Getting My Ducks In Order

[Ladyofthelakes]

I have lived on the net since last June watching other people enjoying their "Golden Years" My years left are w/o the gold

Searching high and low for a used and reasonable rig is nearly hopeless. At least working with my credit union is not helping. And my credit score is 821, one would think they would be beating a path to my bank account and stuffing cash in there. But I digress

Today hubby dropped a bit of news on me that he doesn't want to travel but 2 weeks a year. (Bye, honey, I'll miss you........maybe after I stop being ticked off at you. )

So that means I only need a unit for myself and the dogs. I don't have to fool with a unit that sleeps one way to make crawling a necessity. I will only have the need for a double bed. Save some bucks there.

I have, (took me a while to get to the point) a Chrysler T&C, 2016 and hoping I can pull a Casita 17'.

Does anyone out there have that configuration? What kind of gas mileage are you getting? Are you spending several months in your camper? Can my T&C really pull that weight? I am trying to figure out a budget that will help me enjoy next winter.

I met a lady down in Organ Pipe Cactus national monument last month, she really sold me on the Casita brand. Came home and started reading many of your posts on the difference and watching numerous folks comparing the Scamp vs Casita, I got a little soured on the Scamp. I cannot afford to purchase the wrong rig which may have issues right out of the factory.

On a happy note, my son and wife are moving to San Antonio Tx in July. So having only been through the Texas panhandle getting to Az, that is a nice place to visit and irritate my DIL

I have 10 months before I leave for parts unknown.

One more item; are there any of you women who meet up and travel/camp in groups. Any help/advice you can give I will appreciate.

[Mike Magee]

Hi, welcome! Your van should be able to handle a 16' Casita, but the 17'ers are too heavy on the hitch. You could hurt your suspension or even break the hitch receiver that bolts onto the van underneath.

I travel solo also; DW prefers to sit at home. Traveling alone is liberating, isn't it? No one to please but yourself.

BTW, have you noticed the Eggcamper for sale up your way right now? They were well made units, more spacious (wider) than the Casita 17, yet light enough hitch for a minivan.

[Ladyofthelakes]

Hi Mike Magee,

You said " Your van should be able to handle a 16' Casita, but the 17'ers are too heavy on the hitch. You could hurt your suspension or even break the hitch receiver that bolts onto the van underneath."

I spoke with the Sales rep and she said that if I had a tow package with a class III hitch and electric brakes installed on my T&C that would suffice. I am also going to order the Andersen No Sway weight distribution hitch. She said it equalizes the weight better. Learning a lot from researching each and every item on the net that I know nothing about.

I am calling the Chrysler dealer in the morning to talk about that. They are local and superb in their Service Dept.

Not having dealt with Casita before this I am going by a satisfied customer who gave me a tour of her Spirit Deluxe, don't remember if it was 16 or 17 though.

Not a done deal yet.

I think I looked at that little egg camper, have to go back for sure.

I do have a large dog 70 lbs and 8 lb little mutt. Shotgun Willie is going for sure. He's all about car rides. Room for them is high priority for me.

[Mike Magee]

Vivienne, take a look at this forum thread: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html
Look for 17' Casitas. You'll find actual hitch weights (loaded for camping) as high as 680 lbs. Practically all of them exceed the 350 lb hitch weight limit of your van. A class III hitch is stronger than that, but it won't raise your limit because the weak links are the sheet metal it bolts onto and the rear suspension. Plus, there's the weight of the weight-distribution hitch (if you use one) resting on your ball, and some folks say its weight (65-95 lbs) should be included in total weight on the hitch. Please do not buy a 17' Casita, or you will soon find yourself upgrading your tow vehicle!

A 16' Casita has almost everything the 17' has, but the design results in a less front-heavy trailer. It should handle quite well without a WD hitch, but if you do buy one, the Andersen No-Sway is one of the lightest (64 lbs IIRC) and it does a good job; I have had one (but when I sold the trailer the purchaser wanted the Andersen also).

What part of MI are you from? I grew up near Standish, and graduated from Ferris.

[k corbin]

Because there are a very large number of women who travel solo there are several organizations you can join. Some of the women do travel together. They will set up routes of places to visit. They do typically have membership fees as setting up websites and keeping them up and running is not free.

Here is one link:
RVing Women

Here is another group:
https://www.sistersonthefly.com/

[cpaharley2008]

Yes, the issue is the tongue weight of the Casitas seem to be more than Scamp or other brand. You may need a w/d set up to keep your tow level when putting 400# on the red end.

[thrifty bill]

I'd visit a rally and scope out the alternatives. If you aren't stuck on having a bathroom, a Scamp 13 should fit just fine. Realize as the trailers get smaller, its tougher losing premium space for a bathroom. In the case of the Scamp, to get a bath you lose the front couch, where one of your dogs could sleep. The front couch also gives you a place to sit without taking up the bed.

