School me on Casita

BlackdogGS

Observer
I've been kicking this around for a few years now and decided to get serious about buying. I just found this thats about 200 miles away. I have both a F150 and a Tacoma to use as a tow vehicle. What do ya think? Good deal or not? I'd offer him $18,000.

2017 Casita SPIRIT DELUXE 17 - - $19,000
Used once, showroom condition inside and out, always stored in our RV garage. 15 inch D range tires and high lift axle. Air, awning and Casita Travel Trailer cover. This Casita is in immaculate condition.
 
Nice well built but not off road friendly. It is a 4 piece body. Built like boat construction with an inner and outer shell with insulation between the shells. The interior cabinetry is molded into the inner shell. Just too sanitary looking inside for me. My sister had a 23 foot model and complained she felt cramped in it.
 

BlackdogGS

Observer
They only go up to 17’ now. Realistically I’d be using this on gravel roads at the most. Scamp is in the same class but seem to be harder to find. Still looking.
 

vintageracer

To Infinity and Beyond!
About the only single item you could compare on an Oliver versus a Casita/Scamp is that all three do use fiberglass as the base material for their shell construction.

The Oliver is a double shell design with a complete aluminum beam chassis just for starters.

No it's not an expedition capable trailer either however totally different than the others in quality, design, materials, manufacturing most importantly PRICE!
 

downhill

Adventurer
The Scamp and Casita are great for gravel roads and occasional rutted roads. They won't rattle apart like conventional trailers. The torsion axle is much better in those circumstances than a straight, leaf spring axle. Definitely upgrade to 14" wheels and tires. Neither has a double shell. It is a single shell with reflectix insulation and "rat fur" on the walls. It's OK down to 15-20 degrees, but much lower and it starts to lose heat too quickly. Mine saw years of full time use in some pretty bad conditions in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, and Wyoming. If you use it much, there are things you will want to upgrade. One is the heating system. It is loud and cycles constantly. A digital thermometer helps with the cycling, but I replaced my whole system with an Atwood Everest furnace. Much better quality. The windows don't provide much ventilation, so I would swap those for something like Tern Overland windows. Aside from those items, they are good to go. Scamp was the original version, and then one of the brothers moved to Texas and started building the Casita. That's why they look so similar. Casita is basically the Mercury version of the Ford (Scamp). Nicer trim and amenities, and generally more expensive. They all hold their value. I lived in my Scamp on and off for 8 years, and sold it for what I paid for it. All it cost me was the price of the upgrades.
 

yfarm

Observer
I have a 17 Spirit Deluxe, converted torsion to 5k leaf spring with shocks, ended up with 5.5 in lift over stock, much better ride in trailer judging by less movement of items inside trailer. Tow with raptor, tracks well, is a 2002 with few stress cracks. with old axle, came off I 70 west side of Denver took exit north toward Sterling and hit whoop de doos on ramp and cracked drain line to gray tank, realized that for gravel/rough road the stock axle wasn't going to cut it. Contacted ATC in Prescott about trailing arm conversion but too heavy for their system so went with leaf springs 4200 lb. 12 in brakes on 5k Dexter axle, coming down from Monarch Pass braking was excellent with upgrade. Mine as configured would fit 32s with no issue. Spent 5 weeks on the road last year with 2 people and 3 dogs, did fine. Paid 9k for mine from original owner. Axle upgrade cost 1k.
 
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