Hi all! I am Kelly in WA -

[KYoung]

Happy Friday the 13th! I'm happy to have found this group and looking forward to being a part of this community. I've just sold my 2000 Bigfoot Class C motorhome and now want to look into a small travel trailer for me & my dogs. I started out 10 years ago with a Jayco 17' trailer and had a lot of fun camping with my daughter. After 5 years, decided to get a Class C and looked for a year for just the right one. Time passes, daughter is now in college and doesn't have time to camp with mom. So, now it's "ME" time and I am ready for a new adventure. I'm looking for another small travel trailer, similar to the Scamp 16'. I love the look of the retro trailers, but an actual vintage one scares me for possible maintenance issues and the price of a new one scares me even more! Interested in your thoughts on what make/model you'd recommend.

[thrifty bill]

I think your choice of a Scamp 16 makes a lot of sense. Scamp has several floorplans, lots of options, and the deluxe model vs the standard. Lots of things to ponder.

I would reach out to Scamp and perhaps they can provide you relatively local owners who can show you their trailer.

Particularly consider the options available if you buy new. Stock the Scamp is very, very basic. This allows owners to pick and choose what is important to them. Its a lot easier (and cheaper) to get those options from the factory, than to try to add them later.

Since you live in WA State, I would also look at the Escape 17. While it would appear to be a lot more expensive, it comes stock with a lot of the Scamp options. So if you want those options, the pricing is closer, although Escape costs more.

[JBB]

Welcome Kelly! Keep us posted on what you decided on and post pictures when you get it!

[KYoung]

Thank you for the info, Bill! I will check out the Escape. I plan on having the trailer for a long time, so getting all the amenities will be important. Happy Camping!

[KYoung]

Thank you! I love posting pics, so careful what you asked for!

[Bobbie Mayer]

Keep an eye out for used Escape 17s and especially Escape 15s (though the latter are less available now due to no longer being made.) All Escapes are fairly recent so you won't hit the same kinds of problems you might with a vintage Scamp. I love my 15A (no bathroom) for me and three corgis.

[Glenn Baglo]

Link here:

Escape Trailer Industries – Chilliwack, British Columbia

Escape Forum here:

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/

[margeleept]

We live in OR and have looked around locally a lot, gone to a few gatherings. We were really surprised to find a ton of Casitas and not many Scamps around here. Not sure why, but it's true... We just got a Casita 17 and really like it! They offer both a 16 and 17' model depending on your needs.

Casita Travel Trailers - America's favorite Lightweight Travel Trailer

https://www.casitaforum.com/invboard/

There's also a Casita owners Facebook page.

[Lee Senn]

Hi Kelly and welcome to the forum. I don't think I saw it mentioned in the post above but if you think a new Escape might work for you don't let the price scare you away. At the present time the exchange rate on the Canadian dollar is at about 75 cents on the dollar so that is a 25% discount. There is currently a several month waiting period for new Escapes so do be aware that the exchange rate could be significantly better or worse by the time your unit is ready. Lee

[KYoung]

Originally Posted by margeleept

We live in OR and have looked around locally a lot, gone to a few gatherings. We were really surprised to find a ton of Casitas and not many Scamps around here. Not sure why, but it's true... We just got a Casita 17 and really like it! They offer both a 16 and 17' model depending on your needs.

Casita Travel Trailers - America's favorite Lightweight Travel Trailer

https://www.casitaforum.com/invboard/

There's also a Casita owners Facebook page.

Margeleept, thank you for the info. Seems like the Casita and Scamp are very similar in body styles and the quality is comparable?

[k0wtz]

hello to you I hope you enjoy your search that s half the fun

bob

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by KYoung

...Seems like the Casita and Scamp are very similar in body styles and the quality is comparable?

They both have a rounded, two-piece shell and modular fiberglass interior* joined with rivets. Beyond that, there are many differences in layouts, features, sizes available, floor technology, finish materials,...
*Scamp deluxe models have a custom oak or birch interior

The only real overlap is the 16' side dinette, front bath layout offered by both companies.

