Looking for advice on a tug/tow combination.

[Karen M]

Hi to all,

Currently I have a 13 foot Casita, Standard pulled by a Ford Escape 6cyl. Been a good rig, my first travel trailer. In the next year I would really like to move to something in the 16 to 17 foot range, with a bathroom. I don't think I'll be comfotable with the Escape as a tow.

The largest thing I'm willing to drive on a daily basis is a midsized PU; the 6 cyl Nissan Frontier, short bed, 125 inch WB, 6100lb tow limit, is heading up the short list at the moment.

A complicating factor for me is that I had a bad wrist fracture (dominent hand of course) this spring... surgery... titanium plate and screws and although it's doing well, EASE of hitching has become much more important. I live pretty close to Casita and figured that when I was ready to enlarge I'd just get a Liberty and hit the road. I'm thinking a 17 Liberty with the Frontier would be best with a WDH. I need something tall enough for my 6 foot husband. He won't be camping often in the next five years but hopes to in the future.

My questions are:

1) Are there trailers that would work with this size vehicle without needing WDH or an anti sway bar? 16 Scamp? Lil Snoozy? I'm not really a 'belt and suspenders' kind of person but DO want to be safe on long trips.

2) If I end up going with a 17 Casita (and I've always liked the Liberty) and need a WDH, what brand or type is easiest to deal with?

Most of what I know I've learned from this and the Casita forums and I appreciate the members who take the time to educate us less knowledgeable folks. ALL of my knowledge about hitches is theoretical and I think it's just enough to be dangerous .

Thanks,

Karen

[Bill K]

One thing I found that makes hitching easier is an electric jack.
When I go to put my WDH on I have the ball connected and raise the trailer up a ways so there is no effort in putting the bars on.

Bill K

Originally Posted by Karen M

Hi to all,

Currently I have a 13 foot Casita, Standard pulled by a Ford Escape 6cyl. Been a good rig, my first travel trailer. In the next year I would really like to move to something in the 16 to 17 foot range, with a bathroom. I don't think I'll be comfotable with the Escape as a tow.

The largest thing I'm willing to drive on a daily basis is a midsized PU; the 6 cyl Nissan Frontier, short bed, 125 inch WB, 6100lb tow limit, is heading up the short list at the moment.

A complicating factor for me is that I had a bad wrist fracture (dominent hand of course) this spring... surgery... titanium plate and screws and although it's doing well, EASE of hitching has become much more important. I live pretty close to Casita and figured that when I was ready to enlarge I'd just get a Liberty and hit the road. I'm thinking a 17 Liberty with the Frontier would be best with a WDH. I need something tall enough for my 6 foot husband. He won't be camping often in the next five years but hopes to in the future.

My questions are:

1) Are there trailers that would work with this size vehicle without needing WDH or an anti sway bar? 16 Scamp? Lil Snoozy? I'm not really a 'belt and suspenders' kind of person but DO want to be safe on long trips.

2) If I end up going with a 17 Casita (and I've always liked the Liberty) and need a WDH, what brand or type is easiest to deal with?

Most of what I know I've learned from this and the Casita forums and I appreciate the members who take the time to educate us less knowledgeable folks. ALL of my knowledge about hitches is theoretical and I think it's just enough to be dangerous .

Thanks,

Karen

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Karen M

Hi to all,

Currently I have a 13 foot Casita, Standard pulled by a Ford Escape 6cyl. Been a good rig, my first travel trailer. In the next year I would really like to move to something in the 16 to 17 foot range, with a bathroom. I don't think I'll be comfotable with the Escape as a tow.

The largest thing I'm willing to drive on a daily basis is a midsized PU; the 6 cyl Nissan Frontier, short bed, 125 inch WB, 6100lb tow limit, is heading up the short list at the moment.

A complicating factor for me is that I had a bad wrist fracture (dominent hand of course) this spring... surgery... titanium plate and screws and although it's doing well, EASE of hitching has become much more important. I live pretty close to Casita and figured that when I was ready to enlarge I'd just get a Liberty and hit the road. I'm thinking a 17 Liberty with the Frontier would be best with a WDH. I need something tall enough for my 6 foot husband. He won't be camping often in the next five years but hopes to in the future.

