Hello from Birmingham, Alabama!

[keithgugliotto]

Hello everyone!

My name is Keith and I'm in the Birmingham, Alabama area at present. Spent several months in my 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe last year, figuring out what my lady friend, Kalin, and I will need to full-time for the foreseeable future. Turns out a couple of people who like each other well enough and a digital piano that at least one of them can play can get along just fine in a Casita - but if a third, somewhat smaller person came along, as seems to happen when two younger folks tromp in the woods and spend most of their evenings reasonably near each other, they'd be short on space. So we're ex-Casita folk now, though we miss it so, and we're skipping 2-foot-itis, going straight to an Escape 21 with a completion date in early December. My family spent a year in Penticton, BC when I was 9 and we passed through Sumas and Chilliwack often, so the road trip to ETI will abound with new smiles and fun memories revisited. We've a good bit of downsizing left, and a house to rent out or sell, but we're picking up steam. We'll be out there soon and hope to make friends with as many of you as we can bump into!

 

[Rossue]

Hi Keith- Congrats on the upcoming 21; another Casita convert that makes me wonder if the folks in Texas are paying attention or view Escape as a niche market.

 

[Marry-ESC]

Moving up the ladder fast...
Though the wait is long, you couldn't have made a better choice.
Congratulations!!!

 

[gbaglo]

Sounds like a plan.

 

[casejh]

Hi Keith- Congrats on the upcoming 21; another Casita convert that makes me wonder if the folks in Texas are paying attention or view Escape as a niche market.

We live about two hours from the Casita plant in Rice TX and a long, long way from Chilliwack, BC. We studied this decision for a long time and came close to purchasing a Casita, which is a very nice trailer. However, after reading this forum and a trip to Chilliwack we believe that for us the Escape is the better choice, even with a long wait and a long way to go to get it in a few months. But we think we will be pleased with our choice and that it will be worth it for us. We know there are many happy owners of both brands of RVs.

 

[Jim Bennett]

Welcome, and congrats on you order.

 

[Rossue]

Should have been more specific - most Casita owners going to an Escape jump for a larger trailer. Am wondering with the sharp increase in RV sales due to approximately 10,000 baby boomers retiring every day whether Casita will build larger trailers as Escape did with great success.

 

[Greg A]

Ross,
There has been a persistent rumor that Casita was going to build a double axle, but had to retire the 13 and possibly the 16 to get the room to do it. The 13 supposedly is being phased out now, so maybe soon.
For the last year we've received reports from buyers that there has been no wait for Casita trailers except build time while Scamp has maintained 9-12 mos wait, so it would appear that they need to do something in Rice soon.
Interesting stuff, and I'm sure we'll hear more in detail at Quartzsite next week.

Don't mean to hijack Keith's thread. So Welcome, Keith and congrats on the 21 order!!!

 

[StarvingHyena]

Hi Keith and Kalin,
Welcome! That was a fun introduction .... thank you ... and I look forward to meeting you both out on the road sometime. Please don't be shy ... tell stories ... What's it like camping in the south? I'm one who has been raised in the PNW and has a strong curiosity about the opposite corner of our country ... I wanna come visit and know I'll learn a lot from your posts.

Again, welcome .... we are all friendly here.

Tom

 

[Donna D.]

Should have been more specific - most Casita owners going to an Escape jump for a larger trailer.

If buying new, it was explained to me that there was not "enough" difference between a 17' Casita and a 19' Escape to make the financial investment. But there is between the 17' Casita and a 21' Escape.

I wonder how what the split is? I'm sure not every 17' Casita owner bought the 21'.

 

[casejh]

My guess is that Casita sells more 17s than anything else, and could significantly increase sales with a longer trailer in their lineup. I was told that the 17SD is their most popular trailer. And yes welcome Keith and Kalin! I think you will like your decision and know you will learn a lot on this forum,

 

[Bill and Earline]

Hello everyone!

My name is Keith and I'm in the Birmingham, Alabama area at present. a completion date in early December.

Good morning, Keith.
From your post, I couldn't tell if you had seen enough 21's to be able to start making build sheet choices. There are two of us in the Chattanooga area. AT Hiker--Tom and Linda are the other owners. You could arrange to see both of ours if you like, and we have reservations for the informal gathering at the Townsend, TN KOA in April, where multiple Escapes have been known to show up in years past--like 10 or 12.
There's nothing Escape owners enjoy more than showing off their units to future owners. The owners' map on this site gives some contact info, or you can let me know and I'll give you more.
Bill

 

[Red Dog]

Conga-Rats on your decision!

 

[jrb1947]

I did. Just sold my Casita 17 and went straight to 21. More storage and I don't have to crawl over my wife to get out of bed. More counter space to cook. Wider. Not that much more expensive.

