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On a nice evening, you and your spouse decide to take a nice leisurely stroll around the campground. Since you’re renting, you want to take a look at some of the other RVs. You want something that’s lightweight, and your spouse doesn’t want to sacrifice creature comforts or style.
Then you see it. A smaller travel trailer with rounded corners. It’s so different compared to all of the other RV’s around it, it might as well have spotlights and a sign that says “Best In Show.” Parked next to it is a small Ford Edge SUV.
You say to yourself, “That small SUV pulled this travel trailer? How the…”
For the rest of your walk, the two of you can’t stop talking about it. What is a Casita camper? Why haven’t we seen them at the RV shows? How much do Casita travel trailers cost and where can I get one?
History of Casita Travel Trailers
To truly understand Casita, you have to go back to 1968 when Ray Olecko introduced the Boler Travel Trailer. This was the fiberglass travel trailer that started the “egg on wheels” or “eggshell camper” concept. His 800-pound travel trailer was perfect for a family of four during the 1970’s gas shortage.
Olecko wanted to create a lightweight RV that would be easily towed by a four-cylinder vehicle. His genius was to create a fiberglass shelled travel trailer that acted as both the trailer’s frame and walls. His fellow Canadians loved his product, but American citizens weren’t too fond of it when he tried to expand into the U.S.
A Bolar representative approached the Eveland family to help expand into the American market. In 1981, Don Eveland opened Casita in Rice, Texas, with copies of the Bolar molds. To save it from financial collapse, John Lang bought the company in 1983 to reimagine it into the company it is today.
Eveland returned to Minnesota to help his family create Scamp. John continued to work with the Bolar molds to bring Casita back to life. Scamp trailers and Casita campers may have the same parent, but they grew to be direct competitors offering their own unique products to their customers.
The concepts behind today’s Casita trailers have held with Olecko’s, Eveland’s, and Lang’s goals. Updates with modern technology have kept them light enough that a four-cylinder vehicle with a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds can still tow them comfortably. A family of four can sleep in most models and they’re budget-friendly to the average North American.
Casita Trailer Models
When you explore the Casita Homepage, you’ll see a lot of choices. Many first-time buyers recommend the A-Z Owner’s Guide that gives you details about buying, taking delivery, and maintaining your Casita Trailer. It’s updated every year for accuracy.
If you’re just getting started on your research, we’ll give you a basic perspective of their RVs. Casita has five different floorplans. Four of them come in either 16 or 17-foot lengths. The Independence is the only one without a 16-foot length.
Casita Trailers Standard or Deluxe Features
Every model and length has a standard or deluxe version. The standard gives you extra storage space and a front sofa that converts to a bed. It also has a bunk bed that fits above the bottom bed.
The deluxe uses the front space for a wet bath. They add a 13-gallon black holding tank. Air conditioners are a general feature in the deluxe, but optional in the standard.
How Much Do Casita Travel Trailers Cost?
Once you choose which model you want, at this point, you can choose between the length (16 or 17 feet) and which version (standard or deluxe) you want. Here is a basic price structure for how much Casita trailers cost:
- 16-foot Standard: $18,424
- 16-foot Deluxe: $20,489
- 17-foot Standard: $19,496
- 17-foot Deluxe: $21,194
Keep in mind that these are the starting prices before you customize your camper with the many add-on options available. Casita travel trailers are not mass-produced. The company only builds a new coach when a customer orders one. Your total cost after add-ons, taxes, and various other costs will be higher.
Casita Trailer Standard Features
Casita trailers start with two marine-grade fiberglass shell pieces (bottom and top) fitted together attached to an all-steel chassis (they use the word “frame”). The insulation between the exterior and interior walls prevent condensation, heat transfer, and dampen sound.
The axles have rubber torsion suspension bars instead of leaf springs. This allows the trailer to sit lower, minimizes sway, and dampens road vibration. The overall aerodynamic design gives the coach a fuel-efficient quality. Many of these qualities are similar to an Airstream.
The main dinette folds down to a queen-size bed. The kitchen is complete with all of the appliances needed to prepare complete meals (there’s even space for an optional microwave).
Every Casita has full shore hookups. They have fresh and grey holding tanks. Water heaters are also standard. Deluxe models come complete with black holding tanks.
If you choose the deluxe model, the wet bath is nothing like a pop-up trailer. It has real walls and a door. There’s plenty of room to move around as you prepare yourself for the day.
Casita Travel Trailers Have 5 Floorplans
Each model of Casita has one floorplan. The versatility of each floorplan allows the people using it to have a camping experience that changes with them.
Spirit
The Spirit is a family-friendly unit with two separate dinettes. The rear dinette sits four and folds down into a queen-size bed. The side dinette on the off-door side sits two and converts into a twin sleeper that can hold an upper bunk attachment.
Main Specs of the Casita Spirit
- Dry Weight: 1,970- 2,480 pounds
- Length: 16 or 17 feet
- Fresh: 16 or 25 gallons (bigger on the 17-foot)
- Grey: 13 or 32 gallons
- Black: 13 gallons (deluxe only)
Independence
This model has two permanent twin size beds in the back with under bed storage. The standard has the convertible sofa up front with bunk bed capabilities, but many couples prefer the deluxe convenience of their own bathroom. This is the only model that doesn’t have a 16-foot version.
