What is it about small travel trailers that attract attention?

[Steve Dunkel]

Casita owners talk about this all the time, where people come up to them and ask about their trailers. We had similar experiences with our Bigfoot 17.5CB. When we got our Bigfoot 21RB the number of folks asking about it dropped significantly. What is it about small travel trailers that attract attention?

[Judith Kennedy]

Casita owners talk about this all the time, where people come up to them and ask about their trailers. We had similar experiences with our Bigfoot 17.5CB. When we got our Bigfoot 21RB the number of folks asking about it dropped significantly. What is it about small travel trailers that attract attention?

(1) They are cuter than most other campers. It's like puppies are always cuter than adult dogs.

(2) You can pull them with a smaller, more fuel efficient vehicle.

(3) If you can do without all the bells and whistles, their mere simplicity is a huge attraction.

(4) They are novel due to their rarity.

[Frederick L. Simson]

What is it about [b]small travel trailers that attract attention?

In a world where "getting away" means bringing it all with you in a Ginormous $Bulgemobile, people are fascinated by something _small.

The molded shape allows a vehicle-like styling. Stickies are just boxes.

[Gerda, H]

Heck, our little eggs are just cute!!!!

[Dave Fish]

We had a couple from Germany ask if our 2009 Casita was old. Apparently the molded fiberglass trailers are not as popular in Europe as they used to be. Eveeryone is getting motorhomes there too.

They had rented a class C in SFO and were visiting Yosemite.

They also thougt is was very funny that I had the laptop, printer, two lights and paper work all spread out on the picnic table in the dark. I just needed the space to catch up on some accounting and the weather was wonderful for working outside.

[Patty C.]

Isn't it funny that you see people in the big ginormous bus-type rigs that NEVER come outside while camping? We see that alot. If you want to stay inside always, why leave the house? We have noticed it quite a bit - even on beautiful days! And, they can't ALL be full-timers. Sort of baffles. The fiberglass campers give us just the right amount of conveniences we need while we are outside enjoying the beautiful landscape and fresh air, the reason we are out there to start with.

But the real reason for the attention is definitely the cuteness factor. They are just so stinkin' cute (yes, like a puppy).

Patty

[Raya]

Boats are the same way, for many of the reasons people have mentioned above. There's also the "Oh I can do this!" factor, when people see a small boat vs. a huge yacht that they don't think they could ever afford or handle. They can just see themselves in that little boat.

Of course people with huge RVs don't have that exact same "I could never manage" factor, but I still think there's an element of that going on.

And yeah, the puppy thing.

[Ricky 4]

I agree-the Casita style campers are cute-so many people told us that when we had our Casita. We now have the Compact Jr.because it will store in our garage. I think people want to see our camper because it is different , some say it looks like a big pet carrier and they can`t see how someone could camp in such a small trailer. It is not cute-but I am adding some decals to add a little pizzaz to it.
If we get a bigger (taller) garage-we will get another Casita or similar style.

[Raya]

some say it looks like a big pet carrier.

Oh, I could run with that. Small "handle" on top, mesh grilles over the windows and door.....

[Scott S.]

I'm with Patty, cute is the call. it's not even a matter of just being off the ground... a tent trailer will do that and may even tow lighter in some cases. could it be the aerodynamics?

[peterh]

When we started thinking about getting an RV we were primarily considering a motorhome. What changed our minds to the FGRV crowd was less a matter of "cuteness" or "looking unique" than wanting an alternative that was easier on the wallet, easier to drive, and easier and on the environment.

Our Scamp 5er is larger than most FGRVs, but its cost of ownership is much lower than a motorhome and somewhat less (over time) than a "stickie" trailer. The 5th wheel configuration makes it ultra, ultra stable for towing, it's more narrow profile is easier to see around and fit into campsites, and we burn less fue and create less waste (because the trailer will last longer) than the alternatives. All that and it still has pretty much everything we need inside; the main things we're missing is a truly usable shower (which is not a big deal) and easy access to the Internet (and that's a problem we can solve without changing trailers).

There were alternatives:

• A traditional RV towing a small car: Burns more gas getting there, is more expensive to maintain, harder to drive, and it's one more engine that needs to be oiled, maintained/repaired, and the RV kinda has to go where the engine does because it's built in to the chassis. If it goes bad while you're out on the road you may be stuck living at the mechanic's garage until its fixed. If a TV goes bad you can usually live at a campground or (worst case) buy a replacement TV.
• Pop-ups: Are a PITA to set up and pack up, plus they're only marginally warmer than a tent at night. There are also some campgrounds that only allow hard-sided trailers and will not allow you to use a pop-up because of bears.
• Traditional "stickie" trailers: Gotta say, I'm tempted. They're usually wider and taller than an FGRV, but that size advantage is a liability when it comes to ease-of-towing, and you usually need a larger tow vehicle that gets worse gas mileage to pull it. Stickies are also more prone to leaks, rust, wood rot and have a shorter lifetime. A twenty-five-year-old FGRV can be just as good looking and functional at 50 and only look marginally worn compared to when it was new. It would be much harder to do the same with a stickie.
• Teardrops: CUTE! But no standing room or comfortable seating area for those times when the weather is bad.

And, unlike many people who are considering getting a larger trailer, we decided to get a second project trailer that's smaller. We'll see how that turns out, but it's entirely possible that we may find the smaller trailer makes traveling even less expensive and easy to do. Time will tell.

