Tips on Buying a Travel Trailer to Glamp
Are you ready to glamp your first travel trailer, but you are unsure what kind to buy? Or are you ready to trade in your current trailer for another? Read on for some tips to help you make the right decision and end up with a trailer that brings you years of enjoyment by learning about the pros and cons I discovered in my Shasta and Casita travel trailers.
My New Casita:
In 2014, I decided to buy a travel trailer and get into glamping. After considering many campers, I found the perfect travel trailer for me, a Casita. My Casita was almost love at first sight, and I jumped right into my glamping makeover to make it the perfect little trailer for me. (You can click here to see the first article in my Casita Makeover Series.)
Although it wasn’t 100% love at first sight, I was entirely in love when my makeover was complete, and for the next several years, my Casita was the perfect little camping trailer. She was also a big head-turner and drew lots of attention, from campgrounds to gas stations, with her painted brown shell (all Casita’s come in white).
Yep, I was 100% happy with my decision until an unplanned change came in 2017 — Roxie the Schnoxie, our new puppy, and our experience when we took her on her first camping trip.
I wished for more elbow room after placing her crate, food, and supplies into the Casita! It seems my little Casita is too small with our puppy and all her stuff!
Augh! This caught us totally by surprise as we have seen other Casita owners with small and big dogs. If it worked for them, it should be able to work for us!
But it didn’t, so it was time to look for a new trailer with more elbow room.
What Travel Trailer Should I Get Next?
For years Mr. Padilly and I have talked about buying an Airstream, and it appeared that day had finally come. The Airstream and the Casita are similar in shape, which we love, but the Airstream is a definite step up in elbow room and creature comforts. As soon as we returned from our trip, I began looking for a 19′ Airstream Flying Cloud.
After A LOT of searching, I finally found one on the same RV lot where I purchased my Casita. I went to the RV sales lot the next day, ready to make an offer, but my hopes quickly diminished when I saw the Airstream in person. It is fair to say this Airstream was off-grid — a lot!
There were dents and scratches all over the exterior, and the interior was worn (with signs of at least one giant dog). She was in rough shape for a modern Airstream, especially at her price. I felt my heart sink as I realized I wasn’t bringing this Airstream home and that it was not going to be easy to find another Airstream at our price point.
Hit by Cupid’s Arrow:
Knowing my dream of ownership was crushed as I exited the Airstream, fate stepped in — just across the driveway was a red 1961 Shasta Airflyte Reissue! I didn’t even notice her when I initially walked down the lot because I was so focused on the Airstream, but I immediately fell in love and began to check her out!
I never considered buying a Shasta Airflyte Reissue. I never even heard of the reissue! But this Shasta had precisely what I was looking for in a new trailer: storage, interior elbow room, and style!
I loved everything I was seeing and called Mr. Padilly to let him know there was a change in plans. He was 100% on board (and it didn’t hurt the cost of the Shasta was half of the Airstream). I returned to the RV sales lot the next day, hooked her up to my Jeep, and took her home.
Our Shasta’s First Camping Trip: Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground
I have previously camped in my Casita at the Fort Wilderness Campground at Walt Disney World (June 2016), and as you see in the photo below, we had a great campsite.
We genuinely enjoyed our time camping there, and with all the privacy and elbow room our campsite provided, we were barely inside the Casita except to sleep and eat breakfast (just the way we like it). And here we are again, camping in our new Shasta.
Camping at the Ft. Wilderness in the Casita was great, so camping in the bigger Shasta should be awesome. Right? Wrong. I’ve camped enough to know that camping at the same campground doesn’t always mean the experience will be the same. But this is Disney World, so my expectations were still high.
Unfortunately, our campsite wasn’t as private and roomy as our last visit, and it rained almost every day. In addition, Mr. Padilly was away during the day at a conference, so I spent more time than I planned inside our new Shasta. Thank goodness it had more elbow room.
This unexpected “inside the trailer time” made me realize, much to my surprise, that there were features I missed about my Casita but new things I was so happy to have in my new Shasta!
I’ve owned both my Casita and Shasta for over three years each and camped in both many times. Read on to learn the pros and cons I discovered in each trailer.
Mrs. Padilly’s 2016 19′ Shasta Airflyte Reissue vs. her
2006 17′ Casita Spirit Deluxe Travel Trailers
Pros & Cons via 5 Point Scale; 5 = Excellent
Interior Elbow Room:
Shasta 5 ~ Casita 3
More interior elbow room was the reason we decided to sell our Casita and get the Shasta, and the Shasta 19′ beats the Casita 17′ hands down with regards to square footage.
The two images below show the interiors of both my Casita and Shasta when I first bought them home.
While many Casita owners do pretty well traveling with pets bigger than ours and often more than one, little Roxie was a tipping point for us and made us yearn for more space for her to jump around.
The Shasta quickly met that need because she was longer and because this “tin can” is boxier, which means wider and taller, and provided more headroom — all pluses for the Padilly’s.
