i can't believe how emotional i'm getting about considering selling my casita 17 - Fiberglass RV
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Old 04-26-2013, 04:24 PM   #1
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Name: KAYAK
Trailer: 2007 casita freedom deluxe-2013 tacoma
New Hampshire
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i can't believe how emotional i'm getting about considering selling my casita 17

i have a good car - got it at a good price - but it can't tow the casita. or if i do tow it the chances are i will hurt the car over the long term.

so it makes sense to sell the camper and get a lighter one. i've had offers on it and i guess could sell it quickly. but it will be hard to find and buy the next one...a little lighter than the casita.

i'm close to tears about giving up my casita. i've only had it 2 yrs but i LOVE it.

i'm getting ready to trade the car...no emotional attachment there...but trading it is a really stupid financial decision.

am i the only one who loves my camper as much as if it was a puppy...or a child???
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Old 04-26-2013, 04:36 PM   #2
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Kayak. I have four trailers each in different states of disrepair. I plan to give each of my five kids a trailer. My whole family has become attached to them as a result. The first one is the one we use.
They are each named, because each has a personality to us. We are also at two years of ownership, and I can't picture being without one. I asked my son, who is getting a 1978 Trillium 4500 as his trailer, what he would do with it if he did not have a place to store it after he moves out. He said "sell it". Wrong answer. In Alberta, trailer registration is only done once, and is not ever required after, until the trailer is sold. After that, I told him the trailer will remain in my name, so he can't sell it. Yup, I am kinda attached.
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Old 04-26-2013, 05:44 PM   #3
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Trailer: 1996 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe; 1946 Modernistic teardrop
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We have three campers, a popup that we bought in 1978, a vintage teardrop that we bought in 2007, and the Uhaul that we have owned less than 2 years. The popup hasn't been used in a few years but I won't sell it, the teardrop will never get sold, and the Uhaul likely will not either. You can be one of those that tows on the edge of your vehicles limit, upgrade your tow vehicle, or downsize your camper. And if you want your casita to go to a good home where it will be well taken care of you can sell it to us cheap because that is all we can afford. I have way too much stuff because I also get attached to things. I say keep the Casita and at the time it is feasible upgrade your tow vehicle, it's easier to do that than find another camper.
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Old 04-26-2013, 06:08 PM   #4
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thank-you. so i am not crazy. don't have to dial 911 and get taken away to the funny farm. thank-you.
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Old 04-26-2013, 06:16 PM   #5
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thank-you. so i am not crazy. don't have to dial 911 and get taken away to the funny farm. thank-you.

How much would it cost you to buy another vehicle? The RAV4s seem to hold their value.
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Old 04-26-2013, 06:31 PM   #6
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The camper will last a life time, the car will not. Save the camper!
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Old 04-26-2013, 06:37 PM   #7
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I would get a weight distribution hitch and tow with the Rav4 as long as it has the 6cyl and tow package. Hopefully Jon Vermilye will chime in here but he has been towing a 17' Escape with a Rav4 with a travel weight over 3000 pounds for I think well over 30,000 miles so far. The Casita will weigh about the same so I don't think you'll have any problems at all. I tow my Casita with a 195hp 6cyl SUV and I'm pretty sure your Rav4 has over 260hp and you still will get much better gas mileage than I do. I wouldn't get rid of either of them and I think you should at least try a couple of short trips before making any decision on selling either of them.....Hope this helps!
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Old 04-26-2013, 06:37 PM   #8
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I've found for me that no matter which trailer I'm looking to buy or own , I am always approaching or surpassing the limits of my tow vehicle. Sometimes I think my buddy has the right approach ,buy a 1 ton truck with the biggest diesel engine available with the ultimate tow package and all the bells and whistles and then you can buy any fiberglass trailer you want. His truck is driven about 4000 miles / year and only for towing so mileage is not a major concern. If your going to buy a new vehicle make sure it is capable of towing the trailer you really desire . Most of us have faced the same dilemma as you
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Old 04-26-2013, 06:59 PM   #9
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New Hampshire
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tom-i only bought the rav a few months ago...because my real truck (silverado 4x4 1500) was hurting me...i'm getting older and it was a work truck and honestly...cranking the window tore my rotator cuff and i couldnt use that arm at all for awhile. it was scarey. i didnt like thinking my kayaking days were over. so i traded the truck-kinda fast-even tho i owed money on it and i did research the rav really well with my son helping...and the real weight numbers...well the ones written on paper by both toyota and casita seemed to match up

but now i understand about "weight in the real world"

and i heard a story about a hitch put on the uni just ripping off...

