Hi, I am Jeff from the Northern LP of Michigan - Fiberglass RV
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Old 10-20-2016, 01:34 PM   #1
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Name: Jeff
Trailer: 2018 Casita SD 17'
Michigan
Posts: 47
Hi, I am Jeff from the Northern LP of Michigan

What a great website! I am patiently saving my money and researching for the purchase of a Casita or Scamp travel trailer. Looks like little has changed on these trailers for years so as long as I can find a well maintained TT I will probably buy used. As many of you have posted elsewhere, finding such an egg within scouting range and getting there before it is gone is a whole different story.

One thing I am curious about is how far back do you think a person should look in terms of year of production of these trailers with the intent to keep it 15 years or so and use it often. I am kind of beat up after a military career and the spinal fusions and new hip have slowed me down - more like limit me - more than I want to admit some days. I used to love projects but I don't think I can do major renovations now.
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Old 10-20-2016, 01:45 PM   #2
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Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
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Hi, I am Jeff from the Northern LP of Michigan

Welcome, Jeff!

There's no magic age. Odds of problems go up with age, of course. With maintenance these trailers last indefinitely. Neglected and abused, they can become major projects in a few years. I, too, wanted to avoid a project. Mine was four years old, leak-free, like new inside, a few cosmetic dings outside.

Take it on a case-by-case basis and do a careful pre-purchase inspection- there's a "Buyer's Checklist" in the Document Center in the More tab at the top right of the page. Main thing I'd run away from is any indication of floor rot.

Buy the best you can afford, keep up with routine maintenance, and your trailer will give you good service in return.

Best wishes on your "egg hunt"!
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Old 10-20-2016, 02:32 PM   #3
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Name: Mike
Trailer: 2012 Escape 19
Oklahoma
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Sometimes (rarely) one can find a great bargain on a used one. Most of the time it's hard to find one for less than $5,000 and many of them are in the $8k-11K range. A buyer might not obtain a loan for a used Scamp or Casita without dishing up some serious cash, because they sell above book value. One option is to buy new and finance it over, say, 7 years; with today's low interest rates this isn't as unwise at it used to be, and the trailer should need minimal maintenance for the first few years. Just a thought. YMMV.

BTW, I have a sister in Alanson.
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Old 10-20-2016, 07:35 PM   #4
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Name: john
Trailer: Compact Junior
Michigan
Posts: 237
Welcome Jeff......

Thanks for your service, where are you at in northern Michigan?

That's my favorite place to go camping. Love to go to state forest campgrounds during the week and escape the weekend crowds.

I found my Compact Jr in Oscoda. Keep your eye on the referrals forum.

I've posted three referrals there this year. One was a U-Haul from the mid-80's located in Oscoda, one was a $3,000 Scamp in Kalamazoo, and the other was a $2,000 Trillium that sold REAL fast.

I spotted two of them on craigslist and one in a weekly auto/rv magazine.

A great place to get a look at trailers is at a rally. There is one in September in Algonac and there is an early summer one in northern Wisconsin on the Door Peninsula.

To be able to act quickly you need to have money on hand because they do sell fast.

Good luck!

ps This photo was at the Jones Lake campground near Grayling. There were dozens of sites and only one other camper there. I was just a few yards away from the water's edge.

I wondered why such a beautiful place was so empty. I soon found out when the noise started, it was right next to the National Guard artillery range!
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Old 10-21-2016, 02:59 AM   #5
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Name: Lisa
Trailer: Boler 1700
Michigan
Posts: 130
Welcome Jeff!

We looked at a Craigslist Amerigo in Ypsilante this summer. And a restored Trillium in Brighton last summer. When seriously looking, we check the listings several times a day. And are packed to leave (checklists, money, anything we need for evaluating a trailer & most importantly hauling it back home if we buy it) And have found people nice about holding the trailer while we are traveling to see it. YMMV

If you decide that older units (25 yrs or older) might work for you, you might consider buying something in Canada. The exchange rate is very favorable and at that age importing into the US is not difficult.

We have purchased three trailers in Canada, two bolers and a trillium. All of them were listed on Kijiji.

Good Luck!
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Old 10-21-2016, 08:17 AM   #6
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Name: Lyle
Trailer: Scamp 16, previously Scamp 13
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Hello Jeff,

As said, there is no magic age. I found my 1999 13' in East Tawas, and I helped facilitate a sale of a 2013 16' Scamp in Lapeer, so they are around occasionally. Best you can do is put out what, specifically, you are looking for, and someone might see it and be able to point you towards a possibility. That's what happened with the one I facilitated, it wasn't even listed for sale, but the owner had mentioned to me that he may be interested in selling in a few months. I just gave the owner the number of the folks looking to buy, if he was interested. He was, and all were happy, the sale was made.

Anyway. If a trailer looks good and the floor/frame is sound, most other things can either be addressed by an RV repair facility or other Trailer Service company. I did have the axle replaced on mine, and some electrical problems resolved, I now have a trailer that I anticipate will be going long after I'm done with it. Of course an older trailer may need more cosmetic attention, but structurally they are fairly simple. The major projects that could come up would be needing to reseal the windows eventually, though I have no leaks in my 1999 Scamp.

Also, keep in mind that you are relatively close to Backus (a one day drive) so you COULD take it there for any attention a used trailer needed. Just add a stop there on a vacation trip - that's what I did to have a Fantastic Vent installed in mine. Their service department has been very accommodating and did good work quickly. Not exorbitantly costly, either.

Good luck with your search.
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Old 10-21-2016, 10:58 AM   #7
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Name: Kathleen (Kai: ai as in wait)
Trailer: Amerigo FG-16 1973 "Peanut"
Greater Seattle Metropolitan Area, Washington
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Welcome to FGRV, Jeff,
Thank you for your service to our country!


May you find your egg
and fulfill your dreams!


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