Welcome to New Members

[Poodlesrule]

Ha, camping in a bayou (in a tent) outside New Orleans was where I discovered my phobia about Alligators!

[Borrego Dave]

Welcome to the forum Susan, gators would make it a no go for me .

[k0wtz]

welcome from Missouri love every story glad you are here!

bob

[Beachgirl]

Hi , I'm Di, BeachBob's better half! Happy to be here! So excited abt our new Escape. We will be traveling to Chilliwack from coastal North Carolina in the spring and I can't wait! Would love to hear from some of you who have made the trip!
Nice to meet all of you. Happy to be a part of this forum!

[Don Dearen]

Hi,mynameisdondeareniamnewmember

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by Don Dearen

Hi,mynameisdondeareniamnewmember

Welcome, Don!!

[travels]

I’m new here! Excited to be part of the group! I’m hoping someday, I️ would be ready to purchase one.

[Nancylou]

I’m new. Looking for a Lil Snoozy. Send my way please. 210-860-nine nine eight six. Thanx

[DreadedWoodenSpoon]

Thanks for the add! I'm still in the research phase of RV living, so haven't bought a camper yet. I want one my Subaru Forester SUV can haul, so I'm looking at fiberglass.

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by DreadedWoodenSpoon

Thanks for the add! I'm still in the research phase of RV living, so haven't bought a camper yet. I want one my Subaru Forester SUV can haul, so I'm looking at fiberglass.

Tongue weight (200 lb) has been Subaru's biggest shortcoming for towing. The new, larger, global platform Subaru Ascent (coming Spring 2018) with larger turbo-charged engine and 5,000 lb towing capacity should have at least 500 lb tongue weight, but I haven't seen that information yet, nor fuel mileage.

[donnusa]

Hi, Im Donn
Just purchased a 1978 Fiber Stream in Nevada. New to this site. Any suggestions and advice is welcome.

[David B.]

Welcome to the FGRV forum family. If you have any questions or concerns just ask away, as there are several owners of Fiberstream here, and many similarities between trailers that answers will come quickly.
Happy Trails
Dave & Paula

[R A Mar]

Hi there! We are one week into the Boler dream and very excited to be camping the summer!

Rick

[Stephen_Albers]

I'm a world-traveling airline pilot and ocean yachtsman who knows almost nothing about camper/trailers. My first impression is that some configurations can be pretty problematic. For example, I would not be pleased about having to "winterize" my investment, making it useless for, say, 4 months per year.

That said, is there a formal definition of what "all-season" or "four season" means when applied to a camper?

Tnx,

Stephen

[rbryan]

Hi Stephen,

I think an all season or 4 season camper generally means one where you don't need to winterize and can camp in year round. Generally that's because the water system and tanks are insulated or enclosed, and the walls are thicker, more insulated or it's double hulled. Your typical fiberglass trailer, such as a Scamp, Casita, Escape, Boler, etc, is considered a 3 season trailer, because of the need to winterize in extended sub freezing temperatures. The shell is rather thin, as well as the insulation, and the water system and tanks are not fully enclosed to protect from freezing. There are some 3 season manufacturers who offer options that partially mitigate the need to winterize, by offering heat pads on tanks or sprayed on insulation underneath the trailer. These help, but you still have the issue with hull and insulation thickness. An Oliver would be an example of a 4 season trailer, at least in the fiberglass world.

[Stephen_Albers]

Originally Posted by rbryan

Hi Stephen,

I think an all season or 4 season camper generally means one where you don't need to winterize and can camp in year round. Generally, that's because the water system and tanks are insulated or enclosed, and the walls are thicker, more insulated or it's double-hulled. An Oliver would be an example of a 4 season trailer, at least in the fiberglass world.

That's very helpful. Is that designation merely the manufacturer opinion or is there an official standard involved? Is Casita considered "All season"?

Stephen

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by Stephen_Albers

That's very helpful. Is that designation merely the manufacturer opinion or is there an official standard involved? Is Casita considered "All season"?

Stephen

Its definitely not a standard. The definition usually comes from the manufacturer. A Casita is not considered a 4 season trailer. Neither is my Escape. That is not to say that folks don't camp in them year round, because they do. The great thing about a trailer is that they can move - to warmer weather.

[War Eagle]

Stephen, In addition to concerns related to the possibility of the water system freezing (both fresh water and waste) mentioned above, ventilation can become a concern in cold-weather camping. Even the moisture you exhale with each breath can accumulate inside a camper that is fully enclosed to maintain warmth, causing condensation on cool surfaces with the potential for water damage if not addressed, and can even form ice on the inside of non-thermal single-pane windows. So protection of water lines, insulation around fresh water and waste tanks, adequate wall, roof and floor insulation with double-pane thermal windows along with a system for ventilation without introducing cold drafty air are all important things to consider in the camper's design. In addition to Oliver, I believe BigFoot also offers popular 4-season models. As a general rule, 4-season campers weigh more and, in my opinion, warrant a larger-sized tow vehicle (be sure to check the travel trailer's "vital statistics" including tongue weight).

[rbryan]

Very true about the weight. Most fiberglass RVs are a trade-off. Lighter weight and ease of towing in exchange for a lack of 4 season ability. That's fine by me because of my geographic region, but might not be for others.

[War Eagle]

Stephen, just a suggestion - rather than using the "Welcome" thread to ask specific questions, search for thread already started on that topic, or create a new thread with an appropriate title too make it easier for others with a similar interest to follow your thread on that topic.