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Old 04-08-2021, 11:40 PM   #1
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Name: Griffin
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Smile Hi, I am Griffin and Vesual

Hi
We just bought our 1998 Casita late last year. We have now traveled almost 2000 miles in just a few months. 2 weeks ago We started to modify it. We am currently replacing the floor, improving storage, battery bank, and adding solar. We are really impressed with how good it has help up. This summer we will be taking the trip of my dream a trip to the grand cannon. we cant wait, but we will not be setting around until then. we will be going back to the Smokeys as soon as we fix what we have done to Spark.
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Old 04-09-2021, 06:46 AM   #2
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Welcome to the forum!

Of course I love the Grand Canyon, but if I had a choice I’d visit in the fall. It’s crazy crowded in the summer and too hot to enjoy hiking into the canyon. October is a wonderful time to visit northern Arizona, but any time after Labor Day or before Memorial Day is better than high summer.

If you do come in the summer consider skipping the south rim altogether and visit the less-congested and cooler north rim.

Enjoy your travels!
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Old 04-09-2021, 07:25 AM   #3
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+10 At the North Rim you see the same canyon without the crowds. Its not as easy to get to, but its worth it. I have been to the North Rim and South Rim many times. South Rim in the late fall or winter is great, no crowds. South Rim in the summer is unbearable to me.

From the North Rim, you are relatively close to Zion and Bryce Canyon, two additional must sees. Zion crowds in the summer and even shoulder seasons have become unbearable. I've started limiting my Zion visits to the winter. Heat in the summer at Zion can also be unbearable.
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Old 04-09-2021, 10:39 AM   #4
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I concur with most of that. I'd expand the favorable GC times to include late September to early April and the Utah parks okay from early September through May even.
And when I visit Bryce I camp in the nearby NFS campground in Red Canyon. There's even a 14 mile, paved bike path between the two and the Red Canyon campground is a charmer. Great trails in Red Canyon too, including a fabulous trail with around 20 small arches. and never crowded.

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Old 04-11-2021, 12:51 PM   #5
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Welcome to the group
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Old 04-12-2021, 03:42 PM   #6
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Welcome to the group
Thank you
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Old 04-12-2021, 03:44 PM   #7
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I concur with most of that. I'd expand the favorable GC times to include late September to early April and the Utah parks okay from early September through May even.
And when I visit Bryce I camp in the nearby NFS campground in Red Canyon. There's even a 14 mile, paved bike path between the two and the Red Canyon campground is a charmer. Great trails in Red Canyon too, including a fabulous trail with around 20 small arches. and never crowded.

Walt
Thank you.
Yes I will be going to Bryce and zion and a few other parks as well. I'll keep that park in mine when I go.
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Old 04-12-2021, 03:47 PM   #8
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Welcome to the forum!

Of course I love the Grand Canyon, but if I had a choice I’d visit in the fall. It’s crazy crowded in the summer and too hot to enjoy hiking into the canyon. October is a wonderful time to visit northern Arizona, but any time after Labor Day or before Memorial Day is better than high summer.

If you do come in the summer consider skipping the south rim altogether and visit the less-congested and cooler north rim.

Enjoy your travels!
Thank you so much
This is the first camper forum that people has offer advice. And thank you for letting me know about the north rim I'll keep it in mind.
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Old 04-12-2021, 03:48 PM   #9
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+10 At the North Rim you see the same canyon without the crowds. Its not as easy to get to, but its worth it. I have been to the North Rim and South Rim many times. South Rim in the late fall or winter is great, no crowds. South Rim in the summer is unbearable to me.

From the North Rim, you are relatively close to Zion and Bryce Canyon, two additional must sees. Zion crowds in the summer and even shoulder seasons have become unbearable. I've started limiting my Zion visits to the winter. Heat in the summer at Zion can also be unbearable.
Thank you so much ill keep it in mind
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Old 04-12-2021, 06:40 PM   #10
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Between GC and Zion, do a couple of quick stops: Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. We also had the good fortune to get drawn to hike “The Wave” last trip. Went to Kanab the day before got the in person drawing. If you do it, hire a guide as the trail is not marked and you will miss some of the best stuff. Even if I do it again, I’ll hire a guide.
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Old 04-17-2021, 10:17 PM   #11
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How did you know that you needed a new floor? I have a 1999 Casita Spirit. The floor is kind of uneven and kind of bouncy in a couple spots. I just took it to Camping world to have the leaking windows fixed. They suggested that I needed a new floor. Between the windows on the floor, I think I would spend more on the camper that I paid for it 6 years ago at $6,400. Any advice?
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Old 04-18-2021, 01:49 AM   #12
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How did you know that you needed a new floor? I have a 1999 Casita Spirit. The floor is kind of uneven and kind of bouncy in a couple spots. I just took it to Camping world to have the leaking windows fixed. They suggested that I needed a new floor. Between the windows on the floor, I think I would spend more on the camper that I paid for it 6 years ago at $6,400. Any advice?
It was the same for me. I took mine Casita to the RV repair they quoted my $3500 and they would not be re-fiberglassing it just a new floor on top.

