mattress

When I was looking for a small trailer, I looked at the fiberglass trailers like the Casita and found that they all had very low to the ground suspensions.  It appeared that even adding a lift, as I did to our Pod, would not allow adequate clearance to get in and out of the driveway, much less traverse a bumpy, pot hole filled Forest Service road.  Another issue was adequate headroom, though that is offset by lower outside height.  "At the end of the day" [an over used cliché] you have to try to match the trailer to your needs and should get what works best for you.  Best of luck in your selection.

And, Buckeye, congratulations on your new acquisition.

I would look at it this way(coming from a guy that has owned around 10 campers in 35 years), a reasonably priced used trailer won't be too much of a financial burden if you should decide to sell. If you are not seeing many used R-Pods in your area just widen your search pattern. There seem to be plenty in the mid atlantic. 

And I agree that the Casita or Oliver are better made, but the R-Pod is quite capable of doing many miles and many nights without any real issues. If you buy new, then decide to sell you will take a larger hit, even with the higher priced brands. 

I have a 2018 Rpod 178 for sale for $14K if you are still looking. It will be like buying a new one since it was rarely used and I will include all the extras we purchased: sway bar, cover, electrical cords, hoses. Pickup in Indianapolis. —Heather (hhandley@mac.com)

Originally posted by Royal1585 I am visiting the Casita facility tomorrow.  I was scheduled to go look at a used R-Pod today, but I think I have ruled it out.  I honestly have just read about too many little issues with the R-Pod that I don't think I would have the patience to deal with. Not saying there won't be issues with the Casita, but the fact it is a fiberglass egg-type rather than a "stick built" reduces the possibility of leaks, etc.  Costs more, yes...but just not wanting to deal with potential issues that seem to be more apt with "stick built" campers.  Thank you for all your advice.

I was intending to buy a used Casita until I got scammed out of 2 grand. In the end, we got the RPod. I'm glad we did because of the greater space and a better (for us) layout. The Casita would have been too cramped. If you believe it will work for you, then go for it since you will be better off with one that you feel is better for your needs and that you believe will cause you less problems.

Basically, you may end up chasing wild geese in the used market, since the final test is the live inspection of the trailer.  Some might look great in pictures, but when you see them, you realize that they used some careful photography to avoid highlighting the defects.  Effectively, you have to add to the cost of the trailer, the cost of traveling to and from to see each prospective purchase.  That can add up fast.  

Maybe it just boils down to cubic feet per dollar? R-pods & Casitas are in the same general price range, but there are more square feet/cubic feet in the R-pod(s). I know the slide-outs in many of the R-pods make a huge difference in usable space, and none of the Casitas (that I've seen) have a slide out.

Still a bit of apples to oranges.

We love the freedom it gives us.  We can pack up and go at any time.  Sometimes we get where we are going and sometimes we don't. Thats ok!!

I really don't think you save any lodging and food money by owning an RV, it's just knowing you can go wherever, whenever you like.

What I like most, at my age, is having my bathroom with me!!!!

I've owned both and now own an RPod. The Casita (in my opinion) is better built but has a few inherent limitations. No slideout=less interior space. Low head clearance (doorway is like 5'8", inside ceiling is 6'1"). 

We are both still working but we use it a lot on weekends, and we took a nice long trip this past summer for two weeks.