Hi, I'm Tash and I'm new to RV/trailering

[TashH]

Hey everyone! I'm a photographer who is looking to get into trailer camping as a way to see more of the USA's natural beauty (and make for easier sunrise photos).

I've been looking at trailers and RVs for several months now, and I think I've settled on ordering a new Casita (and waiting...). I'm here looking for information before I buy, as well as tips/tricks/mods to work out while I wait for delivery.

Cheers,
Tash

[Jon in AZ]

Welcome, Tash!

With trailer towing you have to look at the whole picture of trailer and tow vehicle. On both sides of the equation there are compromises between size and capability versus convenience and economy. The Casita 17 is a solid mid-sized fiberglass trailer choice. Do you have an intended tow vehicle?

Best wishes with your trailer purchase and future travels!

[TashH]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Welcome, Tash!

With trailer towing you have to look at the whole picture of trailer and tow vehicle. On both sides of the equation there are compromises between size and capability versus convenience and economy. The Casita 17 is a solid mid-sized fiberglass trailer choice. Do you have an intended tow vehicle?

Best wishes with your trailer purchase and future travels!

We've got a 2015 Honda Pilot AWD already, which seems like it shouldn't have any issues with a 17' Casita (it has 4500lbs tow capacity, class 3 hitch).

As I understand it, with the high-lift package and 15" wheels I should be able to take the Casita out onto (simple) dirt roads for dispersed camping without too much trouble.

[Jon in AZ]

Yes, it should work well. You will be close to its 450# tongue weight limit, as Casita 17’s tend to run heavy on the hitch (400-425# is typical). Some people find a light-duty weight distributing hitch (like the Anderson) helpful to even things out on a FWD-based vehicle.

We have a 2011 Pilot. Great vehicle!

[TashH]

Yeah, I was figuring on getting the Anderson hitch to help with the tongue weight (and swaying).

Is your 2011 the same base model type? We've been super happy with ours. It replaced a minivan we had when the kids were little, and while there are certain things I still miss about the minivan, I like how this handles on dirt roads a lot better.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by TashH

Yeah, I was figuring on getting the Anderson hitch to help with the tongue weight (and swaying).

Is your 2011 the same base model type? We've been super happy with ours. It replaced a minivan we had when the kids were little, and while there are certain things I still miss about the minivan, I like how this handles on dirt roads a lot better.

Ours is the same body style and drivetrain as yours but FWD only, which is fine for our 13’ Scamp. Front wheel spin when towing uphill on gravel back roads is an occasional issue, so AWD is better for frequent backroad use with a heavier trailer. Brakes are a weak spot, so make sure you get your trailer brakes set up well and learn to use the transmission to control speed on downgrades.

We also upgraded from a minivan and our kids still haven’t quite forgiven us! They preferred the roominess of the van. My wife and I both agree the Pilot is the best long-distance cruiser we’ve ever owned: quiet, smooth, great seats, and decent gas mileage. 205K trouble-free miles so far.

Will you have kids in the Casita? Which layout are you looking at? Most are optimized for couples.

Good call on the Anderson. Consider some chip protection on the lower front shell of the trailer for frequent off-highway travel.

[jwcolby123]

Welcome TashH...

[TashH]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Ours is the same body style and drivetrain as yours but FWD only, which is fine for our 13’ Scamp. Front wheel spin when towing uphill on gravel back roads is an occasional issue, so AWD is better for frequent backroad use with a heavier trailer. Brakes are a weak spot, so make sure you get your trailer brakes set up well and learn to use the transmission to control speed on downgrades.

How does the stock setup work with the trailer brakes? I'm guessing they kick on automatically (at a preset level) when I hit the pilot's brakes? Is a brake controller recommended (and is that something that does a little more advanced selection on braking levels instead of a binary on/off)?

We also upgraded from a minivan and our kids still haven’t quite forgiven us! They preferred the roominess of the van. My wife and I both agree the Pilot is the best long-distance cruiser we’ve ever owned: quiet, smooth, great seats, and decent gas mileage. 205K trouble-free miles so far.

For sure it's a great road-trip vehicle. We did a road-trip up Highway 1's NorCal/Oregon coast in 2016 and it was wonderful. That trip is actually one of the reasons I want to get a trailer - I really want to go back and spend some quality time shooting landscapes along the Oregon coast.

