Hi I am Erin from NC

[EStraight]

Hello!

I am Erin, currently living in North Carolina. I have a husband and two little ones, and we are excitedly exploring camper options to take our kiddos on adventures! Looking forward to learning more about this community!

[Jon in AZ]

We camped with our two girls in a 13’ Scamp for over a decade. Both of them treasure the memories, and the younger, who really caught the camping bug, has dibs on the Scamp once she finishes college and has a place to keep it. My only regret is not starting younger.

We camped at developed campgrounds with sanitary facilities, so we didn’t need a bathroom and the work that goes with it. If your kids are young enough to require an onboard bathroom, Scamp makes a stretched 16’ version with the same front bunks plus a small side bath and larger galley.

One caveat about many Scamps: the main bed is quite narrow (45”x75”). We made it work by rearranging. My wife split the rear “double” bed with the younger, sleeping head to toe for more room , and I split the front bunks with the older. We are all on the smaller size, which helps. I happened to notice there’s a Trillium 1500 isted for sale in your state. It’s the same basic layout as our Scamp but with bigger beds.

There are of course other larger options from a number of manufacturers. We went with the 13’ Scamp due to a limited tow rating on our first tow vehicle. We’ve since upgraded the vehicle, but we’ve never felt a need for anything bigger. We do most of our living, cooking, and dining outside.

Best wishes on your “egg hunt”!

[jerrybob]

Welcome.....good luck in your search.....family camping is terrific....great memories.

[EStraight]

Thank you both for the welcome. Thanks Jon for the detailed information! I’ve definitely been eyeing the scamp 13 and some of the casita models because of our towing capacity!

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by EStraight

Thank you both for the welcome. Thanks Jon for the detailed information! I’ve definitely been eyeing the scamp 13 and some of the casita models because of our towing capacity!

What is the rating of your intended tow vehicle (trailer and tongue weight)? Remember that ratings only include the driver, and in some cases a front passenger, but no other cargo. With a whole family and presumably some gear in the back, you’ll need a generous margin on your weight ratings.

Be careful of going by trailer ”dry weight” specs from the manufacturer. That doesn’t include options, fluids, or any of your gear. See the sticky thread “Trailer Weights in the Real World” for some real world data. Post #401 links to a handy spreadsheet you can sort and filter. It even calculates averages.

Casita 17’s run heavy on the tongue. I’m very curious about the new 15’ Patriot. Base dry weight is a little less than the 17’, but nothing is listed about tongue weight, and I have yet to see anything from a real-world user.

Our 2008 13’ Scamp (dry weight 1250# per Scamp) actually weighs about 1700# loaded for a week. Our first tow vehicle was rated 2000/200#. It was a good-sized vehicle with a V6 (2000 Toyota Sienna), but it lacked the factory tow package with upgraded engine and transmission cooling. After overheating the transmission on a long mountain grade, we upgraded to a 2011 Honda Pilot (3500/350# in FWD trim). Much better.

[EStraight]

Hi Jon,

We are actually in a 2021 Sienna with 3500/385 towing/tongue weight. It definitely limits our choices but a van with littles is essential. It’s really what drew me to fiberglass as we aren’t really looking to upgrade our towing vehicle at this time, but I wanted something that was really functional with family of 4!

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by EStraight

Hi Jon,

We are actually in a 2021 Sienna with 3500/385 towing/tongue weight. It definitely limits our choices but a van with littles is essential. It’s really what drew me to fiberglass as we aren’t really looking to upgrade our towing vehicle at this time, but I wanted something that was really functional with family of 4!

Fortunately, the newer Siennas all come equipped for the 3500# rating, no separate factory tow package like the older models. Kiddos were 10 and 7 at the time, and they never quite forgave us for trading the van...

