What trailer to buy?

[Jon in AZ]

That's really nice, Raspy. Is that a single piece of stainless that turns up at the back and wraps down in front?

Reminds me of this 13' Scamp that sold a while back:


Goes to show even a humble Scamp, with some work and creativity, can go upscale! Don't miss the custom dinette table, of which you can catch a glimpse at the bottom of the photo.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by roguebooks

MUST-HAVES: Baby brother tells me I must, without a doubt, have a dual burner range; 1.9 CUFT Refrigerator (LP/120VAC/12VDC; furnace w/thermostat, electronic ignition, UL listed safety standard; Cover/food tray for range; at least fiberglass behind galley; a fold-out galley extension; 12VDC receptacle. You agree?

We appreciate our bigger fridge (4 cu ft) which includes a freezer compartment. We tend to carry a lot of produce, which is bulky.

I agree with others here that the three way 12VDC function has limited usefulness. However with some smaller models, 12VDC is just "included"; there's no need to try and avoid it.

These fridges operate by heating ammonia. Ours has a 175 watt 120 VAC heater. So, operation on 12VDC requires a lot of current, about 14.6 amps. This would only operate for about 3+ hours on a "standard" 100 amp-hour RV battery. (You can only draw roughly half the rated amp hours.)

Also, people often find that too-small conductors in the wiring from the tow vehicle to the trailer won't run the fridge on 12VDC properly. So the 12VDC "capability" often basically ends up not being useful at all.

I bumped the switch on our 3-way fridge a couple of times and the power center's cooling fan came on almost immediately, telling me that there was suddenly a lot of current flowing through; yup, it was the fridge.

Other items; I also like our water heater, 6 gallon 2-way (LP and 120VAC) with DSI (direct spark ignition, no need to light a pilot light.)

We spent just under $600 for a custom mattress that fits the curved shell of the Casita and we like it very much. We also like the 54" width; some folks do fine with smaller beds - around 48" is the smallest "double" in these trailers as best I recall - ? Make inquires if the literature doesn't tell you the size as RV beds described as "full" and "double" vary quite a bit.

The wife's folks had their kitchen cabinets painted to perform an inexpensive remodel. I'm not clear how easy or difficult it might be to do in a trailer, but there are appropriate paint products out there. I have some light-hued laminate (basically white) on hand that I am going to use to make lightweight stress-skin panel doors for the Casita.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

+10 No propane = eliminates most efficient source of heat and refrigeration when boondocking. Cooking is really a side benefit.

Also, we can all debate the "is it safe to run propane frig while towing"

Ah Bill, let's not; I've already seen that movie!

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Civilguy

Ah Bill, let's not; I've already seen that movie!

You won't have to stick around long before you'll be watching re-runs. Kind of like Gone With the Wind, except it plays quarterly instead of annually.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

You don't have to stick around long before you'll be watching re-runs. Kind of like Gone With the Wind, except it plays quarterly instead of annually.

That one can sometimes turn out a real disaster. I never have been a fan of disaster movies.

[Raspy]

Jon,

Yes it's a single piece of 304 stainless 14 gauge that I had bent. A 6" splash in back and a 2 1/2" turn down in front to stiffen it up and give a smooth edge. Cut out the holes with a 4 1/2" cut off wheel and then glued it down with white silicone. A few screws help hold it. No more concern about scratching up the fiberglass surface.

Here's a couple more pix of the work:

[Mr Lynn]

Originally Posted by Civilguy

I bumped the switch on our 3-way fridge a couple of times and the power center's cooling fan came on almost immediately, telling me that there was suddenly a lot of current flowing through; yup, it was the fridge. . .

Hitting the buttons on the 'fridge is a common problem on Casitas. After bumping ours and turning off the 'fridge accidentally a few times, I contacted Little House Customs and got their button guard, which neatly solves the problem:

Store | Little House Customs

Scroll down to 'Fridge Button Guard'.

/Mr Lynn

[roguebooks]

Originally Posted by Raspy

Michael,

Speaking of backsplashes and counter tops, this is what I made and installed in my Oliver.
The standard fiberglass surface seems vulnerable and I didn't want the wall to act as a backsplash. Then I upgraded the faucet too. Much easier to reach and less splash.

As far as the fridge goes, when talking about 12v operation, be sure you distinguish between absorption style with a 12v heater (very power hungry) and a 12v compressor style. The compressor style is much more efficient on 12volts, but they are not perfect either. I've had two of them. They do make a bit of noise, but that may not be a deal breaker, but they are relentless with their power draw as they run about 30% of the time on average. Maybe 10% in cold weather, and 50% or more if you open the door a lot or add food to them. You always have to give them power that must come from somewhere. Shore tie, generator, solar with batteries.

