Casita Why Carpet? and No shocks? Ruff ride and jiggles stuff lose?

[WUKY]

We are considering buying a Casita and the 2 biggest draw backs for us is the carpet on the walls and it having no shocks.
In your seasoned experience please send words of wisdom about these two things.
Carpet seems hard to clean and collects dust, then when cooking oil gets into the air....The top of my fridge at home often has a layer of oil!

Does having no shocks create any problems such as losing seals,bolts etc?

We're possibly buying a 2001 in very good condition in a few days is there any thing to be concerned about?

Is getting parts a pain in the B?

In appreciation,
WUKY

[Jon in AZ]

Most people don't cook the same when traveling as at home, much simpler. Folks who like to do more elaborate cooking often set up an outside kitchen. Have you seen the size of the Casita galley? And remember- it's your bedroom, too. Want your sheets to smell like yesterday's burgers?

So why carpet? Fiberglass shells have to be lined with something for thermal, sound, and light insulation and to prevent condensation in cold weather. The curved shape means conventional RV paneling won't work, so some kind of flexible material is called for. Carpet is an inexpensive and durable choice, and the pile hides seams. Soft-touch surfaces are also nice when you brush against the sides, which you'll do a lot in a small trailer. In most layouts the beds are flush against the walls.

The carpet is a non-absorbent synthetic, and it can be vacuumed and steam cleaned, so I don't see it as a significant issue.

As an alternative, Escape lines their trailers with a smooth, wipeable vinyl-covered foam. With the current exchange rate, an Escape 17 is pretty close in price to a Casita 17, but not as many used ones out there.

Lack of shocks is another built-to-budget issue. They're not really necessary on a torsion axle, and a somewhat rougher ride is considered acceptable on a trailer. I haven't felt a need for shocks on my small Scamp- no unusual rivet failures or cabinets popping open. It does ride smoother when loaded than empty. I believe a shock kit is available for the Casita 17, and owners who have installed it seem pleased with the improvement.

Parts are not an issue. Most wear items are standard RV or hardware store stock, and Casita is still in business for any rare fiberglass replacement needs.

[Fred762]

We bought a new Casita Independence last Spring.. Liked the twin-bed layout alot and we have used it for 8 different trips since April, incl 3 weeks 'docking in VT last August. We do not cook in the camper..occ heat water or use the microwave, but not really cook: IF the carpet gets dirty we will have ZeroRez come and dry clean it.

I have no opinion re the shox or lack thereof..This is our first TT and we have not had any problems w stuff "shaking loose" on the road..in about 6000 miles since the April pickup at Rice TX factory.

[MK Evenson]

We love the rat fur. Where else can you so easily attach stuff to the walls? The shocks are after market and I love them.
Capita is a great trailer with a solid track record. You can buy Escape, at high cost, but Casita is U S made.
Mark

[thrifty bill]

Few if any of the fiberglass RVs have shocks, most likely to hold down cost.

I hate carpet too. Most of the brands have some type of insulation/covering on the walls, otherwise they will sweat. Now a double hull model like an Oliver has no need for wall covering. But it comes with a dramatically higher cost. Casita uses carpet. I like the smooth vinyl in my Escape. Now carpet on the walls is kind of handy. But carpet on the floors is a nuisance. It’s cheaper for Casita to use carpet on the floor as the floor underneath it doesn’t have to be perfect. I think Casita offers tile floor as an option.

Casita continually upgraded their floor design. Check for soft spots. New ones have their best design. When did Casita switch to PEX plumbing? It’s the best.

17 Ft Escape is not much more than a 17 ft Casita.

If/when you need parts you likely won’t be buying from Casita. Casita makes frame, cabinet doors, and interior cabinets. Most likely parts are coming from the same suppliers that make stuff for the RV market like Dometic.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

17 Ft Escape is not much more than a 17 ft Casita.

I presume you mean price-wise, taking into account currency exchange and options versus standard equipment?

[Rzrbrn]

We have a 2013 Casita SD 17’. Really like the carpet on the walls for temperature AND sound issues. Have shocks, like them. Have many mods done, , like all. Don’t cook inside. Don’t shower or use toilet. We would like a larger trailer, but keep coming back to this as the best for us. This is maneuverable, easy to tow (we use a WDH, but not really needed), and very solidly built.

Best TT on the market, bar none. You may get slightly better, but it will cost you a great deal more money.

[Steve L.]

Thousands of Casitas running around with no shocks and carpeting and they have a months long waiting list for new ones and used ones are snapped up all the time.


Wouldn't hurt to print the Buyers Checklist to guide you through the things you should look at.

