Do you have a built in shower

[Darral T.]

Neither does it equate to whether you want a shower or not.

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Enjoying alcohol does not have to equate to being drunk.

I too would want to ensure I had a place to pack my Scotch and chill my beer. I do like to keep clean, but it does not take a shower to do that.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

Neither does it equate to whether you want a shower or not.

Absolutely!

I actually want both myself (on orders from the wife, as her only two requests in a trailer are a permanent bed and a pot to pee in ), but the Scotch and beer are a priory (for me) is all.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Franswa

it's not about surviving....don't even need an RV, with or without shower to do that....people survived without indoor plumbing too...

it's about comfort/luxury...

I've travelled cross continent on a motorcycle with a tent....but that was 40 odd years ago....I cruised on a boat where a shower (lukewarm) could only be had out on deck (you can't go for a swim when the water temp is in the fifties F)....

I now have the resources to have a hot shower anywhere, anytime I please/choose....that is a luxury and I like it... I like it a LOT

We used to make a sauna out of sticks ,pine branches and canvas tarps, get warmed up and jump in the lake through a hole in the ice.
You said it well it's not a necessity , it's a comfort / luxury , I just don't get overly concerned about luxury.
By the way , I will be going deer hunting again this fall for 7 days ,only an outhouse for sanitary facilities and 120 acres of Lake for a tub . Works for me.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Enjoying alcohol does not have to equate to being drunk.

I never met a drinker who thought otherwise and only a couple who could recognize or admit to intoxication.

Coming from a lifelong teetotaler...your statement is objectively and technically true!

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

I'm more concerned about being clean than I am drunk.

I don't drink / consume any alcoholic beverages , haven't for over 30 years. I carry beer for my wife , friends or visitors.
I am not concerned in the least about being drunk

[Casita Greg]

Never trust a man who doesn't drink...
W.C.Fields

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

Never trust a man who doesn't drink...
W.C.Fields

I never worry about being driven to drink; I just worry about being driven home.

W.C.Fields

[Mr Lynn]

Originally Posted by floyd

I never worry about being driven to drink; I just worry about being driven home.

W.C.Fields

Yeah, don't let Paycheck do it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYgS...el=wilburscott

/Mr Lynn

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

Two is- someone mentioned leaving your gray water valve open. DO NOT do this if you have/use a toilet!

Darral,

I agree about using the gray water to help flush the plumbing when dumping. However, in the Casita, we do have to open separate valve which controls flow between the shower and the gray water tank.

When travelling, this 2nd valve keeps the contents of the gray water tank from sloshing up into the shower pan as the pan is barely any higher than the holding tank. And, when showering, the shower pan will quickly fill up if it is left closed.

Most Casita owners are aware of this. However, I did see a post here from someone that was a year into ownership before he learned he didn't necessarily need to clean up slopped water from the holding tank each time after towing.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by BBQdave

Dean, I'm looking at our current needs, and style of camping with the kids. We go to State Parks with nice amenities, inexpensive and fun to explore the park. I'm grateful for the hot showers and fairly consistent cleanliness of the NC State Park facilities.

That's our camping, local and long weekends. So the Scamp 13 Standard (bunk beds) add a portable toilet - would work nicely for us.

But I know (far too quickly) the kids will grow, be off on their own - and I will have an opportunity to travel and time for extended stays. So I can see the benefit of on board amenities. What you have going on

I like the Scamp 13 Standard, but it may be more practical to get the Scamp 16 Standard, with the side wet bath and bunks. Still researching and sorting ideas

Thanks again to all who are sharing their experiences and insight, much appreciated,

Dave

Dave,

I'll add another perspective from someone relatively new to travel trailers. In our household, the kids are gone and we have changed the door locks; it’s just me and the wife, closing in on retirement. Our trips currently run from 3 to 10 nights, but we anticipate longer travels in the future.

We bought a 17’ Casita Freedom Deluxe primarily because of the advantages of molded fiberglass and for the swivel chairs. The Casita is fully equipped, with an air conditioner, propane stovetop and furnace, 3-way fridge, 2-way water heater, kitchen sink and a wet bath. I initially considered that it had all the complications and none of the advantages (space) of a larger trailer.

Over time I have been teaching myself the mysteries of operating and maintaining all of those “complications”. The ability to run our fridge on a very small amount of propane is one of the truly great advantages as we like to enjoy a lot of fresh food and salads. From what I have read and estimated, it appears that a 20-lb cylinder can last through several weeks of operation.

We still haul our camp stove and have cooked outdoors to date. The wet bath has only been used to house our laundry bag as we have been selecting campgrounds with a high bias towards clean restrooms and shower facilities. However, I expect over time that all the features will eventually come into play and be useful, especially as we spend more time boondocking.

