Compare Casita v. Scamp 13' - Fiberglass RV
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Old 02-15-2006, 06:33 PM   #1
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We would like to buy a 13' egg, either a Casita or a Scamp. Can anyone tell us the difference between the two. From what I've read on both this forum and the Casitaclub forum the Scamp doesn't seem to be as well built as the Casita. Any comments?
thanks, Louise
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Old 02-15-2006, 06:41 PM   #2
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Trailer: Y2K6 Bigfoot 25 ft (25B25RQ) & Y2K3 Scamp 16 ft Side Dinette
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Hi Louise! Bite your tongue! Please! Scamp not built as well as a Casita? Fords are MUCH better than Chevys.

Actually, just like various auto manufacturers, each has it's foibles and it's strong points. Some features are "better" in each. Which you choose should depend on a number of factors, and particularly which "feels" right to you, just like buying a car.

Neither has a clear advantage in workmanship, or materials. They're just manufactured slightly differently. Actually, the only thing that the manufacturers can actually claim as their own are the frames and "egg" bodies. Everything else is off-the-shelf from other manufactures and most of the time are identical across all brands. The axles are typically either Dexter or Al-Ko. Dometic or NorCold are the fridge manufacturers. Windows are from Hehr, or one of a half-dozen other manufacturers. The list goes on and on.

So, go to an egg gathering. Go to a factory. Call other owners. See what you like and don't like about each, and then make a decision about what you'd like!

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Old 02-15-2006, 07:45 PM   #3
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We would like to buy a 13' egg, either a Casita or a Scamp. Can anyone tell us the difference between the two. From what I've read on both this forum and the Casitaclub forum the Scamp doesn't seem to be as well built as the Casita. Any comments?
thanks, Louise
Louise,

I think you answered you own question.

If you go to a Scamp Forum they will say Scamps are best. If you go to a Casita forum they will say Casita is best. Same thing happens on the Boler site.

My take is they are both great and it boils down to Look & Feel. They both use pretty much the same components. The fiberglassing on both is very good. So consider the features and benefits you want and the deal you can make.
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Old 02-15-2006, 08:38 PM   #4
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I'll comment on this.

I got my new Scamp in mid December. The biggest reason I went with Scamp is about 3". The Scamp has about that much more height inside. As it is I just stand up straight inside my scamp. That was the deciding factor for me. As I understand it the post fire 13' Scamps will have another 2 to 3" in height. If the height thing wasn't a consideration I would have looked a lot closer at both.
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Old 02-15-2006, 10:36 PM   #5
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There ARE some modest differences in construction, as I understand it. I remember a number of people being greatly concerned about the floors of the Casitas being fully glassed and gelcoated as opposed to the Scamps which are just plywood with resin over them. Boler had just plywood (a '72) with no problems. PlayPac (also '72) had plain ply on the bottom with resin over it - had a bad rot problem, but that had nothing to do with road spray. It came down to a design flaw which held a pool of water in the trailer which encouraged growth of mold in the floor near the door (none of the modern trailers have the feature which caused the problem).

I believe the Casitas use carpet on the walls while the Scamps use 'rat fur' over reflextix insulation (I liked the old ensolite best myself).

Uh... Hinges are a little different.

Given a few years of reading people's impressions of their trailers here however - for the 13 footers - between Casita and Scamp, I'd go with which ever one turned up first. If I lived closer to one - that's where I'd go.

For the big eggs 16/17 footers - there's a lot more difference in the two company's approach to floorplans. Largely a matter of personal preference though. It's very clear that owners of both have uniformly been very pleased with both products as well as the level of service and support from the factories.

There's a clear difference when you're looking at used trailers however in how they're usually decked out. 13-footers are almost always the same: rear dinnette/front bunks. For the 16/17 footers though - Scamps will commonly show up without bathrooms, Casitas only very rarely show up without bathrooms. Both companies offer them both ways - isn't clear to me why the difference in what people are buying.
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Old 02-16-2006, 06:20 AM   #6
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Louise, I should have added in my first post that during my "fiberglass RV owning career" I've had a Scamp 13' (a '78 that I had in 1980-'81), and since March of 04 I've had a UHaul 13', a Trillium 4500 (very briefly), a '91 Love Bug II, an '87 Burro 17' widebody, and now an '02 Scamp 16' custom deluxe. I'm heading to Spokane in a couple of weeks to pick up an '00 Scamp 19' custom deluxe fifth wheel. I've not owned a Casita, but I've had the opportunity to look at a couple of them up-close and personal.

