Hi, I'm Frugal

[Fun Sized]

Hello FGRV, I'm Frugal. Mrs. Frugal and I will be fully retiring within a year and have decided to purchase a small FGRV to take on extended vacations during retirement. Although we have only owned a tent in the past, we have experience with my dad's RVs from a tow behind to a land yacht diesel pusher. That experience has taught us that we prefer to purchase a land dingy FGRV.

I have been studying all of our alternatives on the internet. I've learned the most from this great website. Based on my online searching, I believe a Casita 17 Liberty Deluxe may fulfill our needs. But I've yet to see any FGRV in real life. My number one requirement is the ability to configure a king sized bed. That requirement shortens the list of potential FGRVs very quickly. My tow vehicle is a newer V6 Frontier, so I shouldn't be limited by towing ability.

So there you have it. I live in the Tampa Florida area. If anyone would like to show off your FGRV, I'd sure like to see inside some before I buy one. There were a couple for sale in my area, but they sold before I could see them. Is that going to keep happening?

I look forward to any assistance on searching for my FGRV.

Mr. Frugal

[starbrightsteve]

Frugal,
If you see one advertised, call immediately and go look at it when you hang up the phone! When you are really ready to buy, do the same thing but have what you are willing to spend in your pocket.
Check out the site fiberglass RV for sale and the Casita forum classifieds. Check them both every morning and evening. I think the best deals are used trailers. Often folks sell trailers with lots of costly modifications and basically give the mods away.
The important thing is to be first in line and to have the cash in your pocket.
I guess it's also important to make sure everything works. Make sure to tell the seller you expect a cold fridge on propane, a water pump, pumping water from the tank on 12 volts. Flush the toilet, run the furnace(if it has one), check the manufacturing date on the tires and spare, roll out the awning and fire the water heater. All on 12 volt! When your finished, make your offer.
Good luck hunting
Steve

[Cathi]

Welcome, Frugals! I see you require a king bed. I will just mention that trailers are a little different. There are often two or three walls around the bed and you can sleep right on the edge of the bed. Can't do that at home without falling out! We have a king and then had a queen in a trailer, no problem, and now we are going smaller --- will say later if that is too small! But we are essentially trading the space for other kinds of space. You might try lying on a queen or other sizes in any trailer you see, to check that situation. The other factor with regard to beds is whether you have to climb over each other.

[Bob Miller]

Gotta say, in todays FGRV market and at this time of year and in Florida, "Frugal" may prove to be synonymous with "Shopping" or "Still Looking".


Maybe in winter in the Midwest or northwest you will find better prices (with a much smaller inventory) but right now you might want to find the average going prices before you start shopping. A 17' Casita Liberty Deluxe won't be in the economy price group.

[Jon in AZ]

The good news is I see quite a few Casitas for sale in Florida. The bad news is that I see more of them during the winter snowbird season, and the Liberty floor plan is less common than the popular Spirit version. But I am sure your patience and persistence will eventually be rewarded. Steve is right that prompt and decisive action is called for. Here is a helpful Buyer's Checklist when you go to inspect a trailer. I agree you should ask the seller to have it hooked to power and the fridge pre-cooled. RV fridges take a long time to cool down and don't make noises to indicate they are working like a home-style compressor fridge.

You should be expecting a loaded weight around 3200 pounds, but the bigger issue with Casita 17s is a fairly high tongue weight, typically around 425 pounds. See the thread http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html for more weight information. The tow ratings on Frontiers can vary quite a bit depending on the model. Have you verified that yours is up to the task?

Best wishes in your "egg hunt"!

[Ziggy]

If you call Casita they have a list of Casita owners that will be happy to show you their trailer.

[Fun Sized]

Thanks Steve for the good advice. Wow, why is there such a shortage of these FGRVs? Will it be easier to find one later this summer?

[Cathi]

They are a tiny segment of the market and most are no longer made.

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Frugal Ways

Thanks Steve for the good advice. Wow, why is there such a shortage of these FGRVs? Will it be easier to find one later this summer?

About all that happens towards the end of summer and through until next April or so is that prices will drop from the current high point, but fewer and fewer will be offered for sale until April 2016. when prices and availability will again start to rise.

By non-scientific count, the molded FGRV niche might be somewhere between 1% and 3% of the total market, and is more apt to be on the lower side than the higher side of that range, depending on where you are looking.

[Fun Sized]

Thanks all for the good advice!

The bed size is more for length. I'm taller than the interior width and height of a FGRV. I need a Liberty, or similar, so I can rotate the bed area to also use the dinette area for added length. I will need to crouch while walking inside, but there isn't an RV tall enough for me to stand up straight.

I will call Casita and speak to them about a new one and maybe discuss local demos. I just hate to waste their owners' time if I'm not ready to buy a new one from them while looking.

Thanks again for the good advice. Keep it coming.