Main Specs of the Casita Independence
- Dry Weight: 2,210 or 2,480 pounds
- Length: 17 feet
- Fresh: 25 gallons
- Grey: 32 gallons
- Black: 13 gallons (deluxe only)
Heritage
How often have you seen a 16-foot travel trailer that can comfortably sleep six people? The standard Heritage, like the Spirit, has the rear and side dinette. With the folding sofa in front and the bunk attachments, you’ll have plenty of room for your large family. We recommend the white interior walls with this unit to further enhance the open feel effect.
Main Specs of the Casita Heritage
- Dry Weight: 1,970- 2,480 pounds
- Length: 16 or 17 feet
- Fresh: 16 or 25 gallons (bigger on the 17-foot)
- Grey: 13 or 32 gallons
- Black: 13 gallons (deluxe only)
Freedom
The Freedom combined with the deluxe features is Casita’s most luxurious travel trailer for empty nesters. You’ll enjoy the two padded chairs that replace the side dinette. You can drink your morning coffee while you enjoy the scenery through the big picture window.
Main Specs of the Casita Freedom
- Dry Weight: 1,970- 2,480 pounds
- Length: 16 or 17 feet
- Fresh: 16 or 25 gallons (bigger on the 17-foot)
- Grey: 13 or 32 gallons
- Black: 13 gallons (deluxe only)
Liberty
Those that enjoy a lot of sleeping room will enjoy this layout. In front of the fold-down dinette are two folding sofas that convert your queen into a king-size bed. You, your spouse, and your Husky shouldn’t have any problems finding enough space to sleep comfortably.
Main Specs of the Casita Liberty
- Dry Weight: 1,970- 2,480 pounds
- Length: 16 or 17 feet
- Fresh: 16 or 25 gallons (bigger on the 17-foot)
- Grey: 13 or 32 gallons
- Black: 13 gallons (deluxe only)
Add-Ons
Casita’s Add-Ons are too numerous to list. Some add creature comforts. Others allow you to take your camper off-road or withstand late-season temperatures but the add-ons do affect the cost of a Casita trailer. Whatever add-ons you choose, the end result is an RV that is uniquely yours.
Since Casita is a direct competitor to Scamp, some question which one is better. Each manufacturer has its own pros and cons. As we mentioned above, they were born from the same molds, so it boils down to which small differences suite you better (just like do you prefer Coca-cola or Pepsi?).
Buying a Casita Trailer
If you’re interested in where you can buy a Casita camper, it starts with your home computer or mobile device. Casita’s primary marketing strategy is their customers. Word of mouth or seeing one while you’re traveling has been very effective. It’s so effective, if you were to order one today, you can expect to wait anywhere between six months to a year for delivery.
The buying process starts with a walkthrough. If you don’t live near their showroom in Rice, Texas, or know anyone that has one of their units, you can go to Casita’s website to fill out a request. They’ll find one of their customers near you and make arrangements so you can walk through their trailer.
The second step is to contact the sales department. One of their Adventure Guides will take you through the ordering process. You’ll choose which floorplan you want, length, version, and which add-ons you want. While you’re waiting, they’ll be your primary contact person and let you know when construction has begun.
When it’s ready, you’ll travel to Rice, Texas to spend your first night in your new RV. They’ll walk you through everything to make sure you know how to use everything correctly. The next morning, if everything is okay, you’ll hitch up, and head out. If you can’t make it, you can ask them to deliver it if you live in the lower 48 states.
Rent a Casita Before You Buy One
If you want more of a trial run with a Casita, peer-to-peer RV rental companies like Outdoorsy or RVshare give you the ability to try them out. Some Casita owners rent their travel trailers out when they’re not using them. When you meet up with the owners to pick up the trailer, they’ll show you how everything works.
This way, you’ll have a whole weekend or longer to experience what the Casita camping experience is really like. If that particular model doesn’t quite fit, go back to the website and try another. Outdoorsy also has a lot of information from customer reviews, camping tips, and other information to help you make the experience that much better.
Casita Trailer Rentals are hard to find so start your search as far in advance of you trip as possible.
Conclusion
We hope you now have a better handle on the question: How much to Casita trailers cost? Most people we talk to that own a Casita travel trailer feel that they are a quality trailer and they enjoy them immensely.
We’ve been trying to find measurements for the wet bath and cannot find them anywhere. When we look on forums, people say stuff like, “I’m 5’11 and it works for me.” Or, “I’m 6’4 and I couldn’t do it.” If anyone knows the numbers, we would appreciate it!
Curtis
Would casita make some change to a new trailer? I’am a long time camper and know what I want. These would not be major, but to my like and need. Of course I would pay a reasonable fee.
Very good article but very out of date already. Current prices are quite a bit higher than that. 17′ Deluxe is $30,895 and they currently are running a discount of $5,201 for a final price of $25,694. This is with NO options. With options you are around $29,000 plus tax and title. However, they are still the best deal available.
I’m looking for a used Casita and am having a hard time finding one. I’ve checked RV Trader and RVT? Do you know why it’s so hard to find them and why they’re so expensive?
Hi Brian,
Casita owners are extremely loyal and will hold on to their trailers years longer than the average RVer (average is about 8 years). Since Casita makes each unit per order, their products retain their value much higher than the mass-produced counterparts. Therefore they cost a few bucks more and they are hard to find for sale.
Thanks for reading the article and for the question!
Mike