Quality differences between brands?

[Steve L.]

In the header is a tab labeled "Manufacturers" with active builders plus Legacy and other builders. For all intents and purposes, if it's not listed it's not a molded fiberglass trailer. Every now and then a new manufacturer pops up and a new old trailer comes out of a barn somewhere.

In the Gallery tab are pictures of many/most of them.

A lot of resources for someone willing to look.

[WaltP]

Casita also had welded on axles and later switched to bolted on. I don't know the year.
On Castaforum.com the forum owner Gene keeps a file of all changes over the years for 17' Casitas.

I kind of agree with the idea that floor plan is more important than considerations of quality; primarily because all the egg brands seem to hold up well for many years of owner fun. I've had 5 eggs of 4 brands now and loved them all.

Walt

[Defenestrator]

Granted it's based on a sample size of 1 each, but I think I'd actually give Escape a small edge in quality over Bigfoot. Bigfoot's heftier and more "premium" construction overall, but I think Escape pays just a little more attention to small details during construction in terms of things like having all the panels perfectly level and lined-up, and not having screw ends sticking out even in "unaccessed" spaces.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by DebiT

Hi all. I am beginning to shop for a small (17 feet or less) fiberglass TT, for just me, either new or fairly new. Are there marked differences in quality between the various brands available? Seems like Casita, Scamp, BigFoot, Escape are the biggest names, with maybe also Little Guy, Liberty by Scott, and Cadet by Coachmen.

Any I should avoid?

We have a 17' Casita and love it. They seem to be well built and have few problems. I've heard in this column that the Scamps have a problem with their sink drains since they use a pump to pump the waste water over the axle to the holding tank. Seems like a bad idea and many agree. Casita does not do that. From all the Scamps we've seen when looking for a TT we thought the quality was not as good as Casita. This is mine and my husbands opinion.

[DebiT]

Thanks, very helpful

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by WaltP

I kind of agree with the idea that floor plan is more important than considerations of quality; primarily because all the egg brands seem to hold up well for many years of owner fun. I've had 5 eggs of 4 brands now and loved them all.

I 100% agree with this. It won't matter if you buy the most expensive, best quality trailer if it's the wrong layout for your comfort. I think in the end, 2-foot-itis happens because folks find they're just not comfortable when needing to be inside. Wrong bed size, wrong size refrigerator and on and on. ANY all-molded-towable you purchase is going to be better in the long run than any stick built. No matter what brand of molded towable you buy you'll be money ahead. It's up to YOU to figure your budget, what your tow vehicle can haul and exactly what layout would make you the happiest/most comfortable.


Good luck on your egg hunt!

[Byron Kinnaman]

I think this is a Ford/Chevy question. Which is better?

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

I think this is a Ford/Chevy question. Which is better?

Toyota.

[LyleB]

Originally Posted by DebiT

More good info. Do you by any chance know the years they switched axle types, and changed wheel wells? Lots of potholes and messy freeways in the great state of California.

I wouldn't worry about bolted on vs welded on, certainly not a deal breaker or maker. I had a 1999 Scamp with welded on axle. I replaced it in order to add brakes. I ordered a new axle from Scamp who FedEx'd it to me in two days. A local welding shop removed the old axle, called the Scamp factory and got detailed directions and tips for converting the trailer to a bolted on axle. Took the shop about 6 hours total to do the job and that included doing all the wiring for the brakes and converting the 6 pin connector to a 7 pin connector. The only extra cost was $25 for the extra tubular steel to build the bolt on bracket.

When I spoke with Scamp about them changing the axle, they said it was a 4 hour job, but they do it many times per day, so you'd expect them to be quick.

[John in Santa Cruz]

I've had a Tacoma and now I have an F250, and the F250 is a much better truck for hauling, long distances, etc. a Tundra is roughly equiv to a basic F150 (not the new extended payload model), but its light years from a F250 for heavy loads. And the f250 is quite comfortable on road trips, even if its a bit big for parking and squeezing into tight spaces. The Ford 7.3 diesel engine is as solid and reliable as the Toyota 4.0 V6. the SuperDuty interior is far more spacious and roomy than the Tacoma, and not as bouncy.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Toyota.

Thank’s Glenn , I always apreciate a good joke !

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Toyota.

The Ford/Chevy argument was going on a long long time before Toyota was on the scene.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

The Ford/Chevy argument was going on a long long time before Toyota was on the scene.

And will be around long after !

[Spongelander]

"Another thing to consider is that most of the trailers mentioned have certain things in common, like refrigerator, AC, hot water heater, stoves, vent fans. All of which can fail regardless of trailer they're installed in."

And because of that, maintenance and repair is well-documented, which is a good thing.

[Jon in AZ]

In my opinion, the three likeliest starter trailers in the OP’s budget are a Scamp 16 side dinette, a Casita 16 or 17 Spirit Deluxe, and an Escape 17B. All three have a wet bath and can accommodate two adults in separate beds. The 16’ers will be a few hundred pounds lighter.

Lightly used is a good bet as a starter, and for some of the models you’d have to buy used to stay within the budget. When buying used it’s best to leave all the options on the table and evaluate each unit that becomes available on a case-by-case basis as to condition and suitability.

A mid-sized crossover or truck with a minimum 5000# tow rating would handle any of the listed trailers.

[Lee Davis]

Which of the 4 have you not owned?

[DebCost]

Originally Posted by DebiT

Thanks, very helpful

Debi T,

Look at Casitas, 2 sizes and 4 floor plans to choose from and the price is not too expensive. Eggs last forever, stick builts don’t! My friend has a new Escape, it has alot of great features on it but I would need to get a Passport to buy a new one and I’m still happy with my 2014 Casita SD 17.
Happy Hunting!
Debi C.

[Jeff Sky Islander]

It took a long time and lots of considerations for me to research the travel trailer market, but I finally decided to go for the highest quality. There is no trailer on the market more impressive than the Oliver. Check out the videos available on how these trailers are built, join the Oliver forum, and you will come to the same conclusion.

[glens2422]

DebiT,
The RV consumer group has given top ratings to Casita, Escape and Big Foot. They are an independent consumer driven review publication. We have the Casita Liberty DX and have been very pleased with it. While it was only a year old when we got it it has not been trouble free but even novices like ourselves got the problems solved. We purchased the Casita based on layout, price, quality and resale value. I think most of the brands you see repeated here also fall into that category.

Good luck in your shopping, hope you enjoy the experience.

[Glenn Baglo]

How about posting a link to this RV consumer group?