new here

[PamelaK]

I have been checking out this site for some time. Decided I might as well join. Wonderful information on here. We have a 1980 Jayco tent camper and are ready to move up to an Egg . We have been looking and once in awhile a Scamp comes up for sale in area, but it is gone in a heartbeat. We will be retiring in a few years and are wanting to prepare now.

[Borrego Dave]

Welcome to FGRV Pamela, there's been a number of members that have gone from tents and popups to eggs. As you've discovered these things tend to sell pretty fast. First question to you would be what do you plan on using for a tug? Tow ratings may limit how big of egg you'll be limited to. 2nd, what are your needs/wants?

[David B.]

Welcome Pamela, and to add to the good advice Dave gave you, you'll need your nest egg (money) in hand when you find your perfect camper, because banks will not give a loan on an older trailer.
Dave&Paula

[Brian G.]

Hi Pamela,

We bought our trailer last month and found, like you, that the nice ones sell quickly. I'll tell you what we did. We decided which type of trailers we were most interested in. We shopped craigslist everyday. Meanwhile, we got our checklist, tools, bill of sale, cash, etc. all ready to go. We traveled 900 miles to buy ours and then we camped two nights on the way home. It was a long way to drive, but we got what we wanted and had a very pleasant and memorable adventure. I hope you enjoy the experience of learning and shopping.

[PamelaK]

It will be myself, husband and 2 small dogs. A 13 footer would be fine. We don't need bunks in the front and prefer a small dining space there. The one in the back would be left down as the bed. We will be towing with a Jeep Cherekee Sport or our 1970 International Scout. Need a place to carry bicycles and the canoe.

[steelypip]

A 13 footer is an easy tow for either a recent Cherokee or a vintage Scout.

There have been a lot of 13' FG trailers built over the years. Boler started it all and a vintage Boler is not rare. These are all quite vintage now, and may be more work than you desire. Casita and Scamp both build 13' models and they're roughly comparable depending on the options the trailer was built with.

Other trailers you might run across are UHaul CT-13s, Burros, and the smaller Trilliums. All are now 'vintage' trailers, but younger than the Bolers. This group of trailers all have many happy owners and there's a fairly broad base of owner knowledge and experience. There are some neat design features in the Trilliums in particular - I recommend you look them over before you decide you must have a 13' Scamp.

[PamelaK]

We are keeping all options open. I love to be able to see some of the other makes of campers in person.

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi Pamela,

Welcome! I would recommend finding an egg rally in the region. The two of you could stay in a cabin in the campground. Most egg rallies have open houses for viewing trailers and egg owners love to show off their trailers.

Take care,

Dean

[DeBreez]

Preparation and persistence (and an obsessive-compulsive streak) is key. We found our Casita on Craigslist, after I had expanded the search to the entire state of FL (and a few points beyond) and kept a few browser tabs open while at work. These were periodically refreshed (keywords: casita, scamp, fiberglass, etc.) and I replied to an ad within a few minutes of it being posted - the seller said he had just gotten up from the computer. I already had cash in hand (my first IRA withdrawal!) so I played hookey from work, we drove across the state the following day and pulled it home.