[Steve Dunkel]

I'm not sure that the reason why we have chosen FGRVs is inextricably linked to why passers-by find an interest in our small eggs. I doubt they have given much thought to its advantages at first sight. It might be interesting to find out from owners of similarly sized stickies if they receive similar attention. Based on my limited experience with the two Bigfoots mentioned earlier I'm at least convinced that size has a lot to do with it. But I don't think just being small is the answer. As for the shape, I wonder if a Scamp, Casita, Bigfoot, Trillium, Burro would all receive the same response from the uninitiated.

[Ricky 4]

Oh, I could run with that. Small "handle" on top, mesh grilles over the windows and door.....

Our daughter drew us a picture of how it should look as a pet carrier-but we decided against it because people would shy away from us because of the size of pet that might be inside!

[Weinel, Alan]

Couple of Comments -

Firse, I agree with PeterH's analysis. We went down that same path and arrived at the same - a Scamp 5er. It just fit our needs. EVERYTHING is a trade off of positives and negatives. Standing just shy of 6'1", I would LOVE a litte wider trailer for a longer bed. BUT it **is** SO EASY to tow and backup. All trade-offs.

2nd - I do agree it is the "shape" and size combined that draws the attention. Visaually we humans seem to be drawn to "out of the ordinary" - VW Bugs, Corvettes, PT Cruisers and so on and so on. These fit that bill. Our "White House" is just over a year old, and we have had TONS of conversations. From a toll booth fare taker in IL to people driving down our street and twice I can think of driving in Nevada - Rolling Conversations down the road in Carson City and another time in Minden. They are different, and in a CUTE way. That attracts the attention. And, YES, I have heard the "gee, they are bigger inside than outside!" comment.

Great product, fair price. What else could you want?


Happy trails....

Alan

[Penney H. & Mike E.]

I completely agree with the cuteness factor, and the rounder the cuter - (I still think our ex-13' Burro cuter than our 17' Escape) because there is something innately attractive about roundness to most folks. Small also looks affordable, doable, manageable, as others have mentioned.

I also think there is some appeal to the 'inner child' in many folks - the child that made the cozy 'club house' out of the big appliance box; hung out in a small tent in the backyard all summer; had a tree house, a fort, a cubby hole in the house - a closet, a curtain hung under a stair well. Our little trailers appeal to that part of folks that still want to know the cozyiness, privacy, simplicity, the 'secretiveness', and fun found in childhood in all those small little places we made 'our own.' The shape, the size, has the potential for experiencing that again. When I peer into other's trailers I see those club houses, play houses, creative spaces - small, fun and cozy.

Anyway....that's my take on it!

Penney

[Patty C.]

I also agree with Peter's breakdown and assessment of the other camping options...making our fiberglass ideal.

As far as whether other people find the stickies cute, I say this: As a member of Sisters on the Fly, many of the members own the VINTAGE stickies, cuteness is definitely a factor - especially for those who have mac-daddy paint jobs on the outside. Attract attention? You bet! You get 5 or 6 of those babies going down the road in a caravan and trust me people notice.

With that in mind, I didn't go that route because of the fact that hubby and I are not handy people and there is always something being repaired on campers from the 50's and 60's. Did I say always? Leaking being a MAJOR problem. By the time we get to a campout invariably somebody's stickie has shaken itself loose somewhere and when do you find that out? In the middle of the night when it starts raining! And you should hear the ladies that don't have handy men talk about the bucks they are spending on the repairs too.....yikes. As cute as the vintage canned hams and others are, that just wasn't for me. And I'm far from being the only one who has gone the fiberglass route...many of the ladies have them now and some have both fiberglass and vintage...

Patty

[Bruce Thomas]

Being long time tenters, this years monsoons made us start noticing the casita's. burro's etc at campgrounds we were at.
The shell, unlike the rubber topped ones we have in and out where I work seemed a better choice and after imposing on a few people at different campgrounds , to see the insides of these things, decided a 13 was plenty for us and we'd be able to tow it with the Ranchero we take camping anyhow, only now we'll leave the tarps at home.
Used fgrv's are great buys in my opinion unless one hasta have the new. upkeep on one isnt alot really..most things I see or read of people doing are personal choices to style or comfort.....so not alot goes wrong.
We bought a used uhaul but think any of them gets the same job done with a different decal.
Yes they're cuter than others,especially the theme painted ones....teardrops remind me of the coffin car from the munsters or whatever from the 60's, though some of their tailgate cooking setups are pretty neat. We like this thing..Bruce & Mary

[Herb Sutton]

Many would-be owners first are put off by the idea of towing a trailer, so they think motorhome. Then they realize that they will want a car for local transport. Then someone breaks it to them that you can't back up a motorhome when there is a car hitched to it. Then it becomes a dilemma, are trailers all that bad?

Then they see a FGRV and ask themselves, "is it possible to do so much with so little?"

[CindyL]

Our 13' Burro got more people stopping than our UHaul does. One lady chased us down into a parking lot to get a tour when we had the Burro. Our 16' UHaul does get attention, but not as much. It seems like the guys often are most interested in milege while the gals comment on the cute factor. Both are surprised that it can have everything you need.

And I cannot tell you how many times we are told, "I didn't know UHaul rented trailers." We are trying to come up with something catchy or cute as an answer that phrase and have a spare tire cover made.

CindyL

[Alf S.]

Our 13' Burro got more people stopping than our UHaul does. One lady chased us down into a parking lot to get a tour when we had the Burro. Our 16' UHaul does get attention, but not as much. It seems like the guys often are most interested in milege while the gals comment on the cute factor. Both are surprised that it can have everything you need.

And I cannot tell you how many times we are told, "I didn't know UHaul rented trailers." We are trying to come up with something catchy or cute as an answer that phrase and have a spare tire cover made.

CindyL

Hi: CindyL... How about "U Haul Girl" or "Not for Hire" on that Spare tire cover.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie