Lil' Snoozy? - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 09-05-2017, 09:08 AM   #1
Member
 
Name: Mike
Trailer: Winnebago
Wisconsin
Posts: 63
Lil' Snoozy?

Hi , I am new to this forum and looking to purchase a quality travel trailer, as my wife and I near retirement.

I noticed that a couple of members have commented on Lil' Snoozy travel trailers. They are built in South Carolina, which is quite a ways from where I live, so I would really like to find someone who owns one within driving distance of where I live.

Some of the main things that attracts me to this trailer is the relatively low weight, and also that their chassis is galvanized, instead of painted or powder coated.

Is galvanized better? Also, is it worth it to consider adding solar panels? - Thanks!
Mike in WIS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-05-2017, 09:29 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,137
Registry
Contact Lil Snoozy direct, and they will put you in touch with a local to you owner.

Galvanized is better. Typically coats the inside and outside of the steel. I would not base my purchase on how the frame is coated but its a plus! Floorplan ranks at the top for me, several quality molded FG trailer manufacturers out there. Should be able to eliminate several on floorplan alone. Then weight, features you want or whatever to eliminate more of them. One thing I like about Scamp is their downpayment of just $500. LS requires 40% up front and its non-refundable. From LS website: "All Sales are Final/Deposit is Non-refundable. "


There really is no "perfect" camper. Each brand and model makes compromises, its how those compromises work for you that make all of the difference! Plenty of happy Snoozy owners out there, as well as happy Scamp, Casita, Escape, etc. owners too.

I really like the low overall height of the Snoozy. Having just gone through raising my carport roof 1 foot higher to handle the taller Escape (versus the Casita I had before), was expensive. A big part of the height "problem" with campers is the roof top air conditioner. The Snoozy doesn't have a roof top AC (nor any other protrusions above the roof) so that helps!

Floorplan is what pushed us to select Escape. Real bathroom, large front dinette, rear queen bed, fit our needs the best.
thrifty bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-05-2017, 10:17 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
David B.'s Avatar
 
Name: David
Trailer: Former 13’Scamp, now Snoozy
Arizona
Posts: 2,316
Registry
Mike, Bill gave you great advice. We feel that we have the perfect trailer for us. The floor plan is what sold me on the Lil Snoozy, but to better fit our camping style, I added crankout windows, propane, solar, and a generator to cover all camping scenarios we might come across. We spend several comfortable months at a time in it each summer, and several short trips each winter, and would not trade it for ANY other trailer out there, as it fits us perfectly. Try to attend a fiberglass trailer rally, and tour each model of every make you can, to get input for making a decision.
Happy Trails
Dave & Paula
David B. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-05-2017, 10:58 AM   #4
Member
 
Name: Mike
Trailer: Winnebago
Wisconsin
Posts: 63
Thanks to Thrifty Bill and Dave B. for your advice.
I also noticed that the Snoozy has a leaf spring, instead of torsion axle. I get the impression it is supposed to be better.
Mike in WIS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2017, 01:53 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
jgilliam1955's Avatar
 
Name: Jack
Trailer: Casita Liberty
Virginia
Posts: 650
Snoozy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike in WIS View Post
Hi , I am new to this forum and looking to purchase a quality travel trailer, as my wife and I near retirement.

I noticed that a couple of members have commented on Lil' Snoozy travel trailers. They are built in South Carolina, which is quite a ways from where I live, so I would really like to find someone who owns one within driving distance of where I live.

Some of the main things that attracts me to this trailer is the relatively low weight, and also that their chassis is galvanized, instead of painted or powder coated.

