What made you choose FBRV?

[LyleB]

I've always considered camping to be Backpacking, and in recent years, extremely light weight backpacking. I use a pepsi can stove that weights less than a half an ounce, my shelter is a cuban fiber tarp that weights 7 oz and uses my trecking poles for support, my sleeping bag weights about 22 oz for a 20* bag. In other words, I'm used to minimal camping.

When I decided to try out a trailer or RV of some kind for post retirement travel, I knew I wanted small and light. Considered teardrops, but many are very expensive and most do not allow indoor cooking. I saw many older stick built and pop-ups at a job I used to work, and most all had leaking issues of one kind or another, especially those that were more than just a few years old.

I have looked seriously at A-liners, but there seems to be a lot of potential for leaks, plus the very low counter tops didn't seem conducive for my needs, since I have had back problems in the past, and don't want to aggravate that again.

I then found Scamps and Casitas on Youtube - owners all seemed very happy, and the typical benefits all made sense. Less potential for leaks, long life - could buy used and not have tremendous worries about hidden water damage, plus they come equipped with most any luxury I could want. Being as my tow vehicle is a very low mileage F150 with an 8ft bed, I have no problems with storage for extended outings.

One little hick-up in my decision came while looking for a trailer - took months. During that time, I almost decided to forgo a trailer and just go with a truck cap, so I ordered a high-top, lined with carpeting for insulation and condensation control, plus a "Bed Rug" which covers the floor, sides and tailgate of the truck itself to give the same insulation and condensation control. I added a bed platform with a nice mattress.

Shortly after getting the cap for the truck, I found a Scamp 13, and bought it as well. I now have a two-room, two bed solution. Came in handy earlier this month when I traveled with a friend from Michigan to North Dakota. We had separate sleeping facilities as well as plenty of storage space, but could still socialize and cook inside when we wanted. Worked out quite well.

I'll still backpack regularly and for extended trips, but I also have the option of doing comfortable road trips. I still shake my head when I hear folks talk about going "camping" when they drive around their Class A or haul a huge 5th wheel. Oh well, guess that will take some getting used to if I continue to frequent "campgrounds" on a regular basis, for now I just bite my tongue and remember the backpacking admonition - "Hike your own hike".

[WaltP]

You'll get both answers to that one. Think of it having to change your bedding every day with only one side accessible. Relocating the cushions and board are very easy. So it's a nuisance, yes, but takes only 5 minutes, and think of the benefits of having a cosy, easily towed, weatherproof home everywhere you go. It's all in your mindset.
My wife and I loved our 13', but gradually moved up to accommodate kids.
Personally though, I do think a 16' is even better and just as effortless to tow.

Walt

[Tom Cantrell]

Fraid of bugs? My snake/bug fearing spouse like the sealed nature of the Casita whose underside is fiberglassed (includes wheel wells) as well as the top of the floor board. No bug/snake gonna get her!

[Ttocs M]

I'm a "retired backpacker", got tired of camping in the rain. Picked up a used Scamp that my current car could pull. This was the most cost-effective transition. For the first year of Scamping, I put away the bedding and raised the table daily....no more. Someone on this forum commented "you're camping" so leave the bed as is, and use the picnic table...duh.

My dog loves sleeping in the Scamp, too....no more wet dog in a wet tent.

The only issue I have with the trailer is the ceiling height. My grandkids are all over 6 feet, the youngest is 6ft 8...he now sleeps in my backpack tent...works for me!

My suggestion is to try out a rental Scamp first, buy used, small, something that works for your current vehicle. When the kids get to be teens, they probably will prefer a tent next to your trailer.

[Jon in AZ]

About the Scamp bunks- surprisingly roomy! I especially like that the top one is not too high. A child can sit up in the top bunk. The bottom is a bit limited on headroom, but I sleep there very comfortably. Very easy to set up and take down. It doesn't come with a safety rail, but it's easy to rig your own.

