Casita vs. Scamp

[Eric and Trudy]

We had a 19' Scamp fifth wheel and now have a 17" Casita SD. Our observations: The Scamp had little fender "skirts" and trim which made it more difficult for cleaning in the well, removing/working on tires, brakes, bearings etc. VS the Casita tire wells are open with no trim. Our Scamp had the airplane door, which was a constant problem, not closing tightly(road grime, insects and air loss) VS Casita flat, close tight everytime A+ door. Our Scamp had the side bath which was super tight(and we are average to small bodies), very hard to maneuver around in and had fiberglass on only 3 sides and then only 4/5 of the way up, so you had to not splash too much or wet carpet overhead VS Casita front bath is much roomier and sleak(all fiberglass, all the splashing you need to get a shower and easier to wipe down). The Scamp had an exterior rack under the loft bed for the battery(easy access) VS Casita anchored down in a small cubby that's tight and frustrating to deal with. The Scamp had a step up where the dining table was VS Casita flat floor(we prefer). Overall quality seemed to be better in the Casita, but not to say that the Scamp isn't a nice camper, lighter and cheaper!! Our biggest complaint by far on the Scamp was the airplane door not closing tightly. Have fun choosing, but either way enjoy the memories you'll make with it!!

[Dogtree]

Originally Posted by tnrver

So today I've called both companies and requested a brochure. Until they get here I thought i'd seek out opinions.
The two i'm interested in are Casita Freedom 17 Deluxe & Scamp 16 Deluxe.
Is there any difference in quality of the two? Is one better construct or finished any better than the other?
Thank you for any input

We ordered a new Scamp 16' (9 mos. in line for production), but in the meantime found a 6 year old Casita 17' Liberty Deluxe. Yes it's heavier with greater tongue weight, so we got a beefier tow vehicle in order to have sufficient power for mountain roads and off road.

We think the Casita is higher quality, hands down. Roomier cabinets, fully finished on the inside. The egg surrounds everything, including underneath. No exposed wood anywhere. Excellent weather proofing on all windows and the door.

We also prefer the fiberglass inside. Wood cabinetry is heavier and shows wear more than fiberglass, plus is darker in color for the tiny living space. Dog loves it too--easy interior for sweeping out dog fur!

Best of luck with your search!

[Joe Romas]

As they age the curved "airplane doors" don't hold up well.
That's both on the 13-16 Casita's and the Scamps.
I choose a 17' Casita.

[Bob & Jackie C]

Where do you live

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Joe Romas

As they age the curved "airplane doors" don't hold up well.
That's both on the 13-16 Casita's and the Scamps.
I choose a 17' Casita.

They don't? Don't tell that to my 30 year old Scamp. Shhhhh.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Robert Reighter

Most of the responses to the query have to do with features. Have fun exploring the features of both Scamp and Casita....

I think the best answer to the original question is predicated on quality. Casita wins hands down1

I've owed a 13' Scamp, a 16' Scamp and now own a 17' Casita Liberty Deluxe. I was always disappointed in the workmanship on the Scamp. They seemed 'stamped out'. Fasteners missed their anchor[target] during assembly. I just had to do a lot of rebuilding and maintenance on the Scamps. The choice of materials and design were just not to the same standard as Casita. I think there's a lot more pride of workmanship in the Casita.

I disagree, willing to compare my 14YO Scamp to your new Casita any day.
Apparently you have never even seen a Scamp Deluxe, Nobody does a better interior.
Both are fine trailers, I have worked on all makes. I will refrain from
specifics.

I am glad you are happy with your Casita, it is a very nice trailer.
I wouldn't trade you straight up though,even with the age difference.
(We do have the big bed)


BTW; how old were your trailers at purchase and how long have you had your Casita?

[Morgan A]

The wooden undersurface was a no go for us, considering the Casita has a fiberglass shell. Also, Scamp hhas no option for a north/south bed, and having one of us crawl over the other to go to the bathroom at night was another issue. The one year waiting period was the clincher. We've waited a long time to get a camper/travel trailer, and even Casita's 3 1/2 month wait seemed like forever. We haven't regretted going with the Casita in our humongous two months of ownership, in which we've spent about six weeks camping and/or traveling.

