How popular are Casitas?

[nevadatear]

Living on I-80 we see get a lot of everything passing through or little burg. Lately we have seen quite a bit of Casitas, at least once a week we see one, some really old, some pretty new. Now we have never seen a teardrop, other than our own and those at a gathering, but now we seems to see Casitas all over the place. Just how popular are these cuties, or is this just a fluke?

[Alfred]

My Wife likes the look of the Casitas and we've talked about maybe getting one when the kids are grown. Of course, I kind of like the T@B, too. Recently saw an R'Pod that looked pretty cool. I am thinking the Casita would hold up well, given how they're built. For now though, it is the Weekender for 5, currently under construction!

AL in Asheville

[cuyeda]

I went to a fiberglass RV rally last year. A majority were Casitas trailers. I was hoping to see more of the vintage fiberglass stuff just for interest. The owners who own the Casitas trailers seem to really like it. Here are a few pictures of the event. Unless you buy a used Casitas, the only way is to order it from the manufacturer direct. There are no dealerships, cutting out the middleman.



Click here

[emiller]

I think they are one of the most popular fiberglass and better made. I just don't like the way the new wheel wells are. They need fenders or something.

[cuyeda]

Another manufacturer spin off is OLIVER. Many nice improvements, with an aluminum chassis, body, and interior layouts. However it comes at a much steeper price. All the improvements are nice, but for the price, the Casitas wins.

A picture of the under carriage of an Oliver.


tongue


Front end with power jack.


Interior has a molded interior, while the Casitas has carpet covering for the walls.

[S. Heisley]

About 6 years ago, I almost bought a new Cassita. I still think they're cute and very servicable and the weight is right. The problem showed up when I discovered that there were no dealers selling them. You had to go down to Texas and buy it from the manufacturer and tow it back. All this would have been based on website pictures. That was enough to throw cold water on my enthusiasm.

[caseydog]

I drive past the Casita factory whenever I drive to Houston. They are right on I-45 in Rice, Texas.

They always have units on the front lot, and the last trip down, I saw "red tags" in a lot of the windows.

I have been tempted to stop in, as they say on their website that they will be glad to give visitors a tour.

Perhaps I should take a camera and do a little photo thread on the forum.

CD

[jopasm]

With the rise in gas prices, I think the Casitas have become even more popular. It's hard to beat that style of camper if you're looking for something lightweight with a bathroom and some interior sitting area. The reduced tendency to leak is also a plus. I was watching a 21 year old unit on ebay recently, it was in fair shape - some minor cosmetic damage from a DIY refrigerator replacement and it went for nearly $5000. Just looking around on craigslist and such it's hard to find good trailers under 20', but there's *lots* of 24'+ trailers and motorhomes selling out at rock-bottom prices from people who say they can't afford the tow vehicle anymore.

Kinda frustrating since I'm in the market for a under 20' trailer myself! I like the idea of a teardrop for weekend and week-long camping trips, but I could use something a little larger and more self-contained for some things I'd like to do.

[packerz4]

My father-in-law bought one. We went to get it for him in 2005. Great factory tour. Great product. I'm too cheap though.

[jagular7]

I had its competitor, a 16' Scamp for a while. It was great for camping. It had no bathroom, but a closet in its place. It had the front bend/bunks setup which was great for my kids. Overall, great camper. It was a little large for my home storage. I got tired of paying storage fees with the limited camping effort.

[len19070]

Casitia/Scamps are great trailers. They hold there value VERY well.

Short of a road accident (or stupidity) There very "Bullet Proof".

The only reoccurring problem I have seen working in the RV industry, and I have been in many is that they both offer an upgrade package where they cover the walls with a fabric.

Well its still a Fiberglass trailer with fiberglass interior walls. And that means condensation.

Covering them with fabric only holds the moisture.

Everyone I have ever been in with this upgrade package has had a Musty smell.

Other than that I think there like Airstreams...There going to be around for a Looong time.

Just an observation.

Happy Trails

Len

[Wild Bill]

I have looked into this trailer also. They have a very high resale value as well as a steep new price. The retail new for around 15k. A lot of cash to me for something that I would store more than I use. With insurance and campground costs, I can stay in a lot of hotel rooms for that. Of course the experiece is much different than camping. If they had a small dealer network say 5 dealers spread throughout the country you would see a lot more of them. The Big Foot trailer appears to be better built and insulated, even higher price. Several clubs related to fiberglas out there including the Casita club. They appear to be well built trailers compared to some of the stuff that is out there. The economy and fuel prices, especially last year has got to be killing the travel industry. I just went to Funks Trailer Sales in nearby Morris Illinois, They sell small tear drop trailers, Noticed the rims and caps were starting to rust, look like the same units that were there last fall when I was there. I have been lurking for a couple of years now. Is there a discussion someplace on build costs?? I can see that many hours are required to build, but what about average cost?? Bill

[Larwyn]

I came very close to buying a Casita a few years ago. I used to drive right by the factory on a regular basis and stopped in several times to look over the Freedom Deluxe version of the trailer. I did get the full tour of the factory and was impressed with what I saw. I planned to buy a Casita as soon as I could sell my 5th wheel trailer but things changed, life happened and then I started on the Escape Pod. But who knows, there still might be a Casita in my future some day.
If you get the chance to tour one be careful though, the door is not as tall as you may think, they do have the area above the door padded and I have personally tested that pad on more than one occasion.....

[Ron Dickey]

I was told if you want to see one you contact the dealer and they have someone who owns one let you look at it.
They get paid some money to let you look, I do not know if it is if you buy or just look. If the later I would have all my friends write in for just a look see
Years ago I sent off for info on it and was very impressed. But to much money for me.
You might look here for info.
http://www.casitaclub.com/aboutus.html
http://www.scamptrailers.com/About.aspx
Ron

[packerz4]

I was told if you want to see one you contact the dealer and they have someone who owns one let you look at it.
They get paid some money to let you look, I do not know if it is if you buy or just look. If the later I would have all my friends write in for just a look see
Years ago I sent off for info on it and was very impressed. But to much money for me.
You might look here for info.
http://www.casitaclub.com/aboutus.html
http://www.scamptrailers.com/About.aspx
Ron

oh yeah. i forgot about that. the Casita owners have a community thing like we have here. Casita in Texas puts you in touch with an owner and you can get together and check out their personal trailer and talk to them about it. Kinda cool cuz they have sales people all over the country!

tk