 

[Donna D.]

I did. Just sold my Casita 17 and went straight to 21. More storage and I don't have to crawl over my wife to get out of bed. More counter space to cook. Wider. Not that much more expensive.

oooh Jim! I see you live in Sherwood. Come to a NOG!

 

[jrb1947]

What is a NOG?

 

[Donna D.]

What is a NOG?

Gathering of all-molded-trailers!
2017, Spring NOG - Northern Oregon Gathering - Apr. 27-30 - Casita Travel Trailer Forum

2017 Fall NOG - Oct. 5-8 - Northern Oregon Gathering - Casita Travel Trailer Forum

If you come to either one of these, or BOTH, you'll meet people that hang out here on the forums.

We currently have 39 sites reserved for Spring NOG and 32 sites for Fall NOG. Looks like better get the lists updated!

 

[keithgugliotto]

So many stories from last year alone, Tom, though many are from a bit beyond the southeast. I spent the fall wandering through the northeast and New England, working at my picnic table during the week, exploring and finding lovely new people on the weekends, trying new beer, and, of course, contra dancing whenever possible. Some highlights were the farmer couple who hiked past my camp in Pennsylvania, taking a few wrong turns in a driving thunderstorm going through the Alleghenies on the way into New York, the skunk who crept into camp and ate my dog's food maybe seven feet away while I roasted sausages, the bold little chipmunk who hung out a foot from my elbow while I worked one day, the amazing colors on the way through New Hampshire, the hike at Franconia Notch, the tragic story a man told me about how he and his son came to not speak anymore, watching the surf pound the shore and harbor seals patrolling the coast of Maine, and the foxes of Fire Island. And it certainly didn't hurt my feelings to escape the heatwave I left behind in the southeast. I need to play with some ideas for letting these stories out. That's something Kalin and I want to get on sooner than later.

Most of my camping experiences in the southeast were long ago, before my mid-teens, but I can share some of what stands out to me about this part of our country. The trees tend to be younger, the undergrowth unsettled, still at war to reach the sky. Clouds here are often low; much, much lower than the big sky in Montana. We get so much moisture from the Gulf of Mexico that our rain totals are quite a bit higher than places in the PNW like, say, Seattle. Beautiful rivers wind over floodplains and through canyons, and they're terribly fun to play on. And the traditional food...well, it's so rich in flavor - and in calories, so it can be quite unsafe for prolonged periods! Our plan is to be here at the very beginning of each spring, to watch and feel everything wake and come to life, then head west and north as temperatures climb. Spring and fall are my personal favorites and I'm sure you'd enjoy them here, too!

I'm throwing in a pic of that chipmunk. They had quite a bit of peanut butter that day!

Hi Keith and Kalin,
Welcome! That was a fun introduction .... thank you ... and I look forward to meeting you both out on the road sometime. Please don't be shy ... tell stories ... What's it like camping in the south? I'm one who has been raised in the PNW and has a strong curiosity about the opposite corner of our country ... I wanna come visit and know I'll learn a lot from your posts.

Again, welcome .... we are all friendly here.

Tom

 

[keithgugliotto]

I bet, Bill! Casita folk are the same. I gave the 30-second tour and answered a ton of questions two or three times some days. I've only seen one Escape and that was a 5.0. I was beating up on an ice cream cone next to the Casita on the side of a highway in Maine when I heard a honk. Looked up to see the 5.0 pass by so I'm sure they were hailing a fellow molded fiberglass camper. It sure looked sharp, but I knew when I saw the layout of the 21 that it was the right choice. We might can make some time to get up your way and have a look but all the pictures and chatter here, plus the experience with the Casita, have helped immensely. I think the build sheet will be fun!

There's nothing Escape owners enjoy more than showing off their units to future owners. The owners' map on this site gives some contact info, or you can let me know and I'll give you more.
Bill

 

[Richard in Georgia]

"You can travel across this great big land, but there ain't nowhere quite like 'Bum-in-ham'"

Hello from OTP Georgia. We are a couple of boomers that are rounding third base headed to home. I've been studying TT's for a few years and came THIIIIISSS close to buying a Casita then decided on an Escape. Escapes are a rare bird - especially in the Southeast. Our decision between the 21 and the 19 was a lively debate between me and SWMBO, held in the opulent showroom of ETI in beautiful Chillawack. It is a very long story, (and not really all that interesting) but a better than new 19 dropped in our lap, ending the conversation. It's been sitting in our driveway for a couple of months taunting and beckoning us As we are busy rounding third we stay pretty busy, but we have two shakeouts planned for march before our first mini trip in April to jump into Merlefest in North Wilkesboro NC. So - happy trails to you - I'm sure we'll meet somewhere soon!