[Kip in Ga.]

Don't know if you are looking at buying new or used so some info may or may not apply. Hard to write something like this and not seem like disparaging.
So being as careful as possible.


We wanted to buy used in case we didn't like camping in a small trailer. Less potential financial loss that way.

Wanted a Scamp or Casita 16'-17'. Advertised in the "Trailers Wanted" section and would have taken either. Wasn't concerned about age so much as condition. First one we saw inside of was at the invitation of one of the members here. John Dave Haggerty. It was a Scamp 16' with front bath and I though it was great. We were encouraged to go to rallies and see, talk and feel. So we did.

In January 2011, we ended up with with an '03 Casita 17 SD. And still have it.

Casita are heavier. Could be because they use thicker heavier materials, and/or more standard equipment?

The 17"ers do have a considerably heavier tongue than a Scamp 16'. We have added a heavy duty frame mounted trailer hitch receiver, a commercial type bike rack and 2 full size 26" bikes to the rear. All total about 110# and still do not have any sway. We do not need or use a sway bar. That heavy tongue got lighter, but still heavy enough to not create a problem with sway.

Yes the battery is in a cubby in the rear of the camper, out of site. When we got this camper there was evidence of tire blow outs on both sides. The only damage to either side are black marks, no cracks or holes. I've heard tales of terrible damage to scamp wheel wells and interior damage from blow outs. Although I've not personally seen it. So checkout the construction of the wheel wells above the tire and the exterior walls.

And yes the curved doors on the Scamps and Casita 13 & 16'ers do/did have problems sealing. I like the Casita 17' flat door and it's real screen door and slide out step. Don't know about late models, but Scamp main door handles and locks were flimsy. Folks were using bungees to keep them closed during travel.

A scamp advantage is the ability to order it very sparse to very loaded. Their solid wood interior models are really nice and wood is not available on the Casita. The Casita exterior walls don't look as wavy as the Scamps do/did.

I know folks that have towed both a Zillion miles. So longevity is good with both. Don't know how much maintenance was necessary. My 03 Casita uses the Dexter axles with ez-Lube hubs which are wonderful. Later models of Scamp use those or something similar but don't know when they started doing that.

IMO if a couple hundred lbs of weight seperate whether your vehicle is up to the task, you might want to consider a stronger tow vehicle.
Look on the page mentioned earlier about real world ready to camp trailer weights, taken at campgrounds. You might be surprised as how close Scamp 16 and Casita 16 are.
Casita advertised weights include equipment that are not included in Scamp advertised weights. Equip them exactly the same and the Casita will still be heavier, but not a lot. And the prices will also be very close.

I tow with a Honda Ridgeline and it does fine, though it does struggle somewhat on 8% grades like other 6 cylinders do. It will maintain my 57-60 MPH on those grades, but it is turning high RPM. Just like the other 6 cylinder gas engines do.

Talking with other campers, I've concluded that a larger vehicle with a V8 will get the same or better fuel mileage when towing our size campers, and have considerably more reserve power when doing so. Big difference is convenience and fuel mileage as a daily driver when we get back home. 98% of our driving is not towing so we lean toward the smaller truck. It is rated to Tow 5K. So it is plenty for the Casita. But if we were camping a lot, it would be a full size truck with V8 gas engine.

There are FG rallies all over the place right now. Go to some and get some hands-on and eyes-on experience before making a decision. As someone mentioned earlier, it is like deciding between a Chevy and a Ford. Which is best for you.

