Vehicle towing capacity for Scamps 13 and 16? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 05-24-2016, 09:00 PM   #1
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Name: Margaret
Trailer: in the market
North Carolina
Posts: 197
Vehicle towing capacity for Scamps 13 and 16?

I'm looking at several campers now, but I really need to start looking at vehicles.

I'm looking at several Scamps 13' and one 16', along with a Casita 17'.

Can you give me just a general idea of what kind of towing capacity and or vehicle I might need that would cover a range of those sizes?

Trucks are kinda expensive!

Thanks, Margaret
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Old 05-24-2016, 09:03 PM   #2
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Name: Margaret
Trailer: in the market
North Carolina
Posts: 197
Thanks for the awesome advice!!

Thanks so much for helping me start my new life. I've listed my house, and it's on the market, so the camper will be my next step. I've talked to several owners, so I haven't picked one yet, but I really appreciate all the help you folks have given me so far.

Margaret
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Old 05-24-2016, 09:09 PM   #3
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Name: bob
Trailer: 1996 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe; 1946 Modernistic teardrop
New York
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The Casita 17 would be the heaviest of the three. Quite tongue heavy. We tow ours with a full size pickup. There is a thread that lists trailer weights, created by weighing trailers at rallies.
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Old 05-24-2016, 09:12 PM   #4
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Name: Steve
Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
NW Wisconsin
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NO HELP

I tow with a truck , so sorry I cannot be of any help to you .
We own a 17 ft Casita Spirit Deluxe -- Tongue weight = 430 lbs
Trailer weight = approx 3300 lbs.
I tried towing with a car once , didn't feel safe to me .
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Old 05-24-2016, 09:32 PM   #5
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Name: Margaret
Trailer: in the market
North Carolina
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steve dunham View Post
I tow with a truck , so sorry I cannot be of any help to you .
We own a 17 ft Casita Spirit Deluxe -- Tongue weight = 430 lbs
Trailer weight = approx 3300 lbs.
I tried towing with a car once , didn't feel safe to me .
What type of truck do you use?

Margaret
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Old 05-24-2016, 09:38 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lonely Road View Post
I'm looking at several campers now, but I really need to start looking at vehicles.

I'm looking at several Scamps 13' and one 16', along with a Casita 17'.

Can you give me just a general idea of what kind of towing capacity and or vehicle I might need that would cover a range of those sizes?

Trucks are kinda expensive!

Thanks, Margaret
A great place to start is to take look at the thread Trailer Weights in the Real World. It will give you a pretty good idea as to what you can expect the trailers you ask about to weigh loaded for camping. BTW it is doubtful that the majority on the list had much in the way of water in the tanks - as most were weighed at a full service campground - although you can never be sure if they did or didnt.
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Old 05-24-2016, 09:41 PM   #7
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Name: Lynn
Trailer: 2019 Escape 21C, NTU April 2022 (was 2013 Casita Spirit Deluxe 17)
Massachusetts
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You should look at the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of the trailer (maximum the trailer axle(s) allow), and then at the maximum listed for the towing package on your tow vehicle (TV). I've heard it said that the TV capability should be well over the GVW of the trailer.

How much? Others know more than I—maybe 50% or more? A Casita 17 is 3,500 GVW, so 50% more would be 5,250.

/Mr Lynn
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Old 05-24-2016, 09:58 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Lynn View Post
You should look at the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of the trailer (maximum the trailer axle(s) allow), and then at the maximum listed for the towing package on your tow vehicle (TV). I've heard it said that the TV capability should be well over the GVW of the trailer.



/Mr Lynn
Equally as import is the PAYLOAD rating.

For example you can have a vehicle that is rated to tow 3500lbs with a Payload of only 800lbs (as one very popular small tow vehicle here does). So you add up trailers tongue weight and the weight of the driver and passengers, fuel, baggage in the vehicle and the family dog... its not uncommon if pulling a trailer that weighs anywhere near the max tow rating for the payload to be over.
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Old 05-24-2016, 11:03 PM   #9
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Name: David
Trailer: Former 13’Scamp, now Snoozy
Arizona
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Trucks are kinda expensive!