About Outbacks and brakes... Even the smallest molded fiberglass trailers can (and should) be equipped with electric trailer brakes. Many tow vehicles require them over 1000 pounds, and some states as well. Properly adjusted, you should not feel any pushing and should be able to stop nearly as quickly with the trailer as without in an emergency situation.

[Kai in Seattle]

FiberGlass trailers seem to be owned by "engineers" whether formal or informal. People willing and able to Do-It-Yourself, whatever "it" may be. One brand of new FGRVs has stated that somewhere between 85%- 95% of their buyers are engineers. That's their target clientele. These FiberGlass trailers appeal to people who like things "elegant." Who like solutions to be true solutions, not transposed problems from one place to another. Who like things that work properly for a long time.


We have used tents (I discovered they only exacerbated my intense fear of bears), a plain truck bed camper top, a 60s Aloha trailer ( painted aluminum), a FiberGlass-topped Conversion Van, a tent-trailer, and was even involved in our son's SilverStreak, a knock-off Airstream.

We put more effort into the conversion van than anything up to that point, but it was so small inside! And once set up & camped we had to unset in order to drive into town. That got old fast. The tent-trailer (a pop up tent on a hard base shell) required hand cranking and set up, which was a pain in the arms and hands.

Then, for hauling picnic baskets, a doggy x-pen, and other equipment for local daycations, we bought a little used cargo-hauling trailer meant to be towed behind a large mortocycle, a kind of Gold Wing Legacy (with no markings on it) made of fiberglass. It was chipped and moldy inside. How could we fix it up? In searching the web, we found this FGRV site and learned how to remove mold from fiberglass. We learned it doesn't get INTO fiberglass, but lives on top. So following directions here, we managed to scrub and bleach it clean and sweet. And being here, we saw all the little "marshmallow" trailers I'd noticed first as a child and always wondered about, but had forgotten. They aren't prevalent unless you're at a rally, gathering, or meet. Suddenly we were bitten by the FGRV bug.


Paul retired in 2014. In 2015 we bought a Dodge Grand Caravan, and it had a towing capacity of 3600 pounds, 360 max. tongue weight. What would work? We checked on local new trailers, and they were all too heavy. I didn't like how the furniture and fixtures were so crammed in them. I hated the dark brown fake wood paneling. I disliked their choice of colors and their thin upholstery. We looked at local used Scamps and Bolers. We realized soon that we wouldn't be able to sleep properly if we had only one double bed, and thatneither of us could fit on the front bunk of a 13' Scamp/ Boler/ Trilium.

We began searching online diligently, and within a few months, we found "our" "egg," (they call them eggs, not marshmallows, generally, which is more apt as marshmallows are soft, spongy, and are the same all the way through, and eggs can be hollow, can be hollowed into fillable shells).


We bought a 16' 1973 amerigo that after 9 months of work became our "Peanut," one shell with two nuts in it.
It has a U-shaped twin bed/seating at the back, and a side settee/twin bed at the front. We call it our "two bedroom unit." It has a nice utility niche for the porta-potty and laundry basket and folding tables, and broom. It suits us really well now.

When the day comes we have to repaint it, we may rename it "Serenity." A little kinder to us. And it's funny how serene we feel when we're in Peanut. Though we did keep it all electric and very, very simple. We love it.

Our first half hour owning it, a couple pulled up beside us and offered to buy it sight unseen. Our first camping trip we gave a tour on request. All the months Paul worked on it out in our driveway (some months tented with a huge tarp, some out in the open, we met neighbors we'd lived by for a dozen years and never seen before. The meets and rallies have brought us more acquaintances, and we hope, friends.

If you aren't interested in being friendly, don't get one of these. People are interested!

[Kai in Seattle]

Good Night! I went berserk! Sorry. The tale of one egg is just too fascinating to keep short.

[KatZam]

Originally Posted by JustBrowsing

Such fantastic replies!
We are a family of 4: 2 daughters, both love camping but my youngest is petrified of bugs.

