In response to "The RV Death Spiral"...

[TimC]

Some friends and acquaintances have remarked they love the idea of a small camper. They don't want the cost of the larger units (PV, maneuverability, maintenance). They commonly say they would just buy a small manufactured one. What small manufactured campers might be the exception to the RV Death Spiral?

The reason I am posting a "new" topic rather than replying is I would like others to chime in about some of the shining stars in the small Camping Trailer industry. Notice I said Camping Trailer, not RV. Of course the Teardrop industry is pretty incredible, however, I have only looked at a couple factory models. They seemed well made though simply designed and outfitted (shelves vs cabinets, fantastic fan with no exhaust, limited electrical). What about some of the other manufacturers? My sister just bought a Scamp after borrowing (and maintaining) a friends old Scamp for a couple years. I hate to ask her about her trailer in regards to the RV Death Spiral. I'm sure she will fill me in about how they like it after a few trips (just picked it up in Backus last week).

RV Death Spiral is a good, interesting post. I was not really surprised reading it after our experience with our first Coleman pop-up in the 80s. It was fairly well made, but, after owning it for many years and making minor changes and repairs myself it was common for me to think while making those changes in many different areas... "Why do they make this out of such cheap materials?" We enjoyed the pop-up, but, I can't imagine what they are made like now after reading about other peoples experiences.

TimC

[CaptKidd]

I sold my Silver Shadow a few years ago and bought an R-Pod 179. It is only 17 feet long and is totally self-contained. Weights around 2,800 lbs. I really like it and have had no problems with it. I just saw that Little Guy will be making "Scotties". I would consider one of these if I already didn't have my R-Pod.

[DrewsBrews]

The fiberglass clamshell design Scamp uses leaves many fewer places for water intrusion. The quality of the interior fixtures might be the same stuff offered be other manufacturers (I don't know), but at least your sister probably dodged one of the bigger issues that affect the long term life of the trailer.

[capnTelescope]

Casita also builds small fiberglass campers with a good reputation.

[kirkman]

My favorites are the Eggcamper http://www.eggcamper.com/ and the Escape http://escapetrailer.com/

[Shadow Catcher]

CampInn makes teardrops with quality built in. I have seen and talked with a Microlite http://www.microlitetrailer.com/ Vymeron owner who liked it.

[aggie79]

We have been considering moving up to something larger than our teardrop for a few years. My wish is to build a cargo trailer conversion but my wife is not thrilled with that prospect. We agree that if we purchase, we are willing to pay a premium for a well-built travel trailer.

Unfortunately, there aren't many well-built options in the market. Our "top two" are Oliver and ATC. Oliver is the premium fiberglass egg camper manufacturer: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/. ATC makes a very nice all-aluminum toy hauler: http://aluminumtoyhauler.com/. We don't own any "toys" so if we go the ATC route, I would build a permanent bed and install a floor covering over the aluminum floor.

Other possibilities that we have researched are Lance travel trailers and CampLite by Livin Lite. (Livin Lite was purchased this year by Thor and the product lines have undergone "re-engineering" and "value engineering." The changes may make Livin Lite a non-contender.)

These are not inexpensive options. Prices for these begin in the mid-$30,000 range for a 16- to 18-foot trailer.

[MtnDon]

We have friends with an Escape and they love it. It took something like 18 months for them to get one built from the time they decided though.....

[2bits]

To me personally, building my teardrop was all about style and quality and a nod toward the vintage teardrops of old. So when I sold my teardrop and wanted to move into a tiny trailer, it was a natural progression to move into a vintage camper. My 68 Scotty is the same 10' length as my teardrop and isn't one of those massively 8 foot wide campers either (Been there) it is barely over 6 foot wide so you can sleep sideways but the camper is no wider than your tow vehicle. Even ones in the '70s had fake wood at least but I would never consider buying anything past 1980 because everything with to white walls with stupid pastel flower wall paper. To me, camping is an experience and everything I own or build is an expression of myself. Your taste may differ but even though vintage campers many times need a total rebuild, you then still have the choice of your own styling. I love my little Scotty and recently I've been dabbling in a truck camper (wood grain interior of course) and even more recently a classic '70s van set up with a bed, icebox and self contained water. These options are primarily for trips where pulling a trailer might be difficult.

Revisiting Teardrops? The Wild Goose/Kampster would definitely be the one I would build. Oh to have a garage with a concrete floor again!