Do I give up my much loved Casita?

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Fox hunt

Where are the northwest territories northern Canada?

Hi: Fox hunt... Somewhere above BC, Alta, & Sask. By his own admission/ avatar... "steve dunham" lives there!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[thoer]

Originally Posted by Fox hunt

Where are the northwest territories northern Canada?

Wasn't Dudley Do-Right stationed there?

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Lisa M.

I have owned my 1998 Casita Spirit Deluxe for 11 years (I am the 3rd owner). Over the years I have enjoyed many great adventures traveling a number of states by myself, with a friend or one of my grown kids, and since I married five years ago, with my husband. However, I have been suffering from trailer lust recently, mainly for a 21' Escape, for several reasons. First of all, my husband is 6'2" and the bed is a bit short for him. In addition, at least one of us generally has to get up during the night, which means BOTH of us has to get up during the night. The shower is also difficult with his height. When we camp with friends or family and encounter weather (like last weekend), cramming four of us plus two dogs into the trailer to play games is tricky. I wish I had a dinette that could seat four (our bed is in the permanent down position). As we get older and our backs give us more trouble, tasks like getting those rear jacks down, pulling out the shower drain, and crouching down to light the hot water heater become more difficult.
One of the things we enjoy about the smaller trailer is traveling off the beaten path and being able to get into tight spots. The 21" seems so BIG!!! And of course, there is the extra cost, even after selling the Casita. To those of you with 21 footers, would our problems be solved with the upgrading? My husband is so attached to the Casita, but I might be able to talk him into an Escape. When we go to the rally again this spring I'm going to look at the Escapes again. Finding a used one in the western states would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but if it's meant to be, it will happen. And if it doesn't, we love our Casita!

If waking up your partner when climbing out of bed in the middle of the night is a concern, I suggest you try climbing out of your stick & brick bed out the bottom, not the sides. I don't think it would be any less disturbing if you use standard sheets & blankets climbing out the bottom than hopping over in a side to side bed. Separate sleeping bags might solve the problem with a 21, but puts a quash of cuddling...

While I love my 21, I have to fold back more than 3/4 of the sheets & blankets to get out the bathroom side; probably more for the one sleeping on the window side.

[Bobbie54]

Hi, Lisa!

I love my Escape. Granted mine is smaller (15) and older (2011) than what you want, but the quality is great and the space is well-planned. But you might as well be looking for one. Are you going to the Central Cal rally in May? (I'm not.) Usually a few Escapes there. Bill and Gisela have one but I forget which size.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Fox hunt

Where are the northwest territories northern Canada?

Originally Posted by Fox hunt

wow looking at the map that's very far north!

Yes, so far north that few Canadians have been there. I've only been there once by road (and twice by air).

Don't always believe locations in profiles I actually am in Alberta... about 1,000 km (600 miles) of trailer towing from the border with the Northwest Territories. Other people might live about a thousand miles from the nearest corner of the Northwest Territories, and much further by road...

[gbaglo]

I've been to Tuktoyaktuk and into the Beaufort Sea on an icebreaker.
One of the perks of being a news photographer.
I preferred sitting at the beach bar in Barbados ( on expenses ).

[Lisa M.]

Bobbi, so you got an Escape and gave up your forget-what-you-had with the pop up middle! How are the Corgis? Yes, pretty sure Bill and Gisela have a 21', saw it when they got it new a couple-few years ago. Unless they got the 19' and the other couple got the 21'. It was quite exciting, whichever! I do plan on going to that rally and hope to see Escapes again. Sorry WA is so far away!

[Mary F]

Like you, Lisa, we owned our 1999 Casita for many years (16, in fact). We moved up to a 21' Escape about 2.5 years ago, for several of the reasons you're considering it. We loved our Casita, but we love our Escape even more. (YMMV) Being able to seat four at the dinette on a cold, rainy evening is GREAT. Being able to pass each other in the galley is GREAT. Having enough floor space for two large dogs to avoid being stepped on is very very very good. Plus the counter space in the galley is GREAT, our Escape has an oven (which I LOVE), we chose our own fabric and formica (which I also LOVE), and we no longer spend much of our camping time schlepping goods back and forth from tow vehicle to trailer at dawn and dusk.

ON the other hand, the 21' Escape IS significantly bigger than your Casita. It's wider and longer. We use mirror extensions when towing with our F-150, and it's a little trickier to pull into (and out of) a gas station. Those things have been minor considerations for us, though. (YMMV)

Truth be told, a couple of your concerns could remedied by updating your current Casita: change that shower valve for a Hepvo, as was mentioned previously, and change out your water heater for one with electronic ignition (no idea how difficult that would be). But those things wouldn't make the bed any longer...

Escapes have had a price increase since we bought ours, but when we were considering the change, we were surprised by how favorable the currency exchange would be (was): our 21' Escape, new, was only slightly more expensive than a new 17' Casita would have been. Making the switch was a no brainer for us, and we have been extremely pleased with our purchase.

Again, YMMV.

[Lisa M.]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

If waking up your partner when climbing out of bed in the middle of the night is a concern, I suggest you try climbing out of your stick & brick bed out the bottom, not the sides. I don't think it would be any less disturbing if you use standard sheets & blankets climbing out the bottom than hopping over in a side to side bed. Separate sleeping bags might solve the problem with a 21, but puts a quash of cuddling...

While I love my 21, I have to fold back more than 3/4 of the sheets & blankets to get out the bathroom side; probably more for the one sleeping on the window side.

I cannot stand traditional sheets and blankets and have used a duvet cover of sheeting-like fabric to encase my down comforters for the last 25 years, at least. We have them on the bed at home, as well as the trailer. So to climb out I would just fold my half of the duvet to the center and scoot down--I hope! Duvets are the easiest way to go, both at home and in the trailer. Give it a try and I'd be surprised if you ever went back!

[gbaglo]

We have two sleeping bags zipped together to form one large bag. One is a 5lb. bag and one is a 3lb bag. If it's really cold, the 5 lb. bag goes on top. If warm, the 3 lb bag goes on top. If you are really hot, you unzip your side of the bag and hang your foot or leg outside.
Take a shower every couple of days and you have no sheets to wash.

[Bobbito]

I sleep next to the bathroom wall on our Escape 21’s bed and getting to the bathroom in the middle of the night is so easy. I guess it may be a little harder if you have mobility issues. We too use a duvet. Getting out of bed from the window side isn’t quite as easy for my wife, but FAR easier than climbing over me in our stick built trailer. That scene was absolutely comical, as I have considerable bulk. The less than queen sized bed seems bigger because you can lean on the wall a bit.

Bob K.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jake930]

Originally Posted by Lisa M.

I cannot stand traditional sheets and blankets and have used a duvet cover of sheeting-like fabric to encase my down comforters for the last 25 years, at least. We have them on the bed at home, as well as the trailer. So to climb out I would just fold my half of the duvet to the center and scoot down--I hope! Duvets are the easiest way to go, both at home and in the trailer. Give it a try and I'd be surprised if you ever went back!

What’s a duvet cover please?

[Lisa M.]

Originally Posted by Jake930

What’s a duvet cover please?

Picture two sheets sewn together on three sides with a comforter on the inside. On the fourth side is a row of buttons to button it in. Sometimes inside each corner are some kind of tabs to tie the corners of the comforter so they don't slide around (my favorite kind!). You sleep with the whole thing over you, and ever two weeks I pull the comforter out of the cover and throw the cover in the wash. Duvets (or comforter covers) come in fancy that you wouldn't want to sleep under or plain sheet-like, which is what I buy. That, a bottom sheet and pillows are all that's needed.

[Bobbie54]

Originally Posted by Lisa M.

