Happy Trails from Sarah

[COcamper]

Hi!
I'm Sarah from Colorado by way of Oregon (1999). I've been a backpacker my entire life but recently looking into TTs in my "old age" - from vintage to new, weighing pros and cons of each. Found this site and Fiberglass-rv-4sale.com, and am checking in regularly on those and others, trying to get educated from you owner experts. Thank you all for all the time you spend here on your posts. Such a great resource for everyone.

With the caveat that we haven't seen ANY of these in person, right now I'd say my husband and I are in the market for something like a used, camping-ready 13' Casita Patriot, 13' Scamp, Burro, Little Guy T@G, etc. Something under 8' exterior height, easily towed & maneuvered in National forest, with A/C (for our dogs) and no major problems. I realize T@G is not FG but wanted to throw it out there since it is still a candidate right now.

We'd really love to see the options of Casita, Scamp, Burro, Boler, Trillium, etc in person. Is there anyone in the Denver metro area who'd like to show off their small trailer to some TT noobs, even if yours is not for sale? I got a name of an "in program" owner willing to show their trailer via Casita directly, but that person is in Colorado Springs.

.... And of course if you have pre-Craigslist leads on a 13'+/- trailer that may be coming up for sale or that kind of thing, I'd appreciate knowing. We'd be good owners and take the egg out for fun adventures like it's supposed to get to do.

Happy camping to everyone,
From Sarah, buried under a foot of Colorado snow...

[emij]

Hi Sarah! We are in Denver and would show you ours. It doesn't have the cushions in it right now because I didn't want to leave them in it over the winter, but it's easily accessible in an RV Storage lot off of Arapahoe and Jordan. (I25 east on Arapahoe Rd). It's a Scamp 13 with front bunks. Message me if you'd like to set up a time to come and visit our little egg!

[Jon in AZ]

Welcome, Sarah!

Sounds like a great plan! I (singular) used to be a tent camper, both with a backpack and a small truck. Now we (plural ) enjoy our Scamp, with its easy set-up, security in bad weather, and comfortable beds.

AC is the hardest part of your requirements, especially when combined with the 8' height limitation.

The most effective AC is on the roof, which is where Scamp now puts it (and has for quite a few years). For sure that's going to put you over 8' on post-fire Scamps (2007+ grew a few inches following a factory fire and new molds). I'm not sure about pre-fire Scamps.

A window-type AC unit can be installed in a cabinet and vented through the shell, and that would keep the height under 8'. It's not as effective as roof AC, and it can be tricky to get right- with sufficient support, ventilation, and drainage for condensate.

At one time Scamp installed window AC in the closet next to the door. If you find an older one that way, it could either be a factory installation or an owner modification (in which case it deserves close inspection).

Casita does a factory installation of a window unit through the front. They are under 8' tall.

Most of the other vintage units were sold without AC, so if it has it, it was added by a previous owner. Again, it deserves a close look.

Hope you can find someone in Denver to let you have a look. I know we have some members from that area.

Best wishes in your "egg hunt"!

[COcamper]

Thank you emij and Jon in AZ!
Jon, the description of A/C you make is just the sort of thing we're working through right now and I so much appreciate the time you took to talk about those details. It's good to know AC will be a deciding factor here. It doesn't have to be a great AC, just enough to keep temps in a safe range for a short time in summer. I asked Scamp customer service directly about exterior height with AC but they never responded... so it's good to finally hear something back. A little discouraging but facts is facts, right? I'm copying your response here and adding it to my cheat sheet for later. Thank you.

And emij, thank you so much for your generous offer!! We'll figure out a few times in the next month or so that may work and get back to you via PM. Thank you sincerely for your offer and the time you would take to meet.

[emij]

Sounds good, Sarah! Just let me know. We've only had our Scamp since last May, so only one season of camping in it. Before that we were full on tent campers! We don't have AC, but it cools down nicely in the evenings. We just leave the windows and screen door open. Only once did we plug in and run fans, and that was in Eastern Nebraska over Labor Day weekend. Ours is older, a 1982 with the crank out windows. We love it

[Flyfisher1]

Hi Sarah, we are new Casita 17 owners in Longmont. Happy to show you our unit realizing it is bigger than you are looking for and has a roof mounted AC unit.

[Mike Magee]

Are you needing to get it into an 8' high doorway for storage?

[Cathy in TX]

Hi Sarah! I'm also a life-long backpacker and was still tent camping till I was 50. I'm now thrilled to do my camping in a Trails West Campster. Needed to fit in my garage (neighborhood restrictions) and was so happy to find something with a pop top that allows me to stand in it. Had major work done, but sure is comfy now and fits my needs. Went all over New Mexico in her last summer. Good luck to y'all in your search