How comfortable are the bunks in a Scamp 13?
We also have an Outback, and the Scamp 13 seems to be the best choice when trying to sleep 4, for what I am able to tow...
Is converting the bed to table and back to bed a pain or easy?
I'm also still very interested in more experiences of people who moved from box RVs to FB. I love your stories.

Thank you all for sharing.

I'd say the bottom bunk is big enough for both adults and kids. The top bunk in my opinion is only good for a kid. My son slept there until he was 10 with a bunk rail that my dad made for it, since he had actually rolled out of bed a couple of times! My other son slept on the bottom bunk and the dogs slept on the floor. Converting the bed back to a table is not hard, but gets to be a pain after a while, which is why we ended up keeping it as a bed and just used the picnic table outside (unless it rained). The only times we would have to keep converting it from bed to dinette was during early Spring or late Fall camping when it's cooler outside. Also, I highly recommend a memory foam topper for the bed since the cushions are very firm and uncomfortable. Otherwise, we loved our Scamp 13!

[Jake930]

Have had A-frame campers and stick builds, all of them developed leaks within 2 years. My last 2 started to delaminate, the last one within 16 months of ownership. The manufacturer would do nothing to fix it as the Warrenty was 1 yr.
And when it delaminates the resale value plummets! This trailer cost me 17,000 new, had it for 5 yrs. when I sold it because of the delamination problems got 4500 dollars.
So no more stick builds for me! Going to be picking up our Escape 21 in about 3 weeks. No seams to open up, no delamination problems. Can't wait.

[JustBrowsing]

my owners manual says 2700 for the 4cyl and the 6, which makes me think the Outback may be limitted by the CVT more than the engine. This is all something I will double and triple check though. Although you're right - I don't want to go much over 1500 lbs with the Outback.
If I have to get a bigger tow vehicle, that opens up larger options... but then we're looking at way more money (if you count the tow vehicle).

[JustBrowsing]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

Good Night! I went berserk! Sorry. The tale of one egg is just too fascinating to keep short.

Berserk and wonderful. 😊

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

Good Night! I went berserk! Sorry. The tale of one egg is just too fascinating to keep short.

Well, you must have spent a while picking out those jumping things, Kai!

I had no idea that there was some sort of research conclusion that FGRV's are more often chosen by engineers. My late best friend and myself were always the butts of "engineer jokes" dished out by the non-engineers in the respective families. Now I understand why I was subconsciously intrigued by them, when, a few years ago, I realized that we needed a better and easier than a tent and cheaper than a motel. Funny? And I have to say that good engineers think things through, but do not "overthink" them. "Common sense" rules, no matter what. Most of these FG trailers are common sense solutions for a huge number of folks. Keep them coming to this forum.

[Glenn Baglo]

Locomotive engineers perhaps.

[SallyBEE]

Ours was a different path. I grew up with a 23 ft stick built and then, a 31 foot Airstream. A few years ago, we went to go look at the vintage Airstream we planned to restore and it was soo much more than I wanted. I remembered how difficult some sites were because of the size of the trailer. I just wanted something different. Hubby really liked 5th wheelers but I did not want all of those steps or the leaks that come as they age. WIth cats, I did not want sliders as they can sometimes get out; I also read about all of the leaking issues with sliders. We settled on Scamps partly because the people here were so amazing and once we went to a rally, we were hooked; a 19 footer is the perfect size for me and its a fifth wheel for my hubby! Basically, what I tell people is that when you walk into one and know that you are home, you will know that you found the right one! Happy hunting!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Paul O.

Well, you must have spent a while picking out those jumping things, Kai!

I had no idea that there was some sort of research conclusion that FGRV's are more often chosen by engineers. My late best friend and myself were always the butts of "engineer jokes" dished out by the non-engineers in the respective families. Now I understand why I was subconsciously intrigued by them, when, a few years ago, I realized that we needed a better and easier than a tent and cheaper than a motel. Funny? And I have to say that good engineers think things through, but do not "overthink" them. "Common sense" rules, no matter what. Most of these FG trailers are common sense solutions for a huge number of folks. Keep them coming to this forum.