Good luck,

kip

[tnrver]

Originally Posted by Bob & Jackie C

Where do you live

Tennessee

[Borrego Dave]

Good post Kip

[tnrver]

Kip, thank-you for a very informative post!
I received both brochures from the factory today. As many have stated options and floor plans are in the eye of the beholder.
Casita has the edge in both for me.
I'm going to look in FG camper events and attend one or two so I can physical see some FG campers before making a decision.
Thank-you all for your input

[Doug in Sacramento]

We are very happy with our Scamp 16. The price was right (we bought it new) and it is a great match to our tow vehicle. Our only issue is the narrow bed. For a couple years, we used a platform in the galley area, making a V berth, but we have now settled on sleeping in opposite directions, head to toe. That seems to be working for us. Maybe the biggest plus for us is all the counter space in the Scamp 16, layout 4.

My wife isn’t a fan of the “rat fur” in the Scamp but I really don’t like the carpet on the walls in Casitas. A personal bias, I guess. Reminds me of carpeted vans from the 70’s.

I do like the fact that you can have a bike rack on the rear of a Casita without sway, due to the higher tongue weight. Doesn’t work on our Scamp.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by tnrver

I'm going to look in FG camper events and attend one or two so I can physical see some FG campers before making a decision.
Thank-you all for your input

This is key. We went to our first rally AFTER we bought our Casita. At the rally we saw our first Escape, realized our mistake and started shopping for an Escape at that point.

Floorplan is a very personal preference, ourselves, the 17 foot Casita Liberty didn't work for us because basically there is no place to sit without taking up the bed. And the end seats on each side, are uncomfortable to sit on. We would have been better off with a smaller bed and a side dinette on a Casita, or a Scamp deluxe 16 with a larger rear bed and a side dinette. Instead we went with the Escape 19, got a larger dinette than either the Scamp or Casita and a larger bed too.


If I had to choose between the Scamp or the Casita, a deluxe 16 Scamp would be my choice. Your choice may well be different! Since most floors rot from the inside out, I am not concerned about the bottom being exposed on the Scamp. I am more concerned about the odd plumbing tubing Scamp uses (not sure if they are still doing it). Pex is the way to go. Not sure if/when Scamp went with PEX. But if I had a unit that was not PEX, I would change it out.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

This is key. We went to our first rally AFTER we bought our Casita. At the rally we saw our first Escape, realized our mistake and started shopping for an Escape at that point.

Floorplan is a very personal preference, ourselves, the 17 foot Casita Liberty didn't work for us because basically there is no place to sit without taking up the bed. And the end seats on each side, are uncomfortable to sit on. We would have been better off with a smaller bed and a side dinette on a Casita, or a Scamp deluxe 16 with a larger rear bed and a side dinette. Instead we went with the Escape 19, got a larger dinette than either the Scamp or Casita and a larger bed too.


If I had to choose between the Scamp or the Casita, a deluxe 16 Scamp would be my choice. Your choice may well be different! Since most floors rot from the inside out, I am not concerned about the bottom being exposed on the Scamp. I am more concerned about the odd plumbing tubing Scamp uses (not sure if they are still doing it). Pex is the way to go. Not sure if/when Scamp went with PEX. But if I had a unit that was not PEX, I would change it out.

My '04 is Pex.

[thrifty bill]

Good to know on PEX.

One other challenge with Scamp, if you want a fully equipped trailer, most of the stuff is optional on a Scamp (stuff that is standard on other brands). If you are buying new, no problem, you can order exactly what you want. And what little I know about Scamp pricing, they start pretty low, lower than other brands, so you can add options and still not be any more expensive than other brands. Some would consider this a big plus, as if you don't want many options anyway, Scamp lets you buy it that way. This also makes for a lighter weight trailer.

On the used market, you just have to make sure the one you want meets your requirements.

[RogerDat]

In the used market one may end up making a choice based on first available with required features or acceptable floor plan. New purchase I would definitely make at least one or two rallies to scope the different "real world" camper in person.

Lot of stuff that looks cool or sounds nifty in brochure or sales lot really doesn't do much for you in real use. People do modifications to improve real world use. How easy or difficult making a modification is might matter. How well such a modification fits your needs is pretty individual. If nothing else it can highlight a shortcoming people overcome with a modification, or provide an idea that sells you on that model.

