17 ft Liberty or Independence

[melissab]

Hello All! We've been camping in our 13 ft Scamp with 2 adults and 2 kids since 2012. Our youngest goes off to college next year so we're thinking of upgrading for just the 2 of us. We are tired of the crawl over at night so want the twin beds option or the King where you can get out at the foot of the bed. Hubby is 6ft and I've read some concerns with the Independence model that the foot space with the twin bed setup is a little cramped when using the dining table. Those of you that have the Liberty or Independence models could you please weigh in on your thoughts as to which floorplan works best and why and if using the dinette in the Independence is really an issue for taller folks with size 12 shoes. We're only interested in the Deluxe as we want the onboard bathroom. Thanks for any input!

Melissa

[Adirondack Anthony]

We have a 2016 Independence Deluxe. I can only answer some of your question based on how we use ours, 2 adults. We never use the large table, it doesn't leave our storage shed at home. You have to store it somewhere while camping or, should you leave it up, makes getting out of bed almost as hard as crawling over someone. We use a smaller table for prep while cooking and another towards the rear if we're forced to eat inside, both come down for sleeping. One slides in between the bunks without the post for tv remotes/morning coffee in bed etc. I'm also 6' tall with size 11.5 foot. Aisle is approx 17" so its no problem sitting and eating if we stagger feet a bit. IMHO, the worst aspect of an ID is that, with 32" beds, it is not comfortable to sit with your back resting on the outside of the shell. We've learned to deal with that issue as best we can, mostly by living outside. A Liberty Deluxe would be the alternative. My approach has been to do research, make a choice, live with it and move on. Each model compromises something. Good luck to you.

[melissab]

Thank you! This is exactly the info we're looking for. We usually cook and hang out outside unless bad weather but I would not have thought about not being able to lean back when sitting at the table. One could always use throw pillows for back support but that's more things to have to find a home for when not in use.

Keep the info coming!

[thrifty bill]

Realize Casita uses the same exterior molds for all 17 footers. So as the beds get wider, the aisleway gets narrower. We had a Liberty, beds were about 22 inches wide. A standard residential twin is 39 inches wide, so it’s way narrower than a twin.

As I recall, the Independence is more like 30 inches wide, closer to a real twin. But a real twin is still 30% wider. And that cuts out 16 inches from the center aisle.

I’d rather have more bed and less aisle. That’s the trade off.

Measure your body width at your shoulders. I found the Liberty to be way too narrow. And your arms need to cling to your sides or over your chest if you are a back sleeper. Your favorite sleeping position is key. Myself, I can no longer sleep on my side. So flat on my back. Hated the bed in the Liberty.

[melissab]

More great info, thanks! Hubby is 6 ft and 240lbs and I'm 5 ft and 140lbs so width is definitely important! Bed space is more important than isle space. Im a stomach/side sleeper and move around a lot. Hubby has a CPAP and sleeps flat on his back. In our 54" Scamp bed we sleep head to toe just to have more shoulder room. The only configuration I see working with the Liberty would be the King set up and scooting off the end for nighttime bathroom trips.

[Jennifer Minogue]

We have a liberty/ independence set up with two twin beds. Plywood was added to the platforms so the mattresses are 30 inches wide but as long as a king bed so they use king-length sheets but are narrow. Someone told me they are dorm-twin size. (I use king sheets cut down). The mattresses were custom-made and installed by the previous owner.

We need the aisle so no crawling over each other. We do not use the king option. We have a custom-made table that goes on the metal posts and is big enough for two place settings face-to-face. It folds lengthwise in three pieces but still allows you to exit when it is folded up as it is only about 8 inches wide when folded. Most of the time it is dismantled and stored on the floor though. We have a bag for the posts so they aren't rolling around loose. We also have a set of plastic drawers that you get at walmart that by luck just fit in between the beds at the head. It acts as a side table and storage unit (coffee cups, TV remote, etc)

I have throw pillows for support down the length of the bed to make a pretend sofa but usually we just do the lounge-in-bed thing.

So bottom line for us is sacrificing a permanent eating area with seating for the privilege of not having to crawl all over each other. If you want 39 inch twin beds, permanent seating area with table, and a bathroom, you need to be a LOT bigger than 17 feet.

