DeanCHS1980

Hi All,

I have enjoyed reading this thread. Laura and I own a ‘05 Casita 17’ Freedom Deluxe molded fiberglass trailer. We have owned it for nearly three years and have camped over 130 nights as avid weekend warriors. We love it!!! I have 5 years until retirement. We are currently downsizing and thinking about a used motorhome (under 25’) in a year or two. We will keep the Casita. By the time we retire in 5 years, we should know if we prefer a trailer under 25’ or a motorhome around 25’. 

I am a fan of Coach House, Pleasure Way, Phoenix Crusier, Leisure Travel Vans, and Lazy Daze. I prefer the Ford E350/E450 chassis. 

Thank you for the insightful comments and this thread. Looking forward to adding a small motorhome to our RV travels in a year or so.

Thx,

Dean

4 hours ago, sandsys said:

It is great to come out of the grocery store and put food away in the fridge/freezer so you can continue sightseeing without having to hurry back to camp. I also liked coming out of the laundromat with clothes already on hangers going straight into the closet.

Our first motorhome trip was in a rented Class C. We are train nuts. We stopped at a depot at lunch time to watch Amtrak go by only to discover a note saying it was running 30 minutes late. Back into the rig to eat then getting to see the train without having to worry that we'd not get served fast enough if we went to the nearby cafe.

When the weather changed while we were out we didn't have to regret not putting coats or rain gear in the car.

There are some real advantages to doing all your travel in your RV.

Linda Sand

Hi Linda,

I can definitely see the benefits of a small Motorhome without a toad, particularly if you can master the logistics of getting supplies and ease of transition from campground to road and back.

Take care,

Dean

Hey Jeff and Suzanne,

Love the PC videos by Earl and Kyle. I have watched dozens or more. I think PCs are amongst the best small Motorhomes on the market. Leisure Travel Vans, Pleasure Way, Coach House, and the smaller Born Frees are great small Motorhomes, but very pricey. I like the Winnebago Views and Fuses, too. What are your thoughts about the MB Sprinter chassis compared to the Ford E350/450 chassis.

Take care,

Dean

On July 8, 2017 at 3:44 PM, sandsys said:

Which is better depends on your style of travel. If you drive most days stopping to see the sights along the way, no toad is better. If you prefer to park for longer term stays, a toad is better. When we had no toad we were mostly doing things like driving Historic Route 66, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Natchez Trace, the Great River Road, Highway 1 along the California coast, Highway 2 across the northern states, etc. When we wanted to park long enough to explore a particular place, we would rent a car. That made us feel like we had the best of both worlds.

Linda Sand

Hi Linda,

Great points. Laura and I are only in our 2nd camping season. Luckily, our little 17' Casita if fairly nimble, so we can balance "camping" vs. "traveling". When we first started, I would have predicted us to be travelers; however, I have been surprised at how much we enjoy staying in one location for several days relaxing with the occasional day trips with our SUV leaving the Casita in the campground. 

We have about 8 years to fine tune our style before retirement and doing some serious RVing!!!

Take care,

Dean

2 hours ago, Jeff & Suzanne said:

Hi Dean. . .we too owned a 17 ft Casita Spirit Deluxe in our attempt to downsize from fulltiming in our 40 ft Foretravel.  However, it was way too uncomfortable for long periods of sitting inside during cold, wet weather, which was pretty much all we had during our first long trip.  Plus, when we got our second 25 lb Cocker Spaniel, the Casita became wa-a-a-y too small; so, we bought our 2012 Phoenix Cruiser 2400 Sprinter B+ (we named him Fawkes after the Phoenix bird in the "Harry Potter" books).

We do what Linda Sand sez in her posts about parking; and, It took some major realignment of our RVing style to get used to accommodate not having a toad.  We try to do our provision shopping before we get to our destination.  Fawkes has possibly the most cabinet storage, and the best, roomiest refrigerator/freezer we have ever owned, including the excellent Foretravel.  When we do find we need to break camp to go somewhere, we have quick detachable water hose connections; bike cable secured surge protector and Anderson levelers to make getting back on level a snap. 

When we are in places like Las Vegas (spending 3 weeks there at Nellis AFB in January 2018), we will rent a car as needed.  We will be spending two and a half months in Mesa, AZ with long time amigos, and when we aren't riding with them, we'll be using a friend who drives with Uber.  So, one can do OK without a toad if some planning goes into the mix and your RVing lifestyle develops into an enjoyable experience.  Happy Trails.

Jeff & Suzanne,

Our Casita is the Freedom Deluxe. It has the swivel chairs. Very comfy. You are right, though. The Casita is very small, but perfect for our current travels. Comfy bed, two person dinette with comfy swivel chairs, and a wet bath. That is all we need for our long weekends and occasional 6 to 10 day trips.

By the way, I LOVE Phoenix Cruisers. They are at the top of my list for a Motorhome under 30', particularly 25'. I love the 2350, 2351, and 2400. We were just looking at the floorplan of the 2400 the other day.

Take care,

Dean

Hi Kudzu,

I like your post. My wife and I are only in our 2nd year as empty nesters. I am still working for another 8 years, so we bought a new to us '05 Casita 17' Freedom Deluxe towed by a mid-size SUV with a V8. 

Laura and I talk about retirement rigs. We love molded fiberglass trailers and may end up with an Oliver, Bigfoot, or Escape. All are 21' to 25' long. However, we are intrigued with small Motorhomes (Class Cs/B+) under 25'. They have many advantages, but have challenges as well. The hassle of a toad or the hassle of not having a toad in terms of breaking camp to take a day trip, etc.

I am hoping there are more responses to your post.

Happy Camping,

Dean

Hi David and Kathy,

I am in long-term research mode, so I have no "real" experience!!! However, Phoenix Cruisers are fantastic units. They are definintely on my short list. I like the 2552. However, the 2910T is a SWEET floor plan. I bet this would be an easy transition from a 5er. Plus, you will really enjoy the quality of the PCs.

Keep us posted!!!

Take care,

Dean