Hello! I am Tom, and I am Tall

[TeeNel]

Hello, everyone. I’m Tom, and I’ve been out of the camping game for 8 years. Prior to that, my wife and I had a Coleman pop-up and a larger hard-sided trailer that proved to be more work than it was worth. We want to get back into the camping game, and after extensive research and learning my lesson 8 years ago, it seems like fiberglass is the way to go in terms of durability, quality, and weight.

I’ve got a few tough requirements to follow for finding a trailer, the first being my height. I’m a hair over 6’3”, so I’m hoping I could find something tall enough for me to stand in, and sleep comfortably in. We want a bathroom and shower, because we don’t want to rely on anyone else for facilities. We also need a smaller additional sleeping area for our child.

It seems this community is knowledgeable and helpful, and I thank you all in advance! I hope to have a trailer soon (I’m willing to wait as long as it takes to find the right one) and contribute to people’s questions.

My top pick for a potential fiberglass trailer is a Parkliner, followed by an EggCamper and possibly a Bigfoot if the bed sizes will allow. Any input from current owners would be appreciated!

- Tom, Connecticut

[Jon in AZ]

Welcome, Tom!

You might add Lil Snoozy to your short list. The others are exactly the ones that popped into my mind. There were a couple of Parkliners for sale recently. Don’t know if they’re still available.

EggCamper and Snoozy are all-electric, which has some implications for how and where they can be used.

Beds are pretty narrow in the smaller Bigfoot models.

Best wishes in your search!

[TeeNel]

Funny, Jon, right before you replied I revisited the Lil Snoozy, which I had written off before simply because I thought it looked odd. I think I’m coming around on it - it does tick all the boxes! I’m not too worried about the all-electric issue; it’s less to have to maintain in the long run and I bet one of those quiet little Honda generators would run most of the rig if I was in a place that allowed it.

Bigfoot was on my list for a long time until I realized how narrow the bed was. I was hoping someone had done a mod to make a true queen, but it looks like the door on the pre-2005 mold at least is right against the bed.

Parkliner is still top. There is one for sale in FL and another in Las Vegas. Both a bit of a haul for me, but FL is a possibility.

[thrifty bill]

Most places do not allow you to run a generator all the time. So I would not count on it. I’d head to Florida and get that Parkliner if I were you. They rarely come up for sale. Don’t count on seeing another one in the eastern US any time soon. One thing I like about that Florida Parkliner is it doesn’t have the speakers mounted on the curb side of the trailer. I hate added holes in the shell, and with Bluetooth speakers, there is no need for it.

I camp a lot at state and national parks. Rarely do I get any hookups, and generator use is very restricted.

Many despise generators. You will find a lot of generator hate out there even on the “quiet” ones.

Don’t wait on that Parkliner. There are people that lurk this site, see this thread and then launch. “Wow, I didn’t realize there was a Parkliner for sale in Florida.”

[WaltP]

A good solar/inverter system can go a long way toward making an electric only rig more versatile.

Walt

[bjsmitty]

Highly recommend an Escape 19' or 21'. Accommodates 6'4", has nice sleeping area for both adult and child, can add a removable bunk over the dinette (but you may have to ask if you have a new one built), and you can get a very nice solar unit to go with it. We have boondocked for over a week, and only had a minor issue with running low on water. Get the manual awning, not the electric, decent bathroom and kitchenette. Take a look. There is an Escape Forum where you can possibly find a used one. They generally do not last long. I sold a 19' in 2 hours, sight unseen.

[WaltP]

If you can find one nearby to test you might try a 17' Casita.
They have a 6'2" ceiling height, but it could work.
When you have your height measured you tend to stand ramrod tall, and in normal activity you could effectively be an inch or more shorter.
When I had a 16' Casita with 5'10" ceiling, I was comfortable in it although I'm at least 5'11".

Walt

[Ruban&Martha]

Originally Posted by TeeNel

My top pick for a potential fiberglass trailer is a Parkliner, followed by an EggCamper and possibly a Bigfoot if the bed sizes will allow. Any input from current owners would be appreciated!

As an 6'3" owner of an EggCamper, I will share what we have deemed our pros, cons and neutrals.

Pros for us:
- Tall ceiling.
- Bathroom.
- Spacious feeling.
- Trailer's weight.
- Compressor refrigerator. Gets cold quickly.
- Bed size. Although the bed is only full-sized wide, to us it sleeps wider. This is because the person on the inside can snuggle up to the back wall of the trailer (it feels good since its curved); while if we slept in a full-sized bed at home, it would be necessary to sleep closer to the middle so as not to fall out. Length-wise the bed is awesome.

Cons for us:
- Not a lot of weight is allowed for modifications and personal items. We found there was plenty of storage space, but after we added two 6V batteries to the tongue, we have to watch how much stuff we put in.
- Refrigerator is small. We're thinking about putting in a larger one, as there is space to do that.

Neutrals for us:
- No propane. Doesn't bother us. When boondocking, we use an invertor generator when allowed, if needed (which is seldom). And for those times when we do not have electricity and cannot use a generator, we have a Clam shelter, setting up a propane cookstove inside it for cooking & heating water.
- No built-in cookstove. Again, doesn't bother us. We have an induction hot plate and a microwave. We prefer induction over gas anyway because its what we have at home, and its easier to clean. And since its portable we can put it away when not needed.

I cannot speak for how well an EggCamper would work with three people, as there are only two of us. We changed the side bed into a countertop to give us more workspace.

Nancy

[Ronald L. Bates]

I'm 6'3" as well. Had a Casita for 4 years. Too short for me to stand in. In 2016 bought an Escape 5.0 TA. I wouldn't give it up for anything. Plenty of headroom. Queen size bed. Shower. The works. It handles beautifully with a Toyota Tundra.

[TeeNel]

Everyone is super helpful. I realize now that I forgot to mention - I will be towing with a 4-door Wrangler, which has a 3500# tow rating. I think that puts me below the rating for an Escape, unless I drop down to a 17B which has 6'2" ceilings.

I'm also looking at a few teardrop trailers, although the new ones are out of my price range (Tab 400, Little Guy Max). Also, I'd prefer to stick with fiberglass.

I will try to find a 17' Casita locally - I do think the ceiling height might be a bit of an issue, but there are many more of them around than others and it might not be as much of a pain as I think. They also seem pretty reasonably priced for what you get.

Looks like adding solar panels is a good way to go - I think that technology has come a long way.

Trying to figure out how I'm going to find one is a real challenge; I'm not sure if I feel comfortable driving across 1200 miles of states during a pandemic to pick up a trailer, but I'd probably be able to pick something up within the 500-600 mile range. I know that's going to limit my choices substantially, but I was hoping some rigs would come up end of season up here.