Although many of us plan to spend most of our time outdoors, there are times, like bad weather, or maybe you don't feel good, or whatever, where a place to sit inside is very important.

[steve dunham]

We've owned a 16 ft Scamp and a 17 ft Casita
The tongue weight of our Scamp was 265 lbs when loaded.
The tongue weight of our Casita was 380 Lbs,when we left the factory ( Dry + Options) and is 420 to 430 lbs when loaded for travel. As far as the other parts of your dilemma , you are on your own.

[Carl Pa]

When we bought a few years ago, it was back and forth Casita or Scamp. My tow is A rav with tow pkg. v6. I am 6' so the 16 casita was out, and the 17 casita was to close in weight to my tow. So i chose the Scamp 16' with front bath. Casita is a little better quality then the scamp but i am not that fussy, I chose the 16' scamp b/c we had a golden retriever and we needed that extra room, she was a great camper, we loved her. She since passed and we now have a a medium sized dog, he is a piece of work. So if it were me i would stay with at least a 16' b/c of the dogs. good luck, Carl

PS. Also, Minnesota is a lot closer to you then Texas. So you save some there to pick up or deliver

[rgrugg]

You mentioned the Chrysler dealer. My experience is that most of them have little knowledge of towing so be careful.

[pegski]

I own a 17’ Casita which I live in the winter months in Arizona. Bought it for the bathroom. I don’t haul it a lot because I stay put for three months in one spot. I have found it completely adequate for that amount of time. I also own an older 13’ Scamp. Thought I would sell one or the other but I love them both. I use the 13’ Scamp to travel and find that without a bathroom, it feels just a roomy as the 17’ Casita and it’s really light to haul. I finally pullled the plug on work and plan to travel a lot this summer with the Scamp. I travel alone and am totally comfortable doing so. I’ve run into women’s groups in campgrounds and they look fun but I haven’t found the need to join.

[TWelch]

Vivien,
I am not an expert (and I am so thankful we do have lots of experience and experts on this list), but several thoughts came to mind when reading your post.

1) There is a facebook group for women who are traveling (with or without spouse, but most of them are without) with campers or travel trailers or motorhomes: https://www.facebook.com/groups/491667721166003 .

2) I also tow with a van, an Odyssey with a tow package on it. Before the Odyssey I had a Toyota van. In researching the hitch/tongue weights, I found that the 17' Casita was much heavier on the tongue than the 16'. Had I ended up with a Casita, it would have to have been a 16'. . . Both the Toyota and the Honda Odyssey vans have a 3500 lb. tow capacity.

3) I travel with a big dog (Shiloh Shepherd, about 120 lbs., 30.5" at the withers). I took him into Scamps and Casitas to see how he would "fit," and he couldn't really turn around in the aisle. . . He would back out. . . . The EggCamper, on the other hand, has a much wider aisle, and he does great in it. Plenty of room. Just a heads-up if that helps with your big dog. . .

Best of luck with your search! I hope you find a combination of vehicle+trailer that perfectly suits you!

I am very thankful for all the people on this list who share their knowledge - and all the archives I can search. Lots and lots of good info here!

[Ladyofthelakes]

Thank you all for advice, and sources to read. Been doing more homework assigned by you all. The trailer weight chart is lengthy, it doesn't stress my brain cells though.

I made calls this morning about that hitch for my T&C and the nice man was way more objective than some sales rep for a company. In a nutshell, the plans to buy a used pickup is one of the safest solutions. Problem is $$$$

DH came home for lunch and is now onboard with me trading in that T&C for a 4 door pickup. Now that search begins again! One problem with that is I don't want a Michigan truck, with our salt and crummy county/city roads they are beaten to smithereens.

than you Pegski for the advice on women's groups. While I am mostly an introvert right now being totally green I can use the advice from women going it alone.

Back to the drawing boards and a used instead of new casita/scamp.

[Kai in Seattle]

DUCKS IN ORDER

A salesmen will happily tell you a weight distribution hitch is the answer to overloading your tow vehicle.
Delighted to hear you talked to someone who was more objective! Good for you!

Casitas and many others are fine rigs. Until you've been in some, you won't really know. A variety is better than limited experience. If you need a newer rig, and are prepared to pay what it takes, you might as well do your research before you go through the whole purchasing and towing home process only to discover you hopped too fast.

We have a 1973 16' amerigo that we rebuilt from shell inward, two years ago, and two pug girls. We got a unit that just felt RIGHT for us, spatially and layout speaking, and then tweaked the rebuild to suit our needs and wants as close as possible. Part of suiting us was for it to fit our "new" tow, and be under the tow limit by 1000 pounds on weight and 100 pounds on tongue. Our trailer does that beautifully. It tows like a dream and we have virtually no towing problems. No weight distribution hitch, because we bought the right weight rig for our tow, and we don't need one.