I'm thinking a Casita is a stretch for your Sienna, definitely the 17' and probably even the new 15' Patriot, depending on its tongue weight. The new Sienna powertrain is only a 4-cylinder hybrid, not ideal for continuous high-torque towing duty. A lightly optioned Scamp 16 standard would be the maximum I'd be comfortable with- you can usually keep those to around 2500# fully loaded with around 275-300# tongue weight.

The Trillium 1500 (15') near you is even better, weight-wise. It doesn't have a bathroom, but I think Trillium provides a storage spot for a small porta-potty (as does Scamp in front bunk layouts). It's comparable to vintage Trillium 4500's in the weight chart. I'd expect a loaded weight around 2200# with 250# tongue weight. You want a minimum 10% tongue weight, and around 12% is better for stability (sway resistance).

[JoshRob]

Originally Posted by EStraight

Hi Jon,

We are actually in a 2021 Sienna with 3500/385 towing/tongue weight. It definitely limits our choices but a van with littles is essential. It’s really what drew me to fiberglass as we aren’t really looking to upgrade our towing vehicle at this time, but I wanted something that was really functional with family of 4!

Similarly, I was drawn to the fiberglass campers because we drive a minivan as well (2017 Pacifica w Tow Package). We ended up getting a 2023 Scamp layout 4 and we love it. So far no issues pulling with the minivan - we drove it all the way back to GA after picking it up from the factory in MN. We have since added a 3rd kid, but I feel like we can still make it work.

There's a pretty helpful Facebook group that you may want to check out. https://www.facebook.com/groups/campingfamilies/about/

[EStraight]

Thanks so much for your advice! The calculations of everything is definitely one of the more challenging aspects of this journey. I have been eyeing that trillium actually as you mention it!

[Jon in AZ]

There's also a 2020 13' Scamp just listed in Greenville, SC. It has the front bunks and the optional 54" rear dinette bed. I think that's the same size as the Trillium dinette. Downside is the bigger dinette means the galley and storage closet in the center are smaller. But if you cook and eat outside most of the time like we do, that may not matter. It appears to have the old-style 3-way propane/electric fridge, a plus for camping without hookups. Somewhere around 21-22 Scamp switched to a 12VDC fridge in the 13'ers.

For Scamps in particular, the two most active sites I'm aware of are the "Scamp Travel Trailers" and "Scamp Trailer Classified" private groups on Facebook. Be aware that there are scams out there and use common sense.

[EStraight]

Hi Jon!

I really appreciate all of your advice! As it happens, we are now the proud owners of the 2015 trillium from this forum!

We are so excited for our adventures!

[Jon in AZ]

Congratulations! So glad it worked out for you, and I know you'll appreciate the extra space in the 15' over a 13'. The no-bath models are so simple to use and care for. That means more time to camp!

With a used trailer, check the age of the tires. It's stamped on the sidewall as a four digit code (WWYY, week and year of manufacture). Depending on how they were mounted, you might have to crawl under and look on the inside. With an unknown history, I'd replace anything over around 4 years old, regardless of tread. If they've suffered impact damage from a curb or pothole, or if they've ever been run at speed with low pressure, there could be hidden damage. Blowouts are no fun, and collateral damage to fiberglass can be costly.

[EStraight]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Congratulations! So glad it worked out for you, and I know you'll appreciate the extra space in the 15' over a 13'. The no-bath models are so simple to use and care for. That means more time to camp!

With a used trailer, check the age of the tires. It's stamped on the sidewall as a four digit code (WWYY, week and year of manufacture). Depending on how they were mounted, you might have to crawl under and look on the inside. With an unknown history, I'd replace anything over around 4 years old, regardless of tread. If they've suffered impact damage from a curb or pothole, or if they've ever been run at speed with low pressure, there could be hidden damage. Blowouts are no fun, and collateral damage to fiberglass can be costly.

Jon, it’s like you live at my house! We were just having this exact discussion, that is the next item on our agenda after registering it! We already have our first camping adventure planned, so it’s a bit of a rush to get it all done!