What should I buy?

[gianine c]

I am in the market for a trailer I can start using right away and it needs to have a bathroom/shower. I see a lot of Casita's and I wonder if they are the same quality as some of the others. I don't like the carpet on the walls and ceilings. Do most of the fiberglass RV's have some sort of carpet? I worry about mold and have taken all of the carpet out of my home. Any trailers that don't have carpet? I know the egg camper is fiberglass inside so no worries about them. Anyone have an egg camper and any insight on them? Any ideas? I'd love to have one of those new Trillium 4500's! I imagine it would take quite a bit of time and $ to get one of those, though.

[Carol H]

My vote goes with an Escape. They have a form you can check out for used ones. No problem getting it across the border.

[cpaharley2008]

My new used egg camper is devoid of any rat fur other than a thin strip in the middle of the roof which may keep any condensation at bay. Otherwise there is nothing inside that would allow mold. You can install a nice wooden floor and have an allergen free environment. I'm quite pleased with the construction. You can call the owner - Jim Palmer- and speak to him directly- not too many companies offer that opportunity. I inspected a Scamp and a Casita but was turned off by the exterior rivet holes, potential leaks. The Egg is rivet free and cheaper than an Escape, plus closer than the west coast.

[SherryNPaul]

I've yet to see the inside of an Escape, though I've seen them in campground, and looked at their website. The biggest difference seems to be tabbing and rivets.. However, I've spent a lot of time camping with my friend who owns a Casita. (over 15,000 miles together, many months, following each other and camping.)
Her Casita still looks (and smells) brand new after two years and many miles and months of camping. The carpet walls don't bother her, just the carpet floors, which she plans to replace with laminate this year. She bought hers (barely) used, at a very decent price.
You're (relatively) close to Rice. You might want to go take a closer look.
Local pricing and availability might make a difference in your final decision. Most of the "systems"... a/c, water pump, heater, etc., are in all likelihood the same. Escape still has some kind of "liner" on the inner walls, as they're not double hulled. I'm sure Casita owners will chime in, but I don't believe the Casita carpet is organic, so I don't think it can mold.
Unfortunately, I've never seen an EggCamper.


Sherry

[Karalyn]

My personal opinion is that Casita's are built much better than a Scamp. I own a Scamp because it is easier to repair them here in Mn. I had a Casita and would buy another in a minute (if it had a screen door). Now that I am retired I could take the trip to Rice to fix it if I had to. My thinking is buy locally if ever needing any repair work done that only the factory can do and not having the time to travel.
I am only famailar with Scamp and Casita's

[Donna D.]

If the rat fur or carpet or headliner material on the walls should mold, you've got a bigger problem than just whatever is covering the walls.

It doesn't matter what the brand, it ALL has to do with maintenance. You cannot ignore leaks in any brand of molded fiberglass trailer or something is going to rot or mold. There's always the cushions and upholstery fabric or curtains or other window coverings that can mold too.

And don't get me started on what happens when a sticky trailer with paneling on the walls starts leaking and getting ignored.

Frankly, I would be happy with any brand of molded trailer, IF it fit my budget and had the features I was wanting.

YMMV

[gianine c]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

My new used egg camper is devoid of any rat fur other than a thin strip in the middle of the roof which may keep any condensation at bay. Otherwise there is nothing inside that would allow mold. You can install a nice wooden floor and have an allergen free environment. I'm quite pleased with the construction. You can call the owner - Jim Palmer- and speak to him directly- not too many companies offer that opportunity. I inspected a Scamp and a Casita but was turned off by the exterior rivet holes, potential leaks. The Egg is rivet free and cheaper than an Escape, plus closer than the west coast.

I spoke to someone there today - it was probably Jim - and he was very informative. It does seem like a product that is a good deal and more than likely won't leak - wish I could find one used! I could have a new one by the end of the month. How much storage do you have? I'm planning on living in this with my dogs for the next year so I want the right one.

[gianine c]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

If the rat fur or carpet or headliner material on the walls should mold, you've got a bigger problem than just whatever is covering the walls.

It doesn't matter what the brand, it ALL has to do with maintenance. You cannot ignore leaks in any brand of molded fiberglass trailer or something is going to rot or mold. There's always the cushions and upholstery fabric or curtains or other window coverings that can mold too.

And don't get me started on what happens when a sticky trailer with paneling on the walls starts leaking and getting ignored.

Frankly, I would be happy with any brand of molded trailer, IF it fit my budget and had the features I was wanting.

YMMV

I was thinking more of the condensation I hear about from so many people. Also, dust mites thrive in carpet!

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by gianine c

I spoke to someone there today - it was probably Jim - and he was very informative. It does seem like a product that is a good deal and more than likely won't leak - wish I could find one used! I could have a new one by the end of the month. How much storage do you have? I'm planning on living in this with my dogs for the next year so I want the right one.

You have a lot of storage available, the entire street side, underneath is free as is the middle under the bed underneath, 6 overhead cabinets and 2 closets forward, port and starboard. The weight is less than 2000lbs. I recommend a storage tongue box for battery and generator. Send me a pm if you want more info- also I'm listed in forum with pictures- NestEgg

[Raya]

If you are not fond of the carpet or rat fur, there are a few different campers that don't have it. Here are the ones I know of (besides the Egg Camper and Escape which have already been mentioned).

1) Boler 13 (most have Ensolite; a very few had no/other insulation[rare]).

2) Boler 17 I'm not so familiar with these; they may have some type of open-celled foam insulation. At any rate I don't think it's carpet or fur.

3) Scamp 13 and 15 up to around 1986 have Ensolite (after that: rat fur).

4) Trilliums of the "original" generation (1970s and early 80s) have Ensolite.

5) Burros have a fiberglass liner except for a tiny center strip that is easily changed.

6) U-hauls have a fiberglass liner except for a tiny center strip that is easily changed.

7) Many of the Compact/Campster family had no insulation (you would probably want to add something).

8) Olivers have a fiberglass liner.

I'm not a fur/carpet person myself, so that's why I've kept track

Raya