Older & Just Retired & Never Had an RV Part "2"

[PJ47]

Hey there Brad,
Where in Montana are you? We happen to be in Montana with our Parkliner AKA "Stormtrooper".

[Montana Brad]

PJ47

I sent you a pm

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Montana Brad

Jon,
When talking about Scamp I was referring to head room and door opening height.I am 5"10 with shoes on and hit my head on the door opening going out.Also my head touched the bottom of the AC unit.Things I felt more than I wanted to!

While I often see claims that (post-fire) Scamps have 6 foot three inch ceilings, that is not what I measured (using a tape measure). At six feet even, I can stand pretty much straight up in most of the center area of my Scamp 16. but with no room to spare. And I do hit my head all the time on the air box for the A/C on the roof, which is easily under six feet from the floor. IMHO the only way to know if one fits in a camper is to get inside, and try the bed, and spend some time to see how it all feels.

[slowpat]

I have a 2012 Casita SD. I am short, 5'4" and I have to duck to go out the door or I'll get hit in the forehead. They put padding up there for a reason.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by Montana Brad

Mary & Bob,
I see the Casita ad in Washington.Its to bad the seller seem non responsive to others who have tried to contact him.I noticed that in contacting owners on this site.It seems to be an issue.Sometimes units are sold and the post not removed also.

Most sellers on this forum don’t update their ads. If I was King for the day, I’d have ads automatically expire in seven days without an update or reply from the seller. Many molded trailers sell in hours, not days. We sold our last molded trailer in four hours and bought our current one within two hours of the listing. It’s all about supply and demand. With no supply and high demand they go fast!

Uplander is right on target it’s sll about LAYOUT. The finest built trailer with a lousy (for you) layout is no bargain. Each manufacturer has their own unique layout. A Casita is totally different from a Scamp and an Escape is different, so too with Oliver, Bigfoot, etc.

A rally is a great way to see a lot of brands at once, even then you won’t see all of them. As far as price, newer used trailers (say 5 to 6 years old or newer) tend to sell for very close to what new ones sell for (back to that supply/demand thing). What you get from buying used is not a savings in money but instead you skip the six to twelve month waiting list.

[David K M]

Originally Posted by Montana Brad

Looked at a Casita and Scamp.Scamp is made for shorter folks so its out. Casita and Bigfoot are in.

Before you rule out Escape, have you considered the 30-35% advantage in price due to the US/Cdn dollar exchange rate?

[Montana Brad]

David K M.,
The exchange rate at 24% was one of the factors I considered when I when there for a look.The interior quality(poor) and inside design (dated) rules me out.

Thank you

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Montana Brad

David K M.,
....The interior quality(poor) and inside design (dated) rules me out.

Thank you

Oh thats going to take a lot of molded FB campers off the list!

[Glenn Baglo]

Bob is firm in his decision.

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by Montana Brad

Uplander,
Thanks for your posts.I really don't feel I am over analyzing.As far as what I think is most important to me is the price I pay for for the overall quality for my use .Then I looked at material,stick build,aluminum and fiberglass.And of course then the layout.For example Oliver offers twin beds or a standard plan ,a composting toilet,better solar.We want a bathroom with a shower so we are looking at that in all units.We want a sturdy dinette table.Also we do not want a microwave or a tv.We looked at captains chairs in a Casita vs the standard seating.Since its only the two of us we are not concerned with other sleeping arrangements.Type of refrigerator /freezers and how they are powered.Sliding vs crank out windows.Much more but you can get an idea.

Sorry Brad, I have to say you are over analyzing FG trailers....stick builts too. There are only a handfull different FG makes and layouts out there to pick from and none will be perfect. Getting comments from members or reading other forums on RVs is all good but it makes me think of reading books on hanging/finishing drywall or pouring/finishing concrete. Without the hands on learning experience of doing it and not finding out the pluses and minuses, it's a moot point. Same goes for knowing what works best for the way you camp in an RV. I've had a bunch of different RVs, TTs, truck slide ins, Cs and As, none were 100% perfect. On the plus side, if you stay with FG for your first RV and find it's not right, the resale is good for recouping any $$. BTW, you will hit your head until you learn to duck .