bottom line...i owe a lot more than the rav is worth...cuz i rolled over $ from the truck. thats why i'm leary to do it now. plus i have a 2nd house that hasnt sold in a year-right near the atv park in the nh mts if anyone is interested...

it's just not a smart thing for me to do. but then i do want to get a few more paddles in and as many days at the beach as i can before the rest of this old body breaks down.

so i am sort of thinking "go for it"

i kinda like what randy said "I wouldn't get rid of either of them and I think you should at least try a couple of short trips before making any decision on selling either of them....."

i'm just afraid i wont know i am doing damage to the car until its too late...and it should be easy to trade in-esp since it is now wired correctly for brake controller and lights

and since 2012 is last rav with tow package(i think)

steve i really do travel light...but i cant change the tongue on the camper...

jon has been talking to me all thru this-until the last few days . i know i need to get weighed to really know where i stand. i think his camper is quite a bit lighter than mine.

i'm glad to know he has gone 30,000 miles tho that is new info for me.

thanks again. istill dont know what i will do tomorrow. i feel like they will take me to court or something if i dont sign the papers
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Old 04-26-2013, 07:00 PM   #10
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Ace. Amen.
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Old 04-26-2013, 07:04 PM   #11
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My VT will hold its value in several ways. First, it is a vintage fiberglass camper. How many vehicles that are 26 years old still survive (Yes, I know. I have TWO vehicles that are older, a 1969 VW Beetle that is used as a third car, and a 1968 VW pickup that I say does not run, but Kevin quickly corrects me and says that it does. Hey, would you ride in a '68 VW pickup, even when it belongs to you, that has a milk jug as a gas tank?!)? The camper, given the rarity of the model of Uhaul, cannot replace the tow vehicle.

And the Uhaul has changed our lives in a way that our vehicles have not, even the vintage ones. Yes, we go to VW shows, but with the Uhaul, we see places that we never would have seen without it. I like my Eurovan, my Beetles (including my cool 2007 convertible!) but if I had to choose between them and my Uhaul, the camper wins hands-down.

(Now, that being said, I am not tied enough to my VT that if I had a chance at a larger fiberglass camper, I would not be interested. I keep hoping that VW will sell their new pickup here, so I can look at 5th wheels if the government lets me ever retire, and I can afford a new camper.)

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Old 04-26-2013, 07:16 PM   #12
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Everyone is different. Some folks get really attached to certain types of pets. Some, to their houses. Some, to their trailers. And so on.

If the Casita means that much to you, I can see where you would willingly part with some money to get a different tug. What are you thinking about getting? A Highlander would work, and it would handle and ride very much like the Rav (I've driven a Rav several hundred miles, and I own a HL).

If you can, please consider selling the Rav privately rather than taking a beating on a trade-in deal. Or if you can't, then at least negotiate the purchase and the trade as two separate figures so you can see what they're really giving you on both ends; it makes comparison shopping much more economical. Also, don't hestitate to shop outside of your immediate area for the best deal. I could not even get a base HL with AWD in Tulsa area (they only stocked high-dollar Limiteds in AWD), and ended up shopping online till I found what I wanted (no frills but AWD) 2 hours away in Kansas. Even my daughter got a much better deal than possible locally, by making an offer to an Okla City dealer 2 hours away, for her Scion.

I have to add, though, that if money is tight, you have to face facts and exist within your means. If you cannot afford a different vehicle (I can see your predicament), then despite your attachment I would say that it would be best to sell, and grieve as long as you have to, and then get a 16 footer (something that you can tow).

