Sort of a newbie

[Gator Egg]

I've been a round for awhile. Looking and learning about trailers. Over the years I have rented Casitas from military recreation departments. Thought we were set to "get" a Casita. But my wife won't go near the carpet interior. Looks "so 1970's", holds odors and hard to clean. I do have to agree on all. So I'm looking again. I really like the fiberglass idea. Being a licensed sailing Captain, I've had my share of time around fiberglass and it's benefits. My question is: What other fiberglass shell trailer of recent vintage are out there without carpet interiors? Thanks.

[Jon in AZ]

Oliver is a "double hull" design- outer and inner molded shells- with a gelcoat fiberglass interior, honeycomb floor, and aluminum chassis. Escape is a single hull design with a washable vinyl-coated foam lining on the inside and wood cabinetry. Lil Snoozy is an all-electric design with a smooth fiberglass interior and wood cabinetry. The entire shell including the floor is a structural honeycomb fiberglass. EggCamper is another double hull design with a gelcoat interior (some older units have a carpet strip across the top, newer ones do not). It's currently out of production, but late model used units are out there. Most are also all-electric. Bigfoot has a conventional paneled interior inside a molded shell. Among smaller trailers, the Happier Camper has a smooth interior and honeycomb floor, and the Relic has a vintage-style wood interior.

Given that new ones run close to $60K, this looks like a really good deal on a used Oliver: 2014 Oliver Elite II in MT (EDIT- taken off market)

There's also an EggCamper currently listed: 2011 EggCamper in MI

And a Happier Camper: 2015 Happier Camper HC1 in MO

Escapes are more commonly sold through the Escape owner's forum, although some pass through here as well.

[TomandCallie]

Damn, Jon...how do you get so much knowledge in one head? I am always impressed when I read your posts. Thanks for all you bring to this forum!

And, Bob, thanks for the post. I too like hard surfaces as a rule. No wall to wall carpet in my house!

[Jon in AZ]

Thank you, Tom. I have just gotten very interested in all the amazing variations of molded fiberglass. I spend more time on this forum than I should... there's a wealth of information to be gleaned. Donna, Floyd, David, Fred, Eddie, Brian, Ian, Gordon and many others have a depth of knowledge and experience that is simply amazing. They are patient teachers.

You know, when I started, I also preferred the smooth, clean look of the double-hull designs. Burro was my favorite. But a Scamp came into my life, and the longer I've lived with the marine hull-liner, the more I like it. It's not exactly carpet- the fibers do not absorb odors and it's definitely cleanable, just not wipeable. It feels nicer when you lean against it on a cold morning.

Keeping an open mind is a good thing.

[WaltP]

Bob
The Parkliner is yet another, very nice molded fiberglass trailer you might look at. While I don't have Jon's encyclopedic details, I do know it does not have the "rat fur" interior your wife dislikes. Except for the Maple cabinet doors, most surfaces are gelcoat and the floor is vinyl.
Good luck with your quest.

Walt

[Jon in AZ]

The "old" Parkliner 15 did have some kind of fuzzy headliner on the side walls and ceiling:
Parkliner 15.jpg Views: 15 Size: 69.1 KB ID: 105245" style="margin: 2px" />

Among the upgrades on the recently-announced new Parkliner 16 (same cabin, longer frame) is a full fiberglass interior:

[WaltP]

Yes, the fuzzy stuff on the ceiling and on a small amount of the sidewalls was airline headliner as described by them and not carpeting.
But as you say, even that is gone now.

Walt

[Jon in AZ]

Good point, Walt. There are functional differences between residential grade carpet used by Casita and marine/aviation grade headliner used by Scamp, Parkliner, and a few others. The latter is designed to be tough, cleanable, and resist stains, odors, and mildew for use in commercial applications.

In my opinion, it's better to do heavy cooking outside, regardless of whether your walls are smooth or fuzzy. After all, in a small trailer it's your bedroom, too. Smells are going to get into many other soft surfaces- bedding, upholstery, curtains, pillows- and I really don't want critters to be attracted to my bedroom by food smells. Making coffee, heating a can of soup, fixing sandwiches- fine inside. Bacon and eggs, steak- best cooked outside.

[WaltP]