Regarding maintenance needs, from what I see on the forums I would say that the gas appliances, particularly refrigerators followed by furnaces, tend to periodically require some service. Water heaters seem to require some maintenance and ultimately replacement. I don’t see the showers and baths requiring much of either other than shower heads clogging.

Folks have been great about posting the various pros and cons here. It’s ultimately all about what works for you, including questions of tow vehicle and wallet capacities as each can have a significant bearing on your decision here. There’s also a question of timing and changing needs. You might find like many that your third RV is really the perfect one for you. Maybe the one that will work with kids is different from what you will want later on.

Good luck on finding a trailer and try to get out to some of those National Parks one day. Growing up on the left coast, that’s always been something I have been grateful for.

[BBQdave]

Originally Posted by Civilguy

Folks have been great about posting the various pros and cons here. It’s ultimately all about what works for you, including questions of tow vehicle and wallet capacities as each can have a significant bearing on your decision here. There’s also a question of timing and changing needs. You might find like many that your third RV is really the perfect one for you. Maybe the one that will work with kids is different from what you will want later on.

Mike thanks for the information on your experience with the Casita. I've been researching those too

And that's the challenging part, that middle ground (with a FG trailer) that will work now and down the road. I like the open design of the front couch (bunk beds). Traveling with my wife and the kids, it's a destination with nice amenities - so the CG facilities meet our needs.

With all the great information on this forum and responses in this thread, I've determined that an on board toilet may be a nice convenience. So at this point in time (research thus far) the Scamp 16 Standard with side wet bath and front couch (bunk beds) looks good. I would order it with just the toilet, as that meets current needs, and I believe my needs down the road - with extended solo trips.

Though it could change. My wife is not a big camping fan, so she is OK with short trips with the kids, but expressed no interest in longer trips... until I started explaining my extended stay plans of National Parks and State Parks. Now she is expressing interest, and adding her list of "must haves" to the trailer research.

Still researching, but I think the on board toilet is a good option. And still keeps the trailer relatively simple, as the grey and black tanks seem straight forward to use and maintain.

A lot of good information on this forum. Good to read through and sort with my own tent camping experience - and attempt to estimate future camping set ups

[Civilguy]

Thanks Dave. Mind you, I am not advocating any particular brand here. I am speaking more to our rapid evolution here from a simple 5x10 teardrop trailer with electric lights and a fan but no plumbing or other appliances.

If you are ordering the wet bath configuration, that means the shower is included, so I'm not clear if you are considering deleting that part. I'd guess (!) there's probably little cost involved and it might help resale value. Besides, the shower head-holder is a great place to hang the laundry bag.

Have you ever noticed in the RV ads that the trailer was apparently airlifted into a serene lakeside meadow with no other camper in sight and nary a bent blade of grass? Well, I don't want to shock anyone reading this forum, but it actually doesn't always work out quite exactly that way.

Locally, and from what I read nationally, it's getting very tough to schedule sites on weekends at many destinations. We tend to see no or very limited choices with utility hookups at our State Parks for several months out during the summer season, even for those sites with just electric power. When full, some private parks will at least accommodate you in an overflow area, but that also means no utilities.

So, for my part I have a growing awareness of how significant the propane part of the equation can be. (I'm not knocking solar, but that requires some capital investment. And, I'm not ready to add a generator to the "complications".) So, as you say, there's lots to think about.

Now, go order the trailer that your wife wants. Problem solved.

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi David & All,

It looks like David is zeroing in on a Scamp 16' floorplan that will work for him, so the following is just my 2 cents on this interesting subject.

We just got back from a three night trip to Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park. Left Thursday and back today. We knew it was going to be a hot weekend and it was. Luckily, we had a full-hookup site that was 2/3s shaded, but about 200 yards from the nearest bathhouse, so quick trips to the bathroom were not practical and even walking to shower was not appealing. I used our Casita shower three times and Laura at least twice. LOVED being able to be out all day, very hot and sweaty, then to come into the cool Casita, take a shower, wipe it down in 2-3 minutes, then climb into bed. LOVELY!

Call me spoiled, but full-hookups and an onboard shower, SWEET!

BTW, we emptied the gray tank once prior to departing and did not have to empty the black tank until we departed and it was still only 2/3s full. Love that wet bath.

YMMV!