Quality? It's a Chevy vs. Ford thing here as you might imagine. Lots of opinions... Do a search on "Casita vs. Scamp" to pull up old threads ("Site Search/Google" at the bottom of the search menu gives the best results).

Better yet, see a few for yourself and chat with the owners. Visiting a rally is a good way to do that, although the season is wrapping up in the north and moving south for the winter. All the major molded manufacturers also have referral programs in which their sales departments set you up with nearby owners for a demo.

As mentioned, Escape is also worth considering if one happens to show up for sale.

Best wishes in your "egg hunt"!

[clairemr1]

kelly, i'd recommend attending some rallies/rv shows/do lots of online research, etc. narrow it down to the trailer you want, then do an intense search til you find it.
be prepared to move quickly, with money in hand. you may need to travel a bit, too, to find yours. ask the owner to demonstrate all systems before purchase to make sure things are in working order and get a clear title.
here's hoping you find your dream trailer! safe travels.............

[Civilguy]

Welcome to the forum Kelly.

What would you tow with? That's an important part of the equation if you are interested in getting another trailer.

[Mitzi Agnew-Giles]

Kelly- I knew I would *have* to purchase a tow vehicle, which smarted right in the old wallet, but I have really enjoyed all the bells and whistles in my 2012 Carship Enterprise ! It's been a pleasant change to drive a auto transmission, even if I had to give up 10 mpg over what my our lightweight little stickshifts get. If I had stuck with trying to find something my 2006 Saturn could pull...well, it just wouldn't have worked out (1000 lbs MAx IF it had come with tow package. It didn't) The Carship can pull up to 7500 lbs. Overkill for molded fiberglass (our snoozy weighed in at 2460 on the truck scales) but it keeps our options open for the future. I wish you well on your search.

[KYoung]

I currently have a Ford Expedition with heavier towing capacity (9000#), so it should be no problem in that area.

[DeBreez]

Originally Posted by KYoung

I currently have a Ford Expedition with heavier towing capacity (9000#), so it should be no problem in that area.

Nice that we won't be having the "can my Suzuki Sidekick pull an Oliver Elite" discussion! Welcome to the GFC! (Glass Fiber Cult.)

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by KYoung

I currently have a Ford Expedition with heavier towing capacity (9000#), so it should be no problem in that area.

Hi Kelly,

With that kind of towing capacity, it sounds like you qualify for our "unlimited" new owner special!

1. Pick something you like. Anything, in fact.
   
2. Tow it happily ever after.
   
3. If it's not absolutely perfect, repeat steps 1 and 2.

I guess that just about concludes this thread (dusts off hands.) Thanks for posting!

Naw, I was just joking. Now you can focus on figuring out what might be a good fit for you so you don't have to go to step 3.

So, ask away. Somehow I think the prospect of helping other people spend their money is one of the happiest themes on enthusiast forums. So, you'll get lots of advice and perspectives of every kind!

Then all you have to do is figure out what resonates with you for your style.

[1500]

When I started looking at Scamps or Casitas I was really surprised to find that Casitas seem to be far more common here in the north west. I would have assumed it was the opposite, or people just like their Scamp too much to sell.

With a smaller TT, something to think about is if you are willing to put the bed away and convert it to a dinette every day. I have spent years traveling in a Vanagon so it does not bother me doing it every day but many don't like going through that effort. Leaving it as a bed really cuts down on the usable space in a small TT. But if you do leave it as a bed, then one of the models with a side dinette might work well for you.

I also travel with my two dogs (husky and a border collie), and ended up picking a Scamp layout 4. Having the front bench/bunks gives the dogs a place to sleep that is not in bed with me or in the way on the floor. You can even convert it to a bunk, let the dogs sleep on the bottom and you still have the top to throw jackets, hats, and other things on top. The back rest of the bench is at an angle and I find it far more comfortable to sit on then a standard dinette (with its vertical back cushion), and works out as a great place to read or take a nap. It also lets you sit inside and stretch your legs out.

First trip in the scamp, on the first night the dogs had no idea what to do when they got inside. But the second night I let them in and they both jumped up into the bottom bunk and passed out.

Keep an eye out on on fiberglass-rv-4sale.com, as they search for ads from craigslist from around the country and post them in a centralized spot.