Casita Factory Defects Disappointments!

[IMEd]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

From BC Gov News:
Camping enthusiasts will now have more options for enjoying the great outdoors as 594 new campsites are being added to BC Parks and recreation sites throughout the province.
Ranging from walk-in tent sites to marine sites, 13 provincial parks will have 362 new sites and 12 recreation sites will have 232 new sites. The new BC Parks campsites are located in regions with the highest demand – the Lower Mainland, Thompson-Okanagan, Kootenay Rockies and Mount Robson.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Now we need to bring that mindset south of the border.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by Deva

Wal-mart stores are usually situated on city property. Many cities have now mandated no overnight parking in wal-mart, cabela’s, Cracker Barrel, etc. I don’t think Walmart and other retailers are a fan of this because they lose money. But, since they are on city property, they don’t have any recourse.

Stayed at several Cracker Barrels over the last three weeks. The only one I found that did not allow it was in Colorado. I ended up staying in a city campground that was free in Douglas, WY instead.

I tend to avoid most Walmarts, unless I know the area. They are usually not as convenient to the highway and their parking lots can be sketchy.

I think you mean they are within city limits, not city property. Cities can and do pass restrictions, so you need to check first.

I tend to stay in campgrounds at my destinations, but often make overnight stops along the way. These overnight stops can be much more efficient than staying in a campground: no set up, always a pull through, can arrive later, etc. You can probably tell we arrived pretty late at the one below. Most trips have multiple destinations.

[Mikmay]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

You're kidding right? And it's RVIA... No N. It's an Association, nothing more. RVIA has no legal standing. Manufacturers pay to JOIN, it's a money maker only. IMHO the value is what is being paid for, not what is earned. In fact, I even made my OWN decal. BTW, RVIA started in 1981. And before anyone jumps down my throat, look at all the TRASH RVs being manufactured and most are RVIA certified.

Yes NRVIA is not required to build and sell trailers and while they do make trailer manufacturers build to certain codes which most manufacturers probably do anyways and possibly better than code the real reason for NRVIA and why HC subscribes to it is that if you are going to sell a trailer for over 30 grand you better have a way for people to finance it as most banks or lending institutions will not finance it without RIVA or NRVIA compliance.

[Carol and Mike]

Originally Posted by gordon2

I'm sorry.. I dont understand... which of these flaws are the major ones?

IMHO... if it does not affect the function then it does not even begin to raise to the level of a major flaw. If everything functions and you can get out and enjoy the world then you are far ahead of the game.

I suggest you return the camper and get a full refund, then go buy an Oliver. The Oliver will most likely have the near perfection you are looking for.

I am a happy 5+ year Oliver owner. I have to agree that these are not major issues. Even Olivers roll out of the factory with minor issues, most of which are fixed quickly. I’m sorry to hear that the Casita folks haven’t been responsive, but if I did not stay at the factory long enough to identify minor flaws then I would just fix them when I got home.

[CalCop]

So much for the original topic 😳

[Perryb67]

Originally Posted by Deva

Haha! This is exactly what I’m talking about. “A failure to plan is planning to fail.” Your way or the highway, as long as you get your spot? Many people travel this way, in case that’s new to you. Sorry, I’m a travel RN and I deserve equal treatment and just because I don’t get my fluctuating schedule even 2 weeks in advance most of the time, I don’t deserve to be excluded. So thanks for your comments, taking only your own needs in into account, and preserving campground sites only for people who are like you. Campgrounds USED to be 50/50, half reservable and half first come first serve so EVERYONE has equal opportunity to enjoy camping. Have a nice day…

I miss those days and am tired of seeing 100% reservable sites constantly empty for various self-serving reasons.

Originally Posted by gordon2

You have the same opportunity as everyone else. It is your situation that makes that opportunity less convenient for you. By asking for sites to be left open for you to just show up and occupy means that the site is not available for all the people who cannot just show up and be first in line.

And this also applies to you: "You have the same opportunity as everyone else. It is your situation that makes that opportunity less convenient for you."

