Hi, New, Interested in Prolites

[semievolved]

Hi, I am new here. We are looking for a light fiberglass camper and have been concentrating on Casitas and Scamps but just stumbled on Prolite. The Evasion 16 seems to be quite nice with a better use of space than we have seen on the others (for us anyway), weighs <1900 pounds, with some nice standard features.

I can't find any discussions here about this trailer.

Does anybody have any input as to quality, etc?

[Byron Kinnaman]

Dave,
This site mostly about molded fiberglass trailers. The Prolite line are NOT molded fiberglass. So I doubt you'll find anything about them here.

[GPJ]

Dave:

As Byron noted, molded fiberglass trailers such as Bolers, Trilliums, Casitas, Scamps, etc. are pretty much the only trailers discussed on this site.

That said, I have thought about the Prolite and did have the opportunity to go over a Prolite Mini 13 in great detail a few weeks ago. My general impression is that it is a nice small trailer if a bit on the sparse side, and it is very expensive for what you actually get. The model I looked at was selling new for just shy of $20,000, although I note that the dealer has dropped it by a thousand dollars in the past week or so. I have seen better deals in other parts of the country (Canada), but I don't think they have any dealers outside Canada.

The general impression I was left with was that the value just wasn't there when compared with similarly (or lesser) priced Trilliums, Scamps, Casitas, etc., and when the longevity and resale value of the molded fiberglass units are factored in, there really was no comparison (in my opinion anyway).

Hope that helps you a little - happy trailer hunting!

[Roger C H]

Pro Lite website says "All of our models are made with a monocoque fiberglass roof." The factory photos show units of plywood with some with sheet metal for the curved front.

The problem with stick built types is the movement a trailer undergoes on the road. This flexing opens seams causing leaks. Fiberglass, since it it essentially one piece avoids this problem.

Say, Dave, since you live in New Mexico, are you aware that Trilliums are now built in Florence, AZ, southeast of Phoenix? Of course I am not biased... LOL

http://trilliumrv.com/

[GPJ]

They use a luan/styrofoam sandwich construction and then glue a single thin continuous fiberglass sheet from the front wall/floor area, over the front, over the roof and down the rear wall right to the rear wall/floor area. This single roof membrane approach is becoming more common in the non-molded RV world and is a big improvement over the old days when the roof was formed of separate sheets that were taped, glued or otherwise fastened together with additional sealant over all the seams. But...the side wall/roof interface is still a problem area so it still isn't as watertight as molded fiberglass.

[Ian G.]

Like many new construction techniques the usual motivation is cheaper construction and higher profits. The fiberglass laminated panels is a good example of this. In theory it sounds like an excellent idea, in practice there are some real horror stories of these panels delaminating because of glue failure or stresses from flexing. If these panels delaminate it is extremely difficult to repair, unlike damage to a molded fiberglass structure which is generally easy to make a repair that would be hard to spot. I am sure that as laminated panel construction is used more and more the quality will increase and problems will decrease, my concern is long term reliability and ease of repair.

[semievolved]

what a great site! thanks for all the information. i too found out that the fiberglass is more of a skin over structure as opposed to the structure itself and that removes a lot of the appeal. i still like their floor plan better than what i've seen in scamps/casitas so far but then i haven't actually been in one so that could tell a different story.

thanks again! i need to look into trilliums now....

[carlkeigley]

You can go to various FG rallies and see many of the different brands.
And most if not all will be glad to give a tour of their pride and joy.

[Pam Garlow]

Hello, Dave, and good luck on the shopping!
As you can see, we're all besotted with our eggs.

Remember as far as the weight goes, all trailer manufacturers quote them as 'dry weight' which means stripped nekkid of pretty much everything. No heater, ac, etc. So you need to add several hundred lbs to that base number, then add in you camping gear weight.