Is galvanized better? Also, is it worth it to consider adding solar panels? - Thanks!
We just ordered our Snoozy. Drove down from Virginia. It is a 9 to 12 month completing date. So order as soon as you can.
All the fiberglass trailers have a longtime wait.
jgilliam1955 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2017, 02:15 PM   #6
Member
 
Name: Mike
Trailer: Winnebago
Wisconsin
Posts: 63
Appreciate the feedback.
Sounds exciting!
I'd be curious to know what options you chose.
Whatever the wait time, we won't order until we've actually had the chance to physically see one, first.
Hopefully, that can happen, soon.
Mike in WIS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2017, 03:00 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Civilguy's Avatar
 
Name: Mike
Trailer: Escape 21 & Jeep GC 5.7 (Previous 2012 Casita FD17 & 2010 Audi Q5)
Puget Sound, WA
Posts: 1,775
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike in WIS View Post
Thanks to Thrifty Bill and Dave B. for your advice.
I also noticed that the Snoozy has a leaf spring, instead of torsion axle. I get the impression it is supposed to be better.
Mike,

Welcome to the forum. If you are not more confused within one week than when you first signed up, please just let us know and we will all rededicate ourselves to giving you more and more contradictory advice!

"Better" is often a very subjective word. Alan Smoak invented the Lil Snoozy and I get the impression that he worked with a local boat trailer manufacturer to get a frame to put under his molded fiberglass trailer design. This trailer has surge brakes, which are normally used on boats but very uncommon on travel trailers. Surge brakes eliminate the problems boat owners would have with electric brakes when submerging their trailer's wheels at the boat ramp.

Is this trailer "better" or was one of its primary virtues expediency? I can't say definitively, but it is certainly an uncommon arrangement for a travel trailer. As an example, this arrangement does not allow you to operate the brakes by hand from the tow vehicle while driving. This ability becomes more important as you deal with larger trailers, but may not be so important on the Snoozy if it is set up properly for stable towing.

Galvanizing provides a zinc coating on steel that will sacrifice itself so the steel won't rust. Over time, perhaps a very long time depending how heavily it is applied, all of the zinc will be sacrificed and the steel will rust. It's a good system, as are some of the other ones available including powder coating and good paint jobs, some of which include zinc-rich primers. I hope that Steve Dunham or some others from your part of the country weigh in here as I think that the road salt is a big factor up your way.

I think that Thrifty Bill put up a good answer here. Start with the trailer layout!

The challenge is to know how to pick something when you have limited experience. About two years ago my wife and I were very attracted to the Lil Snoozy. I still think they are a very nice trailer, but they are very rare here on the west coast so we ended up with a Casita.

We now have a larger trailer on order. We were reflecting the other day about various trailers that we had been attracted to over the past couple of years that would not be a good fit today. Many of these are terrific trailers which are rightfully and dearly loved by their owners. It has just turned out that they aren't a great fit for us personally, at least not at this time in our lives!

So, I encourage you to read lots, and try to relax and find something that looks like it will be a good fit for you. If you can get to a rally, I think that would really help to start making some things clearer more quickly for you. Good luck!
__________________
~ “It’s absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.” Oscar Wilde ~
~ “What the human being is best at doing is interpreting all new information so that their prior conclusions remain intact.” Warren Buffett ~

Civilguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2017, 03:05 PM   #8
JBB
Senior Member
 
JBB's Avatar
 
Name: Jan
Trailer: 2017 Lil Snoozy
South Carolina
Posts: 492
Hi Mike! We just picked up our Snoozy yesterday! I have to admit waiting for it was was hard, but we absolutely love it. Excited about getting back out on the road. The one thing we did different on ours is instead of having the 3rd big window put in, we opted to have additional cabinets and shelves. We figured our clothing will go in the extra 2 cabinets and a small TV in the open space. Shelves above will hold just about anything else.
Attached Thumbnails
shelves.jpg  
JBB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2017, 08:41 AM   #9
Member
 
Name: Mike
Trailer: Winnebago
Wisconsin
Posts: 63
Civil Guy Reply

Quote:
Originally Posted by Civilguy View Post
Mike,

Welcome to the forum. If you are not more confused within one week than when you first signed up, please just let us know and we will all rededicate ourselves to giving you more and more contradictory advice!

