Tex68w
Beach Bum
It's a weird one for sure.
2024 Casita 17' Spirit Deluxe
- Thread starter Tex68w
- Start date
It's a weird one for sure.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
While I can't take credit for this solution I must say that it is pure genius in terms of space management and accessibility. Another Casita owner came up with the idea of using the trim panel hardware found on the space between the door and the cabinet to mount the awning spreader bar. He also chose to mount the awning crank right next to it but I need to pick up some rivets before I can complete that install.
Simply pop off the hardware covers and mount the spreader bar clamps and hardware in place of the existing trim hardware. It's a tight fit but it's out of the way, discreet yet hiding in plain sight and readily available when needed. I plan to mount the awning crank directly next to it by way of riveting the hardware through the fiberglass cabinet.
Simply pop off the hardware covers and mount the spreader bar clamps and hardware in place of the existing trim hardware. It's a tight fit but it's out of the way, discreet yet hiding in plain sight and readily available when needed. I plan to mount the awning crank directly next to it by way of riveting the hardware through the fiberglass cabinet.
I asked about how these things hold up because it’s not clear that Oliver’s are able to handle much off-road if you read some of the forums, and they are supposedly one of the best of this type. Fiberglass tubs can have their own issues. And maybe most of us aren’t trailering the rubicon every weekend, but the condition of fireroads out west are getting worse and worse due to govt budget cuts and more severe storms, so those gravel roads are going to beat our trailers up more and more. I’m happy to have something built for bear even if it’s overkill as I’ve seen cracked frames and structural failures out in the middle of nowhere and it’s a terrible place to find the limits of a trailer.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
A fiberglass tub far and away out survives any frame and panel setup over rough terrain. Oliver and many of the other high end trailer companies build off of custom aluminum frames, while aluminum has a lower tensile strength than steel it is lighter, not nearly as corrosive and takes far less maintenance. The only place I can see a steel frame being preferred is if you plan to take your trailer to places where you'd be dragging the frame itself over rocks and that's a pretty extreme scenario for most. Trailer suspension is important, that's where you'll be saving the box of your trailer from the beatings it'll endure. This is one area I am still addressing with my trailer but I'd still take it over any other trailer construction because of the strengths of it's material and design. Nothing is perfect and a large majority of trailers are absolute crap right off the showroom floor.
eatSleepWoof
Do it for the 'gram
Construction methods aside, the single most important considerations are tire pressure and speed.
Tow the sh!ttiest sh!tbox at 18psi and 5mph and it'll be just fine where a best-of-breed trailer at 60psi and 50mph will disintegrate.
Good construction gives you more margin for error and minimizes problems, but careful towing, while inconvenient, can make even more difference.
Tow the sh!ttiest sh!tbox at 18psi and 5mph and it'll be just fine where a best-of-breed trailer at 60psi and 50mph will disintegrate.
Good construction gives you more margin for error and minimizes problems, but careful towing, while inconvenient, can make even more difference.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
Agreed and most tow vehicles will become uncomfortable or even unsafe while towing at speeds slower than the damage threshold of the trailer and it's components.
Todd780
OverCamper
Ohhhh! So that's what I've been doing wrong. I thought going faster was the thing to do.....
Photomike
White Turtle Adventures & Photography
Let me share my thoughts on the durability of a fiberglass camper. In the early 2000s, I purchased a 1992 Northern Light truck camper. The camper hadn’t seen much maintenance over the years. It wasn't abused, but it also wasn’t maintained. In fact, I was told that in the last few years before I bought it, it had been left unused sitting outside.
I used this camper for several years, and while I didn’t subject it to extreme off-road conditions like rock crawling, I didn’t exactly baby it either. It endured everything from -40°C to +40°C, bouncing down rough roads and navigating snow and ice. It was my daily driver at times, doubling as a reliable camper the rest.
When I finally sold it, the fiberglass shell was in perfect condition with the exception of some small cracks in the gel coat.. Even the interior, despite showing signs of it age with some fading, was still in near-new condition with everything still attached and solid. The only significant issue I encountered was a leak over the stove, which wasn’t due to the fiberglass itself but rather the way the fiberglass had been cut to install the stove vent. The roof vents and hatches, which hadn’t been resealed since the day it was built, remained leak-free for over 8 years without recaulking (I did reseal after buying it).
Whether the camper was sitting on the ground or mounted on the truck, there was no visible movement / cracking or twisting in the shell.
My experience with this camper has convinced me that I’ll likely never own another RV that isn’t made from fiberglass or, like my current van, a one-piece unit. Every time I see an RV built differently, I can’t help but notice the flaws.
I used this camper for several years, and while I didn’t subject it to extreme off-road conditions like rock crawling, I didn’t exactly baby it either. It endured everything from -40°C to +40°C, bouncing down rough roads and navigating snow and ice. It was my daily driver at times, doubling as a reliable camper the rest.
