Hi I am ... new and in need of advice

[Zach Alan]

I've just started looking at molded fiberglass trailers and could use some advice, as I'm new to this.

I have a 2018 Toyota Tacoma as a tow vehicle, which should help narrow my options down - max tow capacity 3500 pounds.

I volunteer in the National Parks in Utah, my main gig there gives me housing every spring and fall, but I'd be using this to occasionally boondock in the National Forest nearby during Park Festivals in summer.

my needs are essentially: bed, desk, stove, sink, refrigerator, heat/AC, toilet, shower - would be towing the trailer into the forest and leaving it in one location for 14 days at a time, so something with larger water/waste storage tanks would be preferable.

does not need to be plush as I'm generally out all day, but would prefer buying a brand with a good track record and one common enough that parts and repair advice would be easier to come by.

would also prefer to rent something to test it out first, and would love to attend some sort of rally for fiberglass trailer enthusiasts where I can get a feel for multiple different types and what people are doing with them.

Scamps, Casitas, and Escapes seem to get mentioned most often, but maybe I'm missing others.

it's just me, no pets or spouse, so think small, portable and durable please - where should I even begin? thanks !!!

[Glenn Baglo]

First piece of advice is to break your post up into paragraphs.

I gave up reading half way through.

[Baxter]

That's not very helpful, Glenn.

Zach, my suggestion would be a Scamp 13' deluxe.

It's lightweight, small and easy to tow with your tacoma. Relatively cheap yet pretty durable. Has a bathroom and will be pretty plush for one person. And parts availability will be good.

I think you'd have to get the deluxe to get the bathroom.

Casita or Escape, you'd have to go with a 16-footer at least, so you'd have more weight and be less mobile.

[Jon in AZ]

In Scamp-speak “deluxe” means it has a custom wood interior. “Standard” means it has a modular fiberglass interior, available with or without a bathroom in both 13’ and 16’ sizes. For long-term use, I’d personally be looking at the 16’ers.

In Casita-speak, “deluxe” means bathroom.

A tow rating of 3500/350# means you’re probably looking for 16’ or less. Casitas tend to be a little heavier than similarly-equipped Scamps.

Welcome to the forum, and best wishes in your search!

[Baxter]

Jon, you are correct, BUT the 13 Scamp deluxe is available with a bathroom: https://www.scamptrailers.com/showro...-bathroom.html

To the best of my knowledge it's the only 13 footer available with a bath.

[thrifty bill]

I would definitely NOT recommend a Scamp 13 given your list of requirements. Bathroom, separate place to sit (your desk if you will) = Scamp 16. Now if you adjust your list, a 13 could work.

Paragraphs or even just a break after a couple of sentences do make forum postings much easier to read.

13 footers are small. Dedicating space to a toilet and shower comes out of other amenities. As the trailers get bigger, its easier to get more stuff without giving up something else. A Scamp 16 Deluxe meets your requirements pretty well.

The only way to do it with a 13 is to take up your bed every morning, converting it into a dinette. Then converting it back every evening. That gets old. For a weekend, its OK. But you are talking about living in it for multiple weeks.

Fiberglass campers of all brands are relatively rare. Scamp and Casita are more common than Escape and other brands. The average RV repair place will not know how to do repairs on the fiberglass structure (which should not need much attention). Appliances on the other hand are no different than those used in other brands of trailers.

Occasionally you can find one to rent, but you will have to dig around.

If you are planning to boondock AND have AC, you will need a generator.

Layout 2 of the Scamp 13 standard has a shower option. You just won't have a separate place to sit other than taking up the bed. And if you want used, that will be very scarce. The tanks will not be large. You have to manage water use carefully, and then come up with a way to add water and drain tanks.

In many ways, a Scamp 13 standard with the front bath options would be ideal, just no place to sit. Keep your bedding SIMPLE and making it up each night is not as big of a deal.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Baxter

Jon, you are correct, BUT the 13 Scamp deluxe is available with a bathroom: https://www.scamptrailers.com/showro...-bathroom.html

To the best of my knowledge it's the only 13 footer available with a bath.

At one time that was true, but the 13’ standard has been available with a front bathroom for over a decade now. On the webpage it’s shown as layout 2. It was first offered with toilet only around 2000 and with a full wet bath starting 2007.

[Raspy]

Zach, Looks like you are gonna need good batteries and probably a solar system. AC is not gonna happen without a generator.

An excellent place to see lots of trailers would be at Bullards' Beach in Bandon Oregon, this weekend! It's a Casita rally and everyone is welcome. Most trailers will be open to tour and you can ask the owners all about them.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Baxter

That's not very helpful, Glenn.

I don't know about that. Look at all the replies. Paragraphs rule.

[Zach Alan]

thanks everyone - that's good advice regarding the 13 vs 16 footers, I'd rather not convert the bed back and forth daily if I can avoid it

from the websites
Scamp 13 "Approximate weight 1200-1500"
Scamp 16 "Approximate weight 1750-2000"
Casita 16 (deluxe) "Dry weight 2185 lbs."
Escape "Dry weight 2540 / GVWR 4000lbs" (exceeds tow capacity by 500lbs)

found this while googling for actual weights:
16 ft scamp vs casita - The Casita Club Forum - The Casita Club Forums

after looking at photos online I'm leaning towards the Casita but can't make it to Bullards' Beach this weekend (am on the east coast at the moment) - if I had to aim towards one or two of the largest rallies where I could look inside the most vehicles at one time, when would those rallies be?

