Looking for a cure for cabin fever? The National Serro Scotty Organization has planned the 3rd annual Winter Camp-In, set for February 11, 2012. The camp-in is a fairly simple venture, and you don’t even need to hitch up or own a Serro Scotty to participate. Simply spend the night in your trailer (any brand, shape, or size) or just have a meal in it, take some pictures, and send them off to the NSSO.
The 2011 Camp-In accounted for 59 participants from 23 states, 2 countries, and 1 province.
Houston, Texas based Cricket Trailer will be featured on The Travel Channel’sExtreme RVs program Sunday night, January 29, 9pm ET and again at Monday, 12am ET on January 30.
The Cricket, with its unique shape made of aluminum composite sidewalls and pop-up roof, checks in with a base weight at 1300 lbs. It’s also framed in aluminum, adding to its light weight feature. Exterior length is 15′ and has a generous 6’2″ interior head room when the roof is extended. This environmentally friendly camper is engineered with state of the art materials and geared for the rugged outdoors. The two floor plans offered utilize every inch of space available in creative ways.
The Cricket offers a slew of options to make it a quite versatile unit, including A/C, a tankless on-demand water heater, solar panels, roof racks, and more. One interesting option is what’s called the “Kids Attic”, which amounts to a hanging cot for a person weighing 135 lbs or less.
Should be interesting to watch & learn more about the Cricket. Until the show airs Sunday night, here’s a sneak peak at the Cricket.
Amarillo, Texas RV dealer Jack Sisemore Traveland recently opened a 7,000 square foot museum to house fifteen classic travel trailers and motor homes they’ve restored and collected over the past 25 years. Several of the RVs on display have some sort of historic significance, including the 1948 Flxible Clipper driven by actor Jeff Daniels in the 2006 movie RV.
Others include the very first Itasca motor home ever built and the oldest Fleetwood travel trailer known to exist. There’s a nice range of RVs here, ranging from a 1946 Kit teardrop to a 1974 Winnebago. All told, the museum consists of trailers and motor homes from the 1930’s through the 1970’s.
According to the Amarillo Globe-News, the museum welcomed over 400 visitors in just the first week. Admission to the museum is free, and is located on the grounds of Jack Sisemore Traveland, 4341 Canyon Drive, Amarillo, TX, which is about 3 miles south of Route 66 (6th Ave.) near the Georgia Street/I-27 interchange. Hours are Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm.
(images courtesy Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum)
In a letter sent to supporters of the upstart Teal Camper, Teal International President Larry Drake is asking for financial partners to help move the concept forward. Due mainly to a tight manufacturing environment where manufacturers are unwilling to invest in small, start-up businesses, Drake finds his vision of a modular travel trailer at a crossroads and a shaky future.
“They have scaled back and limited their production to high end, high volume, proven products. This, combined with attempting to start up a new company on a small budget, has not only put the project behind schedule, but has created a financial crunch as well.”
Although the future of the Teal Camper is uncertain, interest from the public remains strong.
“It has been a hard road with many road blocks, although there has never been a lack of interest. In fact, we have well over five hundred people who would like to be camping in a Teal Camper if it were available, and hundreds more who visit our website weekly.”
Regardless, for the project to survive, Drake needs more investors and visionaries to move the project forward.
“The Teal Camper and Teal Shelter project needs someone, or a group, who can take it to the next level, both financially and strategically. If you, or anyone you know, have an interest and the means to launch this unique patented product, please contact me for more information.”
Little Guy Worldwide has launched the new web site for T@B, http://tab-rv.com. The URL for the site is the same one Dutchmen used when they were manufacturing T@Bs from 2003-2009. As we discussed with Little Guy’s Scott Hubble in October, rights to the URL were part of the deal negotiated with Dutchmen to acquire all properties relating to T@B. It was a smart move on Little Guy’s part to use the same URL, as Dutchmen put that web site on over 4,000 T@Bs they manufactured over a seven year span. Easy advertising.
While the new website offers a good amount of specs and photos, they state it’s still under construction and will be expanding in the near future. It was good of them to include photos of the assembly line as well as construction photos of a model in the early stages, which show the aluminum frame.
Although there is currently just one floor plan, there are several interior shots, highlighting the various fabrics available as well as the layout of the interior.
Exterior photos highlight some of the various color schemes available, as well as the T@B awning manufactured by Paha Que.
Overall, a lot of good info and pics for prospective T@B buyers. I’ve seen a lot less put into other manufacturers’ websites, so if this their “under construction” website, the real deal should be something to see.
Two years ago after we decided to upgrade from our T@B to a slightly larger small trailer, we attended an annual RV show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds to see what was new for 2010. By this time, we were sure we’d end up with a Serro Scotty HiLander, but I still kept my eyes open for other options. What we found was something I was interested in looking a little more into, although my better half had no interest.
