Looking to buy either Scamp, Casita or Bigfoot

[ZachO]

Hi.

I had a 78 Toyota Chinook for a few years, sold it, and bought a truck with the idea of getting a fiberglass trailer.

I've been leaning mostly towards Casitas because of how many there are around, and the layout. But there will be times when I'm living in the trailer for extended periods. So I was starting to lean towards a Bigfoot for the extra space.

Anyone with a Casita know the width of the walkway? I'm looking at the Spirit Deluxe, 17' with the side dinette. It looks to me like it's just enough room to walk, or for one person to stand, but I did see one photo that made it look a little wider...

I have a 98 Tacoma and a Scamp or Casita would be way easier to tow, but definitely more cramped. I'm pretty close to buying a Bigfoot if someone doesn't beat me to it, but if there's enough floor space in the Casita, I could probably justify it...

Anyway having some idea of the width of that floorspace would help. Obviously the Bigfoot has more space, but maybe there's enough space in a Casita...

Thanks! This site has been really helpful so far.

[bpfick]

Need to get inside one. The FGRVs are generally way smaller than they look in photos. Sometimes this shocks folks when they get inside for the first time. Oh, and don't forget to duck your head or you'll whack it good on the doorway. :-)

[ZachO]

I don't have much opportunity to get to a rally, but a friend has a Scamp she's going to show me. There's a Casita in town near a friends house, so I'm going to ask them if they can introduce me. But it's a 13'.

I know the Bigfoot will be better. But not as easy to tow with a small truck...Plus I love the layout of the Spirit Deluxe, and the #6 layout of the Scamps. But yeah...I may or may not be able to get inside them all before one comes up that I need to move on. We'll see.

Thanks.

[bpfick]

The Casita 16 felt very very cramped ot us. Subjective, I know, but the lower ceiling and narrow aisle made it seem tight everywhere.

The Scamp has a 3" higher ceiling which helps alot.

In any case, hard to buy or order or consider any of them without time spent inside these FGRVs. Their narrow width, curved sides, low ceiling, fuzzy interiors, etc all add up to some folks being turned off. We tow our 13 with a Tacoma 2.7 if that's any help to you.

[Glenn Baglo]

See: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html
You don't say what model Bigfoot you are looking at, but it could be considerably over your tow capacity ( see your Tacoma manual or get a dealer to run your VIN for specs ).

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by bpfick

...The FGRVs are generally way smaller than they look in photos. Sometimes this shocks folks when they get inside for the first time..

Guess it depends on your expectations… When I first got inside a Scamp 13, I was shocked… at how much space it had!

Zach, for extended use, I'd personally choose a Bigfoot (if I could find one in good condition). Surprisingly, the older 1500 series 17'ers are actually a little lighter than a Casita 17, but the wider, boxier profile pretty much negates the weight advantage, towing-wise. The aisle is wider, there's more storage, and the stove has an oven, which is nice for long-term use. The only issue is bed width. If there are two people, the 54" main bed in the Casita would be an advantage. The Bigfoot beds are 44" and 48" (can't remember which is which).

Going smaller, a Scamp 16 is as roomy as a Casita 17 and about 800 pounds lighter, except the main bed is smaller (45" vs. 54").

[ZachO]

Interesting. Ok, thanks.

Yeah I'd be fine with a 13' if I wasn't going to live in it for times.

I'd only be looking at 17' Bigfoots. The one I'm looking at now is a 1991 17'. I don't think the difference puts me over my weight limit, but obviously I'd rather stay as far under that limit as possible. I've got the v6, which helps, but only so much. Obviously brakes and all that factor into it just as much.

Bed size isn't important to me, so long as there is one, and it's 6' long.