Will you have kids in the Casita? Which layout are you looking at? Most are optimized for couples.

We have 2 kids, both teenagers (15/18). After a lot of back and forth, I settled on the Spirit Delux as the best compromise. It'll work "OK" for now with both kids coming with us (we'll just have to bring a tent or I'll be sleeping in my traveling photographer setup in the back of the Pilot), and will serve us well in the future when we're doing trips without them. I wanted to be able to eventually have the double bed dedicated as a bed, and be able to leave the smaller dinette up.

Good call on the Anderson. Consider some chip protection on the lower front shell of the trailer for frequent off-highway travel.

Something like those vinyl car-protector films? Or something more like a car-bra that straps on?

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Jon in AZ]

The Pilot has pre-wiring for trailer brakes, but you have to biy a controller and connect it to a port under the dashboard. Prodigy P2 is a popular choice.

They make a removable plastic film for chip protection. Check at auto parts stores. For a more durable solution, spray-on truck bed liner tinted white is another option.

I bought my Scamp used and pre-chipped, so I decided not to worry about a few more. We don’t do a lot of back road towing.

Coincidentally, our kids are 15 and 18, too. The older is off to university in TN next week, so our fall trip will only be three this year (unless our younger decides to bring a friend). We have also used our Pilot for extra sleeping space.

[FlyGuy]

Back in 2010, I started RVing with a new, 2010 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe Travel Trailer. It was a GREAT way to "test the waters" re RV lifestyle without spending a fortune. Over the next four years, I put over 50,000 miles on my little "fiberglass egg" crisscrossing the country multiple times. When I decided to "graduate" to something bigger (knowing I would become a Full Timer soon). I recovered a LOT more of what I spent on the Casita that I would have with a "traditional" trailer. Before buying the Casita, I did LOTS of research and, among things, the Casita could be safely towed with the Toyota Sienna minivan I then owned. I doubt that you'll go wrong starting out with a Casita.

PS: WELCOME to the forum; there IS a Casita Solos group. One Solo, Eileen Glick has written an EXCELLENT book: Love My Casita

[Larry Singer]

Hi Tash,
You might want to consider buying this manual:
"Casita Travel Trailer A-Z Owners Guide" by Eileen J Glick
go to Love My Casita
There's info in the very begging about what to consider, options, how to order, etc
Sounds like it might be right up your alley.
Amazon has it, but it looks like it's unbound for some reason.
I have a bound hard copy.
Good luck
You found a great resource in this forum
Larry Singer

[TashH]

Originally Posted by Larry Singer

Hi Tash,
You might want to consider buying this manual:
"Casita Travel Trailer A-Z Owners Guide" by Eileen J Glick
go to Love My Casita
...
Larry Singer

Thank you so much for the link Larry. I'll pickup the book, but I'm also really enjoying the Amazon storefront with all the accessories in one place. I've been building a wish-list of RV items and this is going to make that a whole lot easier.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

The Pilot has pre-wiring for trailer brakes, but you have to buy a controller and connect it to a port under the dashboard. Prodigy P2 is a popular choice..

To add, once you get them set up, yes, they work automatically whenever you press the vehicle brakes. You can also apply trailer brakes manually in an emergency situation to control trailer sway, though that would be a very unlikely event.

Assuming you have the controller installed before you pick up your Casita, they should be able to help you test the brakes and adjust the controller settings for smooth operation before you leave the parking lot.

Once in service the brakes themselves require periodic mechanical adjustment.

[thrifty bill]

Something to look for with Casitas the roof air is standard, but a furnace is not. Propane appliances like a furnace become very important when you dry camp (no power). Also consider larger water tank and LED interior lights. LED lights use 90% LESS power than traditional incenses ents, a must for boondocking.

[LarryB.]

Originally Posted by TashH

Hey everyone! ...

I've been looking at trailers and RVs for several months now, and I think I've settled on ordering a new Casita (and waiting...). I'm here looking for information before I buy, as well as tips/tricks/mods to work out while I wait for delivery.

Cheers,
Tash

I got my 2007 Casita 17’ Spirit Deluxe three years ago from a couple in Georgia and it was/is in pristine condition.

