but it has a price -- both $$$ and weight. I tow with a small car, so I simply cannot tow a Casita or an Egg Camper.

It seems to me that the double wall construction of the EC would reduce (by far) the number of fasteners that go through the outer shell. This would be a plus for reducing the chance of a leak at some point down the road.

As far as a heater, there are propane option, such as catalytic (as you mentioned). I prefer electric heat when available. Even in my class A, I prefer to use a small ceramic heater. In cold weather, I will set the ceramic heater to the temp I want to maintain, then set the thermostat on the furnace to a slightly lower temp. If the ceramic heater can't keep up, the furnace will kick in. The furnace is loud... that's the main reason I don't like using it.

If you aren't going to be boondocking that often, you might just pick up a Buddy Heater for occasional use.

[Vickie B.]

I'd be getting the Egg Camper if I had the funding. I will be seeing how much I can squirrel away in the next 12 months!

[Jane P.]

Originally Posted by Jim Norman

I have inspected both a local Scamp as well as a local Casita. I have seen many pictures of both on line and read all about the issues pertinent to each. I have also been in contact with Egg Camper and this one interests me because it is all electric, no propane and somewhat lighter and bigger than the other 2 above. My indecision is trying to decide how often would I have to use heat while not plugged in. I have a generator for summer a/c use but the winter camping is another issue. Can anyone tell me if they can use their trailer in the winter using battery and propane only, or battery only without propane? I think that I would have access to electric 75% of the time and I'm leaning towards the Egg Camper. I could always add a catalytic heater later if needed.
Help me decide which one is most practical summer and winter via your own observations, thanks for reading.

Jim:

I was seriously considering a Casita/Scamp for my first trailer.

Because of this thread, the Egg Camper got on my short list as well. I think that the Egg Camper is very strong alternative to the Casita and Scamp. But, the lack of a Propane heater (and the size of its refrigerator/freezer) did concern me.

The question about a heater is mainly dependent on how much you will be dry camping. You also need to think of what would happen if the trailer park you are staying at had problems with their electrical system - which is a distinct possibility.

A generator would allow you to heat up your trailer. What size generator would you need to keep a heater going all night, and could that generator be safely stowed on tongue or rear end of the trailers your are thinking of getting? You'll need to do some research to answer that question.

Also, if you will be using a generator to heat up your trailer at night, you'll want to get something fairly quiet - which will be more expensive.

Regarding winter camping, if you are going into snow country, you may have a problem with the campers your are considering. They are designed for camping, but not extremely low temperatures. The cabins are not particularly well insulated - and you will have to deal with condensation issues.

I undertook a 3400 mile trip this past June which included the Western Rockies. I found myself in temperatures dipping into the 30s at night. Ironically, the propane heater (on which I placed such high value) was not working for most of this trip. But I had decided to get a travel trailer that was designed for these conditions. And I was able to stay warm despite the lack of heat.

But if you are attracted to the Egg Camper and it will haul a adequately sized generator to allow you to use your heater for several days in a row, don't let the lack of a propane heater stop you.

Good luck with your decision!

[Raya]

One thing I (may have) noticed about the Egg Camper is that the molded seats look rather high to me. That is, high off the floor of the camper. I can't say for sure as I have only seen photos, but it might be something to check into.

I know for me, if my feet can't touch the floor with a bit of "slack," my back gets very uncomfortable. I believe "standard" seat height (chairs - not just campers) is about 18". That would be including any cushion, so I would expect bare fiberglass seat height to be around 14" or so.

Raya

[Jane P.]

I was just looking at the Casita site, and someone was thinking of replacing their propane heater with a Wave 3. The reason, they do a lot of dry camping in the winter and their battery cannot keep up with the blower on the propane heater.

http://www.casitaforum.com/invboard/...showtopic=3056

Something that I did not consider. More need for a generator, even if you go with a propane system.

[cpaharley2008]

The owner of the Egg Camper, Jim Palmer is an aerospace engineer and is meticulous about his product. He feels pressurized propane is a liability. He provides a generator platform on the tongue and I have a new Yamaha 2000 so I think it's a good match. Both the Casita and Scamp have single wall fiberglass covered with fabric for insulation. The Egg has 2 separate and distinct shells with insulation in between, a much better set up. I'm trying to convince him to install the new acrylic dometic dual pane windows. All in all with the insulation little heat will be lost and once warm it should stay warm. The propane heaters eat battery juice so the Wave catalytic would be my choice to install.