I'm used to cramped, coming from my Chinook. Anything bigger than that is acceptable to me, but if I'm not going to be towing more than I'm staying put, and the Bigfoot has that much more room and storage, that's a big plus. I would really like to get into a Casita and get a feel for it. But I doubt I'll be unhappy if I went with the Bigfoot before getting a chance to see a Casita. It's more a matter of "would I be happy enough with the Casita?". If so, it's easier to tow, so...Anyway, I think if a Bigfoot is available close to me at a comparable price, I wouldn't regret buying it. I think it would be more important to get inside a Casita or Scamp before choosing one over a Bigfoot, than the other way around. Personal style and "feel" considerations aside.

Being close to Canada, there are (sometimes) Bigfoots closer to me than Casitas. The price is right on par.

Thanks so far!

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by ZachO

Hi.
Anyone with a Casita know the width of the walkway? I'm looking at the Spirit Deluxe, 17' with the side dinette. It looks to me like it's just enough room to walk, or for one person to stand, but I did see one photo that made it look a little wider...Thanks! This site has been really helpful so far.

Zach, just measured my SD17 for you, isle measures 24" wide and 6' 1" ceiling clearance.

[ZachO]

Thanks Dave!

So the width is pretty much like I thought. Just a very narrow "aisle". That would be "ok" for me, and more than ok in most normal situations. I definitely would be a lot more comfortable in a 17' Bigfoot...But we'll see.

[Timber Wolf]

Just measured my Scamp layout 4 and between the closet and shower is 32". Between the "kitchen" cabinets is 33" but the fridge door reduces that by a couple of inches. I have a throw rug over an extra layer of carpet over the Scamp's original carpet and have 72 1/2" interior height.

I am of average height, and over average width and am comfortable moving around in the Scamp. It is all good after you make through the narrow door.

[ZachO]

Thanks. Yeah the ceiling in my Chinook was just low enough that I had to tilt my head forward just a little to stand up and cook and do dishes. Again not a big deal for weekend or longer road trip use, but after mostly living in it for 6 months, it got old.

Sounds like all the Scamps, and the 17' Casitas will be plenty tall inside. I think I'm just under 5'11" so anything just over 6', if I figure in a pair of shoes, should be tall enough.

I really like the side dinette Casitas and Scamps. And I like the fiberglass cabinet set up. Just seems really nice and cozy in there. But I think I need the space enough that I'm ok with the Bigfoot interior.

I'm leaning toward Casita over Scamp only because, looking at photos, the window over the side dinette in the Casita seems longer. Seems like in the Scamp the window just stretches from one end of the table to the other, where in the Casita, it extends out farther and is easier to look out...Probably not a big deal but who knows. I could deal with either.

But if I can find a Bigfoot that's probably my best bet.

[Jon in AZ]

Tim, that confirms something that has been mentioned here before, but never measured. I believe both Casita and Scamp, all models, have the same overall exterior width, 6'8", going all the way back to the original Boler design from which they evolved. Scamps have shallower cabinets but a wider aisle; Casitas have deeper cabinets, but a narrower aisle.

Zach, from my perspective, a 16' Scamp is going to feel at least as roomy as a 17' Casita (except for the smaller bed), but with a significant weight savings. But I'm also not a huge fan of side dinette layouts because of the tiny galley and issues with left/right weight distribution. Personally I'd rather have the side bath (okay, it's pretty small…). With only one person, you could sleep on the front sofa and keep the back as a large dinette with views out three sides. But, of course, that's just a matter of preference.

If you have a chance to get inside any or all of the units you are considering, do it. Floor plans and pictures do not tell the whole story. You could look for forum members in your area (most of us are happy to show off our trailers). You could also contact the sales departments at Scamp and Casita for referrals (I'd not feel right doing that unless I was at least considering a new one, though). Attending one of the many fiberglass rallies around the country would give you a chance to see different makes and models in one place. Many have a time set aside for open house tours.

[ZachO]

Thanks Jon. Yeah, I definitely need to get in some. I think my friend's 16' Scamp is a "center bath", and I'm going to look at it tomorrow. So that will give me an idea of whether I should really be writing that model off or not.

