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Old 03-21-2018, 10:58 AM   #1
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Name: Snoma
Trailer: In the market
Oklahoma
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Hello from Oklahoma

Hello, I am from Oklahoma and have been looking at small campers for awhile. I have researched extensively and have settled on 4 different fiberglass campers. The Parkliner, Lil Snoozy, Oliver, and the Casita. Could some of you give me your opinions on each brand? If you have one, the good the bad, ect. I would deeply appreciate it. I am trying to stay under the 20 ft size.

Thank you

SJ Headrick
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Old 03-21-2018, 12:57 PM   #2
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Welcome, SJ!

The trailers on your short list are all very different and range from around $20K to over $50K new. The Lil Snoozy is all-electric and has a cassette toilet, which points to a very different style of camping. The Oliver is a great boondocking and cold weather trailer, but priciest and heaviest of the bunch. The Parkliner is a clever design, but it's small. Headroom and bed size vary, too. Only the Casita is widely available on the used market; the others are low-volume models.

I'm sure you'll get some helpful opinions here, but it really comes down to what you need in a trailer, not what someone else needs. How will you travel- where, when, and for how long? What kind of vehicle will you be towing with? Will you camp in developed campgrounds with hook-ups or is dry camping part of the mix? Lots of questions to ask yourself.

Maybe you're not sure yet. That's normal. I'll venture a couple of suggestions.

(1) Consider visiting a molded fiberglass rally, where there will be many makes and models. Some have a time set aside for open house tours, but even if not, most owners are more than willing to give you a look and an earful. Contact event coordinators for advice about scheduling a visit.

(2) Consider starting with a used trailer. Casitas are widely available for a modest investment (most of which you'll get back if you sell) and they are fully equipped for a variety of camping styles (other than extreme cold). After you get a season or two under your belt, I'm confident you'll know exactly what you need/want in a trailer. If it's not the Casita, you can then order your "forever" trailer with greater confidence, and you'll still have your "starter" trailer while you want for it to be built.

Best wishes "egg hunting"!
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Old 03-21-2018, 01:14 PM   #3
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Florida
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We have a Casita and are very happy with it. If I were to upgrade, I'd probably look at an Escape 21.

Olivers are nice but pricey, Lil Snoozy is all electric which doesn't work for us - also don't care for the outboard wheels. No experience with Parkliner.

Why not Scamp? Pretty similar in concept and pricing to Casita.
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Old 03-22-2018, 08:13 PM   #4
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Name: Skip
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There is a 1995 Casita 16' in Lubbock Tx. $10,500
I can get you more information next week. We are leaving town 'till Sunday
Skip
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Old 03-23-2018, 01:25 PM   #5
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All are good brands and are pretty well made, keeping in mind that any company can occasionally produce a lemon. Also, most of the components (A/C, furnace, fridge, etc) are common and fixable through any RV dealer. I think you should consider what floor plan works best for you, make sure you're happy with the amount of interior storage and the type of interior finish (carpeted walls? lots of white or lots of wood? and so on), decide if you want a propane system or not, and go from there.

Oh, and one more big issue: what exactly will you be towing it with? Some of these can be towed by a vehicle with 3500 lb towing/350 lb hitch weight rating, and some (Casita 17, Oliver, Escape 19) will require at least 5000/500 lb rating.
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Old 03-23-2018, 02:07 PM   #6
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Missouri
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what i like what you like

we went from a tent to an A-liner to our 13f scamper. when we got the a-liner we purchased a ford edge its not rated to pull much 1500lb I think. the 13f scamper according to a scale is a little over 1k.

the trailer hitch was sooo easy to put on undo the muffler drop it down and mount the 1 piece hitch, no drilling. my mechanic put the trailer pigtail on and done!

I would start out with not much trailer and not a lot of money layout use it and find out about this trailer game you may like it you may not.

some people want luxury when camping we don't you will have to decide. a lot of doodads adds weight so you have to consider that also!

good luck with whatever you decide

bob
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Old 03-23-2018, 02:17 PM   #7
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+10 some dramatically different trailers on your list in price, size, weight, floor plan, and more.

If you are thinking used, molded trailers are very hard to find. The good news right now is that if you make a mistake on which to buy (we did), getting out is not nearly as painful financially. They hold their value very well!

Some of the criteria we used:

Must have a toilet and A/C.
Must have a seating area separate from the bed.
Larger bed size.
Propane and 12v systems along with 120v.
Weight not a big issue as we have a large TV (V8 powered F150).
20 foot long max (limited storage space)

This criteria left us with an Escape 19. Develop your criteria and you could end up with something else.
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Old 03-23-2018, 02:21 PM   #8
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by the way welcome


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Old 03-23-2018, 04:46 PM   #9
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Everyone has made excellent points. Jon has summed it up succinctly.

A rally is an excellent opportunity to explore so many different campers and so much easier to make comparisons if you are lucky enough to be able to go back and forth between some of your favourites at one time. Those "open house" tours (often a Saturday morning feature of alot of rallies) are lots of fun plus a great chance to get info and ideas.

In the end, how deep your pocketbook is isn't as important as being happy with what you buy. Used campers are an excellent investment!

You will get many different opinions on what is best, but in the end, if you make the wrong choice, resale is always an option. At least fibreglass trailers HAVE a resale value! lol
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Old 03-23-2018, 04:48 PM   #10
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And WELCOME!! (Thanks for the reminder, Bob)
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Old 03-24-2018, 10:06 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Magee View Post
...Oh, and one more big issue: what exactly will you be towing it with? Some of these can be towed by a vehicle with 3500 lb towing/350 lb hitch weight rating, and some (Casita 17, Oliver, Escape 19) will require at least 5000/500 lb rating.
All the Oliver Elite II’s will deliver at (at least) 4600 pounds. This will depend on options. Ours was 5320 pounds. I would not even consider a tow vehicle with less than a 7500 pound capacity.

We tow with a Silverado 2500 diesel. I don’t consider it overkill.
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Old 03-25-2018, 09:44 AM   #12
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Hello SJ. Welcome to the forum. Once you get your fiberglass camper I recommend Osage Hills State Park between Bartlesville and Pawhuska. A beautiful place to camp.
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Old 03-25-2018, 10:26 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Outlaw View Post
All the Oliver Elite II’s will deliver at (at least) 4600 pounds. This will depend on options. Ours was 5320 pounds. I would not even consider a tow vehicle with less than a 7500 pound capacity.

We tow with a Silverado 2500 diesel. I don’t consider it overkill.
Based on the other trailers in the OP's list, I assumed they were probably talking about the smaller Oliver. Still a relatively heavy trailer, but possibly half-ton towable.

I am curious what the OP is thinking, being such a varied groups of trailers. Just realized the common link appears to be geography, all originating in the Southeastern US, more or less.

Seems like size, layout, and features might be a better starting point. Folks have driven from Florida to British Columbia for the right trailer to suit their needs.
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Old 03-25-2018, 10:37 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon in AZ View Post
Based on the other trailers in the OP's list, I assumed they were probably talking about the smaller Oliver. Still a relatively heavy trailer, but possibly half-ton towable.

I am curious what the OP is thinking, being such a varied groups of trailers. Just realized the common link appears to be geography, all originating in the Southeastern US, more or less.

Seems like size, layout, and features might be a better starting point. Folks have driven from Florida to British Columbia for the right trailer to suit their needs.
+10 you will likely have the trailer for a number of years. Proximity of the factory will wear off while frustration with floorplan will bother you every trip.
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