Best floor plan can also become more apparent on looking at campers in use. The large open space floor plan that looks great in the showroom or brochure may turn out to be a direct result of very few or extra small cabinets or closets. Real world you see the cargo that doesn't fit in the camper hauled in or on the tow vehicle or stacked inside.

I can give you an easy example. Our Scamp 13 has a closet you can hang clothes in, but we modified it to have shelves to provide more kitchen and camp gear accessible storage space. Now if you figure hanging clothes are important for visiting attractions like museums or art galleries AND need a fair amount of kitchen and camping gear storage our 40 year old Scamp floor plan and cabinet layout is probably not a good choice.

Focus on the essentials Number and size of beds, sleep is the biggest need from your shelter. Bathroom or related amenities. Kitchen for storage or work space. And overall storage space for the type of gear you need to take.

One thing one has to figure is Scamp got it at least pretty much right. Been making some models with mostly the same floor plans for many decades and they are still attractive enough today that people part with their cash to buy them new. Casita has had significant growth in sales I think which also indicates a viable product that suits some people.

One thing to bear in mind, Casita dropped their smaller camper from their sales listings where the 13 is still a staple of Scamp market. Both have shifted a bit to better align product with retiring boomers who don't need bunks for the kids but do want a bathroom or side dinette.

Retired one has more time to use camper so enhancing the amenities a bit makes sense. Why I would want wood cabinets with 3 kids for weekend trips I can't imagine. Mostly I wanted duct tape and cages. Three weeks up north with just the wife and I nice interior begins to make sense.

Casita shifted production toward the higher end sizes a bit, Scamp changed amenities and floor plans but kept the entry level size and package, which can have amenities upgraded to portable retirement cottage level.

BTW - don't let my scamp door hear it's suppose to have a bungee cord. It just did a 5,000 mile trip through the south west without one and stayed latched fine but at its age it gets cranky if it thinks it is being neglected.

[steve dunham]

As the great Donna D often says “ Go make memories “ ( Paraphrase)
You can do that in any FG trailer whether it be a Scamp or Casita or Oliver or Escape Etc Etc

[Jimmy in Pa]

Late to the party but want to thank everybody for their input. Seems vigilance and maintenance are your best insurance. From there, floor plan, amenities, and price. FYI Scamp is undergoing plans for a new floor construction product. Time will tell. Terrific comparison. Thanks again.

[Meadowlark]

When we were camper shopping, the only FG we'd ever seen was a Casita. Our 2011 Casita SD is now 0ver 13 years old and while it's had it's glitches, overall, I am very happy with it.
I can't say much about the Scamp, as I've only been in one once, and it had the exposed floor boards. As I live in the Carwash State (WA) rain and water in general is something we deal with for 9 months of the year, so that open bottom..while reducing weight, would have been a no go for us.

But over all, I've known people who've had both and there's not much difference in their happiness. Scamps are good campers. Casitas are good campers.

The one thing a prior poster mentioned was the tires. Casita, for the longest time, refused to balance the tires. This was stupid, and smelled like cost cutting. A balanced tire, no matter what it's on, is a more reliable tire.
But their cost cutting went even further:...the original tires on our 2011 were cheap JUNKOLA. Within a year and not that much mileage, we decided to get rid of them. Discount Tire put some good ones on the camper and the only reason we changed them three years later was due to tread separation due to UV exposure. (mostly on the spare, as we'd disposed of the free advertising cover for the spare.) Yes, UV will eat your tires, even in WA state, where when the sun comes out, we bring out the grandkids to see it.

I don't know what Casita has done about balancing tires or putting good ones on the camper since we bought ours.

So...do your homework, and buy covers for your tires, and I'm betting you'll be happy with which ever camper you choose.

[Meadowlark]

>Retired one has more time to use camper so enhancing the amenities a bit makes sense. Why I would want wood cabinets with 3 kids for weekend trips I can't imagine. Mostly I wanted duct tape and cages.<

Ohmygod, Roger, I'm roaring, I laughed til my sides hurt. I'm still laughing..