[ShelbyM]

It's worth mentioning that the Dexter axle/suspension is designed to operate w/o shocks. It's used by many, if not most smaller trailers. Not just a FGRV thing. That said, shock kits are available and well liked. If you get the 2001 you should check if the suspension is still functioning properly, they can deteriorate over time. You may also find that the small confines of a Casita are unforgiving of less than exemplary housekeeping practices Good luck!

[Captleemo]

I like the carpeting on the interior of my Casita. Ive seen pictures of some Fgrv's with smooth walls like the Oliver and if you like the looks of that fine but for me personally they make the interior look to sterile.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Hardly any trailers of any kind have shocks.

[WizWid]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

Hardly any trailers of any kind have shocks.

Olivers do. Airstreams do. On Dexter torflex axles......

[Jon in AZ]

Oliver... $50-70K. Airstream... $45-150K. You can have shocks on a $20K Casita for the nominal cost of the kit, you just have to do it yourself. Sounds like a good deal to me!

Just to be clear, Airstream installs shocks on a torsion axle suspension. As far as I know, they are the only one that does. Oliver installs shocks on a conventional leaf spring suspension.

[RogerDat]

Torsion axles don't need shocks so shocks are not as commonly used with that type of axle. Some have added shocks, many don't. The axles torsion rubber tends to work fine as suspension for at least a couple of decades.

If shocks improve the trailer ride or extend the life of the torsion rubbers then they add value. Up to the owner if that value is worth the cost. Generally shocks are not required with torsion axle.

[Mike_L]

Carpet on the inside of a trailer provides both thermal and acoustic insulation. It is synthetic fiber, resists stains and cleans (steams) easily. It doesn't show marks like scratches and dings. Heavy cooking is best done outside.
Most trailers don't use shocks as people don't ride in them. Shocks stiffen the ride and this can add strain to the frame of the unit which is more of a concern with stick built than fiberglass units.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by MK Evenson

We love the rat fur. Where else can you so easily attach stuff to the walls? The shocks are after market and I love them.
Capita is a great trailer with a solid track record. You can buy Escape, at high cost, but Casita is U S made.
Mark

"Rat fur" is a nickname for the particular grade of marine headliner Scamp has used to line their trailers since the mid-80's. It is not the same material as Casita's short-pile carpet, which is called... well... carpet.

Both work well for their intended purpose.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

"Rat fur" is a nickname for the particular grade of marine headliner Scamp has used to line their trailers since the mid-80's. It is not the same material as Casita's short-pile carpet, which is called... well... carpet.

Both work well for their intended purpose.

Casita headliner needs a nickname comparable to "Rat Fur". I propose "Crapit".

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Casita headliner needs a nickname comparable to "Rat Fur". I propose "Crapit".

I can't help it! This made me laugh so hard, I think I pulled a rib

[Jon in AZ]

At some risk of offending a few early Casita owners, I will confess it immediately made me think of an earlier version of the Casita carpet...



1983 Casita 13 with OEM brown carpet

It also came in variegated blue, though the nickname doesn't fit as well. Unlike that early carpet, which became quickly dated, the current off-white short pile carpet seems to have passed the test of time.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by WUKY

We are considering buying a Casita and the 2 biggest draw backs for us is the carpet on the walls and it having no shocks.
In your seasoned experience please send words of wisdom about these two things.
Carpet seems hard to clean and collects dust, then when cooking oil gets into the air....The top of my fridge at home often has a layer of oil!

Does having no shocks create any problems such as losing seals,bolts etc?

We're possibly buying a 2001 in very good condition in a few days is there any thing to be concerned about?

Is getting parts a pain in the B?

In appreciation,
WUKY

We've had our Casita since Sept 2007. We have not had to clean the carpet on the walls yet. I have vacuumed it. I also cook in my trailer every day. I took out the stove vent and open the upper vent and turn on the fan to out. I use curtain pin type hooks and hang stuff on the walls like pictures, caps, etc. I wish I had tile or linoleum on the floor. We use our toilet all the time if we have hookups and if we don't have sewer we use the campground toilets in the daytime and ours at night. We love our Casita and just returned from a 3,316 mile trip a few days ago. There is some moving of loose items on the floor but nothing that is real horrible. Within 2-3 minutes I have everything back in its place. We sit a thermos of ice water in the bathroom in case it would leak but it never has moved. We have only used the shower a couple of times when we had full hookups but prefer to use the campground showers. I've heard more complaints of the rat fur in the Scamps but not the carpet in the Casita's. We had a 1985 Casita and the ceiling carpet came loose in a couple of spots but we used a syringe with glue and glued it back. That trailer had been abused badly and we had massive repairs on it. When done it was nice. Sold it for as much as we had in it 2 years after buying it and using it.