"Better" is often a very subjective word. Alan Smoak invented the Lil Snoozy and I get the impression that he worked with a local boat trailer manufacturer to get a frame to put under his molded fiberglass trailer design. This trailer has surge brakes, which are normally used on boats but very uncommon on travel trailers. Surge brakes eliminate the problems boat owners would have with electric brakes when submerging their trailer's wheels at the boat ramp.

Is this trailer "better" or was one of its primary virtues expediency? I can't say definitively, but it is certainly an uncommon arrangement for a travel trailer. As an example, this arrangement does not allow you to operate the brakes by hand from the tow vehicle while driving. This ability becomes more important as you deal with larger trailers, but may not be so important on the Snoozy if it is set up properly for stable towing.

Galvanizing provides a zinc coating on steel that will sacrifice itself so the steel won't rust. Over time, perhaps a very long time depending how heavily it is applied, all of the zinc will be sacrificed and the steel will rust. It's a good system, as are some of the other ones available including powder coating and good paint jobs, some of which include zinc-rich primers. I hope that Steve Dunham or some others from your part of the country weigh in here as I think that the road salt is a big factor up your way.

I think that Thrifty Bill put up a good answer here. Start with the trailer layout!

The challenge is to know how to pick something when you have limited experience. About two years ago my wife and I were very attracted to the Lil Snoozy. I still think they are a very nice trailer, but they are very rare here on the west coast so we ended up with a Casita.

We now have a larger trailer on order. We were reflecting the other day about various trailers that we had been attracted to over the past couple of years that would not be a good fit today. Many of these are terrific trailers which are rightfully and dearly loved by their owners. It has just turned out that they aren't a great fit for us personally, at least not at this time in our lives!

So, I encourage you to read lots, and try to relax and find something that looks like it will be a good fit for you. If you can get to a rally, I think that would really help to start making some things clearer more quickly for you. Good luck!
I greatly appreciate the advice I'm receiving on this forum.

As to the road salt on our Wisconsin roads, that is indeed a factor to be considered, particularly with the tow vehicle. The camper/trailer will be winterized and sitting in our large garage over the coldest of the winter months when salty roads become an issue. The tow vehicle, on the other hand, has year-round exposure to those roads.

As far as the layout is concerned, the snoozy layout is attractive to us. The biggest thing that concerns us is that we can't hang a bicycle rack on the back bumper without blocking the door. The only alternatives I see would be to buy a rack designed to attach to the trailer tongue or else mount a rack on the tow vehicle.

Thanks, again, for the benefit of your experience and insights!
Mike in WIS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2017, 09:33 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Civilguy's Avatar
 
Name: Mike
Trailer: Escape 21 & Jeep GC 5.7 (Previous 2012 Casita FD17 & 2010 Audi Q5)
Puget Sound, WA
Posts: 1,775
Registry
Mike,

One thing we especially liked was the large windows over the counter; I think having a second one is an added option.

When you get inside these little trailers, having large windows really helps to make them much "larger" inside!
__________________
~ “It’s absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.” Oscar Wilde ~
~ “What the human being is best at doing is interpreting all new information so that their prior conclusions remain intact.” Warren Buffett ~

Civilguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2017, 09:51 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
jgilliam1955's Avatar
 
Name: Jack
Trailer: Casita Liberty
Virginia
Posts: 650
Snoozy Owners Club

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike in WIS View Post
Hi , I am new to this forum and looking to purchase a quality travel trailer, as my wife and I near retirement.

I noticed that a couple of members have commented on Lil' Snoozy travel trailers. They are built in South Carolina, which is quite a ways from where I live, so I would really like to find someone who owns one within driving distance of where I live.

Some of the main things that attracts me to this trailer is the relatively low weight, and also that their chassis is galvanized, instead of painted or powder coated.