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Enjoy,

Perry

[jgilliam1955]

Like others have said things do happen when it comes to RVs. We bought our 2019 Casita fully load for $23500. ( WOW on the new prices ) Then we went to Little Home on the Road & had some upgrades done. The next year 2020, we spent the summer on the road.

We had a problem with a cabinet latch & the bathroom door latch broke. Then our dog ate 2 window blinds and the fire extinguisher holder. We were 3 days away & made an appointment with Casita to fix these problems. They came out and fixed everything for free. THEN 2 hours away stopped to get into the trailer and the door would not open. Casita was going to close in 2 hours. I called them & drove like crazy to get there before closing.
They were waiting for me & could not get the door open either. They forced the emergency window open & crawled through. They had to take apart the door lock. It had broken in half. They were going to install it for free the same style lock & I asked if I could upgrade to a combination lock? So I paid for that. No other problems.
LESSONED LEARNED, travel with the emergency window latch unlocked.

[Alf S.]

Hi: All... It's a good thing we didn't buy a "Sticky" cause we could have been "Stucco".
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Perryb67

..
And this also applies to you: "You have the same opportunity as everyone else. It is your situation that makes that opportunity less convenient for you."

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

No we dont have to disagree because that is EXACTLTY what I said was my situation for 30 years (see above). The system is non-discriminatory. How fair it is depends on your definition of fair for your situation.

[floyd]

Sounds like a "tempest in a teapot" to me.
The part I found offensive was that Casita now takes bribes for a privileged place in line!
As Bob Dylan is said to have said " Money doesn't talk, it swears"

[Donna D.]

I like being able to make reservations. Obviously others do not. I don't want to show up at 1-2pm hoping for a site. I go to places I want to go and not camp 50 mile down the road because the campground is full.

As far as empty reservable sites. Does anyone honestly think people are spending $25-$50 a night and NOT showing up just so others can't get a site? I certainly don't know how other states work, but in Oregon you can miss one night and if you don't show by 1pm the following day you lose your ENTIRE reservation. Perhaps it's YOUR state's reservation system that's broken? IMHO it's long past time to stop worrying about what others are doing and be concerned about our own behavior. IF you do, you'll be a lot happier.

[jgilliam1955]

Originally Posted by Deva

Totally agree with you about everything, including campground reservations. I don’t know where I’m going to be in two weeks so forget about 3-6 months in advance. Camping is not about families and love of outdoors anymore. It’s about 100% making money, which is exactly so many CG are going to 100% reservation only. I think it’s highly discriminatory myself. I have stopped camping in state parks almost everywhere these days. All the “add-on” costs are also ridiculous. I’m at BLM/NFS/COE campgrounds these days. I fired off an email to Oregon SP system, and of course heard nothing back. A family that gets an unexpected few days off are no longer able to get into a State Park. All full, even though sites are empty. I had a convo with a camper who reserved all over the country, and their “method” was so I scrupulous, I was disgusted. Reserving sites beside their main site, reserving without intention of showing up, or reserving other sites beside them to ensure “privacy.” The on line reservation systems are subject to abuse by those who have money to burn and a regular schedule. I am a full timer and it makes me sad to see all the negative changes in camping the past 18 months. So many BLM/NFS now closed and no longer accessible because of campers leaving a mess all over, etc.. Hoping the next year or two things will calm down but I’m not holding my breath. 😢

WOW, things have changed. In 2020 we spent June through August from Virginia to the west coast in our Casita. We used Thousand Trails ( yearly membership ) when we could. Other times it was fly by our pants.
The days we were traveling, we started calling around at 2 pm. We always found a place. Even showing up at Yellowstone in July, we followed a Class into a campground & they only had one very small space left. This happened several times. The size of the camper was a plus.
We stayed at a BLM next to Yosemite National park. We stayed at a Walmart one night in Utah.
Next summer we are going to Alaska and wondering now if we need to make reservations?

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Mikmay

Yes NRVIA is not required to build and sell trailers and while they do make trailer manufacturers build to certain codes which most manufacturers probably do anyways and possibly better than code the real reason for NRVIA and why HC subscribes to it is that if you are going to sell a trailer for over 30 grand you better have a way for people to finance it as most banks or lending institutions will not finance it without RIVA or NRVIA compliance.