Vintage Design:
Shasta 5 ~ Casita 3
You can’t argue that the Shasta is vintage in design! The redesign was so exact that people came up to our campsite to share stories about camping in one when “they were kids.” They are shocked when they learn it is brand new.
Shasta, manufactured and owned by Forest River, recreated 1941 of these beauties (the year Shasta started) with a combination of 16′ and 19′ models. Our Miss Roxie is a 19′ Matador (red) #1185/1941, and Shasta (i.e., Forest River) took great care to stay as true to the original design while adding many of today’s modern amenities (many hidden from view).
While a Casita doesn’t pretend to be vintage, I have always thought that my Casita had a great vintage vibe due to its egg shape, and since mine also has a brown shell (genuinely resembling a little brown egg), I named her “Free Range.” I feel she is worthy of a 3+ on the vintage scale. (Note: all Casita’s are manufactured in Rice, Texas, and only come in white. Any Casita you see outside the white design has been painted or wrapped by its owner).
Kitchen / Cooking Space:
Shasta 5 ~ Casita 4
The kitchen in the Shasta offers more counter and cabinet space and has a larger fridge than the Casita, but both designs are very functional.
The image below is of my Shasta’s kitchen BEFORE I complete my makeover of this area.
While the kitchen in the Casita is tiny, its well-thought-out design makes it very usable. The following image shows the kitchen of my Casita AFTER I completed all the makeovers. If you are interested in learning how I did the glass tile backsplash, click here.
I never use the cooktop in our campers, but I use the microwave and fridge, which both trailers have. However, the slightly larger fridge in the Shasta is very nice, with more counter space and cabinets. You can never have enough counter space and cabinets. Right?
Bathroom:
Shasta 2.5 ~ Casita 5
Wow, if there is one thing I ignored when purchasing the Shasta was its bathroom. This oversight is even more unbelievable because the bathroom design was one of my primary considerations when checking out the Airstream. But like I said, when I turned around and saw the Shasta, Cupid’s arrow struck me, and I fell instantly in love — oblivious to any faults!
As I mentioned earlier, Forest River tried to stay as accurate to the original 1961 Shasta Airflyte possible. This goal resulted in the bathroom within a closet–a camper closet, no less. While the space is attractive, with a lovely vintage window, it is small.
I’ve always thought the Casita’s bathroom was small, but it is roomy compared to the Shasta’s, and the Casita’s bathroom even has a sink! Believe it or not, I did not notice there was no sink in the Shasta’s bath until I got home! No lie. You have to watch that Cupid’s arrow! At that moment, I realized there was no sink; I was not a happy camper.
While the following image of the Casita’s bathroom seems unimpressive, notice there is more legroom in front of the toilet and the sink. These two additions made the Casita’s bathroom quite functional. Also, the walls are mostly fiberglass. There is also a small window behind the toilet.
The Casita’s bathroom is VERY functional and well designed for a small travel trailer and is worthy of all 5 points in this category. On the other hand, the Shasta’s bathroom gets a 2.5 from me, but it gets the job done. I use it, including the shower, but Mr. Padilly prefers the park facilities standing six feet tall whenever we go camping (I’m 5′ 6″).
Full disclosure, however, Mr. Padilly used the park facilities about half the time when camping in the Casita, as the facilities have always been his preference. Also, keep in mind that many people who own travel trailers NEVER use their bathrooms even if they have one, preferring to use the campground facilities. It all comes down to personal choice.
Hookups:
Shasta 5 ~ Casita 5
Hookups are easy to access on both units. However, the smaller bathroom in the Shasta means a smaller black water tank (7 gallons) vs. my Casita’s 15-gallon black water tank. Because of the Shasta’s smaller tank, it required us to empty her sooner during our last trip without sewer hookups.
To avoid this happening on our next trip without sewer hook-ups, we purchased a Tote-N-Store Portable Waste Transport
(affiliate link) to use while staying at campsites, and because of the Shasta’s great outside storage, we can store it underneath without any concern for space. The addition of this Tote-N-Store kept us from having to drive the Shasta over to the dump station during more extended stays.
Another nice feature on the Shasta that is not part of our Casita is convenient wall controls that show the levels of the fresh, gray, and black water tanks, plus convenient switches for the lighting, water heater, heater, and AC. Of course, we can’t forget the Shasta’s fantastic hidden Bluetooth stereo system!
While my Casita did not have any controls showing tank levels, the valves were easy to access on the side of the trailer, making a hookup easier. And the large black water tank took away the worry of filling up too soon. However, the valve for the shower was a little more challenging to reach (located under the front of Casita).
Construction:
Shasta 3 ~ Casita 5
Owners of Casita’s are proud of the quality of construction of their little trailers, and they have every right to be! The two-piece fiberglass shell that makes up the Casita makes it very solid, which means minimal, if any, leaking as she ages. Plus, the added protection the fiberglass offers regarding any damage from road debris or accidental impacts is also a big plus.
