Your small trailer review

[Offpiste]

Hi

Wanting to purchase a fiberglass trailer up to 17’ for a senior couple to do some cross country/snowbird travels...queen bed and head would be big plus.
Recommendations? I know everyone has their personal opinions...bring them on.

I can tow up to 7500#.

Thx
Al

[thrifty bill]

Realize a 17 foot molded FG trailer has about a 13 foot trailer body. So space is at a premium. Bathrooms come out of that space, so you have to give something up, typically either in bed size or in dinette size, to get a bathroom. I'd go to the Escape website and look at the difference in bed and dinette sizes between the 17A and 17B. In my case, no bathroom is a non-starter for my wife. So we ended up with an Escape 19, where we get a good sized bed, a bathroom and a four person dinette. Given you live in BC, I'd check out Escape first.

[AC0GV]

Scamp 16' will be the lowest cost new, I think all other brands cost more and I recall none with a queen bed.
There are some very high quality brands with lots of options and all brands have problems. Good luck with your search.

[Donna D.]

The 17' Casita Liberty Deluxe can have a king-size bed and because it's a deluxe, it has a bathroom.


A 19' Escape is a dual-axle with a queen bed, bathroom and four-person dinette. But it's 2' longer than your desires.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by AC0GV

Scamp 16' will be the lowest cost new, I think all other brands cost more and I recall none with a queen bed.
There are some very high quality brands with lots of options and all brands have problems. Good luck with your search.

Maybe not, if you add shipping from MN, some options and the value of the Canadian dollar. One nice thing about Scamps is they have the least standard equipment which tends to mean lightest in weight, and lowest in price. In this day in time, its pretty amazing what is not standard in a Scamp, like a refrigerator. So if you need some more features, Scamp may not be the cheapest when you live in BC.

Now from where I live, NC, its the opposite. Shipping is substantial. A trip to MN to pick up a Scamp might be a 1 1/2 day drive. A trip to pick up an Escape may be a week, each way of course. Tied into a vacation, it can be an adventure!

"Big Bed" in Scamp, (only available in the 16 deluxe) is not a queen bed, its the size of a standard double bed. My guess is that an Escape 17B is close in price to an equipped similar Scamp 16 deluxe.

Some items that are optional on the Scamp 16 deluxe:

Furnace
Refrigerator
Water Pump
Toilet
Shower
Roof Fan
City Water hook up
Rear receiver hitch
Screen door
Ground fault outside outlet
Hot water heater
Group 27 battery
Gray water tank
Vinyl floor

Again, the best thing about not coming with these items is that you can minimize weight.


Escape 17 bed is also on the small side. To get a queen, you either have to go with an Escape 19 or look at other brands.

People often see the difference in amenities and space from just a few more feet and get "two foot itis".

[Jon in AZ]

Just to echo Bill’s post, molded fiberglass trailers designate models by overall length, while most conventional trailers designate models by cabin length. Tongue and bumper usually add about 3’.

So a 17’ molded trailer is comparable to a 14’ conventional trailer. Queen-size beds are uncommon in that class and when offered, they often involve setting up and taking down a dinette.

The TX-based Casita 17’ (Liberty or Independence) gives you a huge longways bed but no separate seating or dinette. You have to stow the bed to have a place to sit or eat inside during the day.

The 17’ Airstream Nest offers a queen size bed, possible separate dinette, and a wet bath. Pricey, though, and seems to have some new-model bugs.

On the other hand, if you are thinking 17’ cabin size, that’s a 20’ overall length, and you have more options.

The BC-based Escape 19’ is a great choice and well within your tow rating. It has the queen bed plus a separate dinette and wet bath. Biggest disadvantage is the bed is crossways, so the back person has to crawl over the other for nighttime potty runs.

Escape and BC-based Bigfoot both make 21’ units with a longways bed, separate dinette, and bath, but the bed is only full-size. Bigfoot is a very nice 4-season unit, and the only option with a dry bath, but it’s heavier and might stretch your towing capacity.