The process of elimination I used to narrow down which rig I’ll hit the road with has been covered over a few posts. First, in the post An Egg and a Funnel, I figured out a fiberglass trailer was the best option for me. Second, in Deciding on the Right Fiberglass Trailer, I narrowed the fiberglass trailers down to five manufactures though each manufacturer had multiple trailer options. Today, I’m down to the final four (maybe five) trailers.
Because there is lot to say about each, I am breaking this into three posts. I try to keep posts bite-size because I don’t want to induce information overload. In this post, I’ll discuss the Casita. I’ve also written my thoughts on the Oliver and Escape trailers. Additionally, I’ve written about the Bigfoot trailer as a possible future home.
17 foot Casita Freedom
I just can’t seem to get the Casita off my list. When I had the inkling that fulltime RV living might be for me, Casita was the first trailer I seriously considered. I admit, part of the reason it stays on the list might be sentiment. But, at $20,000, the price is an even bigger reason.
Casita makes five models. The Patriot, at 13 feet and with no bathroom, is not a viable candidate. The remaining four models come in 16 or 17 foot, making them all quite similar. The difference is the inside layout.
I didn’t consider the Liberty or the Independence because neither had a second dining area so once the bed was made up, there wouldn’t be any place for me to sit with the computer. You might remember this was one of my priority features.
For the longest time the Spirit model appealed to me. It has two dining areas (one seats four and the other seats two). Both convert to beds. I would leave the bigger one permanently in the bed position and still have a space for sitting, dining and writing. A bonus to this layout is the hidden storage available under the seats of the smaller dining area. Storage is a big consideration especially when looking at such a small trailer.
Freedom’s Floor Plan with captain chairs. Click to enlarge.
But as time went on, I looked seriously at the Freedom model. Instead of molded seating in the small dining area, this model uses two captain chairs. At first glance, it isn’t a good option because of the loss of valuable storage space.
Over and over, I’ve heard and read dining areas of RVs are uncomfortable. Add sitting for long periods of time such as when using the area as an office and it borders torture. The back and neck ache. Arms and wrists are sore because the angle and height aren’t ideal. I haven’t read anyone raving about comfort in the dining area though I have read about hacks people have rigged to make it less uncomfortable.
Interior Casita Freedom showing one of the captain chairs.
Enter captain chairs. First, just by design, the swivel captain chair must be more comfortable, more fitted to a sitting person. The swivel makes getting in and out easier. Second, if the table height is a problem, you could swivel the chair and set up a little table at the proper height for comfort and good ergonomics.
Stuffing things around and on the other captain chair is an option for storage, albeit an ugly messy option that could cause problems when driving if not strapped down. Casita is a trailer bought directly from the manufacturer. My vision, if I go this route, is to ask them not to install the second captain chair which would leave a nice wide gap of space. Space where I could secure bins thus creating storage space I’d lose by choosing captain chairs.
The Casita is manufactured in Rice, Texas. Upgrades and add-on features can be included in the build but the number of upgrades and add-on features is limited. Things important to me, like solar, would have to be done elsewhere and post purchase.
Casita Pros:
- Cost
- Can fit in smaller camping spots
- Easy to handle
Casita Cons:
- Size which means small cargo capacity
- Only 2 season
- Wet bath that’s tiny (Many Casita owners actually never use the shower)
So there you have it. The first trailer I’m contemplating as a home. All four manufacturers, I should pause to say, have several things in common. All have thriving online forums. Some have annual owner rallies. Customer loyalty is high. I write that here so I won’t need to say it four times over in the descriptions. Just know customer satisfaction and loyalty, in my analysis, is fairly even across the board so this wasn’t a deciding factor either for or against any of the choices.
One final note about the prices I list above. I take the price for the basic model and add to it the costs I estimate for upgrades and add on features I want for the rig. These are realistic totals for the home I’m creating for myself. Solar, for example, is important to me because I want the ability to boondock, so every rig figures in this cost. If you were to purchase the same rig, your total cost would be different based on what’s important to you.