Is galvanized better? Also, is it worth it to consider adding solar panels? - Thanks!
Check out the Owners Club HOME
They have a map where owners are located. May be somebody by you. Wife & I had 2 list. "A WISH LIST" & A "MUST HAVE LIST". Because of the budget, (we had to buy a tow vehicle ) We ended up with the must have list.
We got the extra window, upgraded toilet, Microwave, Fantastic fan & Spare tire ( no tire rack it will be kept in the truck). Also got the Generator cover on the hitch.
We looked at the rear step & decided a small stool would do the same thing, plus it comes with a small folded up step stool.
Price ended up at $23K. We put down 40% percent. Will pay off the rest when we pick it up.
We will purchase a Honda generator our self. No tax & free shipping for $999.
We will purchase a cover because it will be stored in the back yard. They said theirs have been upgraded. It is now tougher & custom made for the Snooze.
One of the things Amy stated was everything in the camper you can replace yourself.
The fridge & microwave & heater you can buy at Walmart.
That's all I can think of right now.
This was in the show room.
Attached Thumbnails
Snoozy in Show room Aug 2017.jpg  
jgilliam1955 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2017, 07:33 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Name: Mitzi
Trailer: LilSnoozy 12/01/16, Tug 2012 Dodge Citadel
Florida
Posts: 573
Call the factory to ask if any owners near you are willing to show off theirs. I've really enjoyed meeting people who didn't want to drive from S FL to St Matthews SC just to see a Snoozy IRL.
I have #191, picked up 12/01/16. DH and I had NEVER had any experiences in an RV before- only backpacking, car camping, and for me, canoe camping. I am so happy to be able to be back in the wilderness despite the physical deterioration I've been dealing with.
My options: Upgraded thetford (I am so jealous that now they come with wheels and handle!) that removes from OUTSIDE. It does mean that the seat is so high I must have a stool in the bath to rest my feet on, or my sciatica gets aggravated.
2nd large window. (My dad believed sunshine and fresh air would cure everything. I have understood how wise he was as I've gotten older)
Truckfridge 12v refrigerator with small freezer compartment.
Side mount for the spare.
Extra portal on the driver side for the basement, and extra LED light in the cargo space there. This is because when we get where we go, we shift all the storage stuff to the tow vehicle and the basement/storage becomes the cat haven.(We travel with 4- rescue kitties came to us as kitten)
I bought a 9 inch TV from Amazon but somehow have nevr gotten my act together to get it fixed up and and running. I didn't have TV until I was 14 years old, anyway. I haven't missed it, not even for all this current hurricane news. Computers have about everything we need for info andnews.


We did find we had problems with cabinets and drawers popping open and losing contents. I bought some Velcro hanging tape and installed it on the sides of the drawer front and cabinets and then on the base cabinets- problem ended- only if we remember to push those the last little bit extra to make sure they are shut enough to bind with other half of the Velcro.
We are both interested in solar and may be picking up something there to add capability.
We also purchased the generator and cover as options.
I bought a cover at Amazon which I haven't used yet. It's a generic small trailer cover. I fortunately have lots of old pool noodles I can use to pad the sharp edges.
I got the 7 pin brake connector, as I was under the impression Canada required that on a trailer over 1,000 lbs.
Another thing I did was install a tension rod in the bathroom using 16 lb tested Velcro hanging tape so we can use it as a closet. If we ever want to do a shower in there...I would just take the clothes out. But when we travel I make up "Backpackers showers"- using paper/cloth hybrids , no rinse bodywash and baby oil. I find it less problematic...
There is also a LilSnoozy Owners club at www.lilsnoozyowners.com
I had lurked on RV boards for 12 years before ordering my Snoozy, and changed my ideas about what would meet my needs multiple times. I am so glad I was able to look at an R pod in person because at one time I thought it was going to be the one- and IRL it repelled me. When we saw Snoozy touring at the factory we knew- this would be the one!
__________________
That's my job. I read...and I know things
Mitzi Agnew-Giles is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
lil snoozy


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Lil Snoozy vs Scamp discussion (split from Classifieds) melissab General Chat 98 01-20-2013 12:03 PM
New Camper - Lil Snoozy Old Man Snoozy General Chat 7 08-08-2011 06:12 PM
Back from Lil Snoozy with Eye Candy!! melissab General Chat 222 04-22-2011 04:54 PM

» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:08 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.