I really like propane refrigerators! And when we're home, I plug the trailer in and run it on 120v, just like a household fridge.

That is one beautiful job you did. I cannot do that! Impressive. Wow.

[roguebooks]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

That's really nice, Raspy. Is that a single piece of stainless that turns up at the back and wraps down in front?

Reminds me of this 13' Scamp that sold a while back:
Attachment 107049

Goes to show even a humble Scamp, with some work and creativity, can go upscale! Don't miss the custom dinette table, of which you can catch a glimpse at the bottom of the photo.

Beautiful.

[Jon in AZ]

There's a balance out there somewhere, different for each person and travel style, between style and function, pride of ownership and ostentation. Lots of trailers look beautiful when they're empty and clean, but when you're in the middle of a trip, especially a longer one, it's going to look lived in. With four people in our 13' Scamp, I can barely even see the countertop when we're out camping! If you expect your trailer to look like an Architectural Digest spread all the time, you're going to spend so much time cleaning and rearranging you'll miss out on the real reasons you want to travel. Just sayin', not judgin'...

[Paul O.]

Originally Posted by Raspy

Jon,

Yes it's a single piece of 304 stainless 14 gauge that I had bent. A 6" splash in back and a 2 1/2" turn down in front to stiffen it up and give a smooth edge. Cut out the holes with a 4 1/2" cut off wheel and then glued it down with white silicone. A few screws help hold it. No more concern about scratching up the fiberglass surface.

Here's a couple more pix of the work:

Am I reading it correctly? Did you say you bent it yourself? Do you have a sheet metal brake or did you rig something simple to do it. It looks beautiful and the bending job looks professional. I am asking because I always try to do more with less, to avoid buying expensive tools that I might use once or twice. Thanks.

[Raspy]

Paul,


In this case I could not bend it myself to the precision I wanted. I found a large enough piece at a scrap yard, then went to a sheet metal shop where they sheared it and bent it for me. Then I cut the sink and stove holes, drilled it and rounded the corners.

[Famous Frank]

Michael, Civil Guy, Raspy, and everyone else,

As I have not yet purchased a trailer either, my comments fall into the worthless, no experience category. The only trailer I ever had was years ago. A pop-up that had an unknown leak. After 9 months of ownership, I opened it up thinking of a great New Years Eve weekend and found black mold and rot everywhere. Never again!

I would like to throw my 2 cents in on the Tacoma Tow Vehicle. Although I don't own a travel trailer yet, I have gobs of trailering experience. 1) I own numerous vintage cars and use to race cars years ago. I also run a number of food concession stands and also have a 7x14 concession trailer. The cars have ranged from a 850 pound open wheel Formula Ford, to a 68 Plymouth GTX at 4,000 pounds. I've towed with everything from a Honda Accord to a Chevy Avalanche, to my current 2013 Tacoma Sport Crew Cab Long Bed 4x4. My current car trailer is a 22 foot aluminum Featherlite. It weighs approximately 2,000 pounds empty with the winch, etc. I recently towed a 68 Plymouth Barracuda convertible 800 miles. Total weight in excess of 6,000 lbs. It towed absolutely fine. And with good electric trailer brakes, I have no problems stopping either. It is one remarkable, reliable truck. I wish it got better mileage but that's my only complaint! Make sure what you're towing has good electric brakes, and you have a great brake controller and you should be just fine with your Tacoma. The 4x4 comes in very handy too. I only use mine a few feet at a time but it's indispensable!!! Try pulling any trailer up an extremely small grade on wet grass!!!!!

I'm looking for a trailer that will spend most of the time on my lake front lot at Lake Oconee, GA. Occasionally, I can for see going on trips anywhere in the country. My 19 year old son wants to see the Pacific Northwest but he won't go in a camper. According to him, we can sleep on the ground or in the back of his 97 Tacoma. I'm nearing 70, so it will be hard on my bones but if that's what I have to do, I'll do it!

The Oliver fit and finish looks outstanding. I don't like the cost but every time I've tried to save a few bucks, it has always come back to bite me. I'm considering an Oliver just by how long a used one stays on the market.

Oh, generators. I have two which I've used for power at my concession stands. A Honda 2000i Companion, and a Honda 3000i. I have not regretted buying either of those although I did purchase them used. One of those will probably end up in the bed of my Tacoma to power the A/C.

In the meantime, I'm reading this Forum every day. I'm learning more every few threads and the folks on this forum are absolutely terrific!!!! All I can say to that is "Thank you, everyone!!!"

Good luck Michael. If you purchase the Oliver II and need a place to park it, I may have a place with a lake view available.

Also, can you tell me about the place in Michigan you are looking to sell? I use to have a lake front lot on Green Lake near the Interlochen Music Camp near Traverse City. Should never have sold that one!!!