One more option: Can-Am RV in Toronto has a lot of experience in custom hitch receivers. For a couple thousand, they might be able to fabricate something that will safely stay attached to the Rav, and also they can add air bags, sway bars, or whatever the Rav might need to make it able to tow the 17.
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Old 04-26-2013, 07:23 PM   #13
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Best review the specs for the 2013 Highlander before you get into another load of trouble. I was looking them over with a buddy and as I recall the towing limit has been reduced significantly ( just like the 2013 RAV4 ).
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Old 04-26-2013, 07:24 PM   #14
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mike-i think i want to go with a tacoma v6 4x4 with tow package

i'm not in any shape fiancially to sell privately or dicker with them much...i live near the dealership that most ppl drive many miles to get to

but ... i havent signed yet. will sleep on it. maybe wait a week and tow a few times and weigh with the rav...i have the wdh...but know i cant put it together myself
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Old 04-26-2013, 07:32 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by mary and bob View Post
We have three campers, a popup that we bought in 1978, a vintage teardrop that we bought in 2007, and the Uhaul that we have owned less than 2 years. The popup hasn't been used in a few years but I won't sell it, the teardrop will never get sold, and the Uhaul likely will not either. You can be one of those that tows on the edge of your vehicles limit, upgrade your tow vehicle, or downsize your camper. And if you want your casita to go to a good home where it will be well taken care of you can sell it to us cheap because that is all we can afford. I have way too much stuff because I also get attached to things. I say keep the Casita and at the time it is feasible upgrade your tow vehicle, it's easier to do that than find another camper.
...I like this idea and totally agree with that. To me, it just took me...2 YEARS to finally find my camper with right budget, hobby, style...That is a...33 years old F.G Trillium. To trade my car for another car? it might take me...one week is the MOST... A camper???? no way, especially the one I work on it. My wife sometimes complained that why not spending more money to buy a really better one like new but bother spending time working on it. Here is my response: When it comes to a hobby and passion, time and sometimes money will take second spot.
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Old 04-26-2013, 07:46 PM   #16
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We sold our 2004 17' Casita LD the day after we brought home a 1969 25' Airstream Trade Wind last September.
I'm in the process of rebuilding it and as usual things come up and its not done yet.
It was supposed to be ready in time for an Airstream Rally a couple of weeks ago and a teardrop gathering next week.

Good thing we have a 2001 13' Casita P.D. ( Yaa ! )

But I do miss my 17' (sniff sniff).
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Old 04-26-2013, 07:59 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Mike Magee View Post
A Highlander would work, and it would handle and ride very much like the Rav (I've driven a Rav several hundred miles, and I own a HL).
Got this from Edmunds site for 2013 HL:

Weights and Capacities
MAXIMUM TOWING CAPACITY** 3500 lbs. MAXIMUM PAYLOAD** 1554 lbs.







** When adequately equipped, which may require engine and/or other drivetrain upgrades.
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Old 04-26-2013, 09:22 PM   #18
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Wow, they reduced it from 5000 to only 3500, I wonder what's up with that?!

(edit): I checked autos.msn.com and they still list the 2013 V6 4x4 at 5000 lbs towing. Is it possible you were looking at the hybrid model? They (2008 and later) have always been rated at 3500.
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Old 04-26-2013, 10:34 PM   #19
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I don't think it was hybrid. It's from Edmunds so you can fact check me. I tried Toyota Canada site, but ended up driving in circles.

I just went back and looked. That's the 4 cylinder. The V6 AWD is still 5,000.
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Old 04-26-2013, 11:10 PM   #20
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am i the only one who loves my camper as much as if it was a puppy...or a child???
You are not alone.

I bought a 1971 Compact Jr that was gutted and used as a cargo trailer for $900. I spent over $4000 remodeling it back into a camp trailer. I later sold it for $1000 to friends who really wanted a small trailer. They told me that by doing so I saved their relationship. Later I find out that they have fallen on hard times and use it as collateral for a loan. Their patron takes the trailer on a trip, damages it, and leaves it in an avocado grove to rot for 4 years. When I hear of this I let my friends know that I would buy it back. They retrieve it from their patron and sell it back to me for $500. I have totally dismantled it and have spent $1200 so far on a totally new undercarriage. I an in the process of repairing the damage to the body in preparation to take it to get painted. This time, I feel that by the time Robert and I will be able to camp in it I will have given birth...
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