Thanks, Margaret

Margaret, in the past 10 years I have be patient and was able to purchase 3 one owner meticulously cared for rust free Arizona pickup trucks, 2 for 10K and the last for 5K. It doesn't have to be expensive to have nice tow vehicles.
Dave & Paula
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Old 05-25-2016, 07:58 AM   #10
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Name: Steve
Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
NW Wisconsin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David B. View Post
Trucks are kinda expensive!

Thanks, Margaret

Margaret, in the past 10 years I have be patient and was able to purchase 3 one owner meticulously cared for rust free Arizona pickup trucks, 2 for 10K and the last for 5K. It doesn't have to be expensive to have nice tow vehicles.
Dave & Paula
I only wish . A ten year old rust free anything in my area is not reality
Saving a couple of bucks by buying a too small , inadequate tow vehicle never made sense to me. If you can't afford a proper tow vehicle then why buy a trailer . It takes both parts to make it work properly and safely.
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Old 05-25-2016, 08:23 AM   #11
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I tow a 1800 lb (loaded, ready to pull) 13' Standard Scamp. It has the bath, shower, fridge, A/C, awning...pretty much loaded. I pull it with a 4-cyl Nissan Frontier. You just do NOT want to try and take off on a steep hill. But other wise, I gear down and have pulled some serious Tennessee hills with it. I would NOT pull anything larger than my 13' and that includes a stripped down 16'.

If you're going to be venturing into new territories where there's lots of hills/mountains, I would go up to a 6 cyl even with a 13' Scamp OR Casita. My truck is manual shift for what it's worth.
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Old 05-25-2016, 08:32 AM   #12
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Name: Sara
Trailer: I'm now married to a 16 Foot 93 Scamp!
Florida
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Smile TV for Scamp 16'

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lonely Road View Post
I'm looking at several campers now, but I really need to start looking at vehicles.

I'm looking at several Scamps 13' and one 16', along with a Casita 17'.

Can you give me just a general idea of what kind of towing capacity and or vehicle I might need that would cover a range of those sizes?

Trucks are kinda expensive!

Thanks, Margaret
Hi Margaret,

I tow my 16' Scamp with a VERY OLD 6 cyl Toyota 4runner. The Scamp tows like I have nothing behind me. My 4runner has a towing capacity of 5000 lbs and although her mileage is high (138K miles) I do a lot of preventive maintenance on her and keep her in optimal condition.

I am very 'old fashioned' in that I dislike debt and even more I dislike car payments. Thus, I think that if you are shrewd in your research of a used TV, you can actually find an appropriate one within your budget.

I was going to 'upgrade' my 4runner - while I was still searching/shopping for an affordable Scamp and when I began comparing what my options for a TV might be, I realized I already had what I needed.

The advice contained in the previous posts is EXCELLENT advice and the bottom line on my end is "There is no such thing as too much research" and making an informed choice.
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Old 05-25-2016, 08:40 AM   #13
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Trailer: 2012 Escape 19
Oklahoma
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The table in this thread http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html
will give you an idea of what the trailers in question are likely to weigh. To tow a 13' egg you could get by with as little as a 2000 lb tow rating (Subaru comes to mind), although if buying something specifically for your towing I'd recommend something with more power and capability so you aren't 'just getting by'. For a 16' egg a 3500 lb tow rating would do pretty nicely, in general. You should notice that the 17' Casita "Deluxe" (i.e., front bath model) tends to be very hitch-heavy... sometimes 400 or 500 lbs... so I'd recommend a vehicle with a 5000 lb tow rating in order to get the necessary 500 lb hitch weight rating for that one.

If you want to do a lot of boondocking off the beaten path, a 4WD vehicle with high clearance can be very useful. Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota 4Runner, and Jeep Grand Cherokee come to mind.
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Old 05-25-2016, 08:57 AM   #14
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Name: Dewey
Trailer: Scamp 16'
Arizona
Posts: 2
Vehicles

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lonely Road View Post
I'm looking at several campers now, but I really need to start looking at vehicles.

I'm looking at several Scamps 13' and one 16', along with a Casita 17'.