I don't know what it is...but something about the side dinette. Something about it just seems like the kind of space I want to be in. But having never actually been in one, I can't say for sure. For some reason the front bunks/bench in the Scamp just seem like wasted space. But I guess sometimes "wasted" space is open space, and makes things less cramped.

So...of course, as always, "get inside as many as you can" is good advice.

I have memories of sitting in my Chinook, looking around, thinking what would make it more comfortable; what set up I would like and enjoy more if I could gut it again and start over. For some reason the idea of a little dinette on the side, that you could walk by, just seems real cozy to me.

But I'm always open to better ideas if they come along

[Jon in AZ]

I actually love the rear dinette as a lounge/work space. Shortly after we got our Scamp, a long-term house guest took over my home office. Since I work from home, I set up in the Scamp. I loved working at the dinette with all-around views and ventilation. I still go there with my laptop to work when we have guests and I need a quiet space.

With the upper bunk removed (easy!) the front sofa would make a perfectly adequate permanent bed for one person. It's about 26" deep, although the curved front wall intrudes somewhat.

The side bathroom is the problem, especially for a tall person. Might be just a bit too confining for long-term use. The galley space more than compensates in my book, but I'm not as tall. I'll be curious to hear your impressions.

[WendyW]

Zach, I have a Casita 17' SD with the side dinette. The rear dinette is permanently converted to a bed. The one caution I would add is that to me, the seat cushions are uncomfortable enough that I avoid sitting at the dinette for longer than a couple minutes. And I replaced the back cushions with an air mattress and memory-foam pad. So sit for awhile before buying, if sitting is what you will do.

[ZachO]

Thanks Wendy. I don't plan on letting that be an issue, though it's good to know. When I bought my Chinook, I gutted it and started over. I don't want that kind of project again, but doing something like replacing cushions is no big deal to me. I'm concerned with structural things, and non-convertible interior arrangements - like the difference between a center bath and front bath. But I expect to do some minor upgrades and personalization.

I also happen to have a friend who used to restore sailboats and worked in a upholstery shop, and she can do professional quality cushion and upholstery work, so luckily that kind of thing isn't much a hurdle for me!

[ninklink]

I've had my 2007 bigfoot 17.5 listed on the high side at $24,000 canadian (about 16,500 usd) and have had a Americans interested but the importing into the USA scares some especially when they don't have a valid passport. It will likely be sold here in BC shortly. The people that i've talked with all commented how difficult it was to even locate a clean 17.5 Bigfoot. The factory is back up and running in BC. You cannot beat a 4 season Bigfoot 17.5 and the value after you're done with it will still be there to boot!

[ZachO]

Well it looks like I will be figuring out over the next couple days how much hassle the importation of a Bigfoot will be from Canada...

Luckily I've got a good passport

Won't be counting my chicken before it hatches...but it looks like I'll have a camper pretty soon.

[Jon in AZ]

If it's a Bigfoot manufactured before the bankruptcy reorganization (2009?) but less than 25 years old, make sure it has a US DOT certification sticker. The new Bigfoot company will not issue certification letters for pre-bankruptcy units. Without the certification that the trailer meets all US DOT codes, you will, I believe, have to hire an importer to do some paperwork and arrange an inspection to verify compliance ($$$).

If it has the certification, or if it's over 25 years old, importing a trailer is fairly straightforward. There is more information here.

[Gilles]

Originally Posted by ZachO

Well it looks like I will be figuring out over the next couple days how much hassle the importation of a Bigfoot will be from Canada...

Luckily I've got a good passport

Won't be counting my chicken before it hatches...but it looks like I'll have a camper pretty soon.

You read this note:
Importing Travel Trailer to United States | Fiberglass RV's For Sale

I am from Quebec and last year I sold my 1980 trailer to someone in the United States.
Everything went well.
It was easier, my trailer had over 25 years of age ...