The trailer was a 2010 KZ Sportsmen Classic 14RB. It was roughly the same size as the Scotty, while weighing a couple hundred pounds less. It was a 14′ rig with a front dinette, side couch, opposite side kitchen, rear corner bath, and rear closet. It was decent on space, although the look was boxy, lacking the “wow” factor the Scotty had. However, what kept me thinking about it was the price, which was about $4,000 less than what we ultimately paid for the Scotty. I figured I’d try to convince my wife we could save some money, yet still have a small, roomy trailer. Well, needless to say, that conversation didn’t get far, and five months later we were in our Scotty after selling the T@B.
But being a fan of small trailers, I still kept tabs on the KZ Sportsmen Classic. These things were everywhere and massively produced. They must’ve been popular based on the number of them on dealer lots throughout the country. The more I read about them, the more I learned about them, and the more I learned about them, the more I questioned my sanity for wanting one. After all, they were somewhat boring and they were entry level stick & tin trailers. Craftsmanship wasn’t the highest of quality, but hey, for $8-9K, you could get a brand new trailer with a warranty. A good option if you have a limited budget.
However, over the past two years the market has started to put the squeeze on the 14′ Sportsmen Classic. In that time, I’ve found (not to say there aren’t others) ten other trailers with the same floor plan as the KZ. Shall we start the slide show?
So, I think that makes 10. But what do you know, in the midst of finding all these photos, I came across yet another trailer with this floor plan. The Skyline Aljo Retro 140…
Photo courtesy Norm's RV
That’s a pretty impressive list of….sameness. For those who have difficulty making a decision (like me, so says my wife), I wish you well if this floor plan is one you like. Chances are by the time you’d decide on which manufacturer to go with, 10 more manufacturers will have introduced a 14 footer with this floor plan. Curses! I don’t mean to belittle these trailers. As I mentioned, they will allow buyers to get a new trailer with a warranty at a cheap price. Plus, they’re light enough (2300 lbs, give or take depending on options) to where you can tow with with most SUVs and mini vans.
So, let’s take a look at a typical 14′ travel trailer with this floor plan, shall we? Here’s a walk-through of a 2010 KZ Sportsmen Classic from the fine folks at Veurinks RV in Michigan.
One thing I’ll never forget about that day at the RV show two years ago was that both times I looked at the Sportsmen while we were there, the door entry was just a hair too short for me and I banged my head on the top of the door entry not once, but twice. I think I still have the knot in my head to prove it. But I’m still glad I listened to my wife and sticking with the plan to get a Scotty instead, as I think I would’ve been banging my head in more ways than one had we gone with the “popular” 14′ floor plan.
Little Guy Worldwide has recently uploaded a video overview of the 2012 T@B. It’s similar to their initial T@B video from last summer, but this one features a few new options that video didn’t, such as the outside shower option, 3-way refrigerator, and the screen door.
I spoke with Hi-Lo and Serro Scotty president Bill Kerola this week to see what the latest production news was for his two companies.
He’s still working on finalizing a manufacturer for Hi-Lo. Offers have been made and it’s at the point where a decision is close to being made. Depending on who the manufacturer is will depend on whether Hi-Lo will be sold factory direct or through a dealer network. As well as setting up a manufacturer, Kerola’s also been busy with the Hi-Lo’s mechanism that raises & lowers the trailer. He’s had a few different designs for that and is currently whittling his choices down. Still with these decisions to be made, the first Hi-Lo prototype is planned on being rolled out by April 2012.
On the Serro Scotty side of his business, things have been busy there. As we discussed in September, the Scotty Sportsman was to be redesigned. The new design will look a bit different than the previous Scotty Sportsman…
and also the discontinued Scotty Silver Sportsman.
Bill told me that it’ll be about the same size, but have more of a rounded shape, but gave no further details. So in the spirit of fun speculation, it could look a little more like the Sportsman that was first produced in 2007….
or maybe it’ll take on the shape something similar to an oversized Scotty Pup, which means it could look something like the now extinct Campfire 15.
What is known about the future of the Serro Scotty Sportsman is that it will have its own manufacturer. They’ll be made by a small outfit in Pennsylvania. If all goes according to plan, the first prototype will be ready sometime by early February 2012. So if you’re keeping score at home, all three models of the Serro Scotty family will all have their own manufacturer. The HiLander is still being produced in Goshen, Indiana by Cozy Travler…
Bill says he’s working on creating a better inventory of both the HiLander and the Lite at his Transfer, Pennsylvania dealership. As of December 12, 2011, he currently has 2 of each on his ebay store, as well as three new discontinued Scotty Pups.