I didn't plan on buying any of them, but the UHaul. Then the next one came along... nearby, and with a feature or two I wanted that the last didn't have. This parade of various manufacturer's offerings has given me a real opportunity to compare and contrast the differences in workmanship, materials, and construction.

My conclusion is that you can't go wrong with any of them by brand. The care and maintenance any individual used trailer has had over its life is significantly more important than who built it.

Regarding the sealed floor vs. open floor issue, I used to be concerned about the open floors in the Scamp and Love Bug as the UHaul, Trillium, and Burro all had fully-glassed in floors. That was until Donna Shubel, another member here bought their Burro 17'. They've ended up doing a frame-off (as have several other members) because the wood inside the glass rotted because water got trapped inside the 'sandwich' and couldn't get out. So, as long as they're sealed properly, a glassed floor will literally last forever, but as soon as there's an opening in the glass for water to get into, the floor is doomed because it can never dry out. The open floored trailers seldom (I don't think I've ever heard a complaint, as a matter of fact) rot from underneat. Almost all floor rot is the result of leaks from inside the trailer pooling on top of the floor and never drying out fully. Those leaks typically come from windows, air conditioner, or roof vent leaks.

Anyway, hopefully that'll give you a little more hard info on which to base your selection. If you're buying new, buy the best value for your money. If you're buying used, buy what you can find that you like!

Roger
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Old 02-16-2006, 07:28 AM   #7
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Oh I ditto everything everyone else has said. The only major difference is Scamp will build a trailer in just about any interior configuration you can imagine. It's called the Deluxe and is all wood. But, with the Scamp fire last month, you won't be purchasing a 13' Scamp new anytime real soon.
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Old 02-16-2006, 09:21 AM   #8
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The biggest reason I went with Scamp is about 3". The Scamp has about that much more height inside. As it is I just stand up straight inside my scamp.
Good point. And 13ft. Scamps, in turn, are too low inside for me, but at 6'1" I can stand up straight in my UHaul. Every FG egg is different, and some are more different than others. Burros and UHauls, for instance, have double hulls which eliminate the need for ratfur interiors and leak-prone rivets; UHauls have heavy frames which add to tow weight but are less likely to have breakage issues.

FG eggs have as many idiosyncrasies as the individuals who own them. Best way to find out what fits you is to go to a gathering where many brands are represented. Most egg owners will be happy to give you a tour of their own chosen favorite.
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Old 02-19-2006, 08:08 AM   #9
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Thanks to all of you for your informative replies. It is much appreciated and will be helpful for us in purchasing our egg. Louise
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Old 02-19-2006, 06:13 PM   #10
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The two main reasons I did NOT get a Scamp or Casita are that Niether were on the market used when I bought

A nice Burro came up, I grabbed it and ran. (Later on, I hitched it to my car and found out it tows SO much better under motor power)

I think they all have thier strong points. But your enjoyment level will be the same with any of 'em!
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Old 02-21-2006, 06:25 PM   #11
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The two main reasons I did NOT get a Scamp or Casita are that Niether were on the market used when I bought

A nice Burro came up, I grabbed it and ran. (Later on, I hitched it to my car and found out it tows SO much better under motor power)
Heh heh.

We saw a U-Haul, a Scamp, and finally three Casitas. There seem to be lots more Casita trailers in this neck of the woods than any other type of fiberglass rv. For a number of reasons my wife and I decided on a Casita. We liked so many things about their construction and layout and options. And we spent a lot of time researching trailers of all types before settling on ours. And we couldn't be happier.
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Old 03-14-2006, 08:58 PM   #12
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Hmmmm, I am considering a 16 ft Casita because of full bath, dual gas tanks, self contained and side dinette. They just look sharper to me in the pictures I have seen. I wonder if the Scamp factory would fix my Casita should it ever need repair?
Guess I need to give them a call.
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Old 03-15-2006, 10:02 AM   #13
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I have yet to see a 13' Casita on our travels, so they may be few and far between. I think Casita sells a lot of the 17' footers which are more of an updated design, and very nice.

I would say that any is better than none!
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