Why we chose a Casita Travel Trailer for full-time RV living

Back in 2013 we made our first attempt to live on the road full-time.  Thinking we needed as much room as possible to fit our house in to an RV, we bought a 30′ long travel trailer and the very thing we bought to live in turned out to be the very thing that killed our desire to live on the road.  That trailer was so large and cumbersome, it took a lot of fun out of the travel for us.  It was hard to drive down narrow, windy highways and we weren’t interested in attempting to get it down any forest or BLM roads.  After one winter on the road, we sold it and moved back in to our house that had coincidentally only been rented out for the winter.

This is how we ended up with our utility trailer.  We sold our travel trailer in Arizona and needed a way to get all our belongings back to Colorado.  We found that gem on Craigslist and not only did it serve the purpose of getting all our things back home but it became the perfect tool for our extended camping trips.  The next time we headed out for an extended trip (6 weeks) it gave us the opportunity to bring along all kinds of extra resources.  At 14′ we could take the thing just about anywhere the truck could go.

Fast forward to this Spring and the idea of full-timing again is a hot topic in our house.  We knew we didn’t need anything more than the setup we currently have, BUT, we couldn’t help but float the idea of having a few more amenities than what the camper and utility trailer offered.  Enter the Mali Mish family (@mali.mish), a family of 5 and fellow Four Wheel Camper owners.  They’d been living full time out of their FWC for over a year and decided to purchase a Casita.  A small, lightweight fiberglass travel trailer.  We were intrigued.  So as we do when we become interested in something, we began intensive research on these trailers that we knew nothing about.

Now, feeling like the Goldilocks of travel trailers, we felt like we’d found the perfect match for our needs/wants/desires.

A few things we desired that our current setup didn’t offer and a Casita would:

A shower.  We have a sweet camp shower setup.  It’s done the job well for years.  But its a lot of setup and teardown and sometimes we choose to just be dirty than set it all up.  And in cold weather, standing outside to shower was a no-go for me.

A comfortable area out of the elements.  We LOVE our Four Wheel Camper, that’s no secret.  But when the weather makes a turn for the worst is when that small space makes two adults and two dogs feel like they’re trapped in a sardine can.  We wanted a way to be able to ride out bad weather comfortably.

A dedicated workspace.  I thought I could work in the utility trailer but editing photos and videos in that thing proved to be a challenge.  I’ve been known to sit in there with a towel over my head as to get rid of the reflections on my computer. The problem inside the camper was if I was working nothing else could get done.  You only do one thing at a time in the camper and some sort of conversion has to be done to do the next thing.  I wanted to be able to work and leave my work station set up throughout the day.

A separate space.  I think one of the hardest things about living in such close quarters with your spouse is having to be on the same schedule.  If you’re not going to bed and waking up at the same time, you’re going to wake up the other person with just about any task.  We loved the idea of a space where one of us could stay up late and watch a movie or wake up early and go to work.

An indoor kitchen.  This never felt like a major priority for us as we love cooking outside but going full-time meant cooking three meals a day outside.  That requires a lot of good weather.  Being able to cook inside was just another element that would add to our comfort.

A few reason the fiberglass trailer seemed like such a better fit for us than the traditional box trailer:

Dimensions.  Casitas aren’t as tall or as wide as other travel trailers.  And the model we were looking at was 17′ in total length, only 3′ longer than the utility trailer.  Driving down our favorite narrow, windy highways wouldn’t be a problem and we felt comfortable that we could get it to most of our favorite BLM and National Forest campsites.

Durability.  We owned our stick and staple travel trailer for only a few months.  We bought it brand new off the lot and it was starting to fall apart by the time we sold it five months later.  From what we read about the fiberglass trailers, they hold up much better.  And since they’re exterior is made of two fiberglass pieces (a top and a bottom) fit together, they are air and water tight.

They hold their value.  These little trailers are highly sought after and for good reason.  They’re well-built and are hard to find.  If you do a Craigslist search for “travel trailer” you’ll likely get a lot of results but chances are there will be few to none of the fiberglass variety.

On Monday, a Casita came up for sale less than an hour away from us.  I was so excited to go see it on Tuesday that I could hardly sleep that night.  At this point we had yet to see one in person.  The moment we stepped inside we knew it was the perfect fit for us.  Not too big, not too small.  Just right.  And not only was it close to home but it was in perfect condition. The seller’s could not have been kinder people (we love buying things from good people) and the transaction could not have felt more meant to be.

We are now the proud, very excited new owners of a 2012 17′ Casita Spirit Deluxe

Yesterday we removed and painted all the cabinets and as I type this Mark is installing new flooring.  Not because these projects were necessary but because we think this Casita is going to be perfect for us and we want it to feel like home.

I have so much more to share in regards to how this all fits in with our Four Wheel Camper and more but for now, we’ve got a house to get moved out of and it’s time to get to work!

Stay tuned as we embark on our most exciting adventure yet!

28 Comments

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  • We bought a Casita 3 years ago and love it. So comfortable and practical. I think you got the best floor plan, I really like not having to unfold a bed every night, and that one person can be in bed while the other reads at the table.

