Towing Capacity

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Mike in WIS

I am not particularly worried about an edge seal failing, causing my trailer to fall apart. I don’t see it as a likely big risk.

During the course of my looking into molded FG trailers, I saw some serious problems with Cassitas and Scamps, in particular. Constant shifting between the molded halves, doors not aligning, etc. Doesn’t mean I’m slamming those brands or anything of the kind, because I’m not. Kind of turned me off from those brands, if you know what I mean?Maybe the ones I looked at were just a couple of lemons; I don’t know. My point is that there are risks with anything you buy, including trailers.
Time will tell if I made a good choice, or not.
Anyway, I like this forum because there is much I can learn other experienced campers. [emoji868]

I have seen a LOT of Scamp trailers and owned a lot of them too. Of course I have not seen the halves shifting!
Those trailers are fiberglassed together into one solid piece during construction.
Not sure about the "Cassita"(sic) but it is true of the Casita and Scamp.

I was sure I had made the right choice when I ordered my Scamp and have had that decision confirmed now for more than a dozen years of use.
I have now gotten my money's worth several times over and of course, no shifting of the halves.
I hope time alleviates your doubts about your choice.

[Mike in WIS]

No need to be defensive
I believe what you are saying is true, yet I also know that my neighbor has been frustrated by her experience with her shifting door, because I could see it for myself.
Also, I do not have lingering doubts about my choice. Confirmation comes with experience, as with all choices.
As I’m sure you’ll agree, many things factor into a purchase decision, like this one. Live and let live.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Mike in WIS

No need to be defensive
I believe what you are saying is true, yet I also know that my neighbor has been frustrated by her experience with her shifting door, because I could see it for myself.
Also, I do not have lingering doubts about my choice. Confirmation comes with experience, as with all choices.
As I’m sure you’ll agree, many things factor into a purchase decision, like this one. Live and let live.

No need to make facetious claims.
I was not being defensive, I was merely fulfilling your desire to learn from experienced campers.
Or did you mean this in the sense that we could use some "Larnin"?....
Quote...
"Anyway, I like this forum because there is much I can learn other experienced campers."

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by floyd

No need to make facetious claims.
I was not being defensive, I was merely fulfilling your desire to learn from experienced campers.
Or did you mean this in the sense that we could use some "Larnin"?....
Quote...
"Anyway, I like this forum because there is much I can learn other experienced campers."

Floyd to be fair , many have experienced door issues with Scamps and Casita's . Worn hinges , miss alignment, loose mounting screws , warped doors, and defective door hardware / locks to name a few reasons.
No I don't believe the top and bottom half are sliding around.

[Mike in WIS]

First off, please don’t assume that I am not an experienced camper, because I’ve been camping all of my life.
A wise person continues to learn, from all kinds of sources.
I respect people who are thoughtful and willing to both learn and share what they’ve learned, in a good-natured manner.
Enough said

[floyd]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Floyd to be fair , many have experienced door issues with Scamps and Casita's . Worn hinges , miss alignment, loose mounting screws , warped doors, and defective door hardware / locks to name a few reasons.
No I don't believe the top and bottom half are sliding around.

[thrifty bill]

+10 Take a tour of either of the factories. I took a tour of the Casita factory. Shortly after the two halves come out of the mold, they are fiberglassed together on the inside of the trailer. No way the two halves are shifting. If anything, I think that horizontal fiberglass bond makes that section of the trailer stronger than other portions of the shell.

Its made in two pieces so it can be removed from the mold.

Door problems/issues do not seem to be limited to any brand of trailer. As trailers age, hinges begin to sag. And older vintage trailers had relatively weak frames. Do a search of the forum, I prefer to do it on google, do a search for door sag (and the brand of your choice) followed by www.fiberglassrv.com. You will see every brand has this issue on older trailers.

Also need to realize most of the issues you see with molded fiberglass trailers are on units that are 30 to 40 years old. The longevity of molded trailers is second to none in the RV industry.

Now years ago, we owned an Alpenlite trailer. Aluminum frame (no wood), fiberglass panel walls (fiberglass on the inside, rigid foam layer, and luan on the inside). It was a fine trailer. The only leak we ever had was from a window. What I did not like was the roof. Read up on rubber or aluminum roofs. They are no longer in business.

[k0wtz]

bill thanks for the information on these campers I wondered many times how they were assembled? I am surprised they are able to bond these 2 panels together and keep them together!

Our 13f scout is 22 years old of course the door doesn't fit exactly and the door spindles need some work, I have ordered the repair kit but until it gets really bad I am not going to mess with them yet.

As long as I don't have any leaks I am not going to do much fretting about stevie as I like her just the way she is warts and all.

bob

[Mike in WIS]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

+10 Take a tour of either of the factories. I took a tour of the Casita factory. Shortly after the two halves come out of the mold, they are fiberglassed together on the inside of the trailer. No way the two halves are shifting. If anything, I think that horizontal fiberglass bond makes that section of the trailer stronger than other portions of the shell.

Its made in two pieces so it can be removed from the mold.

Door problems/issues do not seem to be limited to any brand of trailer. As trailers age, hinges begin to sag. And older vintage trailers had relatively weak frames. Do a search of the forum, I prefer to do it on google, do a search for door sag (and the brand of your choice) followed by www.fiberglassrv.com. You will see every brand has this issue on older trailers.

Also need to realize most of the issues you see with molded fiberglass trailers are on units that are 30 to 40 years old. The longevity of molded trailers is second to none in the RV industry.

Now years ago, we owned an Alpenlite trailer. Aluminum frame (no wood), fiberglass panel walls (fiberglass on the inside, rigid foam layer, and luan on the inside). It was a fine trailer. The only leak we ever had was from a window. What I did not like was the roof. Read up on rubber or aluminum roofs. They are no longer in business.