Can you give me just a general idea of what kind of towing capacity and or vehicle I might need that would cover a range of those sizes?

Trucks are kinda expensive!

Thanks, Margaret
Lonely Road,
I pull a Scamp 16 with a Toyota RAV-4, V6 using an anti-sway bar and electric brakes. It pulls very well, although fuel economy averages only about 13 mpg (changes with headwind and tailwind conditions). I use the strap on mirror extenders that attach to my existing side mirrors to get full rear view. I would not want to pull with anything less than a V6.

MoScamp
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Old 05-25-2016, 09:34 AM   #15
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Name: Tap
Trailer: 2015 17' Casita Independence, 2010 Escape 19’
Florida
Posts: 118
I tow a 17 ft Casita Spirit Deluxe with a 2006 6-cylinder Toyota 4Runner. Pulls like a dream.
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Old 05-25-2016, 12:46 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by Mr Lynn View Post
You should look at the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of the trailer (maximum the trailer axle(s) allow), and then at the maximum listed for the towing package on your tow vehicle (TV). I've heard it said that the TV capability should be well over the GVW of the trailer.

How much? Others know more than I—maybe 50% or more? A Casita 17 is 3,500 GVW, so 50% more would be 5,250.

/Mr Lynn
I should hope that you would never, or hardly ever, load your trailer to the GVWR.
maybe if you're bringing home a load of bricks. But not when traveling any distance at highway speeds. You're better to take the Trailer Dry weight and add for water, and all the stuff you will carry in there. BEST, is to actually weigh the trailer, fully loaded, as you would for camping.
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Old 05-25-2016, 12:51 PM   #17
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Trailer: Scamp 16 ft Side Dinette
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lonely Road View Post
I'm looking at several campers now, but I really need to start looking at vehicles.

I'm looking at several Scamps 13' and one 16', along with a Casita 17'.

Can you give me just a general idea of what kind of towing capacity and or vehicle I might need that would cover a range of those sizes?

Trucks are kinda expensive!

Thanks, Margaret
Scamp 13s would take a Class II, 2500 lb capacity hitch.
Scamp 16s take a Class III, 3500 lb capacity hitch
We pulled our 13 with a VW Vanagon, and a Toyota Camry.
We pull our 16 DLX, with a Toyota Highlander, and before that with 3 Honda Odyssey vans
The 16 DLX weighs in, loaded, at about 2800 lb, hitch wit about 280 lb.
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Old 05-25-2016, 12:57 PM   #18
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Name: Lynn
Trailer: 2019 Escape 21C, NTU April 2022 (was 2013 Casita Spirit Deluxe 17)
Massachusetts
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wayne Collins View Post
I should hope that you would never, or hardly ever, load your trailer to the GVWR.
maybe if you're bringing home a load of bricks. But not when traveling any distance at highway speeds. You're better to take the Trailer Dry weight and add for water, and all the stuff you will carry in there. BEST, is to actually weigh the trailer, fully loaded, as you would for camping.
Where can you find a scale to weigh your trailer?

/Mr Lynn
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Old 05-25-2016, 01:18 PM   #19
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Trailer: Scamp 16 ft Side Dinette
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Originally Posted by Mr Lynn View Post
Where can you find a scale to weigh your trailer?

/Mr Lynn
Most large truck stops, or any grain elevator, or feed store that deals in bulk commodities. Even a highway truck weigh station. But they may not want you holding up traffic.
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Old 05-25-2016, 02:08 PM   #20
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Name: Steve
Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
NW Wisconsin
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Originally Posted by TappyGee View Post
I tow a 17 ft Casita Spirit Deluxe with a 2006 6-cylinder Toyota 4Runner. Pulls like a dream.
My experience towing my 17 ft Casita Spirit Deluxe with a 6 cylinder was just the opposite . Everyone has a different perception of what is an adequate tow vehicle. I have never owned anything that towed like a dream nor have I ever felt that the trailer wasn't there.. Even with my fullsize 1/2 ton V8 truck , I can tell I have a trailer in tow by the way the vehicle handles and the way it sounds.
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