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Old 07-08-2020, 10:51 AM   #21
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Name: Dan
Trailer: Casita 17 SD
Florida
Posts: 64
Armadilo vs Casita

Do you want a trailer for after the kids are grown and for Alaska? It may require rethinking the tow vehicle but there are two fine manufacturers of fiberglass trailers in British Columbia, Canada that know how to set up a trailer for colder climates. If your camping days will extend a season in that most beautiful part of the world I might check into Escape or Bigfoot trailers with the full insulation package.

I am in Florida and have conditions on the other end of the temperature spectrum. I'm looking for quiet and efficient AC for my 21 year old Casita 17 SD. What I like about Casita is since they have been made for so many years when a part breaks the company will supply a replacement for a reasonable cost. Plastic gets brittle with age and the water tank drain spigot broke, replacement part was $6, and ten minutes with a Phillips screwdriver.
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Old 07-08-2020, 11:49 AM   #22
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Trailer: Escape 17 ft
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All that stuff used to build a Casita is also used to build other trailer brands and is readily available, until it isn't.
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Old 07-08-2020, 11:54 AM   #23
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Name: Jane
Trailer: Shopping
Texas
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Originally Posted by Bob & Jackie C View Post
Going from soft taco to crunchy taco in the eyes of bears. Still need to be careful with food, pets, etc.
Okay, I am actually kind of freaking out now.
We are seniors and have never had a camping trailer nor have we done tent camping to any extent, other a few one nighters when our boys were young.
We have been shopping for a small, two person travel trailer that can be towed with our Toyota 4Runner.
I not once worried about having food inside the camper and the possibility of a bear breaking in!!! What does everyone do with their food? This is one of the attractions to us, for buying a camper, is taking our food along and not eating out. Does everyone basically put their food, that isn’t refrigerated, in a plastic tote away from the camper overnight? Are there containers especially made for this that are bear proof? Are there concerns even about the food in the refrigerator?
Thanks for any advice!
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Old 07-08-2020, 12:42 PM   #24
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Name: Daniel A.
Trailer: Bigfoot 17.0 1991 dlx
British Columbia
Posts: 741
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A bit surprised you have not heard from Armadilo I've viewed their units at RV shows very nice. Given your climate I'd be looking at Bigfoot.
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Old 07-08-2020, 04:31 PM   #25
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Name: Tom
Trailer: In the market
British Columbia
Posts: 34
Those Armadillos are pretty well insulated if you look at their cross section. But they’re teeny.

Also, I’ve seen a bear’s handy work on an Atco trailer in a logging camp in northern B.C. The door was steel veneer, but it didn’t matter. The claws dug through the aluminum siding and just about pulled the whole door frame out. I don’t think the beefy 50 year old boat design of a Casita will make much difference.
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Old 07-09-2020, 07:28 AM   #26
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Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,925
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Originally Posted by Grannaj View Post
Okay, I am actually kind of freaking out now.

We are seniors and have never had a camping trailer nor have we done tent camping to any extent, other a few one nighters when our boys were young.

We have been shopping for a small, two person travel trailer that can be towed with our Toyota 4Runner.

I not once worried about having food inside the camper and the possibility of a bear breaking in!!! What does everyone do with their food? This is one of the attractions to us, for buying a camper, is taking our food along and not eating out. Does everyone basically put their food, that isn’t refrigerated, in a plastic tote away from the camper overnight? Are there containers especially made for this that are bear proof? Are there concerns even about the food in the refrigerator?

Thanks for any advice!
Relax! The odds of getting attacked by a bear are orders of magnitude less than getting into a traffic accident on the way to the campground. Both risks can be minimized by following rules and best practices.

I would recommend starting out in developed and staffed campgrounds. State and national park rangers typically pay close attention to bear activity, issue warnings, and provide guidance regarding best practices. Once you’re comfortable with how to avoid attracting bears (and other more common nuisance critters like raccoons), then you can venture further out into primitive forest service campgrounds and dispersed camping if desired.

Your fridge should be fine. Store dry foods in airtight containers. Cook smelly stuff outside away from the camper. Clean up your campsite at night. Beyond that depends on where you’re camping. A few high risk areas may require additional precautions. If the campground does not allow tents or soft-sided campers, that’s a clue you’re in a high-risk area. If there’s a heavy steel bear box in your campsite, then you should probably use it.
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Old 07-09-2020, 11:24 AM   #27
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Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,137
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JaxDan View Post
I am in Florida and have conditions on the other end of the temperature spectrum. I'm looking for quiet and efficient AC for my 21 year old Casita 17 SD. What I like about Casita is since they have been made for so many years when a part breaks the company will supply a replacement for a reasonable cost. Plastic gets brittle with age and the water tank drain spigot broke, replacement part was $6, and ten minutes with a Phillips screwdriver.
Casita makes the shell, the interior cabinets and doors, and the frame. Everything else comes from the same suppliers that sell across the RV industry.
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Old 07-18-2020, 10:55 AM   #28
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Name: MAGGIE
Trailer: in the market
Oregon
Posts: 1
We are also a family of 5 looking for the same. I also tried to contact Armadillo with no luck. Was also interested in their triple bunk. Has anyone installed a triple bunk in a vintage camper? What about a hammock? Is that even possible? Ive seen folks post pictures of vans that they've modified with Hammocks for kids. Maybe it's a terrible idea! Just trying to get creative and find something we could use that can be towed by our minivan.
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Old 07-18-2020, 12:12 PM   #29
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Name: KC
Trailer: shopping
Alaska
Posts: 12
Moberry, it took maybe 2 weeks and some persistence (perhaps annoyingly so) on my half, but I did eventually get a response from Armadillo. They’re extremely busy, and builds are about 6 months out. If you’re patient and go with the mindset that they’ll get to you in about a week or 2, then it seems like you’ll get a very nice fiberglass RV!

Quote:
Originally Posted by moberry View Post
We are also a family of 5 looking for the same. I also tried to contact Armadillo with no luck. Was also interested in their triple bunk. Has anyone installed a triple bunk in a vintage camper? What about a hammock? Is that even possible? Ive seen folks post pictures of vans that they've modified with Hammocks for kids. Maybe it's a terrible idea! Just trying to get creative and find something we could use that can be towed by our minivan.
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Old 07-22-2020, 03:10 PM   #30
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Name: KC
Trailer: shopping
Alaska
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Update: We're getting a used Escape! We should have it next week.

Apparently, there is a shortage of hitches. CURT hitches for our vehicle are not in stock anywhere in town or online.

Once we get our vehicle tow-ready, we'll be heading out for some camping adventures!
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Old 07-27-2020, 10:23 AM   #31
tua
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Name: Traveler
Trailer: Happier Camper
Utah
Posts: 239
Quote:
Originally Posted by nerak31 View Post
Update: We're getting a used Escape! We should have it next week.

Apparently, there is a shortage of hitches. CURT hitches for our vehicle are not in stock anywhere in town or online.

Once we get our vehicle tow-ready, we'll be heading out for some camping adventures!
How exciting! Congratulations!
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Old 07-30-2020, 01:14 PM   #32
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Name: Peter
Trailer: Currently Shopping
Kincolith
Posts: 3
I do live in Grizzly country which is why I am looking at fiberglass trailers. I always figured I would put the food in the van and if a grizz came looking I would hit the car alarm which would likely scare him a bit. Still, a determined grizz can get into almost anything if it is motivated!
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