[melissab]

I would definitely sacrifice a permanent eating area for not having to crawl over. We already have done that in our 13 ft Scamp as we leave the bed made up full time and we have front bunks so we always eat outside. Thanks for the tip that storage drawers fit between the beds! I think the Independence beds are already 30" so we wouldn't even need to add plywood to make them wider.

[KentWatts]

Hello Melissa,

In 2015 we decided to purchase a Casita and went to Rice, TX on our way to Houston to check them out. Originally we were interested in the SD but there was no way the "crawl-over" bed arrangement would work for us. So, it was either the LD or ID. We wanted wider single beds, but the narrow aisle in the Independence was just too tight. We ordered the LD Sept '15 and picked it up in April '16 thinking that the 24 in. wide single bed set-up would work for us - Wrong! just too narrow. We then set up the "V" arrangement (heads by the rear window with feet to either side) using a 2 in. memory foam topper for comfort. It was ok but not great.

I decided to make the single beds wider (30 in.) and ordered custom made mattresses from Southern Mattress (southernmattressnc.com). They are known in Casita circles for helping people like us get an excellent twin bed configuration. When camping, we pretty much live outside so we leave the tables at home with all the original cushions. The way we use our Casita, this works very nicely for us, and beds are excellent. Attached are some photos that will show you how it turned-out. The space between the beds is 15 in. and the foot space below is 28 in. I hope this will add to the info you are gathering and help you decide what works best for you.

KW

[melissab]

Wow that looks great! We too live outside and only sleep in our Scamp. We have a mattress and leave bed made up full time. Only upgrading to eliminate the crawl over and have onboard bathroom. Porta Potti has worked well for 9 yrs but ready for a bit more luxury lol. So is the narrow isle an issue since you only sleep there? Did you screw the support brackets into the fiberglass bench?

[KentWatts]

The aisle width is no problem whatsoever. What seems to be much more important is the space below the beds where your feet are. There is enough room to turn around and/or put your feet back when sitting on the bed, and room for the Pooch's bed at the end. That extra space below also helps if you choose to use the small table while sitting on the beds.

All assembly with the 1X6 extension boards and the angle brackets was done using 3M VHB (Very High Bond) double-sided tape. That stuff is amazing and is probably stronger than screws, bolts or rivets - and no drilling.

[melissab]

Ya we love the VHB for awning attachments and solar panels etc. No drilling required and holds everything. So the floorspace in the Independence is too narrow to stand in or turn around in? If you could do it again would you get the Independence instead of modding the Liberty?

[KenMorris]

Originally Posted by melissab

Hello All! We've been camping in our 13 ft Scamp with 2 adults and 2 kids since 2012. Our youngest goes off to college next year so we're thinking of upgrading for just the 2 of us. We are tired of the crawl over at night so want the twin beds option or the King where you can get out at the foot of the bed. Hubby is 6ft and I've read some concerns with the Independence model that the foot space with the twin bed setup is a little cramped when using the dining table. Those of you that have the Liberty or Independence models could you please weigh in on your thoughts as to which floorplan works best and why and if using the dinette in the Independence is really an issue for taller folks with size 12 shoes. We're only interested in the Deluxe as we want the onboard bathroom. Thanks for any input!

Melissa

We opted for the Independence. We solved the table issue by ordering and installing a Lujan table https://www.lagunusa.com/?gclid=CjwK...xoC48oQAvD_BwE which lets us use the table in other places and for other things. Height above the bed is easy to raise and loser with one twist of a lever, and we keep up at night while sleeping by raising the table a few inches so that it will not interfere with feet, or you can place it in the middle if you do not have a CPAP machine to contend with as I do.

[Rand Rowe]

Hi,

To each his own. We tried just about every configuration and kept going back to the king bed and large table. Sixteen years of traveling all the lower forty eight and much of Canada and five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night and we are all set up. We travel with the large table set up for breakfast, lunch and dinner and love it.

Rand in SC

[MountainManMike]

Melissa In case you havent seen it here is a recent thread discussing this issue.

https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ugh-95725.html


The Independence seems best for us after I modified the table for more foot room.


Mike

[melissab]

Ken, Hubby also has a CPAP so glad to know the table will work with that.

Rand, Do you convert your bed to a table every morning and then back to a bed at night? If so, where do you store all your bedding?

Mike, Thanks! I didnt find that thread when I did a search on the site for the Independence model.