Actually, its retired school teachers! No kidding ask around!

[emij]

Originally Posted by JustBrowsing

Such fantastic replies!
We are a family of 4: 2 daughters, both love camping but my youngest is petrified of bugs.

How comfortable are the bunks in a Scamp 13?
We also have an Outback, and the Scamp 13 seems to be the best choice when trying to sleep 4, for what I am able to tow...
Is converting the bed to table and back to bed a pain or easy?
I'm also still very interested in more experiences of people who moved from box RVs to FB. I love your stories.

Thank you all for sharing.

We sleep an almost 15yo, 5'8, 125 boy on the bottom bunk and our 12yo, 65 pound girl on the top bunk. They both say they sleep amazing in the Scamp. Because it rained every camping trip this season, we had a lot of experience converting the table to bed and back again. It is super easy and takes 5-10 minutes, depending on if you use sleeping bags or actual bedding. We love our Scamp!

[Mike Magee]

We had a 23' Rockwood... too big and heavy, I didn't like towing that much trailer. Got a Burro for a couple of years but it didn't have a shower or brakes so I sold it. Bought a 16' KZ stickie, and after 3.5 years it was leaking... sold it. Currently using my empty-shell Hauley (a Snoozy without interior finish) for camping, and thinking of building cabinets and stuff for it. The Hauley has no roof penetrations whatsoever, so the only leak points from outside are windows and door.

Towing the Burro with a Highlander, I got about 14 mpg. The HL with KZ was 11-12 mpg. So the shape and smaller frontal area of the FG egg saves fuel and puts less strain on the drive train.

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Locomotive engineers perhaps.

That's when they want something lighter to bring along.
Pasted from a quick search:
Quick Answer.
The weight of a diesel locomotive varies from about 100 tons or below to over 200 tons, depending on the model. The GP38-2 weighs 125 tons, the Dash 9 GE-C44-9W weighs 210 tons, the C30-7 weighs 195 tons and the F7A weighs 104.4 tons.

[Vtec]

Originally Posted by floyd

Actually, its retired school teachers! No kidding ask around!

Jon in AZ's list pretty much sums up the reasons, but Floyd, your quote seems to ring a bit true in stereotyping teachers purchasing FGRV's. Far more than half of the FGRV's we looked at when buying were owned by school teachers. And surprise, we are teachers in our second FGRV. Now why would that be?

My thoughts as to why:

1 As teachers we have always had to try to get more with less. We maybe made a steady paycheck, but it has never been a case of having a lot of disposable income to spend on big ticket items. On paper it seems we are over paid by many, but there are no deductions or write-offs, or business names on the sides of our tow vehicles.

2 Our recreation has always been camping. As a result of #1, the only way we could get out of the house was camping. Over the years we watched relatives and friends do hotel trips and jet off to Europe and far away places. Our far away places tended to be campgrounds. And these were either state, national or county parks, with little services, and far cheaper to stay at than private RV parks. And at least for us, we prefer to want a good healthy dose of nature:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf5TgVRGND4

3 We tend to try to get as much value as possible. We have never been able to afford a large tow vehicle so the minivan limited the size of what we could pull. The natural progression from tent, to popup, to whatever is limited to what could be pulled by a minivan or small SUV.

4 Teachers tend to research a lot before doing something. We tend to want to know every angle, problem, concern, how much it will cost, last, etc. And when we researched RV's we very quickly gravitated to fiberglass. I knew nothing about them until I began to search for a hard side popup replacement. After doing research, it was a no-brainier. We found FGRV's are usually well built, do not go in or out of style, can be pulled by a smaller vehicle, and can be purchased and maintained for far less than most any other type.

Again these are only my opinions and many will disagree. I fully expect to being bashed by some posters. A lot of haters out there.

[Jon in AZ]

Two teachers here, too!… interesting conjecture.

And yup, value is important in my economy!