Greg Kolber San Jose

[GregKolber]

Morning,
I’m a new member and new to RV. There is a lot to learn but I’m enjoying the process. This forum is a good way to delve in. My wife Karen and I scheduled a cross country trip to Yellowstone this summer. I’m looking to buy a Casita Spirit. My son may sell me his ~ 2015 Ford F-150 Quad Cab. If I get the truck, then have option to get Scamp 19 5th Wheel. Any suggestions , pros and cons Casita vs 5th wheel? Will be traveling to National and state parks. We both still work, Karen is a music teacher and I’m a home health Physical Therapist. I’m 68 and plan to retire in the next 2 years. Have 6 grandkids, their at that age may not want to go with grandkids but that is Karen’s dream.

[Stan K]

Greg,
I have a 2012 Casita and love it. I converted a Freedom Dlx to a Spirit Dlx as I wanted the additional bed for quest. You will really like the quality of the Casita.
Stan K.

[Gilda]

Welcome to the Fiberglass RV forum. We've owned our then new 13' Scamp since 2011 and have enjoyed ownership and camping (almost) every every step of the way! The two of us have found the 13' to be more than enough for nimble camping. We can easily tow (with a sedan) and maneuver the trailer into most camping spots. We like relatively rugged and small campgrounds. Occasionally we camp on BLM land without any services. We rarely need electricity. Keep in mind that when you get bigger rigs/trailers you quickly have fewer options for campgrounds. The larger campgrounds for bigger rigs tend to be nothing more than parking lots with rigs lined up side by side. The campers rarely venture outdoors nor see one another. What's the point of "camping" then? You don't socialize with others and you are stuck on asphalt. My two cents worth is to stick with the 16' (or smaller) trailer. It will open your camping options from rugged to glamping depending on your choice.

[GregKolber]

Thanks Stan and Gilda! Stan, how much did it cost to convert and how much trouble?

[Stan K]

I can't tell you off the top of my head as there were several screw-ups. When I first ordered I thought I ordered a kit...I didn't. First I received the benches and cushions, but some of the trip was missing around the door openings. I had to order the trim. Then I had to order the white and silver strip that goea on the bottom. It was a case of Murphy's Law. Oh, had to order the doors. Which came in the day after I left on an extended road trip. I will install them when I get home. Hopefully, they are the correct size as the first ones were built the size of the opening which made them a couple of inches to small all around. I would approximate that the cost if ordered correctly the first time would be around $1300/$1400.

The actual installation was not all that hard. T.he hardest part was the deconstruction. If you undertake the project be sure to contact me and I'll share with you some of the issues.

The guys at Casita were very helpful and responsive with some of the issues encountered...


Regards....Stan K

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by GregKolber

Any suggestions , pros and cons Casita vs 5th wheel? Will be traveling to National and state parks.

Welcome to the forum. The Scamp 19 has the hitch assembly located over the axle of the truck, so the truck and trailer's total length will be less a bit than the length with a bumper pull such as the Casita. In turn, you need to be comfortable that the rail height of the truck bed and the height of the Scamp are compatible, while bumper pull trailers and hitches are generally much more flexible.

Many of the sites at national park sites were established decades ago, often in the thirties under WPA programs. The sites were based on tent camping and the much smaller trailers of that era. So, they often have very limited driveway lengths. This means that a shorter combination can be advantageous if you are vying for a spot at National Parks and especially at popular destinations such as Yosemite and Yellowstone.

I think that you really need to see trailers in order to evaluate them. After several years of trailering experience, we evaluated several different models by looking at them on the internet. However, even with the experience that we'd had with our Casita, it turned out that seeing the different models in the (Escape) showroom changed our impressions, and ultimately our choice.

[GregKolber]

Thank you Civilguy, that is good advice to actually see the trailer. It is a big decision, now I see why people by then sell and get a different one. No ideal condition, trade offs , one of my thoughts was if I have problems/ breakdown with the pull. vehicle, in emergency situation, more difficult to get another vehicle to pull the Scamp 5th due to unique hitch configuration.

[Civilguy]

The Scamp 19 has a hitch that's not a true fifth wheel, so I guess that it's possible it might be more difficult to have someone tow it in an emergency. I don't know that this would be a foremost criteria for me in making a decision whether to buy one or not, but you may feel differently.

Personally, I have not spent any time inside a Scamp 19, but in concept they have some appeal. There are threads concerning how some people extend the bed, and which layouts (floor plans) do and don't facilitate this. (Also, for what it's worth, some people have converted them into bumper-pulls, with large storage areas under the front bed area.)

When our new-to-us Casita 17 was delivered, my wife cried out "the pictures lied!" Years later, the echoes of that plaintive wail still reverberate through the hills and the valleys in these parts.

I was not personally surprised by the size of the trailer, but for her it was a complete shock. So, you may or may not be able to make a decision satisfactory to you based on looking at pictures and specifications.

[GregKolber]

Hi ,
I just bought a Casita in San Diego. wife loves it!
Thanks
Greg

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by GregKolber

Hi ,
I just bought a Casita in San Diego. wife loves it!
Thanks
Greg

Yay! It sounds like everyone's happy.

The Casita 17's tend to run a bit heavy on the tongue weight, on the order of 400 lbs. or so, so you might want to look into that further to be sure that it's loaded correctly and that you have a suitable tow vehicle.

[GregKolber]

Thanks, it has the Andersen sway control not sure if it does anything fir weight distribution?