Keep in touch and let us know what you find! We'd love to hear about your trip to Trillium factory,,, maybe even some pics if you can

[Bill MacDermod]

There are several new ones out there such as Parkliner which is a very well constructed with an open lay out that makes it bigger than it actually is. and little snoozy is a very clever wind resistant design, both are making a themselves known in a positive way.

[Hazel in Sk]

We viewed some Prolite trailers. Anything brand spanking new looks quite nice but we thought they were overpriced and flimsy. The basic layout seemed better until we realised what wasn't included. Having a thin sheet of fibreglass over the roof does nothing to stop leaks during a heavy rain accompanied by strong wind blowing against the trailer!

Our decision was a moulded fibreglass unit is best. They are less likely to leak and almost all leaks are fixable. No floorplan seems to suit everyone and we 'live with what we've got'.

[semievolved]

'lo all,

yup, turns out the prolite looks great but is a third less filling! seriously, a fiberglass skin over a pressed wood frame is not in the same league as an all-fiberglass shell. i do wish that scamp would make a fully encompassing fiberglass shell, like the casitas, rather than the OSB floor but that is a compromise i can make for other things that i really like about the scamps.

looks like a scamp #4 is the deal. only remaining question is whether they will equip it with a lift package, which i don't see in the options. not positive i'll need it but, knowing myself, i'll end up trying to pull this thing some place i shouldn't...

thanks for all the helpful input!

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by semievolved

'lo all,

yup, turns out the prolite looks great but is a third less filling! seriously, a fiberglass skin over a pressed wood frame is not in the same league as an all-fiberglass shell. i do wish that scamp would make a fully encompassing fiberglass shell, like the casitas, rather than the OSB floor but that is a compromise i can make for other things that i really like about the scamps.

looks like a scamp #4 is the deal. only remaining question is whether they will equip it with a lift package, which i don't see in the options. not positive i'll need it but, knowing myself, i'll end up trying to pull this thing some place i shouldn't...

thanks for all the helpful input!

If the wooden floor is completely sealed like Casita is supposed to be all is good. But if there's a hole or a screw through the fiberglass and into the wood and water gets in there's no way for the moisture to escape. Rot sets in. All is not as it seems.

[Crabapple]

Old old thread but I have owned a Prolite Suite for 7 yrs and it has never leaked a drop. Also the subfloor is plywood, not
OSB as someone posted above. Not only that but I live in central Ontario where we get real winters and the trailer sits outside year round. Only really noticeable change is the colour of the large Prolite decal on the front curved wall has faded or tarnished somewhat. I agree that the molded fiberglass trailer is better for sure but wanted to put in a good word for my Suite. The beauty is I can pull it with a Subaru Crosstrek and get ~ 9 L/100 K highway! Only issues I have had is CO sensor would go off for no reason so I disconnected it and 2 yrs ago I bought a new better deep cycle battery.

[Jon in AZ]

I’m glad it’s working for you! I’d do something about that CO detector, though. If you use any propane appliances at all, it’s a critical safety feature.

Frequent false alarms can mean the sensor is dirty or nearing end-of-life. I believe ten years is the lifespan in residential service, and mine has a warning in the manual that extreme temperatures shorten the lifespan. For that reason I remove and store mine indoors between trips.

Try a new one.

[Crabapple]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

I’m glad it’s working for you! I’d do something about that CO detector, though. If you use any propane appliances at all, it’s a critical safety feature.

Frequent false alarms can mean the sensor is dirty or nearing end-of-life. I believe ten years is the lifespan in residential service, and mine has a warning in the manual that extreme temperatures shorten the lifespan. For that reason I remove and store mine indoors between trips.

Try a new one.

Yep understood. Considering a portable one instead of built in. I do cook inside on occasion with propane or white gas stoves but have ventilation. I have a Mr Heater Buddy and also a Martin catalytic heater but haven't need them up to now. Have not winter camped in it and a good sleeping bag suffices for cold nights in the other 3 seasons