One observation about the microwave: it is built in and it is (nicely?) riveted in place. Unfortunately, I have had to remove it twice; once for a minor (internal to the microwave) control board issue and once because the power plug simply fell out of the socket behind the microwave.

My recommendation would be to forgo the microwave option. That way you get a finished cabinet with a fold down door which doubles as a workspace. Insure that Casita includes the outlet box in the space so that you have the capability to put a regular microwave inside the cabinet. That would give you the capability to use the space around the microwave for a small amount of storage (when you aren’t using the microwave).

[TashH]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

Something to look for with Casitas the roof air is standard, but a furnace is not. Propane appliances like a furnace become very important when you dry camp (no power). Also consider larger water tank and LED interior lights. LED lights use 90% LESS power than traditional incenses ents, a must for boondocking.

Thanks for the suggestions Larry and Thrifty Bill! I like hearing about other folks experiences to help me decide what's right for us.

The options I'm currently looking at are:

Definitely Yes:
Propane Heater
Anderson Hitch
Larger water tank
Outdoor "shower" faucet
LED lights
fold-out counter shelf
High Lift + 15" wheels

Definitely No:
Microwave (we'll add a small one later if we want it, and be able to switch between storage or microwave based on the trip)
Solar (if I do that, I'll do it myself)
Window blinds

Up in the air?
AGM battery (I may just get the base battery and replace it with Lithium as soon as I get home)
Awning (though I'm leaning towards yes)
TV (probably not though, everyone has phones/tablets)

...and I don't remember what other options there are off the top of my head.

[LarryB.]

Originally Posted by TashH

...
Solar (if I do that, I'll do it myself)
...

I just acquired a standard 100 watt solar panel and set it up in my Casita for future boondocking opportunities.

One of my friends suggested setting it up in “portable mode” which required no external holes or external mounting on my trailer.

I installed one of these bus bars (available eBay or Amazon) on the outside of the battery compartment under the street side dinette seat. Cutting the original Casita white and black battery leads, I reconnected them on each end of the bus bar. That allowed me to connect the leads from the solar panel controller in the middle of the bus bar.

I installed the solar panel controller on the base of the divider/support member wall in the neighboring storage bin under the two person dinette. Because the divider/support member in that storage bin has a gap to the neighboring storage bin, no holes were required.

My solar panel “kit” came with 30' of wire. That wire enters the trailer via the power door and thru the gap to the controller in the neighboring storage bin; again no hole required. That wire is coiled up and stored in the compartment along with the Casita's “shore power” cord. The 30' of wire give me plenty of slack to position the panel anywhere near the Casita depending on sun conditions.

Lastly, I mounted one of these tilting brackets on the panel to provide support for the panel. By trimming a few excess inches off the support brackets, the panel can be stored on the floor under the double bed in the Casita when I go boondock camping.

[TashH]

Originally Posted by LarryB.

I installed one of these bus bars (available eBay or Amazon)

Thank you for the link, added it to my "RV Parts" list on Amazon.

on the outside of the battery compartment under the street side dinette seat. Cutting the original Casita white and black battery leads, I reconnected them on each end of the bus bar. That allowed me to connect the leads from the solar panel controller in the middle of the bus bar.

I installed the solar panel controller on the base of the divider/support member wall in the neighboring storage bin under the two person dinette. Because the divider/support member in that storage bin has a gap to the neighboring storage bin, no holes were required.

I can't quite picture what your talking about (probably because I haven't crawled around inside those nooks and crannies yet - I've only done the basic "Does the tall guy fit in various spots" test, along with the "Is my spouse OK with the layout" test.

Is this busbar in the actual battery compartment, or in the storage area right above that (that's under the big dinette seating in the Spirit)? I was figuring I'd end up prowling around that area, as well as the single-dinetter storage area on the far side of the powerpanel / converter, along with the battery compartment (and I think the small storage next to the freshwater tank?) to see how much room was available everywhere, and what sorts of cable routing was availble.

Do you happen to have dimension on how large of a battery could fit into the battery compartment (even if you have to modify the rail at the bottom)?