With winter upon us and sales typically slowing down, this should be a good time for Kerola’s to start filling their lot with that Scotty inventory. As always, we’ll update you when details develop.
Now that I’ve reviewed a few of the smallish trailers I encountered at the RVIA show, one company stood out to me above the rest. Livin Lite’s Camp Lite series was the star of the show in my book. After spotlighting them in October, I was interested in seeing one up close & personal. The You Tube video introducing the world to the Camp Lite series makes it look like a nice, solid unit with a super light build.
Upon inspection of all the units Livin Lite brought to Louisville, I have to say that the Camp Lite exceeded my expectations, which were already rather high. I can’t say enough good things about the build quality of their trailers. Everything was just first class from fit & finish to the quality of materials used. As a “car guy” in a previous life, I’ve done my share of car judging. If the Camp Lites were in a judged trailer show, it would’ve been difficult to find any flaws to mark down on my score card.
This was also the debut of the optional “orbit” nose that will be offered. This is a nice little upgrade for someone wanting a rounded front, compared to having the nose with the standard angles.
Another new option is a wood grain look to the interior. This tends to tone down Camp Lite’s traditional utilitarian look of its interior.
Livin Lite isn’t the biggest trailer manufacturer out there, but they’re far from the smallest. All the “big boys” had a small trailer of some sort at the show in Louisville, and I looked at them all. I can honestly say that Camp Lite was better than most of them, yet not one of them was better than the Camp Lite. And that includes anything Airstream or Forest River had to offer. Camp Lite isn’t the least expensive trailer you’re bound to find, but given the fact that it’s made of aluminum and composites and is 98% recyclable, it could literally last forever. So you may pay a little more up front, but it could easily be the only trailer you’d ever have to buy.
So that brings to a close my thoughts on the field of small trailers at the 49th National RV Trade Show. A big thank you to Courtney Robey, Public Relations Manager of the RVIA, for extending the offer to me to attend so I could pass on my thoughts & opinions for the readers of The Small Trailer Enthusiast. Reports show attendance for this year’s show was down 6%, but based on the millions of dollars of trailers, 5th wheels, and motor homes on display, the RV industry in this country is alive and well.
Tuesday morning saw an early departure from home for the 130 mile drive south on I-65 to the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY for the 49th Annual RV Trade Show. Despite a 30 minute delay north of the Ohio River due to the I-64 bridge west of Louisville being closed for the past 3 months, I managed to arrive just before 10am.
Since it was my first time at the event, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. After several attempts to register, I finally found the press room where us “media types” had to check in. After signing in, I was told that I had some info to get in my mailbox. “My what?” Apparently all the media types had their own mail slot filled with press releases, company info, and even a 1GB flash drive from the fine folks at Go RVing.
I grabbed my mail and off I went. I soon found an area where I could look at the map they provided so I could coordinate a plan of attack for the day. After looking at the map, I wondered if 7 hours there would be long enough. My first part of the plan would be to just walk the entire show to get a feel for where everyone was. Just when I thought I had seen everything on my first walk through, a new wing popped up with either a whole big section of RVs or a wing of suppliers hawking their goods.
After awhile, the stack of stuff from my mailbox was starting to become a hassle to carry along with my trusty Nikon D-40. My mission soon turned from figuring out the layout of the show to finding a booth that was giving away free bags. I stopped by the booth of Denso Heavy Duty and they were kind enough to let me have not only one, but two of their bags for my growing stack of stuff. Now it was time to get serious!
Since I knew this would be my only day at the show and because I was there to find material for the blog, I focused on, obviously, small travel trailers. What I found from all the manufacturers in attendance is that there are a wide array of options across just about all income levels, whether it was the Airstream Sport 16′, which retails for nearly $40,000
to the lower end Jayco Swift SLX, which can be had for just over $9,000.
The majority of the trailers I went through had some nice, usable floor plans, along with various interior features that caught my eye. Then there were some trailers that I just liked because of their eye appeal. Here are some observations on trailers I liked for one reason or another:
The new Springdale Fireside: Not the most attractive trailer out there…
but the interior had this very nice looking rustic/log cabin look on the walls and cabinetry.
It was good to see Forest River has finally got a decent exterior package for the r-pod. What used to look like a circus trailer…
has now been upgraded to a nice cream base and a much more toned-down exterior scheme:
And since this post will likely be a little longer than usual and since it’s nearing 1:30am, I’m going to cut this post into two and continue over the weekend. I’ll return with some more that I liked, one that disappointed, and even my own personal “best of show”. Stay tuned!
The Small Trailer Enthusiast is a home for news on small travel trailers, typically 20' or less. Here you will find info on new models, industry news relating to small trailers, and any other stories I think you might find interesting. Have some small trailer news you'd like to pass along?