I would personally never finance a travel trailer, so I have no way to know , but I doubt VERY seriously if your average loan officer ever even heard of RVIA, let alone consider it a factor in a loan application.


Besides, most salespeople offer financing at the point of sale because its just another profit stream.


RVIA, is simply a subscription service which charges the manufacturer to be its watchdog and then inspects a small random sample for compliance.
The additional cost is then passed on to the consumer.
While the RVIA sticker may add value in the minds of some buyers, it certainly does not mean a better product.
Go to Indiana and see!

[Jon in AZ]

The world has changed, and the pandemic has changed it again, perhaps temporarily, perhaps not. Demand for campsites, especially coveted national and state parks, greatly outstrips supply. Reservations and the far-in-advance planning required for popular destinations is a pain, but they are a fact of life. Like Donna, arriving with no certainty of having a place to stay is not an option for us. For some of the places we visit, alternatives are many hours away.

In my opinion, keeping half as walk-ins is unrealistic; something on the order of 10%, maybe. One popular Arizona state park has an overflow area, basically a large parking lot with picnic tables around the perimeter. It's pleasant despite the close quarters, and you have the same access as regular campers to restrooms, dump stations, and park recreation. I have never seen it completely full, so I'd guess that means the welcome mat is almost always out.

Kudos to BC for investing in public camping infrastructure. We can hope that the large influx of RVers throughout North America will bring additional pressure to do the same elsewhere. I'm not holding my breath.

As long as supply and demand remain in imbalance, policies should work toward reasonable and fair access to a scarce public resource. In addition to further reducing stay limits in popular parks during peak season, I would support capping the total number of nights that can be reserved system-wide during the early reservation window. Additional nights have to wait until others have had a shot.

[jgilliam1955]

Some folks do not realize buying an RV is not like buying a car. I posted a video where an RV salesman states 5 rules about buying RVs. Number 1 is stuff is going to break.
I think the Fiberglass Trailers & Fiberglass Truck Campers are one of the best quality.
There is no reason to miss obvious issues like paint issues or items that are in plain sight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ31KMJWJVA&t=11s

[jeepers29]

Originally Posted by floyd

Sounds like a "tempest in a teapot" to me.
The part I found offensive was that Casita now takes bribes for a privileged place in line!
As Bob Dylan is said to have said " Money doesn't talk, it swears"

Not sure what you are talking about as far as Casita taking money to move up in line. Please explain.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by jeepers29

Not sure what you are talking about as far as Casita taking money to move up in line. Please explain.

The original poster said...

Originally Posted by ThreeSixtyIcon

...We were glad to get it within 30 days by paying a 3k premium instead of the 12-18 month waiting list.

First I've heard about anything like that from any manufacturer.

[jeepers29]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

The original poster said...


First I've heard about anything like that from any manufacturer.

I do beleive that they bought a trailer that was originally ordered by someone else. When we placed our order, we were told our deposit waqs 100% refundable because they could just turn around and sell it at full price vs the sale price we bought it at. Our salesman offered us one that was ready for pickup last month due to the above reason. When he sent us the configuration, it was about 3k more than ours with a few less features. No sale price was offered.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by jeepers29

Not sure what you are talking about as far as Casita taking money to move up in line. Please explain.

Quote from the OP...
"I am new to the forum because we just picked up our new 2022 Spirit Deluxe in Rice, TX on 9/27/21.
We were glad to get it within 30 days by paying a 3k premium instead of the 12-18 month waiting list."



Looks like plain English to me, but you may read it differently( and you may be right)

[jgilliam1955]

People paying more, you may see more of this. For example, the car dealers would charge extra to buy certain cars?
Now with the shortage of supplies that we are told will last for a few years. The cost of one cargo container went from $1500 a couple of years ago to over $20 thousand.

"According to the Freightos Index, the median cost of shipping a standard rectangular metal container from China to the West Coast hit $20,586, nearly double what it cost in July, which was twice what it cost in January."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news...ber/ar-AAP4BQq