modest trailer camper?

All of this discussion about small compact campers made me a bit nostalgic for the old Rockwood pop-up I had when my sons were young. We had a lot of great times in that camper. I was almost thinking how great it would be to have another pop-up, but then I remembered my 38 foot Class A motorhome with a king-size bed, one and a half baths, 3 LED TV’s, two air conditioners, 6000 watt generator, a fireplace and a washer/dryer. So nah, who needs a stinking pop-up?
 
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txtig said:
All of this discussion about small compact campers made me a bit nostalgic for the old Rockwood pop-up I had when my sons were young. We had a lot of great times in that camper. I was almost thinking how great it would be to have another pop-up, but then I remembered my 38 foot Class A motorhome with a king-size bed, one and a half baths, 3 LED TV’s, two air conditioners, 6000 watt generator, a fireplace and a washer/dryer. So nah, who needs a stinking pop-up?
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Those of us with big, heavy RVs would like to travel to the far reaches of the U.S. in a popup. You would be surprised how many RVers buy used popups to travel in.
 
One other option: Here is a "camper" that pulled in and hooked up next to us in an RV park in Mobile, AL. They were traveling from Washington to Florida. Not sure how light it is but it does have some water features some might like.
 

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2109s

I guess everyone has their own idea of what a "modest" TT is but we went with the Rockwood 2109s and it meets all of our needs. Like you, we wanted something we could tow without investing in a large truck. The 2109s qualifies, yet has plenty of room for the two of us and all the luxuries we could ever want. Regardless of what you decide on finding a way to get into the grossly overcrowded campgrounds will be a whole different challenge............
 
Good discussion, my advice is decide what you like and then pursue used for purchase. RVs depreciate like crazy, so a few years old can be big savings vs new.

I agree as you get older, it sure is nice to have a real bed to sleep on, your own bathroom and shower, kitchen, etc.

Another advice for your tow vehicle, add as much additional cooling as reasonable. Especially for the auto trans, heat is the enemy of trans fluid and trans life. Factory tow packages usually have additional trans cooling and upgraded engine cooling. If you don't have factory, look at adding extra.
 
travelover said:
I've got a small fiberglass camper similar to a Scamp or Casita. They are more expensive than conventional stick built campers, but really hold their value.
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+1 on Casita. Don't have one, but have researched them for quite some time. Depreciation is nearly zilch-try finding a good used one.
 
Another possible option is the ERIBA Touring which is basically the German equivlent of Airstream. They've been making small trailers for 50+ years for the European market and apparently are planning or have decided to break into the US market by making small trailers here. The Touring model is the one that is of similar size to the Casitas. They have been around for a long time and have had a lot of time to refine and fine-tune their designs and layouts.

https://www.eriba.com/en/models/caravans/eriba-touring/highlights/

Here is news about their entry into the North American market

Erwin Hymer Group North America showcases new trailer line in Vegas - Go Hymer

One thing I find really intriguing about these trailers is the pop up roof. I live in a subdivision with a HOA that basically prohibits parking trailers in the driveway but I do have a 3-car garage. A normal trailer like a Casita is too tall to clear the top of my garage door but I think I could park one of these in one of my garage bays due to the lower height. So that would save about $150 per month in storage fees which does add up over the years.
 
38Chevy454 said:
Another advice for your tow vehicle, add as much additional cooling as reasonable. Especially for the auto trans, heat is the enemy of trans fluid and trans life. Factory tow packages usually have additional trans cooling and upgraded engine cooling.
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That's exactly the reason I ordered the tow package on my 2003 GMC pickup, even though at the time I'd never towed anything and had no plans to do so. I just figured that for the cost (few hundred?? can't remember) it might do much to extend the longevity of those expensive parts and it sure wouldn't hurt.

As it turns out I've towed U-haul trailers for relatives moving (I don't load or unload, I just drive the truck) maybe three times and the tow package, which includes the lighting plug, made that a lot easier.
 
The Casita or Escape look very nice.I'd like to find one to look at but, tough luck with that.
 
albireo13 said:
The Casita or Escape look very nice.I'd like to find one to look at but, tough luck with that.
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The best place to see a lot of these fiberglass trailers is at an "egg rally." They are fun get-togethers, and many folks have their rigs available to see inside, you can ask people who live with them (and, importantly, aren't trying to sell you one).

Here's a great source of more info on these meetings:
Rallies, Get-togethers, Molded Meets (Upcoming) - Fiberglass RV


You'll want to lie down on a bed in the model you are considering to make sure it is big enough. Different makes and models differ considerably in the bed size (and shape).
 
albireo13 said:
The Casita or Escape look very nice.I'd like to find one to look at but, tough luck with that.
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On one recent outing, I spotted a Casita passing me on the road, and another one in a dry-camp state park campground. Very nice-looking. Be patient, you'll find one to look at I'm sure!
 
You can go to the Casita factory to see them or the sales department has contacts with owners around the country that will show you their trailers.

Unfortunately, they no longer manufacture the 13 foot model, or at least it does not appear on the website. As near as I can tell, only Scamp manufactures a 13 foot trailer.
 
Used fiberglass campers are advertised here. Individual brands also have forums with a for sale section. On the Casita forum you have to join to look at the posts.
 
texasdiver said:
One thing I find really intriguing about these trailers is the pop up roof. I live in a subdivision with a HOA that basically prohibits parking trailers in the driveway but I do have a 3-car garage. A normal trailer like a Casita is too tall to clear the top of my garage door but I think I could park one of these in one of my garage bays due to the lower height. So that would save about $150 per month in storage fees which does add up over the years.
Click to expand...


If the Eriba's availability or price puts them out of reach, you might look at one of the Casita models that come/came with an air conditioner mounted inside the front of the trailer, rather than being on top. A 16' Casita with the AC in front has a total exterior height of about 7' 4", which is about the same as the Eriba. With the top up, the Eriba does have more interior headroom (6' 4" vs 5' 10"). The Scamps and the 17' Casita have more headroom than the 16' Casita.
 
The Scamps and the Casita travel trailers are lightweight and good to travel with. The Oliver Trailers are even better, and they are built 40 miles from me.

But all the fiberglass trailers like these are very, very expensive. For the same money you can buy a much larger RV--twice as large.
 
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