Take care,

Dean

[BBQdave]

Originally Posted by DeanCHS1980

We just got back from a three night trip to Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park. Left Thursday and back today. We knew it was going to be a hot weekend and it was. Luckily, we had a full-hookup site that was 2/3s shaded, but about 200 yards from the nearest bathhouse, so quick trips to the bathroom were not practical and even walking to shower was not appealing. I used our Casita shower three times and Laura at least twice. LOVED being able to be out all day, very hot and sweaty, then to come into the cool Casita, take a shower, wipe it down in 2-3 minutes, then climb into bed. LOVELY!

And that has me thinking of the full wet bath (not just toilet)

My wife would definitely appreciate that amenity. Me too. As I am fairly active with biking and hiking when we go camping, and just camping in general - you get sweaty. I need (and want) that shower before bed at night.

Might be nice, to not hike to the showers

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by BBQdave

So at this point in time (research thus far) the Scamp 16 Standard with side wet bath and front couch (bunk beds) looks good. I would order it with just the toilet, as that meets current needs, and I believe my needs down the road - with extended solo trips.

I had 9 wonderful years with the 16' side bath and it was a great layout. Traveled a number of times with children and the front bunks work out well. The counter space in the kitchen can not be bet... lots of larger trailers do not have as much. Having the bath to the side allows for the large front window providing lots of light and makes the trailer feel bigger. Order all the extra cabinets (front overheads for example) you can for storing all the kids stuff ;-)

If I was in your shoes and not sure about what I needed and was going to get the toilet option I would spend the bit extra and get the shower option. If nothing more than for resale. Many people moving up to a 16' from a 13' do so for the shower.

As others have pointed out some campground showers are not the nicest and some of the nicest camping spots have no showers.

[BBQdave]

Originally Posted by Carol H

I had 9 wonderful years with the 16' side bath and it was a great layout. Traveled a number of times with children and the front bunks work out well. The counter space in the kitchen can not be bet... lots of larger trailers do not have as much. Having the bath to the side allows for the large front window providing lots of light and makes the trailer feel bigger. Order all the extra cabinets (front overheads for example) you can for storing all the kids stuff ;-)

Thanks for this information Carol. I'm really interested in the 16' Scamp Standard, with the side wet bath. Nice layout and nice amenities, a FG camper that I think will work with our family and down the road if I solo - extended stays.

Still researching, and thanks to all for the helpful experiences and recommendations

[Jon in AZ]

The biggest limitation of the side bath is size. The shower pan sits on top of the raised floor, so headroom is limited, and the horizontal dimensions are cramped as well. At least I think they no longer install a sink in new builds, so that helps a little. But now they don't install a window, either.


It's still my favorite 16' layout, and the only one with a bathroom and beds for four. I like the extra galley space, too. Living with a really small bathroom is the price. I'm not actively searching, but if the right one showed up, I could be tempted...

[BBQdave]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

The biggest limitation of the side bath is size. The shower pan sits on top of the raised floor, so headroom is limited, and the horizontal dimensions are cramped as well.

It's still my favorite 16' layout, and the only one with a bathroom and beds for four. I like the extra galley space, too.

Jon, thanks for the photo, as (I'm sure purposely) the side wet bath shots from Scamp are odd angles and none from the top down. I suspected it was small. I'm 5'4" and the rest of the family shorter. So the height would not be a problem.

However, we are hardy stocky Hobbit folk so I am concerned about the width. That's why we like the CG showers, the width afforded.

I'm back and forth between the straight forward (keep it simple) set up of the Scamp 13 Standard (with couch-bunk beds) and the Scamp 16 with side wet bath. Though they are both different with amenities, I believe both would work for our family, and on down the road with me and solo trips.

Thanks again for the photo, helps me visualize the width concern

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by BBQdave

Jon, thanks for the photo, as (I'm sure purposely) the side wet bath shots from Scamp are odd angles and none from the top down. I suspected it was small. I'm 5'4" and the rest of the family shorter. So the height would not be a problem.
However, we are hardy stocky Hobbit folk so I am concerned about the width. That's why we like the CG showers, the width afforded.

Dave, call Scamp for a referral of that layout in your area so you can see one in person and "size" it up .

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by DeanCHS1980

We just got back from a three night trip to Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park. Left Thursday and back today. We knew it was going to be a hot weekend and it was. Luckily, we had a full-hookup site that was 2/3s shaded, but about 200 yards from the nearest bathhouse, so quick trips to the bathroom were not practical and even walking to shower was not appealing. I used our Casita shower three times and Laura at least twice. LOVED being able to be out all day, very hot and sweaty, then to come into the cool Casita, take a shower, wipe it down in 2-3 minutes, then climb into bed. LOVELY!

So here I am prattling on and on about features while Dean gets to the real point, benefits! Good job Dean!