Casita vs Scamp 16'

[makPalen]

Originally Posted by LyleB

With a Scamp, the entire floor is exposed underneath the trailer and is quite easy to inspect periodically so you can catch any problem areas early. In the Casita, all damage is hidden until the floor is virtually destroyed. Also, because it is exposed, replacing all or part of the floor is a comparatively easy project in a Scamp, not so much in a Casita.

this is good to know. Has anyone had issues with the Casita floor? I know some Casitas are under 8' .. are there any Scamps that can get under an 8' garage door? Thanks.

[Jon in AZ]

Casita floors have not always been fully encased. Older units only had fiberglass underneath, making rot just as likely as in Scamps, since most rot is caused by leaks from above.

I have also read accounts of water getting inside the encased floors (screw holes and through-floor fittings) and causing rot. It's probably not as common, but harder to detect and more complex to repair.

A Scamp 16 without roof air and OEM suspension should fit through an 8' door- it's listed as 7'10". If the header is a bit below 8' you might have to do a little see-saw with the tongue to ease it in. With roof air it's a no-go.

A Casita 16 with the standard suspension will be no problem, and A/C is mounted low. It specs at 7'8". With the optional high-lift suspension it's iffy. I believe the lift adds 3", and there may be a wheel/tire upgrade too.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by makPalen

this is good to know. Has anyone had issues with the Casita floor? I know some Casitas are under 8' .. are there any Scamps that can get under an 8' garage door? Thanks.

Mine will, even with roof air and maxxcover and antenna.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by floyd

Mine will, even with roof air and maxxcover and antenna.

It's important to note yours is a pre-fire 13' model. All 13'ers ride on a lower suspension. Pre-fire (2006 and earlier) 13'ers also have a shorter shell height.

[Donna D.]

IMHO size of a needed/wanted trailer doesn't have anything to do with size, it's ALL about layout.

A young couple with small children may be perfectly happy with a 48" wide bed and gaucho bunks.
A different couple may want a 54" bed AND a permanent dinette.
Another couple may want a 54" bed, permanent dinette AND a full wet bath.
A solo may want a queen bed, u-shape dinette, full wet bath and bigger kitchen.

Not everyone always cooks outside, sleeps in sleeping bags and eats one pot meals. Some actually camp in all kinds of weather, only eat fresh food and get tired of knocking elbows with someone else.

When choosing a trailer, don't focus so much on 'brand' as much as budget/tow vehicle maximums/needs/wants. Once those things are pretty much figured out, it's time to shop. Look at all the brands/models that fit YOU. Then buy, go out and have a bunch of fun!

[Lisle]

Thanks, Donna. Yes, it's all about getting out there and having fun, whatever that looks like for you. I'm confident I'll love either 16' Scamp or Casita. Seems like there will be plenty of room for me, since I'm solo. Lisle

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

It's important to note yours is a pre-fire 13' model. All 13'ers ride on a lower suspension. Pre-fire (2006 and earlier) 13'ers also have a shorter shell height.

That's a little less than 2-1/2" of it... the real issue is the new, ridiculously tall, A/C units, which may be a limiting factor.
Actually I have been working on convincing Scamp to use a zero axle on the 13 as an option.
This would make it even a little bit taller yet, but it would increase the ground clearance which would help due to all the stuff that now goes underneath.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by floyd

Actually I have been working on convincing Scamp to use a zero axle on the 13.

I thought Scamp was perfect already, Floyd.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by makPalen

Has anyone had issues with the Casita floor? I know some Casitas are under 8' ..

Google Casita floor rot problems and you will find plenty of them.

The bathtub design of Casita holds water IN. So any water that leaks inside the trailer is trapped. And as far as a floor being fiberglass encased, that is basically the Trillium design. Google Trillium floor rot, and you will find those as well.

IMHO, any time you use a wood product to stiffen the floor of a trailer you are risking rot, whether it is a fiberglass trailer or stick built. There are better products out there with no rot issues, but they cost a lot more. The solution is a floor that does not have any wood that can rot in the construction. The only two that I am aware of are Oliver and Lil Snoozy.