Would love to hear your thoughts on the Casita. I would especially love to hear from anyone who has experience with a Casita. And come back next week for a BIG announcement.
Good layout and the captain chairs are smart. How big is the shower? Would you use the bed mattress that comes with the RV or could you put your own mattress in the Casita? Love, Marie XOX
Since the bed area is a dining room converts to the bed, you used the seat cushions to make the “mattress”. Long-term, that just won’t be comfortable enough so, if I go with the Casita, I’ll have either a real mattress or a foam cover over the top of the cushions. In some ways, because I already know that, the fact that some RVs don’t have mattresses isn’t as much of an issue as I initially thought it would be. Glad you think the captain chairs are a good idea.
We have a wet bath in our camper we don’t use the bath. It’s difficult using the toilet without the door open. Our trailer has a separate bath and it’s easy enough to use except that they sure aren’t made for long showers.
I do like the idea of the casita!
Yeah, I’ve heard that a “best practice” is to limit showers to one gallon or water. You pretty much need an on/off switch to make that happen. So you get wet turn it off, soap up, then turn it back on to rinse off. Of course, this is for boondocking. If you are at a place with hookups, it’s no problem. I’ll look up the brand of shower head that many RVers recommend and email you.
Hi, Debbie! We’re very, very late to the party, but have really enjoyed reading your posts! We recently sold our 2005 13′ Scamp after owning it about a year and taking two long trips (Florida and Michigan), in addition to a few short trips in Kentucky (home state). We sold it in order to obtain a slightly larger, newer rig…considering the Oliver, Escape, Cortes and Snoozy. We’d actually be okay with the Casita if it weren’t for the carpeted walls (yuk!). We even preferred the Scamp’s “rat fur” walls over the carpet. As you mentioned, the “perfect” trailer just simply does not exist…so sacrifices must be made in any choice. Due to tow capacity limitations, our Oliver model choice would have to be the Elite and not the EII…major bummer since the price is so similar! Not real keen on being so far away from the Escape factory. For some crazy reason, the Cortes did not see it necessary to put a door at the wet bath (curtain only!) Snoozy seems to be the leader for us right now, but has its own issues. Anyway, if you see this, just wanted to say thanks for the insights and reviews! If, in your observations/travels/experiences, you have any additional words of wisdom for us, it would certainly be appreciated. Thanks!
Thanks for adding to the discussion Wes. It’s funny, in the last month or so you are the second person to mention how weird/gross the rat fur on the Casita is. As I understand it, they do it to keep the condensation down. But it’s still weird. I’m not sure if you’ve read my article about using the shower in the Oliver but I actually found that it is easier to put up a shower curtain than to close the door. It gives you just a little bit more room in an already cramped space. That said, the door is nice to have and not use rather than the other way around. I don’t know that I’ve heard of the Cortes. But when I was in the market I was looking to buy new so only briefly researched fiberglass trailers that are no longer manufactured. Best of luck in your search and I’d love to know the outcome. If I can ever be of help, feel free to email me.
Hey Debbie, thanks for the response and info! Just fyi, the Cortes is a relatively new travel trailer produced outside of Cleveland, Ohio and sold only through dealers. It is an all fiberglass construction unit, but the absence of a solid bathroom door is a major drawback for us from an aesthetic standpoint. Our current leading candidates are the Escape and Oliver units. Would love to find a used Oliver Legacy Elite (the E II is too heavy for our tv), but they seem to be very rare (many more of the E IIs are available, tho’ pricey). Thanks again…your blogs have been very interesting!
I’ll keep my eye out for a Cortes. I’m always interested in seeing other molded fiberglass trailers. I asked Oliver about LEII vs LEI and, at least at the time several years ago, I think it was about 80-90% of the purchases were LEII. So you are right, it might take a while before you find and LEI used. But they do come up now and again so if you have the time and patience, you might find exactly what you want. Best of luck.