[rbryan]

Howdy frugal. Have you considered something larger due to your height?We have several Escape forum members who tow an Escape 19 or 5.0TA 5th wheel with a Frontier. Both have full queen beds. Not much heavier than a Casita 17, and there's no comparison in room.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[Eddie Longest]

Frugal
There is/was a Parkliner for sale in Lake Wales. It was in the Heartland CL but is no longer there. It is still listed on the Fiberglass RV for sale website with a contact number. The Parkliner is one of the taller fiberglass trailers and I think you can have some flexibility for long bed sleeping options. Since it is close by it might be worthwhile taking a look at it.
I'm not connected to the seller I just happened to see the listing a while back.
Eddie
http://www.fiberglass-rv-4sale.com/f...rk-liner-16500

[Fun Sized]

Rbryan, Yes an Escape 19 is on my short list. If there was an available Casita 17 sitting next to an available Escape 19, I'd probably buy the 19. My only concern is that the 19 may be at the upper limit of my V6 Frontier crew cab. Most of my use will be cross country. Really, I think every time I hook up my FGRV I will be going at least a thousand miles. Its 400 miles from Tampa to get anywhere but the beach.

[Fun Sized]

Originally Posted by Eddie Longest

Frugal
There is/was a Parkliner for sale in Lake Wales. It was in the Heartland CL but is no longer there. It is still listed on the Fiberglass RV for sale website with a contact number. The Parkliner is one of the taller fiberglass trailers and I think you can have some flexibility for long bed sleeping options. Since it is close by it might be worthwhile taking a look at it.
I'm not connected to the seller I just happened to see the listing a while back.
Eddie
2012 Park Liner Travel Trailer Camper | Fiberglass RV's For Sale

Thanks for finding this one for me. I'll check it out. It looks like its in great shape. That is what I am looking for, like new condition 2010 or newer. Anyone know what its really worth?

[Eddie Longest]

Frugal
A dealer near me has a single axle Escape 5.0 SA for sale. I looked at it and it is a nice trailer. It has a short Queen bed but it looks like by blocking the top step you could extend the bed quite a bit. It's at Dodds RV in Portsmouth Va. I would guess about 800 miles from you.
Eddie
For Sale 2013 Escape 5.0 $26,500 US Dollars - Escape Trailer Owners Community

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Frugal Ways

Thanks for finding this one for me. I'll check it out. It looks like its in great shape. That is what I am looking for, like new condition 2010 or newer. Anyone know what its really worth?

Exactly what someone is willing to pay for it....

FGRV's do not have real "Book" values and are sold, basically, on what the market will stand. About all you can do is compare other ads for similar trailers. DO NOT attempt to use NADA or other book values for FGRV's, they range from low to ridiculously low.

While new units will drop a small percentage for the first few yueasrt, they quickly bottom out by 5 years and then start to increase in value all over again.

[Gilda]

You might want to check out a new model FGRV now in prototype stage on Happier Camper | Ultra-light Travel and Utility Trailers. They are creating the HC1, a camper shell with a totally modular interior. It is most intriguing and might fit the bill for you.

Also, the Lil Snoozy has been talked about frequently on this website Small Travel Trailer: Camper: Smoakin Concepts Composites .

Although not a FGRV I was very impressed with the Alto trailer made in Canada. It is pricey but has a roomy bed area and is beautiful.

For discussion of any of these trailers search them on this FGRV website under the "Search" button. Go to the bottom of the dropdown menu and search in the "Google" button.

[Gilda]

Check out this recent discussion on FGRV, "The Difference Between Fiberglass and Traditional". As alway, Norm shares some sage advice and you'll get opinions of others. http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ers-70513.html

[Bob Miller]

Maybe if the O.P. (Frugal Ways) posted some estimate of the budget they are working with we could provide more useful suggestions. I somehow think that new units are not under consideration.

[Fun Sized]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Maybe if the O.P. (Frugal Ways) posted some estimate of the budget they are working with we could provide more useful suggestions. I somehow think that new units are not under consideration.

Good point Bob. I'm a relative-value buyer. So I look at what a new one will cost, then deduct for age, condition and missing options.

Since Casita has been on summer break, I'm not quite sure what that my new cost will be. Here is my option list: Casita 17 LD Load D tires, LED lights, vinyl flooring, micro wave, awning, generator. So when I know what the new Casita 17 LD costs, I'll know what my budget is. Let's assume $22,000. Then I would deduct 10% for being "not new" plus about 5% for each model year. Let's say I find a 2013 lightly used one without a generator. That would be $22,000 (new) - $2,200 (used) - $1,000 (generator) - 3,000 (age) = $15,800. Therefore, I think $15,800 would be a fair price. Then Mr Fugal likes to get a deal, so he'd offer $15,000. If that is not realistic, I'd just go buy a new one.

Now let's branch out to an Escape 19. Since those are probably pricier than a Casita 17 LD, I would want to buy a really nice used Escape 19 for the maximum price of a new Casita 17 LD. But then I may still want to buy the new Casita over a used Escape, so let's just put the maximum budget at $20,000 for a used rig.