In addition, the carpeted/insulated interior makes it quiet and cozy (this is not your 1970s carpet van). The carpeted interior was initially a big turn-off for me, but it has become one of the features I enjoyed most about my Casita; it kept the Casita comfortable and quiet. For example, if Mr. Padilly were outside and called out to me while I was in the trailer, I would not be able to hear him unless I opened the door.
On the other hand, the Shasta is a classic “tin can” (I say that with ALL the love in my heart for tin cans). Like many mainstream trailers, the Shasta has wood-framed walls on a steel trailer foundation with aluminum siding on the outside and paneling on the interior.
The image below gives you a peek inside one of the dinette benches, and you can see some of the wood frames and siding.
Because the Shasta has aluminum siding, they can dent easier (we already put a dent in our window rock cover).
Plus, their thinner walls bring in more outside sounds vs. the fiberglass shell of the Casita (which I might not have realized if I didn’t own a Casita first).
Older tin cans are also prone to water leakage issues because of their seams. To my surprise, we already had to address a “small” leak in our one-year-old Shasta. You can bet we went around the Shasta and proactively addressed any potential leak spots to assure she stays waterproof, and she has. 🙂
Air-Conditioning / Heating:
Shasta 3.5 ~ Casita 5
Our Casita has a dual air-conditioner/heater on the roof and a propane heater. We have never used the propane heater since our AC/Heater unit keeps the camper warm or cold! The Casita’s AC unit does such a good job keeping things cool (i.e., freezing) that we would bring a down comforter to sleep with, even if it was 100 degrees outside.
Trying to stay true to the vintage design, Shasta decided to hide the AC in a cabinet on the floor (versus a traditional ceiling mount). I am glad they did, as the Shasta wouldn’t look the same with a modern unit on the roof.
However, many owners, including the previous owner of our Shasta, felt they needed to put in a larger AC unit in the original location along on the floor (to cool the space better), and some owners have even installed traditional roof-mounted RV ACs. Since heat rises, having the AC near the floor on a 100-degree southern day can be a challenge, but our upgraded unit appears to be doing the job (along with the addition of a lovely retro-looking fan).
As for our Shasta’s heater, it is a propane heater and does an excellent job! We used it many times, and it made me want to camp more in the cold weather!!! We were delighted with it, as I’m sure all those owners who live in the north.
Storage:
Shasta 5 ~ Casita 3
As a Casita owner, you become pretty creative with storage, as the only storage you have exists inside the camper. In the two images below, the first image shows the storage cabinets located around the top of the Casita, while the second image shows the closet (back right corner). One quickly learns when camping in a Casita that less truly is more.
By comparison, Shasta’s storage space is lovely, especially for its size! Our 19′ has a large closet that some use as a pantry (we use the cabinet above the AC). There is also tons of cabinet space and something missing in the Casita, outside storage!
The following image shows you one of the outside storage compartments. This one goes the width of the Shasta. You can also see more examples of the wood frame and siding construction.
The Shasta had so much more storage than we needed (probably because we learned “less is more” from owning the Casita) that we took out some cabinets during one of my Shasta renovations (click here to see what we removed).
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Towability:
Shasta 3.5 ~ Casita 5
One area that EVERYONE who is purchasing a travel trailer needs to consider is the trailer’s towability. There are SO MANY factors that come into play, starting with what vehicle you plan to tow your trailer. Whatever trailer you are considering, it is crucial that you fully understand what to look for in a tow vehicle. It is critical to bring this issue up with the person selling you the trailer.
As for me, I usually towed my trailers with a Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel. This Jeep has a towing capacity of 7,000+ pounds. It had no problems towing either trailer, yet I give the Shasta 3 and the Casita 5.
Why? Aerodynamics. The Casita’s rounded shape makes it easy to tow with the Jeep. In fact, on long trips, I sometimes forgot it was back there (never a good thing to do)! The Shasta, on the other hand, is a box. The Shasta has a lot more sway on windy days (true for most lightweight boxed-styled travel trailers on the market), so you may need to invest in an equalizer/sway bar. I admit I am not the expert here, but here is a link to ToGoRV.com, which explains it.
CONCLUSIONS:
When compared side by side, my Shasta scored 37.5 out of 40, and my Casita scored 38 out of 40, only .5 points apart. Therefore, I give the Shasta an A- and the Casita an A.
Again, I based these scores on criteria I felt was important when purchasing a new travel trailer: elbow room and storage. Your requirements will weigh differently.
Also, keep in mind that these are two VERY DIFFERENT trailer trailers, and it is almost unfair of me to review them against each other. But these are the only two trailers I have owned. Now you know why I have purchased both and the pros and cons I had with each camper.
Hopefully, this information will help you make an informed decision. I also hope you find the exact travel trailer perfect for you.
Happy Trails!
Mrs. Padilly
PS: I took this picture when I was purchasing my Shasta. Ironically, a Casita was for sale right next to it. 😉
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