Rent one first before buying?

[ChristyC]

Hello to the fiberglass RV community! I am new to this forum. My husband and I are finally coming to the realization that our 23 year old pop-up is not long for the world. So sad. She has given us many happy trips. We are in the market for a small fiberglass RV, with particular interest in the 13' models. We would love to try and rent one before we actually buy one. There are so few out there for sale and we want avoid buying something we won't enjoy in the end. We are in Maine, but are traveling frequently through NH, MA and RI lately, and aren't too far from NB and QC. Is there anyone out there that might be willing to let us try their 13' camper for the weekend? Then we would know if we like it and can be more serious about a finding one to buy with the features we like. We would be willing to pay a fair rental fee for the privilege. We are clean, neat, non smokers, with no camping pets.

My e-mail is crispycrocker [at] gmail.com.

[mary and bob]

Our Starcraft popup is a '73, so it's 40 plus years old. We put new canvas on it a few years ago and some new cables and feel it's good for many more years. I doubt you'll be able to find a camper to rent, but should be able to find some to look at. We've shown all our campers many times. We will have our Uhaul at the Brattleboro KOA vintage rally Sept 26, and again the next weekend

[ChristyC]

Thanks for your reply. A rally certainly would be fun to go to. Hmmmm.... I can't help but think that looking and seeing aren't the same as actually trying. So many questions that I don't think can be answered by just looking: is the bed big enough to really be comfortable for us? would I like the cooking arrangement? Do we like how it tows? Will we like the ease of set up (I think yes to that one!). Is it really big enough for our tastes or should we consider a larger unit? I wish I had the confidence that our pop-up would last another 20 years, but roof rot and a twisted frame are big issues, even though the canvas and interior are still clean and nice. Sigh... I'm hoping someone might be willing to let us try it - even if in their driveway!

[mglyons]

Keep checking on the rental possibility, try googling vintage trailer rentals. We found a guy who rents a fleet of Scamps in N. California (not much help for you I realize). It was the best thing we did in our buying decision. After 10 days in it I had a list of what I liked/didn't, so we could start shopping in earnest. After "touring" other brands, the moment I saw a Burro I instantly knew it had what I wanted. It took 6 months of obsessively watching for the right one to come on the market but we were able to snap it up with confidence that it had the layout and features we wanted. I agree that there's no substitute for actually living in one for at least a few days.

[cpaharley2008]

Very few rentals are available, once you purchase one you make it yours with personal touches. Most models in the 13' size are very similar, you need to decide on what things are important, bed size, bath or potty, side or front dinette. Rallies are good to see what others have done so you can duplicate.

[WaltP]

I recommend jumping in and buying a used one and trying it for awhile. You will have as much time as you like to enjoy it, and to evaluate what you like and don't like. If you decide it's not what you want you'll have no trouble reselling it, probably without loss.
Small, molded fiberglass trailers in almost any shape are easily sold as long as the price is in the appropriate range. Don't discount trailers in the 15'-17' range. They aren't that much bigger, tow about as easily, as long as your TV is robust enough, and have many advantages.
Good luck and please let us know how things work out.


walt

[jondsw]

hi, when my wife and i learned of scamps we had no idea whether it would work for us. i actually found a guy in woodland calif. that rents 13s and 16s. we rented one for 4 days and decided it was for us. so.... we actually located one and have loved it ever since.

[Azurko]

Hi all,
I am in Seattle and will be renting campers to all! My company url is Gogocamper.com. Website is still under construction and I will be fully up and running real soon. I have a 13' Burro, 13' Boler and a 14' Triple E for adventuring possibilities. Fly in to Seattle and have a trailerin adventure!
Azur

[mary and bob]

Well we did let people lay on the bed in our trailers, but not to sleep. Beds are another item you can customize, our teardrop has a regular foam mattress, our Uhaul has 5" foam with a 3" memory foam topper, and our Casita has memory foam over the original cushions. Of course all have different bed sizes and can't really modify that. We are now considering buying a custom mattress for the Casita from Southern Mattress in NC. As for cooking, we don't cook in any of our campers. Towing and trailer size is another whole topic. When we bought our Casita we had to buy a bigger tow vehicle.

[WaltP]

Originally Posted by Azurko

Hi all,
I am in Seattle and will be renting campers to all! My company url is Gogocamper.com. Website is still under construction and I will be fully up and running real soon. I have a 13' Burro, 13' Boler and a 14' Triple E for adventuring possibilities. Fly in to Seattle and have a trailerin adventure!
Azur

That could very useful to me. Please post your URL when it's up.

Walt

[biker]

Hi all,

Long time reader...first time poster. Reading through the various posts has been a terrific education for me.

Renting is an interesting option. What do people think is a fair rate for nightly/weekend/weekly rentals?

Thanks!

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Azurko

Hi all,
I am in Seattle and will be renting campers to all! My company url is Gogocamper.com. Website is still under construction and I will be fully up and running real soon. I have a 13' Burro, 13' Boler and a 14' Triple E for adventuring possibilities. Fly in to Seattle and have a trailerin adventure!
Azur

Does that mean that you are also renting tow vehicles?

[ChristyC]

Thanks to everyone who provided responses. Failing the ability to rent one locally, it would be wonderful if we could simply have the freedom to see some 13' models - any type and size and age is up for consideration. So - I am wondering if there are forum members who are located in Central/Southern Maine that might let us come and see their camper?

[mary and bob]

Im on the n.y. mass border and have a 13 ft uhaul and a 17 foot casita, both fiberglass if you want to come look, I will have the uhaul in Vermont the weekend of sept 24.

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by biker

Hi all,

Long time reader...first time poster. Reading through the various posts has been a terrific education for me.

Renting is an interesting option. What do people think is a fair rate for nightly/weekend/weekly rentals?

Thanks!

You could try searching here:

Texas RV Rentals: Motorhome, Travel Trailer

[Tomodachi]

Look at Craigslist and eBay to see what's for sale in your area. Then go look at them. If the seller really wants to sell, they'll let you lay on the bed. As far as "set up time goes, we back it into the site, unlock the door, and we're in! That's if it's pouring down raining. In better conditions, we level it BEFORE we open the wine bottle. Eggs are small enough that a small electric bathroom heater can keep up if you, like us, are 3 season campers and plug in. We too cook outside, but in the case of bad weather we can plug in a hot pot to boil water for coffee. Our microwave can heat up leftovers, and we often opt for a meal of fresh fruit, cheese (we're in WI) and crackers, shrimp, etc. that doesn't require heat. I tossed the old fridge too. We now keep an iceless cooler plugged into the power port in the minivan. It's much easier to get to when we're on the road and buy fruit/veggies and other things the need to be cooled. Once in camp we run a second cord to the van to power it. We've not had food ruined by water since.