Casita Insulation ??

[Jimmy M.]

I recently toured the Rice, TX Casita factory ... the workmanship and design was VERY impressive, to say the least ... the lady that showed me around was very knowledgeable, and no sales pressure whatsoever ... 60-day waiting period for delivery, they are building them as fast as they can ... however, my research shows that foam-back carpeting's insulation R-Value is virtually non-existent (R 1.2-1.6) ... am I missing something here ? ... while I'm not planning on any arctic trips, I do like to stay warm, etc. ... how is the Casita in the winter ? ... thanks in advance

[Kurt & Ann K.]

Jimmy M,
The insulation actually does a good job. A small electric cube heater equipped with a thermostat works well to keep one comfortable below freezing temps. The factory supplied Coleman AC does the cooling job even at 105 degrees F.
If I had my "druthers" I'd like dual glazed windows, but to my understanding, they aren't available or weren't in 2000.
Kurt & Ann K.

[CD Smith]

Have stayed in weather as low as 28 deg F. No problems keeping warm. I did have to open all the lower cabinet doors to keep the pipes from freezing. I considered this a small annoyance.

[Mary F]

The Winter Camping article (see "nav bar" on the left of each screen) is about camping in a Casita, in Illinois.

I'd say the carpet doesn't have much of an R-factor, but the space is so small, it doesn't take much of a heater to keep it warm. We always had trouble with being too warm in our old 16 footer, with the little cube heater going... That's camping with electrical hook-up, of course.

[David and Nancy]

I was living in Alaska when I had my Casita, so the climate doesn't apply to most Casita owners. I found that when camping at temps below freezing the furnace cycled on and off very frequently. This will quickly draw down a 12v battery when boondocking, so you need a power source. However, it did stay quite comfortable in temps down in the teens. The "heat strip" on the AC unit was not adequate to maintain comfort in those temps. Off course, the plumbing starts to be an issue at that point, too.

After moving to the lower 48, I continue to frequently camp in sub freezing conditions. Such as high mountains of Colorado, and hunting camps in winter closer to home. I ended up getting a Bigfoot because of the better insulation and protected plumbing. The insulation and the double-pane windows on the Bigfoot do maintain interior temps much better. However, most people don't really want to go camping in freezing weather and probably have no reason to spend extra money on a 4-season trailer. The Casita is a great 3-season trailer, but not ideal for true winter camping. I understand that the Oliver can be purchased with thermal pane windows and enclosed plumbing, too. Not sure of their insulation value. But there again, that unit costs about double a Casita. I also used in old Scamp in Alaska. Basically the same insulation as a Casita with the same results.

[Jimmy M.]

OK, that pretty well answers my question ... thanks, folks

[Jimmy M.]

well, I guess I'll deal with it OK, my semi-trucks weren't insulated much, either ... I will be picking up my new 2009 Casita 17' Freedom Deluxe mid-October, and getting anxious :banana

[100mpg]

Originally Posted by Jimmy M.

well, I guess I'll deal with it OK, my semi-trucks weren't insulated much, either ... I will be picking up my new 2009 Casita 17' Freedom Deluxe mid-October, and getting anxious

How do you like it?

[alan H]

Originally Posted by 100mpg

How do you like it?

Just an FYI
This thread is from 2008
Might not get a response

[100mpg]

Originally Posted by alan H

Just an FYI
This thread is from 2008
Might not get a response

I know. I was searching google for insulated windows and this came up.
But I am curious if he bought it, and still has it.
Edit I noticed I had not update my profile since getting my 2016 Casita Freedom Deluxe in Jan 2019! It is now! No more back seat camping