Seeking advice

[Robin G]

Awww, there have been many in your shoes, both men and women. One member here that I can think of wanted a trailer and her husband was totally against it! He didn't camp, and the thought of the initial purchase as well as maintaining an rv didn't appeal to him. She on the other had was bound and determind. She found the perfect trailer for them. Bought it, and guess what, he loves it as much as she does.....

So don't give up. Have you thought of renting one, to kind of break your DH into the thought of camping with a little more perks?


My Dh had camped all his life as I did. But I camped with more luxury where he liked taking the travel trailer he grew up with into a remote campsite. So we started out with at least the Rv in common. Where to camp was always a sticking point for us. Eventually he learned if he wanted me to camp with him, he had to give in to my desire of at least having hook ups.

Best of luck

[CindyL]

Sign up and attend a rally as a tent camper. If hubby won't come with you, go by yourself. Videotape how easy it is to set one of these campers up. Include video of those of us sitting with our drinks in front of our campers watching those people who take longer to set up. Show your hubby along with ads for campers. As hard as used ones are to buy, convincing him may coincide with actually finding one you can buy.

CindyL

[Lizzie]

Can someone tell me how to send a PM?
I want to contact Norm and Ginny. They mentioned a rally in Oregon in July, and Cindy mentioned attending a rally as a tent camper? Do you have more information on this - maybe I can put these two options together and go to Oregon this summer. I love camping in Oregon! I love Oregon! In 2010 we drove all the way up to the Ashland area just to stay at the Valley of the Rogue Campground. Unfortunately, the tent sites are not as quiet or nice as the RV sites (spent of few nights there with my parents in their 5th wheel).
Anyhoo...if anyone has info. that would great! I will check out the thread on rallies. Thanks

[Donna D.]

To send a PM, click on the individual's name, use the pull down to "Send private message to..."

Elizabeth, here's the link to the Oregon Gathering: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...5-a-48837.html The tent and RV sites are currently full. Cancellations happen though. Or, maybe you can get a Yurt... I'll be there! Hope to meet you Lizzie

[Mary F]

Hi, Lizzie. I am the camp-er in my marriage. To make my husband comfy (and willing to go along) I brought all kinds of stuff to spiff up the tent: air bed and pump, small throw rugs on either side of the doorway, to keep some of the dirt off the floor/out of the sleeping bags (we have dogs), a fan in summer, a ceramic-element heater in winter... One reason we switched to the RV was to simplify all of that... and also because we took a rainy trip with my parents in their 26ft travel trailer one December holiday break. It took us another year or so to refine our druthers to a Casita, and the first one we bought was "pre-owned." It let us get into it without a huge cash outlay; a couple or three years after that we ordered a new Casita, outfitted just the way we wanted it. (That was in 1999. Our "new" Casita is now twice the age that pre-owned one was when we had it.)

Anyway, FWIW, we have a solar panel, and with that to power the water pump (for a shower!) and a few lights, and with the refrigerator running on propane, we can camp without hookups for several days. Being able to dump waste water is the limiting factor, although being able to bring on additional potable water is part of the formula as well.

We decided to go with molded fiberglass because we both wanted to be able to stand up inside, we did not want to have to crank anything up/down (as required in a tent trailer), and because molded fiberglass travel trailers are durable and Cute.

I hope this rambling is useful- Good Luck with your quest!!

[Lizzie]

Hi Mary,

Your information was quite helpful (especially the idea of solar panels, that does appeal to my husband). My husband and I have been discussing this possible purchase further, and it seems at this time the number one concern that he keeps bringing up is storing the trailer in our driveway.