We were prepared to do repairs, and repairs we did--in spades. Look up Brown 73 amerigo on this site for a thread about our experiences with a vintage trailer if you want to congratulate yourself on choosing a new/er rig! It'll be a lot less work! Ours took nine solid months and cost $3,000+ for the fix-up...and we were fully prepared for it--we thought. With FGRV's help, though, we made it at last.

My very best to you on your search and your travels!
Please let us know what you get and how it goes!
We love pics.

Kai

[rgrugg]

I got my present pickup by going to the dealer and sales guy that I buy from, told them what I wanted and they found it in southern Indiana. In my case it had just come off lease so like new, 21000 miles with the equipment I wanted.
I’ve bought several vehicles that have have come off lease and the least I saved from the cost of the same thing New was $8000. Most have had a saving of $10000 or more.

[mary and bob]

We are in the Northeast. 3 1/2 years ago I was looking for a used pickup to tow a Casita 17 that we wanted to buy from friends. This was late October, and my search was getting to be very frustrating. Finally I found at my local Dodge / Jeep dealer a 3 year old full size Dodge Ram pickup that had only 17,000 miles on it, was the 4 door cab, and all the options I wanted. The catch was, it was a 2 wheel drive truck. Well we were heading south for the winter, didn't need a 4WD truck, so it would work fine. I believe the salesman knew that at that time of year nobody was going to come in wanting a 2 wheel drive truck, and if he wanted to sell it to me it would have to be a good deal. Bought it, put a matching color cap on, bought the Casita, and went South for the winter. Have done that every winter since. After 2 winters in our Uhaul 13, the Casita is way better.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by Ladyofthelakes

I have lived on the net since last June watching other people enjoying their "Golden Years" My years left are w/o the gold

Searching high and low for a used and reasonable rig is nearly hopeless. At least working with my credit union is not helping. And my credit score is 821, one would think they would be beating a path to my bank account and stuffing cash in there. But I digress <_<

Today hubby dropped a bit of news on me that he doesn't want to travel but 2 weeks a year. (Bye, honey, I'll miss you........maybe after I stop being ticked off at you. )

So that means I only need a unit for myself and the dogs. I don't have to fool with a unit that sleeps one way to make crawling a necessity. I will only have the need for a double bed. Save some bucks there.

I have, (took me a while to get to the point) a Chrysler T&C, 2016 and hoping I can pull a Casita 17'.

Does anyone out there have that configuration? What kind of gas mileage are you getting? Are you spending several months in your camper? Can my T&C really pull that weight? I am trying to figure out a budget that will help me enjoy next winter.

I met a lady down in Organ Pipe Cactus national monument last month, she really sold me on the Casita brand. Came home and started reading many of your posts on the difference and watching numerous folks comparing the Scamp vs Casita, I got a little soured on the Scamp. I cannot afford to purchase the wrong rig which may have issues right out of the factory.

On a happy note, my son and wife are moving to San Antonio Tx in July. So having only been through the Texas panhandle getting to Az, that is a nice place to visit and irritate my DIL

I have 10 months before I leave for parts unknown.

One more item; are there any of you women who meet up and travel/camp in groups. Any help/advice you can give I will appreciate.

Maybe you should think about getting a new tow vehicle. Possibly when hubby sees all the fun you are having and he's lonesome at home he'll want to join you. A 17' Casita is an awesome trailer and handles nicely. It has all the amenities like bathroom which as an older woman I find 100% necessary. Who wants to get up at night and go to a bathroom in the rain. We don't use our shower much but the toilet is needed. If we didn't have a toilet neither of us would travel. Just some thoughts before you buy a trailer to small. You said the hubby would travel 2 weeks a year. So you need the space anyway. Casita quality would make me want to replace the TV anyway. If your TV is marginal then you may have problems on mountain grades. Two dogs in a trailer is tight and a 17' would help.

[Ladyofthelakes]

Thank you for the info. I had looked at RV women site, they want $80 annual and Sisters on the fly want $70 I will most probably join that group when I get all the rest of the ducks in a row.

[Ladyofthelakes]

Great info, ditto on the bathroom! Must have! The egg I looked at here on the site had no stove. Not cooking outside either.

As for Shotgun Willie, aka the big goof, weighs 70#'s Snickers the Chihuahua weighs in at 8#'s. He's 15, a rescue and loves home and the car, not big on new places. I can't leave him home he would not do well w/o me.

As a matter of fact I am looking for a used pickup. Easy to find, not always easy to get to. Hubby is on board for a different vehicle.

As far as him being lonesome? He loves working not enjoying traveling more than two weeks a year, reading a little, book a year is nuff for him, forget hiking, no hobbies other than his work and more work.

Still have time 292 more days till I leave for parts unknown

[Raz]

Here's a 15' Parkliner currently list on this forum. Big bed, dinnete, and shower/ bath. Worth a look.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ner-84080.html