Personally I find the Scamp design somewhat refreshing. Water is not trapped, and repair is less complicated because you don't have fiberglass in the way.


Now all this being sad, there are people on this forum with 40 year old trailers with no floor rot issues! Maintenance is important.


The floors in many fiberglass trailers rot from the inside out. Window, plumbing, rivets, vents, or belly band leaks all end up with water inside the trailer. If it is left to do its thing, damage will result. I looked at three Trilliums when I was searching for one to buy. The first two had serious floor rot. In the case of Trillium, the floor has a layer of fiberglass on top of and below the floor, making repair difficult. To make things even worse, the cabinets are fiberglassed in place, including to the floor. In the case of Casita, their floor is not encased in fiberglass, it has fiberglass resin on top of the floor, and full fiberglass under the floor. Trillium does have a somewhat unique design with side pontoons where water collects. So as long as the pontoons have clear drains, water can escape. Scamp and Casita both use rivets to secure their cabinets. On the one hand, these rivets can be another source of leaks. On the other hand, its a lot easier to remove sections of cabinets if you need to get underneath them to repair sections of flooring.


I looked at one Trillium for sale that had STANDING WATER in the dinette benches. Bad, really bad. Seller gave me some story about someone leaving a window open. Sure....


Now the Trillium design makes for a very neat and tidy camper. Every design has good and bad points.\


One "challenge" with fiberglass trailers is they last so long that design flaws catch up with them. You have people out there with Bolers that are over 50 years old. Incredible! Now when you see vintage stick built trailers that old, talk to the owners. Most are frame up restorations. Talk about a lot of work.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I thought Scamp was perfect already, Floyd.

I do hope I haven't disillusioned you!
I have never owned anything that could not be improved, the key is to start with the most suitable product , then improve it.
You of course, already know that my Scamp has many dozens of mods, as does my house, my cars , my shop, my bicycles etc.
No, Scamp is not perfect,but it certainly shines among it peers and deserves that recognition.



Careful though, if you cain't leave well enough alone, there could be consequences, both good and bad... so be sure and stick to good choices...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O--xYDoMPMo

[Jon in AZ]

Add Happier Camper to the list of wood-less molded trailers. The 13' HC1 is a very nice, innovative trailer but costs almost twice as much as a comparably equipped Scamp 13 standard. The floor is not the only reason, but it is one reason. (And it's not perfect either... )

The smaller Oliver costs about twice as much as a Casita 17SD with a virtually identical layout. Again, the floor is only one reason, but I'm seeing a pattern. Manufacturers that go high-end on the floor go high-end on a lot of other things as well. Not sure, but I think the Airstream Nest is another high-end, all-composite option.

Lil Snoozy offers an all-composite shell at moderate cost, but if you want LP systems you'll have to add them yourself. It's electric-only. Although it has no wood in the shell or floor, there's plenty in the interior cabinetry to get damaged if you ignore a leaking window. I understand they've been experiencing production delays recently due to supplier issues with the shell, which is outsourced.

Trailers with structural fiberglass floors are all recent designs with limited availability used. I predict they too will have their own long-term maintenance and repair issues. What happens, for example, when an all-fiberglass honeycomb floor develops a stress fracture? (Answer: you fix it.)

Floor rot doesn't happen in a day, or even a month. It typically happens when life changes and a trailer is left parked in the weather, unused and unmaintained, for many months or years.

Bottom line: buy a molded trailer, any molded trailer without preexisting rot that fits your needs and budget, take care of it, and go camping! I haven't lost a minute's sleep worrying about the wood floor in my Scamp.

[thrifty bill]

Jon nailed it. While several old FG trailers have soft floors, a lot of them are just fine. A trailer that has been stored inside when not in use, and with owner(s) that maintained common leak sources, should be fine. Ones left outdoors, neglected, for months at a time = probable issues. The old "barn find" or farmers field find" can be expected to have issues.

Some people just don't take care of their stuff, whether they are handy or not.

+10 The campers with the more desirable non-wood floors tend to be very expensive and not common. And some of them have other issues.