We live in an older home, built in 1939, and we have a long, narrow driveway that leads up to the garage. The garage is a small, one car and would never be able to contain more than maybe a pop-up trailer (something I don't really want). I just measured the driveway it is 8 ft wide in the narrowest spot and 9'8" in the area where the trailer would be parked. The length is not of concern, what does concern him is that our garbage cans are on the side of the house and the only way to wheel them out is via the garage. He also stores the lawn mower in the garage. So, he sees this all as a big hassle.
Paying for storage is not an option. For us at this time in our lives, it would kind of defeat the purpose of low cost traveling.
Thanks for any input - Elizabeth

[john warren]

Originally Posted by CindyL

Well, I would tell the hubby to go camp by himself if he wants to tent camp. If he wants your company, get a camper. No holes in the ground for me.

CindyL

lol just pictured him sleeping in a tent next to her camper....lol

[john warren]

Originally Posted by Lizzie

Hi Mary,

Your information was quite helpful (especially the idea of solar panels, that does appeal to my husband). My husband and I have been discussing this possible purchase further, and it seems at this time the number one concern that he keeps bringing up is storing the trailer in our driveway.

We live in an older home, built in 1939, and we have a long, narrow driveway that leads up to the garage. The garage is a small, one car and would never be able to contain more than maybe a pop-up trailer (something I don't really want). I just measured the driveway it is 8 ft wide in the narrowest spot and 9'8" in the area where the trailer would be parked. The length is not of concern, what does concern him is that our garbage cans are on the side of the house and the only way to wheel them out is via the garage. He also stores the lawn mower in the garage. So, he sees this all as a big hassle.
Paying for storage is not an option. For us at this time in our lives, it would kind of defeat the purpose of low cost traveling.
Thanks for any input - Elizabeth

haven't measured,,,but believe my scamp is 7 foot wide, which leaves him nearly three foot to get the mower and trash cans taken care of... now if he is hauling 36 inch diameter trash cans ,,,,he is more of a man then i am.

[CindyL]

Lizzie,

Do a search of this forum. There are threads about things that can be done to store FB trailers in garages.

Can't you park it on grass, i.e. back it onto the lawn and eventually gravel that part of the lawn?


CindyL

[Carol H]

Elizabeth, I did not think I was an RV type either - most vacations prior to the trailer were spent with tents on backs or bikes or in kayaks paddling around the west coast. After one very wet 20 day kayaking trip on the northern west coast of BC - where we did not see more than a couple of other people I was sitting in the ferry line up and I saw a small fiberglass trailer (think it was a Casita) and decided I wanted one! The idea of having a nice warm *dry* bed had great appeal to me at the time! :-)) The trailer has turned out to be a great base camp for a number of adventures in areas I may not have gone to without it.

Before you decide what to buy I would *really* recommend attending a fiberglass trailer rally. Nothing beats standing in a trailer and taking a real good look at its features or none features in helping to decide what you want and dont want! At first I thought I would be a happy camper in a 13' Scamp but after sitting in one I decided that if I was going the RV route I really wanted the shower & toilet due to the types of areas I was planning to camp in. Didnt want to be tied to full serve parks. I also did not want a trailer I would need to buy a big vehicle to tow it with as I live in the city and cant afford to own two vehicle's. The latter requirement meant I needed to do a lot more homework regarding actual weights of the trailers loaded and it narrowed my search down greatly.

There are a number of fiberglass meets coming up in California and Oregon very soon that IMHO would be well worth your time to drop in and check out all the trailers. A map showing the meets & dates can be found here.

Edit: forgot to mention I also traveled with a large yellow lab for a number of years - the 16' worked well as the front bottom bunk was his - the big bed wasnt big enough to include him!

[Robin G]

Lizzie, I know several people mentioned the Oregon Rallies but wanted to remind you that CA has several great rally's as well.

Lake San Antiono (check the rally forum here on fiberglass) Sorry, I tried posting a link to it but for some reason my new computer isn't letting me.


As well as the Lake Casitas Rally, usually in Oct, though I couldn't find the Post about the it.


There are several other rally's and get to get together's that will pop up all across CA. Which might give you more options as well.


Good Luck.............