[David K M]

Originally Posted by Montana Brad

David K M.,
The exchange rate at 24% was one of the factors I considered when I when there for a look.The interior quality(poor) and inside design (dated) rules me out.

Thank you

I disagree with your evaluation of the quality of the Escape but you are certainly entitled to your opinion and I wish you success in which ever trailer you decide upon.

[Mike Magee]

Escape interior design, dated? I would have thought you'd say Scamp and Casita interiors; I don't think they've changed substantially in 30+ years.

[Iowa Dave]

We love our Escape. At age 70 my whole life is dated.
Iowa Dave

[tractors1]

You can always have your own trailer built to design. I did that in 1985 and used it for 21 years - but I do have indoor storage. It can get a bit expensive, I'm sure.


Custom-Built Travel Trailers - North American RV

[k corbin]

if a trailer has 6'-1.5' head height and you are 6' you will likely need to take your shoes off unless you like brushing your hair with the carpet on the ceilings

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by Borrego Dave

Sorry Brad, I have to say you are over analyzing FG trailers....stick builts too. There are only a handfull different FG makes and layouts out there to pick from and none will be perfect. .

This is a MAJOR difference between molded FG trailers and other traditionally built trailers. Whatever floorplan you want, in the world of traditional trailers, you will have a dozen or more choices between a variety of manufacturers. Meanwhile, in the molded trailer market, you might not find anyone building it.

In the area of fiberglass cabinets/interiors, fiberglass molds are expensive. Some manufacturers have been making the same models for decades (think Scamp and Casita), so amortizing the cost of the molds is not a problem. Note the deluxe Scamps all have wood interiors. Another approach is to make a very limited number of models, that way, the investment in molds can be managed (think Oliver). Others make a wide range of models, so going all fiberglass inside would be very expensive (think Bigfoot and Escape).

There is no perfect trailer out there, at least one that meets all of my choices. Unless I want to go into the molded FG manufacturing business, I am left with choosing what works the best for me.

Full timing in a molded FG trailer is quite a challenge (with maybe the exception of the 25 foot Bigfoot). The master bath in my last home was bigger than my Escape 19 (OK, it was a big bathroom). I met a couple that had been full timing for over two years in a Trillium 1300. No toilet or bath, very small bed, no A/C, very limited storage. They loved it. I could do it for a long weekend, maybe a week max.

Its been said many times, but it bears repeating. Floorplan first! If the floorplan on a trailer doesn't work, it doesn't matter how up to date, sleek, well built, or whatever. People new to RVs don't always appreciate how aggravating floorplan shortcomings can be. Something as simple as a center aisle too narrow for the two habitants to pass each other can be a deal breaker. Again, trailers that work just fine for a week or two may fail completely for a month or two or three.

There is a firm in Texas that rents a Casita trailer. Its a great way to check one out. Take a three week trip to the SW USA and you will learn a lot. (three week, get a fourth week free so maybe a four week vacation).

https://campers4rent.com/camper/2011...spirit-deluxe/

[Jon in AZ]

The narrow 80" body on Scamps and Casitas probably has more to do with the limited layout options than the material used.

Within that limitation, Scamp's modular molded fiberglass interior system allows for quite a few variations. The 16' model has 5 different layouts (in addition to deluxe wood options). I've often thought that with minimal additional investment, they could add a few more. Something akin to the Casita Liberty standard and deluxe models would only require a couple of new molds.

Happier Camper has found another creative approach to layout flexibility without resorting to traditional wood-framed cabinetry.

[Montana Brad]

thrifty bill,
Thanks for the tip on the rental.Seems fair priced and we were thinking of going to Texas anyway.We are going to throw back in Oliver and Airstream as choices because of the lack on insulation in Casita.

[thrifty bill]

Airstream gives you a lot more choices (at a higher price of course). Google new airstream problems

[Montana Brad]

thrifty bill,
I had read that Thor bought Airstream and there were issues.I would be looking newer but used.Also When I looked at the Bigfoot the Dealer gives a Lifetime warranty on it as long as its meets a yearly service requirement.The warranty covers a lot of items even frig and stove.But I just don't like the interior or the price for what you get.