Buy New or Used???

[sxj]

I am going to buy a 16' Scamp, it must have a bathroom and be no older than 5-6 years. The problem is I can't find such a trailer! Is it worth my time to continue the search or just bite the bullet and order new?

Thanks for any thoughts.
Bert

[Bob Miller]

This is May and you may not be able to do either for this camping season what with delivery lead times at Scamp and others sometimes being over 6 months.....


Is there a particular reason why you are so limiting in your search as to make and age? What will you be towing with and how far afield can you shop?
.

[sxj]

Thanks Bob
I am new to Fiberglass RV's and my research has indicated that Scamp and Trillium are 2 of the more popular models so that is where I have focused so far. I live near Toronto Canada and am prepared to travel 1000 miles for the right unit, but I get the impression that the good ones go quickly so several days travelling to inspect a trailer would likely make me too late. I see very few for sale in my area so the logistics of buying used starts to look like a problem.
I say 5-6 years old because I don't want to do a major restoration or get into maintenance problems. How much maintenance is there with a fiberglass trailer anyway?
I am not under any time pressure so taking delivery spring 2016 would work for me.

I will be towing with a Toyota Rav 4.
Thanks
Bert

[Jon in AZ]

It might depend on how far you are willing to travel to buy a used one and on how much flexibility you have to travel on a moment's notice. If circumstances mean you have to wait for one to show up close to home, it could be a long wait, especially since your age window is pretty small.

There are a couple of nice Parkliners for sale right now. One is almost new. Prices appear comparable to a new Scamp, but they seem more nicely appointed and have a larger bed. Don't know how you feel about Parkliner's "issues," but thought I'd throw it out.

[Carl Pa]

I had the same issues when i bought my new 2014 scamp. Many were to far away to risk going and coming back with nothing. Also the price for a 3-6 year old was close to new. So i got a new scamp and it will grow old with me. Good luck with your search. Carl

[rdickens]

Bert,

For us, it seemed nearly impossible to find a used trailer that met our (almost absurd?)
requirements. (We were trying to get a trailer that could be pulled by a vehicle with a
manufacturer's tow rating of 1500 pounds.)

Although others like the "coziness" of the 44" wide bed, we really like the 54" wide
bed in our Scamp13L1. In a Scamp 16, you can currently only get the 54" bed in the
"Deluxe" version that adds more weight and expense.

With younger grandchildren, who still like going on adventures with us, we wanted
sleeping capability for at least 2 adults and 2 children. That meant bunk beds/sofa in
addition to the 54" main bed.

I hope you can see where I am going with this .....
With the current high resale value of FGRVs, I would think it would be more about
being able to find a used FGRV (hard to do, but immediately available) that might meet
your requirements or else ordering a new one configured to your exact specifications.

I guess you are familiar with the trailer for sale on this site, the used FGRV trailers at the
http://www.fiberglass-rv-4sale.com/ site, and maybe the www.searchtempest.com search
engine?

Good luck with your search! ☺️

Ray


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[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by sxj

I say 5-6 years old because I don't want to do a major restoration or get into maintenance problems. How much maintenance is there with a fiberglass trailer anyway?
I am not under any time pressure so taking delivery spring 2016 would work for me.

I will be towing with a Toyota Rav 4.
Thanks
Bert

First, here's hoping that you have the V6 RAV 4 as the 4 cylinder RAV 4 is limited to a 1500 lb tow, but I "think" that the V6 can tow up to 3500 lbs based on year model.. Check the owners manual for your vehicle to confirm the towing limit. Any 16' and most 13'ers will exceed the lower limit.

In FGRV's it's more about condition than age. There are 30 y.o. FGRV's out there in better condition than a few I have seen after 5 years of abuse and neglect. Maintenance is somewhat minimal, but one does have to be on the lookout for minor problems and be proactive about fixing them as soon as they appear. The biggie being window and vent seals and they usually don't start appearing until sometime after the 5th year. Ditto for tires as they are usually more age sensitive than wear sensitive.

With that much lead time you might want to just hang in there until fall when the prices & buyer competition will drop. Right now it is reaching it's peak and won't get better until about September-October, depending on where you live.

Again, let us know what your owners manual sez about tow limits....
And good luck in your search.

[WaltP]

So far no one has mentioned broadening your search to Casitas, but I suggest you do.
I towed a 16' Casita Spirit Deluxe with a 6 cyl RAV4 for a couple of years and I thought it was a great combination. I've also seen at least two RAV4/17'Casita rigs the owners thought worked well.
And as someone else said, with FG, condition can be more important than age. I've had 2 mid 90s Casitas that were excellent, and both are still around. A knowledgeable inspection can be important of course.

Walt

BTW, 6 cyl RAV4 discontinued after 2014, a real shame in my mind.

[Timber Wolf]

Originally Posted by rdickens

I hope you can see where I am going with this ..... With the current high resale value of FGRVs, I would think it would be more about being able to find a used FGRV (hard to do, but immediately available) that might meet your requirements or else ordering a new one configured to your exact specifications.

^^^^This^^^^ While buying late-model-used is generally a good move, when availability and the high resale of FGRVs are factored in one might as well order and get exactly what they want.

[WendyW]

Since you're in Canada, it might be easier to buy a Canadian-made BigFoot or Escape, if you decide to buy new. There are no doubt other brands made in Canada in addition to these two. I'm in Minnesota, but after searching for the last 8 months, I finally decided on a Texas-made new Casita 17'. The price difference between used and new was too small to endure the hassle factor of buying used. Good luck!

[David B.]

Bert, over the past 40 years we always bought used, and fixed everything up to new standards, but last year we bought new, and still fixed everything up to better suit our lifestyle. It really was nice starting with a clean slate and not having to fix/repair very old products. It's a nice feeling that it should take a while before I'll have to replace a worn out axle or a metal fatigued broken frame.
Dave & Paula

[Ron Merritt]

If you have the budget, I'd at least look at the new Oliver 17' model. The wait might not be as long.


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