My questions are:

1) Are there trailers that would work with this size vehicle without needing WDH or an anti sway bar? 16 Scamp? Lil Snoozy? I'm not really a 'belt and suspenders' kind of person but DO want to be safe on long trips.

2) If I end up going with a 17 Casita (and I've always liked the Liberty) and need a WDH, what brand or type is easiest to deal with?

Most of what I know I've learned from this and the Casita forums and I appreciate the members who take the time to educate us less knowledgeable folks. ALL of my knowledge about hitches is theoretical and I think it's just enough to be dangerous .

Thanks,

Karen

Your Escape would comfortably handle all of the choices you mention with the exception of the Casita 17,which crosses that line from a little chubby to "don't give her the weak chair!"
The 17 Casita is a nice trailer but it is not light, If you are going to the larger side you should also look a Bigfoot. It too is a great trailer with a lot to offer the camper with a larger Tow Vehicle.
If you want to stay with a "not so large" tow vehicle, consider the 16 Scamp with the side dinette, maybe even their beautiful deluxe model with an oak or birch interior.
You should not need a WDH with the Scamp.

[cpaharley2008]

Invest in a Sherline tongue weight scale. You can then accurately measure your tongue weight of the trailer and redistribute the weight if needed. I have had 2 w/d hitch setups on 2 different trailers and did not like them. They are heavy, cumbersome,awkward particularly if you are having hand issues. All I used was is a bolt on friction sway control. Now I use -0-. The Nissan would be a perfect t/v, but I'd get the 4x4 for a beefier front and rear. This should mean no w/d needed for a Casita/Scamp/Egg Camper/Lil Snoozy because it can handle up to a 500# tongue weight without one. By getting the 4x4 model with factory towing you can simply the hitch setup.

[Mike Magee]

Scamp 16 is 1.5" higher inside than Casita 17, might be helpful to a tall guy. Eggcamper is both taller and wider, hope you get a chance to see one.

I agree, get an electric jack and make things way easier on that wrist.

I've been towing 16' and 17' trailers thousands of miles with an '08 Highlander, 5000 lb tow/500 tongue capaciy, without any weight distribution or sway control. Unless the trailer is misloaded badly and your tongue weight is too light, handling should be good. However I am not one to talk anyone out of an added measure of safety if it's wanted. The Equal-i-zer and the Blue Ox Sway Pro are a couple of good hitches to consider.

[honda03842]

Karen,

We towed our son's 1995 Casita 16 for six months last year. It had a front bath with side Dinette. Very nicely built rig except it is only 5'10" tall and I'm 6'1". It weighed about 2800 pounds.

We liked it so much we bought a 1991 Scamp 16, taller than me inside and about 400 pounds lighter at 2400 pounds. It has a side bathroom and front couch/bunks. The layout inside seems much larger than the Casita of the same length.

We've towed both rigs with our 2004, 4 cylinder, manual transmission Honda CRV. We did not have a weight distribution hitch for either trailer. The Honda and trailer both rode very flat. In both cases we got about 23 mpg towing at around 57 mph. On the Scamp there is an anti-sway bar, though I have never seen either trailer sway without the bar.

As others have suggested an electric front jack would be beneficial to your wrist though they are both easy to jack up manually.

If you want to see ours you can look under the modifications thread, Modifying a 1991 Scamp. Hope that helps a little

We never overload the nose of the trailer. The Casita's tongue weight was about 240 pounds; two propane tanks and no battery on tongue. The Scamp's tongue weight is about 200 pounds, one propane tank, one battery.

We liked both trailers though believe the Scamp is better suited for the long term because it's taller and the layout is more useful and more open. The down side of the Scamp is a smaller bathroom but really no issue because we virtually never take a shower in the bathroom of either rig.

As to hitches, my advice is that after you think you're locked it down to get out and recheck it. This is a very common hitch up failure.

Safe Travels,

Norm

[Karen M]

Thanks for all the responses!

Norm, I like the layout of the Scamp side bath, the lighter weight and tongue weight. It's a lot like the layout of my 13 with more room and the bath. I doubt I would use it much for showering but sure will enjoy having one in the middle of the night. Oh, I check and recheck my hitch. I drove 2 axle horse trailers for years (but many years ago... never heard of WDH back then... maybe it was the different dynamics of a 2 axle set up).