[Lizbeth]

Originally Posted by Jane P.

I was just looking at the Casita site, and someone was thinking of replacing their propane heater with a Wave 3. The reason, they do a lot of dry camping in the winter and their battery cannot keep up with the blower on the propane heater.

http://www.casitaforum.com/invboard/...showtopic=3056

Something that I did not consider. More need for a generator, even if you go with a propane system.

Or get a solar set up. But then we have both...

We would never do without propane, we dry camp and I can't stand to be cold at night.

[Ray N]

Yes, the seats in the EggCamper are high. My wife, at 5' 8" can't place her feet flat on the floor. I pointed this out to her and she said she hadn't noticed, nor does it bother her. If she were a lot shorter and couldn't even touch her toes, she would probably need a short platform for her feet. I offered to make her one but she said not to bother. when it comes to seating height, I think the designer, Jim Palmer, got a little carried away in designing a camper for tall people, (he's 6' 4" tall himself).

As far as weight goes, I don't doubt that the EggCamper is lighter than the 17' Casita or 16' Scamp, even though it's 8" wider and has 4" more headroom. With everything being molded in there is very little heavy wood, plywood, OSB, MDF, or what have you. It does result in a very "modern" (some say sterile) look inside, not the "homey" look found in the others - this may or not be to your particular liking.

As stated above, the refrigerator is very small in the EggCamper, and a bigger one isn't an option. At the Townsend rally this spring, while others admired the room in our egg, we admired the room in some of their refrigerators! Luckily, we have plenty of room in our truck so we can take along an ice chest to supplement the fridge.

As with most choices, there are advantages and disadvantages to each brand of camper. You have to gather as much information as you can and, considering your particular needs and desires, hope you make the best choice. Of course, in this case, I don't think you can make a really bad choice, and that's a good thing.

[cpaharley2008]

Ray,
Would you buy the Egg Camper today after owning one for awhile or would you get something else. I can not figure out how to email you direct so I'm asking here on the forum. Thanks my email is cpaharley@mac.com

[Ray N]

Jim,
Yes I would, without a doubt. As I said earlier, the most important factor to me was the headroom. I know some people say it doesn't bother them to have to hunch over while in their campers, but I just don't think I could put up with it. Again, the all-electric factor is no problem around here (Florida and Alabama); all the campgrounds seem to have electricity - probably because of the hot summers and the need for AC, (you don't run air conditioners on propane).
If I wasn't so darn tall, or if I lived somewhere where electric hooks-ups weren't so common, it would be a much tougher decision. You can get around most of the no propane handicap with generators, Coleman stoves, ice chests, and portable heaters, but it's not as elegant.

Attached is a picture of me in a Scamp or Casita (I don't remember which), at the Townsend rally this spring. In the EggCamper I have about three inches of headroom to spare in the center of the camper. I only have to hunch over when I get close to one of the ends.

[Raya]

Ray,

I really like to read posts like yours. You lay out why you bought what you did, what you like about it, and possible concerns for others (depending on their physique or usage). All without sounding defensive, or like too much of a "cheerleader" for your particular brand of egg

One minor note (and I don't say this to challenge what you said at all - it just popped into my mind while I was reading your post; besides, you did mention generators). But...

You can sort of run air-conditioning from propane. Chris and Cherie (members here with an Oliver) have a Honda generator converted to run on propane, and one of the main reasons they got it was so that they could boondock in hot places and have air-conditioning. From what I have read of their writings, they are very happy with the set up. They had the Honda converted professionally.

Raya

PS: Yikes! I can stand up on the raised section of the floor in my Boler and not be that hunched over. That would get old!

[Jane P.]