    • Practical is such a great word for it! We’re going to use our truck camper as our bedroom but the bed in the Casita looks like it would work great if we wanted to use it.

      • I had to sell my Travato to help take care of an elderly family member. She passed, so I’m thinking of buying another camper. I’m going to check out these Casutas. Thank you for sharing. Brenda

  • Well Michele that is a leap but I agree on all your points. It makes sense and making your imprint with new floor etc. is all good. I like the floor plan as well. As usual Genie and I wishyou well and do keep us posted as well as you outfir it to accomadate your needs and style.
    Best Jim & Genie

  • Congratulations on your new home! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures with the Casita and how it’s working out for you. You two were a big inspiration for me towards purchasing a 4 Wheel Camper, love it!

    Bob, Carol and Eddie(the dog)

  • Sounds like a perfect solution for long term travel I would do the same. I have always like the Casita campers and of course love the 4 wheel camper (we are getting one in about 2 yrs) when we are in retirement mode. We are starting out very part time so that will be perfect for us.

  • Very cool Guys! I have done a lot of research on those as well and you are right, people love them! Lightweight, narrow and not too tall…perfect for you guys. We are in the process of a remodel on a class c that we just bought. Lots of work for sure but well worth the look afterwards. Looking forward to seeing your new adventures!

    • Since we’re now living on the road full-time, we’re actually really excited to have both. We’re planning on sleeping in the FWC and working/cooking in the Casita. We’re excited to have a division of space so that we don’t always have to be on the same schedule and we can do more than one thing at once like cook and work, etc. If we weren’t full-timing, the FWC is perfect.

  • My story is in reverse…got a 13 ft Scamp (another fiberglass trailer very similar to Casita) about 15 years ago and then most recently a 4 Wheel Camper. Have been wondering about using both during more exended trips. How does the trailer tow? Did you notice change is gas mileage? Any mods to the truck? Cheers and thanks!!

    • We’re just getting started with our new setup and will have more to report in the future. We’re also quite curious how the trailer affects our gas mileage. So far we love how it tows!

  • Hey guys. Im looking to upgrade to a f250/f350 from a toyota tundra (I have a full size FWC that is a little too big and i want four wheel drive) and I was wondering how you guys like your truck so far. Any recommendations for engine specs/ year?

    • We have a 2001 7.3L turbo diesel and love it. It’s got about 220k miles on it and runs great. Mark does all the maintenance himself and barring any major issues I’m sure we’ll have it for a while longer. The turbo does excellent over the mountain passes which was an important factor for us living in Colorado. It also can tow just about anything which has been more useful than we would have thought when we bought it.

  • HI, Do you still have your utility trailer? I have been looking for something similar to yours and haven’t had any luck. Would you sell it if you’re not using it anymore?

    • Hi Randy, it’s currently be stored and we’ve decided to hang on to it thru the winter until we’ve decided if living on the road full-time is what we want to keep doing for a while. If so, we’ll sell it next summer. Get in touch with us in May if you’re still interested!

  • Hi enjoyed your post,I have a fourwheel hawk on a ford f 150 supercab 4×4 I live in it full time and love it I a from MONTANA and fish the rivers here every summer.I was thinking of buying a used casita and doing what you did maybe use it in airzona in the winter
    How has it worked for you over the years. Thanks for a great post. Liam Whitefish ,Montana

  • Have you heard form other Casita owners who pull them with vehicles smaller that a full-sized truck? We have a Jeep 4-door Wrangler and a 1995 Ford Ranger. I have a friend who got a Casita and tows it with a minivan. The GVWR on all the models seems to run to about 3800 pounds. The gross tow weight on the Ranger is about 5000 pounds, and the weight on the Jeep is about 3500 pounds.

  • I’m interested in one of these. I currently have a 25’ WildCat. Now I’m a empty nester and don’t need that much room anymore. As a single Mom camping was my passion with my children and friends and it’s something I can do alone and enjoy.

    • I think a Casita is a great fit for solo travelers! It has everything you need in a really compact package.

  • I plan to install a Single Circuit Battery Disconnect Switch (aka “kill switch”) on my 2019 17′ Casita Spirit Deluxe travel trailer. Most likely, I’ll be purchasing a Blue Sea Systems 300a m-Series Part No. 6006 switch which is rated for 300a (cont.) with a max voltage of 48V DC. It will be located on the interior near the breaker panel. Maximum length of wire from battery to disconnect switch will be 5 feet. Does anyone have experience these? Specifically, I want advice on the size/gauge of the five foot wire which will run from the single 12V AGM Battery to the disconnect switch. Any/All advice will be appreciated. Thanks! Mike

By michele

About

Hi!  We’re Mark & Michele, a couple of modern-day nomads perfecting the art of slow, perpetual travel.  Our tiny home on wheels and slow-paced travel style allows us maximum freedom at minimal expense.  This blog is where we share our travels as well as our insights in to this lifestyle that we absolutely love.  Thanks so much for being here.

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