Your Old Alpenlite trailer reminds me somewhat of our Winnie Drop, with the big exception that the roof is one-piece fiberglass, and not rubber. Without that feature, I would not have purchased it.

Also, Winnebago has a reputation for quality and been in the business for almost 60 years.

[the_fixer]

A few pics from October 2017 when we took delivery of our 13 ft Scamp.

[Jon in AZ]

I think it's safe to say a Scamp or Casita has never come apart or shifted at the belly band joint. There have been a few leaks due to cracks or pinholes opening up in the fiberglass strip, but that's pretty rare and unrelated to door fit.

Curved, airplane-style, fiberglass doors on rounded eggs are inherently troublesome due to the natural flexibility of the materials. Fit is rarely perfect in the best of circumstances. Scamp has remained committed to that style door, and over the years they have made a number of changes to improve it: a stronger hinge from the start (3-bolt vs. Boler's 2-bolt), a new door seal, and most recently, a new hinge design and modern lockset with deadbolt. Scamp also strengthened the frame itself to provide better support to the shell and last longer. Casita chose to bypass the issues by switching to a flat door on their newer 17' design. I'm not sure if they have made any changes to the old-stye 16' door design, but unlike Scamp, they sell very few smaller trailers.

In addition to the difficulties of getting a flexible curved door to fit well on a flexible curved shell, a number of issues can develop over time that make it worse. Hinges can wear out (easy fix, as the wear parts are replaceable, and preventable with regular lubrication). If hinges, latches and door seals are not kept tight, hinge bolts can oval out their holes from movement while bouncing down the highway. If hinges are not resealed periodically, water can rot the reinforcing wood they are bolted to inside the shell. If the window or lockset is allowed to leak, water can infiltrate the reinforcing wood in the door's core, causing it to lose its shape. If interior cabinetry is removed or modified, the shell can sag and bulge outward at the middle, causing poor door fit. If the frame is allowed to deteriorate, cracks can cause the shell to shift, also resulting in poor door fit. All represent a failure of normal maintenance and typically show up on trailers that are 20 years old or more.

I have owned RVs with traditional flat doors, and they can also leak into the core and fail, hinges can sag, etc. Personally, I like the appearance of curved doors on rounded eggs in spite of their design limitations. And I love this forum because here is where I learn about all these things! Armed with good information, I can maintain my molded fiberglass trailer for maximum longevity.

[the_fixer]

Speaking of new hinges and door locks.

[Joe Romas]

Originally Posted by Raspy

Mostly, it seems they just make stuff up, or decide in advance what the outcome will be and print it. But they do get themselves into trouble and cause others trouble too. The Suzuki Samurai rollover saga is a perfect example. They printed how unsafe it was without testing it. After being sued by Suzuki, they tried to prove their position and couldn't. Suzuki won the case, but by then CR had done so much damage that Samurais were taken off the market.

They would do it with the Wrangler too, if they could. They seem to want to categorize the Wrangler with family sedans, but point out how bad the Wrangler is when compared. It would be far better to describe where the Wrangler shines and why, than to simply say it doesn't work as well in the city as a car.

Other examples have been given in this thread. No way I'd take CRs advice on anything. I might review actual specs on something, but not their biased and unfounded "conclusions". Absolutely, do your own research. Everyone should anyway. Why buy something based on someone else's bias?

Right or wrong, I sort of see anyone who makes their buying decisions based on CR recommendations, as a victim, or unwilling to do their own research.

\

We sure need "I Like" button here

[Steve Carlson]

Same thing with Isuzu. CR rated the Trooper unsafe due to alleged tendency to roll over, even though real-world rollover statistics placed the Trooper mid-pack among SUVs for rollovers per 100,000 miles.

The inescapable conclusion is that the CR test methodology was badly flawed, or they were intentionally lying.

Meanwhile, the worst SUV for rollovers at the time was the Ford Bronco II. One wonders why CR kept going after small import manufacturers like Suzuki and Isuzu instead of the large domestic brands? Did money change hands to influence this choice? One wonders.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlson

Same thing with Isuzu. CR rated the Trooper unsafe due to alleged tendency to roll over, even though real-world rollover statistics placed the Trooper mid-pack among SUVs for rollovers per 100,000 miles.

The inescapable conclusion is that the CR test methodology was badly flawed, or they were intentionally lying.

Meanwhile, the worst SUV for rollovers at the time was the Ford Bronco II. One wonders why CR kept going after small import manufacturers like Suzuki and Isuzu instead of the large domestic brands? Did money change hands to influence this choice? One wonders.

To be fair CR's prejudices for and against certain brands of vehicles extends to both foreign and domestic producers.
It would be helpful if CR was consistent in its methods and criteria for testing but then they wouldn't get their predetermined outcome.
I can't state that CR is open to being influenced by money but some of their reviews sure give reason to pondering that possibility.

[rbryan]

I don't think CR is influenced by money as much as influenced by their biases going in. A glaring example was their inability to comprehend that a CJ is an off-road vehicle, not a passenger car. If you won't rate things based on their intended use, and insist on comparing apples to oranges, then your ratings aren't much good.

[Glenn Baglo]

Kinda like the prejudice some have toward full-size pickup trucks.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Kinda like the prejudice some have toward full-size pickup trucks.

To tow a 19? Yep, I'm biased.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by rbryan

To tow a 19? Yep, I'm biased.

Since Glenn was handing out a compliment , I assumed it was meant for you . My assumption was correct.

If I owned a Ford F150 Eco Boost, I also would be biased and justifiably so.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Since Glenn was handing out a compliment , I assumed it was meant for you . My assumption was correct.

If I owned a Ford F150 Eco Boost, I also would be biased and justifiably so.

Never assume.