One of my neighbors recently asked me about full timing in a travel trailer. He said he wants something solidly built that can withstand full-timing that perhaps is small enough to pull behind a car or smaller SUV. He hikes a lot and wants to be able to go to far off places and easily camp "wherever." We didn't get into specifics about whether or not he planned to always use campground showers and restrooms, but I'm assuming he'd want at least an on-board toilet.
So I started thinking about all of the research I've done on RVs, wondering what I'd recommend. My first recommendation was a Casita TT, but as I thought more I came up with a few more. So here you go, Dave!
Things to consider for full-time or long-term (30+ days) camping:
Obviously you'll want to consider durability and longevity of the interior and exterior materials. Some campers are made to be lightweight and inexpensive and that's about it. The manufacturers figure people will be spending 1 weekend a month or less in them and the rest of the time, they sit in storage. Since that's not the case with long-term or full-time RV-ers, make sure you are assessing durability carefully. Also consider that you'll be sleeping on the mattress long-term so an upgrade there might be a good idea.
Additionally, you'll want to consider ease of maintenance and ease of set up. You'll want something that's easy to level, easy to clean (both inside and out) and something that will hold up well to the elements like sun, wind, and rain - remember, this trailer won't be covered in storage for most of the time like a part-time unit!
One last thing to consider is how you'll be camping - will you always be hooked up to shore power and water/sewer, or will you boondock or dry camp from time to time? If you'll be dry camping, pay particular attention to batteries; solar panel installation options; fresh, gray, and black tank size; and whether or not you'll have an on-board generator.
Travel Trailers to consider:
Let's start with the Casita. (image from Casita website http://casitatraveltrailers.com/liberty-16-17/ ) It comes in various lengths from 13' to 17' long in standard or deluxe models. The deluxe models have a bathroom while the standards do not (bunks and seating take the bathroom space). As for durability, the Casita website says: "We offer a more robust design, with a two-shell construction, 3″ channel-steel frame, 15″ tires and some of the finest fiberglass finishes in the business." They are American-made in Texas, and have a variety of deluxe options you can choose for each model. Casita boasts increased thermal performance and energy efficiency, but don't indicate the R-value of the construction or window U-values on their website. I'd like to see hard data if they are going to make claims to increased performance. Additionally, the standard flooring material is indoor/outdoor carpet (you can upgrade to vinyl). There is also a type of carpet that wraps up the walls and lines the storage compartments. This sounds like a maintenance nightmare for me and my sustainability knowledge tells me to seriously reconsider this. The website says the carpet offers increase acoustic performance - making a quieter interior, but all of that carpet can still trap nasties like mold, bacteria, etc. I'm not in love with vinyl for environmental reasons as well, but it would be worth it to me to upgrade to the vinyl and NOT have carpet in my RV.
Scamp: Scamp travel trailers are also made in the United States (Minnesota). They are similar to Casita trailers in that they are durable, lightweight, fiberglass travel trailers. They tout aerodynamics for increased fuel economy as well. Scamps additional durability-related selling points can be found on their website here or you can check out their promotional video:
Finally, let's talk about my favorite travel trailer option, Airstream. Airstream has the widest variety of sizes and types of travel trailers of the three companies mentioned here. They are also likely the most expensive - but all of that tough aluminum and stainless steel isn't cheap. For exterior durability AND sustainability, nothing can top the aluminum exteriors - these things can last forever (as is evident for the many vintage Airstreams still on the road and polished up like new). Airstream boasts 4 principles as part of their mission: Design, Quality, Authenticity, and Freedom. Airstreams are manufactured in Jackson Center, Ohio and they've just released a brand new lightweight travel trailer called the Basecamp - see a news article here. Airstream also offers a few Class B motorhome touring coach options, but we'll save that for another article. So why are these my favorite travel trailers? You mean besides the fact that they're well made, durable, and look so damn good on the outside? Well, take a look at the interiors: (images from the Airstream website here)
Airstream is a company that just "gets it" when it comes to tasteful, modern, functional, and easy-maintenance interiors. High quality finishes and easy-care options offer those of us who don't want to camp in RVs with our great-grandmother's window valances and crown molding, a refreshing alternative. These images are from the Airstream Land Yacht series, but the Sport series interiors are also tastefully modern and less expensive (Sport floorplans start in the $40K's).
Here is the Sport:
Well, those are my 3 recommendations for travel trailers with the chops to go long term. Again - check the mattresses and seating cushions for durability and clean-ability - the longer you can keep things looking nice, the longer you'll want to be living in it! (My other neighbor has a toy-hauler RV that she uses for a weekend camping RV for her family of 6. It has an aluminum INTERIOR that she can literally hose out! I'll be reviewing that in another article. Talk about easy maintenance!) Each of the manufacturers discussed above have lots of floor plan and feature options, so feel free to browse their websites and check out all of the plans and options! The internet makes browsing and shopping fun! Please don't forget to Like and Share our page on social media, and remember to be a traveler, not a tourist!