I live 2 hours from Casita and several days from the other manufacturers so I have to factor that in. Most of the used trailers around here are Casitas as well. The folks on the Casita forum seem to really like the WDHs for the 17s.

Mike and Bill, is an electric jack something that can be added or does it have to come as original equipment? It sounds like it would add even more weight. I have to say I sure like the idea of simpler and lighter.

cpaharley, I've thought about the 4x4 but they are more expensive and more $ to insure also. On paper they have about the same weight limit but I've noticed that a lot of people seem to tow with them.

floyd, I chatted with some people in Monaghan's State Park that had a deluxe Scamp 13 with the wood interior and it sure was pretty.

So much to think about... thanks again!

Karen

[honda03842]

Before we bought the Scamp 16 we had a chance to get a 2005 Casita 17 for a really good price but decided against it because of it's weight. They are very heavy particularly tongue heavy and would be really be too much for our Honda.

One interesting resource on our site is the weight of actual trailers, much more realistic than manufacturers 'dry' numbers.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html

A member of the site actually measures trailers at rallies.

Good luck in your search

Norm

[Karen M]

I've looked that over a couple of times. And that data has made me rethink the "when I'm ready for a bath I'll just go get a Casita 17" idea I had for awhile. I sure wish the 16 was taller inside, but in the next few years my husband will get more chances to camp (I have summers off) and I need him to be comfortable.

But it's all about the camping and maybe next summer I'll be making a trip to pick up the perfect thing, somewhere!

Karen

[Bill K]

Karen,
I don't think the electric jack weights much more.
Yes the jacks can be changed with three nuts.

I changed mine when I had to move my propane tanks. Besides the crank jack was 200 turns top to bottom.

Bill K

Originally Posted by Karen M

Thanks for all the responses!


Mike and Bill, is an electric jack something that can be added or does it have to come as original equipment? It sounds like it would add even more weight. I have to say I sure like the idea of simpler and lighter.

So much to think about... thanks again!

Karen

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Bill K

Karen,
I don't think the electric jack weights much more.
Yes the jacks can be changed with three nuts.

I changed mine when I had to move my propane tanks. Besides the crank jack was 200 turns top to bottom.

Bill K

There is always a battery drill and this...

[Karen M]

Aaaah... interesting... but what is it??

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Karen M

Aaaah... interesting... but what is it??

It is a stock tongue jack with a simple modification.
I knocked out the rolepin on the pinion gear, removed the stock crank handle and replaced it with a piece of drillrod with a nut welded on the end.
This allows the use of a battery drill to make it a power jack, it also can be raised and lowered using the crank from the "Bal" stabilizers which were added to the rear of the trailer to replace the kickstands...

[Karen M]

I used to make fun of guys with power tools but not any longer; saving 200 cranks is starting to be a lot more appealing. I may have to figure this stuff out! Thanks. (And can I park next to you at a rally or campground some time?)

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Karen M

I used to make fun of guys with power tools but not any longer; saving 200 cranks is starting to be a lot more appealing. I may have to figure this stuff out! Thanks. (And can I park next to you at a rally or campground some time?)

Always welcome, I'm always ready to learn something new and to share what little I know!

[Donna D.]

Yeah an electric tongue jack whether manufactured that way or ala Floyd is the way to go. No more busted knuckles on the propane tank and no more getting SWEATY!

[Karen M]

Sweaty in Oregon We have had something like 56 days over 100 this year.

Trade ya!

Karen

[Karen M]

But I do like the idea of an electric jack,

[Donna D.]

Yeah Karen, the weather has been unusually cool here in Oregon this year. But typically when I camp and need to level the trailer with the handcrank tongue jack... I get sweaty. That's okay when I'm ready for a cool beverage, but I can have that without the sweat!

Floyd I like your BAL stabilizers too!

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by floyd

It is a stock tongue jack with a simple modification.
I knocked out the rolepin on the pinion gear, removed the stock crank handle and replaced it with a piece of drillrod with a nut welded on the end.
This allows the use of a battery drill to make it a power jack, it also can be raised and lowered using the crank from the "Bal" stabilizers which were added to the rear of the trailer to replace the kickstands...

Floyd,
Did you ever consider making some extras and selling them to other members here? I'd like to obtain one.