I know very little about campers but I did grow up building fiberglass boats. With that, of what I have seen in my own Casita Spirit it is made by sandwiching fiberglass around a plywood subfloor. it is a old way of building but it dose work as long as you don't allow water to get the wood wet. once the wood is wet the strength is gone. and the holes for the table is not covered to well from the bottom. what I am doing is adding a new subfloor<1/2 in thick birch plywood> on top of the old due to the fiberglass is still strong. then seakaflex the table stand holes to prevent any water from seeping up from the road and capping it off with a piece of aluminum. also under the subfloor I places a piece of tar paper to help prevent moister from seeping through, and topping it with a flooring that is flexible and "waterproof". I hope this help. I don't know if it is right but its what I see best.

I will be adding this to my blog as soon as possible with pictures
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Old 04-18-2021, 05:53 AM   #13
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How did you know that you needed a new floor? I have a 1999 Casita Spirit. The floor is kind of uneven and kind of bouncy in a couple spots. I just took it to Camping world to have the leaking windows fixed. They suggested that I needed a new floor. Between the windows on the floor, I think I would spend more on the camper that I paid for it 6 years ago at $6,400. Any advice?
Read the various threads on Casita floor repair. Casita improved their design of the floor over the years. If the floor has soft spots then it has rot. 1999 is before many improvements were made.

I wouldn’t have Camping World repair anything on a molded fiberglass trailer. Got to wonder what they did on those windows.

I call the Casita design a bathtub. Fiberglass on the bottom, then OSB, then at best some fiberglass resin on top. It is not covered with fiberglass. And there are plenty of penetrations through the wood: plumbing, wiring, table mounts. Any interior leaks are held in that bathtub. That gives the water ample time to start rotting the floor. Fungi actually rots the wood, not water. But the fungi needs wet wood.

Myself I would never put a layer of good wood over rotten wood, whether it is in my home or my trailer. left alone or covered the fungi will continue to spread. So it has to come up.
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Old 04-18-2021, 06:35 AM   #14
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Agree with Thrifty Bill. Last I checked, Camping World's hourly labor rate was $140, and worse yet, what exactly did they do?? To seal leaking RV windows, they need to removed, remove all old sealant from the window flange and the trailer body, then re-seat in butyl tape and re-attach using new stainless steel fasteners.
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Old 04-18-2021, 03:21 PM   #15
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If you go in the summer you probably won't find camping in Grand Canyon National Park, Reservations only, but you can still visit the park. If you go in early enough in the morning you can take your trailer with you and park in one of the free parking areas for day use. Google the park and view the parking areas to have a better idea about where to go. The north rim is beautiful but it is a long way around to it and not as many vistas in that area of the park. The south rim has free shuttles running all through the park with lots of vistas.

There are lots of tourists and food can be expensive in the park. Plenty of restrooms shown on the handout map. I believe that there is a dump station inside the park, you may have to pay to dump, and also fresh potable/drinking water, just ask at the entrance.
I would also recommend that you wear a backpack and carry snacks, hat, sandwiches for lunch, water and water. There are drinking fountains around, but they may not be working, (covid). and you had better take a mask just in case Simon says PUT YOUR MASK ON.

There is free National Forest Service land just outside of the park to camp on free. The road starts when you are about 2 miles south of the Heliport/airport on both the east and west sides of HWY 64. You can look on Google map satellite view and see the NFS Fire rd 688 to see the sites. We have stayed there several times, you usually can't have a ground camp fire because of dry conditions. You do not need a permit to camp but if you want to use a Coleman stove or grill outside, you need to get a free permit from any NFS Ranger or ranger station. You can stop at any NFS ranger station in areas you might want to camp and they will direct you too good places close to paved road or farther out in the wilderness if that is your thing.

Enjoy, PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT,

Formally, Land of the free.
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Old 04-18-2021, 03:37 PM   #16
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Thank you.
Yes I will be going to Bryce and zion and a few other parks as well. I'll keep that park in mine when I go.
Check when you go into Zion or Bryce Canyon for requirements to drive through the tunnel in Zion, SR9, to save you a whole bunch of miles going around between the two parks. We have towed our 4500 Trillium through the tunnel several times as we are narrow enough, short in height enough, and short in length enough to drive through. Measure before you get to the tunnel and look at what the maximum size is. The tunnel can actually have 2 way traffic to include tour buses but some safety problem restricted that now.
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