Thanks for the suggestions, I think you're looking at doing something similar to me. I've also been toying around with getting one of the Rich Solar CIGS power strips with adhesive backing and putting it onto a Yakima roof box for faster charging while driving. Biggest problems I think will be not being able to easily angle the panel (at least while the roof box is closed), and probably needing to figure out a DC-to-DC converter to keep the solar from riding up the hitch to charge the tow vehicle battery. I'm relatively new to Solar, but hey, waitlist is 12-15months so I have plenty of time to figure things out before I can even try.

[LarryB.]

Originally Posted by TashH

I can't quite picture what your talking about (probably because I haven't crawled around inside those nooks and crannies yet - I've only done the basic "Does the tall guy fit in various spots" test, along with the "Is my spouse OK with the layout" test.

Is this busbar in the actual battery compartment, or in the storage area right above that (that's under the big dinette seating in the Spirit)? I was figuring I'd end up prowling around that area, as well as the single-dinetter storage area on the far side of the powerpanel / converter, along with the battery compartment (and I think the small storage next to the freshwater tank?) to see how much room was available everywhere, and what sorts of cable routing was availble.

Do you happen to have dimension on how large of a battery could fit into the battery compartment (even if you have to modify the rail at the bottom)?
...

If you look at Casita pictures of the 17’ Spirit Deluxe, you will see the four person dinette in the back (which converts to a “double bed”. Lifting the seat cushion on the right side is an access to the storage compartment. In that storage compartment (from back to front) are (a) battery compartment, (b) water pump, (c) water heater, (d) a small space for the “shore” power cable and (e) the power/fuse/circuit breaker panel & converter.

The fresh water tank is in the “storage” compartment on the left side of the four person dinette (double bed). If you opt for the 25 gallon tank you won’t have any storage area over there. I have a 15 gallon tank so there is a storage area there for me and I can access it either from inside or via an access door outside.

The battery compartment is sealed and can only be accessed from its door on the outside of the Casita. There is also a door on the outside of the Casita to access the “shore” power cable so that you can plug it into a campsite pedestal. Even though there is a lift-up cabinet door for that storage area it really isn’t a storage area; the lift-up cabinet door simply gains access to the water pump and to the (winterizing) water heater bypass valve.

In the storage compartment, the wiring from the battery goes thru a hole in the battery compartment and connects into the power/fuse/circuit breaker/converter. I installed that bus bar on the outside of the battery compartment (inside the “storage” area), cut the white and black wires and reconnected them to the bus bar.

If I remember correctly, the battery is a “group 27” size. Mine is a “flooded” lead-acid battery that I replaced about two years ago after its predecessor “died”. (Because I had the Casita in storage for a couple of weeks, the hard wire propane detector just about completely drained the battery. A battery cut off switch or an anderson disconnect is recommended,)

And, yup, there are several solar panel configurations etc. to consider. :-)

[TashH]

Originally Posted by LarryB.

In the storage compartment, the wiring from the battery goes thru a hole in the battery compartment and connects into the power/fuse/circuit breaker/converter. I installed that bus bar on the outside of the battery compartment (inside the “storage” area), cut the white and black wires and reconnected them to the bus bar.

Got it, so the busbar is in the compartment under the seats, but next to the battery compartment.

Is the compartment with the shore-power cable in it accessible from the inside, or is that also sealed off like the battery compartment? I'm wondering because one of the things I've been thinking about is those all-in-one solar generators. We are getting one for my wife's pottery studio shed in the backyard, and it seems like it might be a nice "quick and easy" solar/battery upgrade for the Casita if I can connect shore power to the inside of the casita easily. It's even got a 30a RV outlet on it. Still have to see how noisy it is - might be able to stuff it under the double-bed (which we're going to end up having as a bed pretty much all the time).

If I remember correctly, the battery is a “group 27” size. Mine is a “flooded” lead-acid battery that I replaced about two years ago after its predecessor “died”. (Because I had the Casita in storage for a couple of weeks, the hard wire propane detector just about completely drained the battery. A battery cut off switch or an anderson disconnect is recommended,)

Yeah, I think the stock lead-acid is a group27, and if you opt for the AGM upgrade it's group 31. The stock lead-acid is also why the battery compartment is sealed from the inside cabin, and vents to the outside. If I replaced that with a lithium battery, I'd try to insulate that better, and block the vents in cold weather.

Anderson disconnect sounds wise, thanks for the tip.