Bobbi, so you got an Escape and gave up your forget-what-you-had with the pop up middle! How are the Corgis? Yes, pretty sure Bill and Gisela have a 21', saw it when they got it new a couple-few years ago. Unless they got the 19' and the other couple got the 21'. It was quite exciting, whichever! I do plan on going to that rally and hope to see Escapes again. Sorry WA is so far away!

Yes, I think they have a 21. They were just about to get it when I last saw you but then I saw it at an Oregon NOG a few years ago. I got a 15A so no bathroom, not made anymore but just a couple of feet longer than a 13 foot but that means long enough for a two person dinette or extra bed. Sold my Campster. The Escape is much roomier inside. (Having to change my garage door to fit it in, though-couldn't have kept it at home in Fresno.) I also had to get extension mirrors (though if I trade up to a bigger tow vehicle I won't need them.)

The corgis are fine, I only had the two boys last time and now have two now very senior boys and an almost-3 year old girl.

[P&L]

Originally Posted by Lisa M.

Picture two sheets sewn together on three sides with a comforter on the inside. On the fourth side is a row of buttons to button it in. Sometimes inside each corner are some kind of tabs to tie the corners of the comforter so they don't slide around (my favorite kind!).

We store our sleep system in the trailer and I find that using an opened sleeping bag inside the duvet works well for us. Love the duvet! Easy to make up the bed each morning, too!

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Lisa M.

Picture two sheets sewn together on three sides with a comforter on the inside. On the fourth side is a row of buttons to button it in. Sometimes inside each corner are some kind of tabs to tie the corners of the comforter so they don't slide around (my favorite kind!). You sleep with the whole thing over you, and ever two weeks I pull the comforter out of the cover and throw the cover in the wash. Duvets (or comforter covers) come in fancy that you wouldn't want to sleep under or plain sheet-like, which is what I buy. That, a bottom sheet and pillows are all that's needed.

Sounds way to complicated for the normal male . I have a hard enough time getting my sleeping bag zipped up.
Staying warm take precedent over fashion where I live.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Lisa M.

Picture two sheets sewn together on three sides with a comforter on the inside. On the fourth side is a row of buttons to button it in. Sometimes inside each corner are some kind of tabs to tie the corners of the comforter so they don't slide around (my favorite kind!). You sleep with the whole thing over you, and ever two weeks I pull the comforter out of the cover and throw the cover in the wash. Duvets (or comforter covers) come in fancy that you wouldn't want to sleep under or plain sheet-like, which is what I buy. That, a bottom sheet and pillows are all that's needed.

Sounds way to complicated for the normal male . I have a hard enough time getting my sleeping bag zipped up.
Staying warm take precedent over fashion and aesthetics where I live.

[h2owmn]

I have always used a sleeping bag and a bottom sheet, with the bag mostly unzipped unless I want a pocket for my feet. Thanks, P&L, for the duvet/sleeping bag idea. It'll be much easier to wash than the bag. I think I'll make a cover, with flannel sheeting on one side and regular sheet on the other! That way it'll fit my sleeping bag perfectly.

[P&L]

Originally Posted by h2owmn

I have always used a sleeping bag and a bottom sheet, with the bag mostly unzipped unless I want a pocket for my feet. Thanks, P&L, for the duvet/sleeping bag idea. It'll be much easier to wash than the bag. I think I'll make a cover, with flannel sheeting on one side and regular sheet on the other! That way it'll fit my sleeping bag perfectly.

I always get tangled up in a flat sheet under bedding; and you are right-- I have to wash the whole thing! We got our duvet at IKEA for about $20...I like your idea of flannel on one side and a regular sheet on the other! Basically, a duvet is pillow case for your bedding.
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/c...bedroom/10680/

Lorna

[Mike Lewis]

I have been very happy with my Escape 21. I picked it up in April 2014 and have since put 35,000 miles on it traveling all over the U.S., spending more than 450 nights in the trailer. On occasion I've even worked up the nerve to venture into Canada. If I had it to do over I'd definitely buy one again.