When I finally sold it, the fiberglass shell was in perfect condition with the exception of some small cracks in the gel coat.. Even the interior, despite showing signs of it age with some fading, was still in near-new condition with everything still attached and solid. The only significant issue I encountered was a leak over the stove, which wasn’t due to the fiberglass itself but rather the way the fiberglass had been cut to install the stove vent. The roof vents and hatches, which hadn’t been resealed since the day it was built, remained leak-free for over 8 years without recaulking (I did reseal after buying it).
Whether the camper was sitting on the ground or mounted on the truck, there was no visible movement / cracking or twisting in the shell.
My experience with this camper has convinced me that I’ll likely never own another RV that isn’t made from fiberglass or, like my current van, a one-piece unit. Every time I see an RV built differently, I can’t help but notice the flaws.
Florida Native
Active member
While I can't take credit for this solution I must say that it is pure genius in terms of space management and accessibility. Another Casita owner came up with the idea of using the trim panel hardware found on the space between the door and the cabinet to mount the awning spreader bar. He also chose to mount the awning crank right next to it but I need to pick up some rivets before I can complete that install.
Simply pop off the hardware covers and mount the spreader bar clamps and hardware in place of the existing trim hardware. It's a tight fit but it's out of the way, discreet yet hiding in plain sight and readily available when needed. I plan to mount the awning crank directly next to it by way of riveting the hardware through the fiberglass cabinet.
That’s where I store my awning center bar and crank handle, but I didn’t change or add a thing… I just wedge them between the door frame and the trim piece. Has never moved in over 15k miles towing.
-Mike
Tex68w
Beach Bum
I finally got around to installing the awning crank near the entry door and directly next to the awning spreader/support bar. I had planned to use rivets direct to the fiber glass but instead I opted to drill through the FG and into the wood supports for the cabinet shelving. Now both items will be readily available at the entry door when needed.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
Another idea I lifted from a fellow Casita owner. During the hotter months, when one uses the AC it tends to drip the condensation down onto the entry side of the camper. This water runs off near the entry door and over the window on the entry door side of the camper. This 1/2" rubber gutter material will help to divert the condensation run-off to the front and/or rear of the camper and not on the entry side.
Install was a cinch, simply clean the area where it will be applied via double sided tape with alcohol and apply the gutter material with pressure.
Install was a cinch, simply clean the area where it will be applied via double sided tape with alcohol and apply the gutter material with pressure.
eatSleepWoof
Do it for the 'gram
Great solution. I experienced the same water dripping from our own (first time) use of AC this past weekend. Water came down into the gutters, and then dripped off the end of the gutter closest to our front door. It was a bit annoying.
I guess I’ll have to disagree based on the trailers I’ve seen. I don’t believe there’s any way a glass tub like an Oliver or Casita would stand up to the kind of abuse that a Boreas/Mission Overland/Arkto/Bruder type steel/composite construction could handle. There have been a few fiberglass shell off-roaders, but yhe majority of builders use the tried and true frame and panel structure for a reason. Our trailer could roll and survive. Doubt an Oliver or Casita could.
eatSleepWoof
Do it for the 'gram
Those trailers have their own upsides, and if we're talking roll-overs, then yes, chances are they will fair better than a fibreglass body. But that's only a part of the overall picture, and a small one, at that. Day to day use is a bit of a different story in terms of how forces are applied to the frame & body, and how both handle them. Stronger is not always better.
I don't want to pretend to be an expert in this subject, but I know I've read detailed posts about the differences in truck frames, specifically C-channel in light trucks like Tacomas, and boxed frames in heavier duty options. The C-channel gave more flex, which contributed to comfort and longevity/adaptability in certain conditions, while the boxed frames faired better in heavy-duty cargo hauling. Same story with MaxTrax (which can bend significantly before returning to their original shape) vs cheap knock offs (which simply snap when bent). Something similar can easily be at play with trailers - one type of construction can have slight flex and the ability to absorb forces, while another will not. Just theorizing here.
The major reason most companies DO NOT use fibreglass bodies is because it's about a million times easier to hire a $15/hr monkey to assemble rectangular pieces with nuts & bolts in any garage than it is to setup a factory and train people to build fibreglass molds. It's an involved, expensive process that needs to be done right. It's less a question of what's better, and more a question of what's easier and more profitable for the business.
Then there's the question of consumers. Slap together some trash that looks big and tough, have a bearded guy in a khaki shirt and dark sunglasses record a video about how tactical it is, and certain people will run out to buy it out of closeted hopes they will instantly become a Delta Force Chuck Wick, at least in the eyes of their friends. You could market tactical underwear and people would buy it.
Make something actually high quality but less visually "cool," and it'll appeal to an entirely different, potentially much smaller consumer base. (To be clear, I'm not pointing fingers at any trailers in either scenario.) At the end of the day trailer manufacturers are in the business of making money, and trailer design plays a big role in that.
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