Frank ( the older I get, the less I know )

[roguebooks]

Thanks Famous Frank. After much research and limits to how large a vehicle I was willing to drive (and my wife as well) we settled on the Tacoma TRD Sport 4x4 which has a tow rating of 6500 lbs. The truck came with a factory equipped tow package and I added a recommended brake controller (name escapes me now, but it is small, looks good, and supposedly does the job). I also added after-market leather seats. Tuesday we are taking an Oliver factory tour but really have our hearts (fantasy) set on an Eggcamper if Jim can get his factory producing them again. But contrary to advice given here by well-meaning friends, we are in no hurry to buy and get on the road. Life is not passing us by. We are engaged. Our cabin up north keeps us busy, and the one hundred and thirty-five Florida Native trees and bushes I planted on my 7100 sf lot also demands my focussed attention for now anyway. Plus we have to go to Mexico for a wedding in January, and it is hoped we get out of there alive.

For the record, we will not be buying an Oliver II. The standard Ollie model is more in our line of thinking, but we will have to sell something in order to spend that kind of money. On our way north tomorrow we will stop in Apalachicola where I will plant three "For Sale" signs on the three lots we own there. Our cabin in Michigan is near Tawas about thirteen miles inland from Lake Huron and about the same distance from the great Ausable River. Our six hundred sf knotty-pine shack is located in a seven-inland lake community nestled in the Huron National Forest. We have owned it for almost twelve years and are ready to let it go. Then, whatever trailer we buy will become our "cabin on wheels". But I need to sell either the cabin, one of the three lots, or our home in Melbourne which I have spent the last three years remodeling. it depends how desperate we become in this trailer fever we are afflicted with. Good luck in your search. I will advise you get a very good blow-up mattress if you intend on sleeping in the bed of a pickup. My wife and I bought a tent a couple years ago and tried tenting again and thought we might die of muscle or bone disease, or even freeze to death. Sleeping on the ground is for young ones only.

[Famous Frank]

I agree with the sleeping on the ground thing. He's not listening.

I too put leather in my Tacoma. Got it from the dealer. $1,050 installed.

Keep up the good work! Your research is assisting me greatly!

Frank

[Famous Frank]

Tacoma pic

[roguebooks]

Originally Posted by Famous Frank

Tacoma pic

Nice. Looks like my truck (white) except I have a simple bed cover. Where did you get your cap? My leather seats are cream. My truck was equipped with an all-black interior. Florida too. Go figure.

[Famous Frank]

Michael,

I'm looking forward to an Oliver behind my truck. Either one will do.

As I'm always looking for a deal, my Taco came from Daytona Toyota. I had been looking for a new one for a few months when this came up. Used with 506 miles, two weeks old. Turned out a couple purchased it for their teenage son, and a week later he passed from a drug overdose. The parents didn't want to look at it again. I drove all night to be there at 7 AM.

The camper top was another deal. Found it on Ebay in the middle of nowhere Indiana. By luck I was heading to Chicago to see my mom that same week so I purchased it immediately and picked it up on my way. It was about two hours out of my way but well worth it. $450 including the Yakima Rack, full carpeting / headliner, etc. And the right color. It's better to be lucky than good!

Now if I can find a two week old Oliver for $5k or $10k off sticker I'll be all set!

What options would you be considering? Or maybe I should say what must have options and what would like to have options? You mentioned a lot of boon docking. Would you be wanting solar panels? Since I've never really done any trailer camping that is one are I know EXREMELY little about. Is there a difference in panels? Are some brands better than others? How do they mount so they don't leak. Should I mount extra panels on the roof of my truck camper top? I see everyone mounting things on top of their travel trailer, why don't they mount some of these items on top of their tow vehicle? What's all this controller stuff? Do items work off the batteries and the panels recharge the batteries, or do items work directly off the panels, or can it be either?

My second area of no knowledge is any bathroom stuff. Fluids, solids, Potable, Grey, Black, tanks tank size, etc. Yikes there is a lot to learn.

Frank (the more I try to learn, the dumber I feel)

[likeair2me]

"...My second area of no knowledge is any bathroom stuff. Fluids, solids, Potable, Grey, Black, tanks tank size, etc. Yikes there is a lot to learn..."

Hi Frank, one way to learn this kind of stuff is to RENT a unit from one of the RENT MY RV sites. There are private individuals who utilize rental agencies to broker their rentals. Of course the chances of finding a FIBERGLASS camper in those listings are sort of slim, but the operations will be the same. And take your son. Maybe he will like a bed with air conditioning when it's 95 degrees at 10 p.m.

[roguebooks]

FF, The brains of this thread need to answer your questions as I am not one yet. I do want solar panels. In Apalachicola now.