[Lizzie]

Thank you all again for such great information. I am planning to "pop-in" at the rally at Lake San Antonio. I hope no one minds if I just pass through as a look-loo! I tried to convince my husband to go and camp for a night, but in the end the idea that if I don't push him to hard, he might come around to buying one - won out!
We actually have been talking a lot about it over the last few days and I have contacted some mfgs. I don't really want to spend the money on a new trailer, but if I can get exactly what I want - that sounds so appealing.

I have been looking at our driveway and alternatives for the garbage, recyclables and green waste (which actually is about 36") and thought that if the trailer is manuevered with a dolly, it might just be wide enough for the cans to squeak by. Heck, my father-in-law's gargantuan Chevy Tahoe is parked in the driveway right now - I ran out with a tape measure and measure it, and I'll be darned if it isn't about the size of a 16 ft trailer!

[Donna D.]

Elizabeth, any molded trailer wouldn't mind sharing garage space with garbage cans... truly

[Pam Garlow]

Lizzie, I bought my little FG trailer in 'ready to camp' comdition for $4000. Pretty frugal I'd say. That is for a 13footer, with just a porta pottie.
(FYI, morning privacy costs extra)

[EddyEd]

Lizzie,
I am a fairly new fiberglass camper owner though I have loved them since seeing my uncles Scamp when I was in my early teens and knew then eventually I would have one. It took my almost 2 decades but I finally found one I could afford last August. Up until the day I hooked it to my Jeep and towed it home I had zero knowledge or desire really to "redo" an old camper I wanted a new one but settled for what I could afford. Once I started working on my "new to me egg" though I found out that they are really really easy to clean up, fix, and do simple modifications on. I have loved every minute of getting my camper ready for the road and I like to think by being patient and buying used I saved myself roughly $10,000.00, lol. My point being don't shy away from some of the older and used eggs out there as short of the "new egg" smell they are all pretty much the same with a little work and your husband I bet would love saving that extra cash.

[Meghan]

Aside from agreeing with most of what was already said, I'd like to add my 2cents. After tent camping for my entire life, at the age of 27 we bought a1978 20' class C for $3,000, loved it! when the divorce happened I decided someone who knows how to fix motors and brakes would be a better owner and started eyeing the sides of the road for a tow behind. That's how we happens upon the play Pac. We bought it for $600, having NO IDEA the whole FG lovers that were out there. I know the electric lights work and it is road safe and has a bed, potty closet and the windows leak a little. But that's good enough for me!!! I can pack it and go and have the bare necessities. The minor repairs will come with time. For now I am happy that we have it and it allows us to get away without spending alot. I am 37 and the queen of frugal!!!

[Roger Kimble]

We just spent 10 days in our 16' U-Haul in fed rec areas spent $20 altogeather fore camp sites, loved it, if it was not for the small size we could of not stayed in some of the sites, easy on gas, we have a 27' with a slide out in Michigan, but like the FG better.

[ceilityme]

The best thing about owning a trailer aside from the bed being off the ground is... you can leave most of your camping stuff in the RV. You only have to pack a few things and you're ready to roll.

[RRIZZO]

Hi Lizzie....welcome to the site. You will get all the info you need by going thru the different discussion groups. My hubby (59) and I (61) had done the tent, then on to a camper for yrs. We have friends that were selling a work in progress, and after attendee the FGRV rally @ Lake Casitas, Ca. (near Ojai/Ventura) we were sold on RVing with the group. We are considered the SOB's (some other brand) of the group. We dont have a FBG but an aluminum 1972 Cardinal Lowliner. She was a total wreck but with help of many hands and hard backs she is now a veteran of the road. Most of the folks we rally with have "Casitas" and everyone seems very happy. Room for two humans and dog & cat. Yes, we have several people that bring their cats along. We bring 3 dogs. Watch the board for sales and the people here will always help with any advice you need.
Welcome and hope to see @ a rally.