[Steve L.]

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

There are lists sorted differently somewhere in that post. Same data, just sorted other ways. There is also an Excel spreadsheet that allows you sort however you wish which is very helpful.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...7642619619&z=3

Dates when you click on a rally.

FWIW, my Casita 16 Spirit Deluxe weighs 2950 lb going camping. I'd suggest ignoring dry weights when you have access to so many "real" weights.

You might take a moment to become familiar with the site since you've already missed two resources. Much information already here.

[thrifty bill]

Go to the general chat section and look up weights in the real world. All of your figures are below what you will find there.

And don't bother with dry weights. Use real world weights. Google will tell you all about dry weight and why they don't tell the full picture.


Casita 16 deluxe (its the one with a bath and shower): 2820 pounds to 3260 pounds.

Scamp is slightly lighter, 2420 pounds to 3080 pounds.

Escape 17B (the one with the bath) is only slightly higher than the Casita, 2840 pounds to 3340 pounds.

So you can see both Scamp and Casita approximate weight is way below real world.

I've towed through a lot of Utah. I was on highway 12 in June, one grade was 12%, another was 14%. I would want a margin to spare in that terrain.

Finding a used Escape 17B, very difficult and likely to be significantly more expensive than either of the other two. But if you stepped inside an Escape 17B, you would spot the difference! With the Escape, you could even set up the front smaller dinette in twin bed mode (30 inches deep), and then leave the rear dinette as a very spacious dinette (52 inches deep). If I was traveling solo, that is exactly what I would do.

Casita has the lowest ceiling height, and the AC takes up part of the closet. The other two have roof air.

[Zach Alan]

Originally Posted by Zach Alan

if I had to aim towards one or two of the largest rallies where I could look inside the most vehicles at one time, when would those rallies be?

thanks again all - maybe I wasn't clear - I'd seen that rally schedule before posting, but it's difficult to tell from the schedule and map which are the largest national rallies - if I was going to aim for just one or two of the major fiberglass RV rallies in 2019 or 2020 where I could see the largest spread of fiberglass RV's, which one or two would those be?

[SandyNorthFL]

Quartzite seems big. AZ in Feb. Try fiberglass camper rally YouTube video search, the bigger rallies often have someone who filmed during open house. Good luck with your search.

Sandy

[Jon in AZ]

Looks like your two best bets this year are the Oregon Fall NOG (Northern Oregon Gathering) in early October and the Lake Casitas Rally in late October. And yes, Quartzsite in early February 2020 attracts a lot of trailers.

[Kai in Seattle]

Zach, the Oregon NOG (North Oregon Gathering) is where many of those Trailer Weights in the Real World were taken originally...a lot of trailers. There are a LOT of manufacturers of all-molded fiberglass trailers, but many of them are "vintage" and not made new, some for many decades. If you start hunting online you can find things like the Relic (probably too small and basic), EggCampers (maybe), and possibly others.


I know it may not seem like it right now, but treasure your egg-hunt...likely you won't do it often and it helps you appreciate your egg when you find it, more than you might realize now. It'll be "your story" as getting these isn't always easy.


Good hunting, and then Happy Trails.


BEST

"K"

[Zach Alan]

thank you both !!! I'm probably going to aim for Quartzsite, as I volunteer for the NPS in Utah in the shoulder season (October/ November & March/April), and that'll also allow me to go shopping for a pal with a rock shop in Utah, who probably won't be able to go (Quartzsite also has the big Gem and Mineral show yearly, cheaper than Tuscon if you've never been)

I realized that I could fit everything I wanted in a Scamp 13 footer by putting a shelf type desk under the back window above the bed, and just sitting cross legged on a cushion on the bed to work (fine by me) and that the lighter Scamp 13' would be more suitable for towing by a 4 cylinder Toyota Tacoma, so now I'm looking towards that (if anything)

[Tony D]

Just so you know, the GVWR for the scamp 13 is 2200lbs and for the 16 is 3500 lbs. I just got a new standard 13 with the bathroom and I think it’s great. I’ll sell it to you in 5 years or so. I’m already pining for a 16. I’ll need a new tow vehicle first.

[Civilguy]

Welcome to the forum Zach.

A lot depends on your style and preferences. Your tow vehicle's capabilities and limitations should be well understood.

Regarding trailer weights, there are a few of us who just fast-forward past the "real world" data and use the trailer's rated gross weight.

The driver, passenger, cargo and options in the truck can all reduce your payload and towing capacity. The tongue weight comes out of your payload capacity.

Your black tanks should only be dumped at a dump station or sewer connection. You might want to read up on gray water. Some folks distribute it "informally" in the woods, etc. Rules, opinions and practices vary.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I don't know about that. Look at all the replies. Paragraphs rule.

Still it would have been much better to make that suggestion is a private message rather than embarrassing someone in public..

Oh... perhaps I should have sent this is a private message