Originally Posted by Jim Norman

The owner of the Egg Camper, Jim Palmer is an aerospace engineer and is meticulous about his product. He feels pressurized propane is a liability. He provides a generator platform on the tongue and I have a new Yamaha 2000 so I think it's a good match. Both the Casita and Scamp have single wall fiberglass covered with fabric for insulation. The Egg has 2 separate and distinct shells with insulation in between, a much better set up. I'm trying to convince him to install the new acrylic dometic dual pane windows. All in all with the insulation little heat will be lost and once warm it should stay warm. The propane heaters eat battery juice so the Wave catalytic would be my choice to install.

Duel pane acrylic windows would be a great addition! I was wondering why they had double walled shell, but not double pane windows.

See if you can also reconfigure the tongue to accommodate 2 batteries. Adding LED light bulbs will really help you keep the juice flowing for your heater.

Lizbeth's idea of a solar set up is a good one to consider as well.

Is it possible for you to see an Egg Camper? Perhaps one is close to you. Jim Palmer may be able to put you in touch with an owner near your home. If you feel physically comfortable walking around and sitting in the camper - particularly compared to the Scamp and Casita, a final decision will be close at hand.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by Jim Norman

Can anyone tell me if they can use their trailer in the winter using battery and propane only, or battery only without propane? I think that I would have access to electric 75% of the time and I'm leaning towards the Egg Camper. I could always add a catalytic heater later if needed.

We use ours in early spring and late fall with propane and battery only. We've woken up to frozen water outside while our propane gravity heater on pilot kept us warm inside. Last weekend while at the Niagara Falls meet, temps got pretty low Friday night. Some campers had troubles with the electricity from the park. We had troubles with the power converter not being able to handle the load of the heater and had to run an extra extension cord to the post outside to handle a small 1500W heater.

Originally Posted by Ray N

Propane used to be offered with the EggCamper, but I think it adds two or three thousand $ to the purchase price, and it just wasn't worth it for us because of where we camp.

And the cost of a good generator is about $1000

Originally Posted by Raya L.

I can stand up on the raised section of the floor in my Boler and not be that hunched over.

And I can stand srtaight up in the raised section of our boler with 4" of headroom left. Just goes to show you how we all have different needs.

For me, being tied to what Alf refers as the "current bush" is a matter of convenience. Camping untethered allows more freedom of choice. Especially if one is prepared for their needs. I'd estimate that at least 80% of the 135 trailers that made it to bolerama in Emily in 2009 were boondocking. I can quite imagine what it would be like if they all needed generators to make it through the weekend. That would be over 100 generators running at the same time.

[Roger C H]

Something I didn't see mentioned in this thread is I understand some tunnels will not allow propane tanks This could be a major inconvenience.

[Ken C]

Insulation was mentoned earlier. I thought I read on the casita forum that the rat fur was the only insulation on a casita which has no R value. While scamp and eggcamper use reflectix. Anyone know if this is true of casita?

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Jim Norman

Both the Casita and Scamp have single wall fiberglass covered with fabric for insulation. The Egg has 2 separate and distinct shells with insulation in between, a much better set up.

Insulation between the walls can be a good thing, or a really bad thing... if an undetected leak should develop.

Check out this posting by Penney and Mike, when they bought a double-hull Burro with insulation between: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ers-30325.html

[Raya]

Originally Posted by Roger C H

Something I didn't see mentioned in this thread is I understand some tunnels will not allow propane tanks This could be a major inconvenience.

Roger,

There are some tunnels that don't allow propane tanks, so that is a consideration. One example is the pair of tunnels (I-95 and 895) that go under Baltimore harbor.

On the other hand, tunnels are expensive/engineered enough that they generally only exist where there is quite a bit of traffic. And where there is quite a bit of traffic there are generally trucks. And where there are trucks there are alternate routes. Going through Baltimore, for example, you would take I-695 and go over the Key bridge, which is about 2-3 miles longer, and not really much of an inconvenience.

In other places, such as Hampton Roads, where there are two tunnels and no bridges, you have to stop for inspection (just pull over into an on/off exit similar to a weigh station), but then you can go through with the propane/camper.

Now, I'm not saying there are no tunnels that would cause a problem - I'm sure there must be. And if there were one of those on my route from my house to everywhere, I would probably ditch the propane. But, I just wanted to post this to show that there are oftentimes relatively easy alternatives.

Raya