A past video on the Travels & Travails channel about selling a Scamp and buying a Casita pulled in more than 700,000 views. A lot of the pushback was in the 17-foot Casita vs. 13-foot Scamp debate. So the team created the video at the end of this post, which compares the full Scamp line and the Casita 17. Which trailer wins by category, and why?
Price, sizes, and floor plans
On price, Scamp starts lower. The Scamp 13 runs from about $20,000 to just under $26,000. The Scamp 16 lands near $26,000, and the roomier Scamp 19 starts around $35,000.
The Casita 17 is also around $26,000, but Casita has financing, so it takes the win on price and buying flexibility.
Size is where Scamp opens things up. Casita sells one size, a 17-foot trailer with five floor plans. Scamp offers 13-foot, 16-foot, and 19-foot models, with 17 floor plans total. The Scamp 19 also has a fifth-wheel setup.
Scamp is the easy winner for variety.
Tanks, lead times, and towing
Scamp uses a 9-gallon black tank across the 13, 16, and 19 models, and it vents out the side. Casita vents through the roof. That matters if a toilet overflows. On a Scamp, the overflow can run outside down the trailer wall. On a Casita, it stays inside. Scamp also offers a dry-flush toilet, which may suit campers who don’t want that small marine setup, especially in the six-sleeper Scamp 19.
Here is the rest of the tank picture:
Casita/Scamp
- Water heater: 6 gallons/4-gallon on-demand
- Fresh water: 16 gallons, upgrade to 23/12 gallons/12 gallons
- Gray water: 32 gallons/21 gallons
Casita wins for tanks.
It also wins lead time, at about 12 to 18 months versus roughly 23 to 24 months for Scamp. (Note, according to another video I watched from Scamp, that lead time has significantly improved, so this is no longer a clear win for Casita.)
Both brands use a 3,500-pound axle, but Scamp is lighter. A Scamp 16 weighs about 1,750 to 2,000 pounds dry. A Casita runs 2,210 pounds dry in standard trim and 2,480 pounds in deluxe trim. Tongue weight is lower on Scamp, too: 185 to 220 pounds versus 295 to 395 on Casita.
Ground clearance, build, and fridge
Casita pulls ahead in rougher campsites. Buyers can add a high-lift axle and 15-inch tires, and that extra clearance matters off the beaten path. Scamp 13 and 16 models use smaller tires and don’t offer a high-lift axle, though the Scamp 19 does get 15-inch tires.
Their builds are close, but the floors differ. Casita uses wood encased in fiberglass. Scamp uses wood coated with fiberglass resin, which leaves the wood exposed underneath. Both can potentially suffer water damage, but Casita’s floor gets more protection.
The refrigerator category also leans toward Casita. Every Casita model gets a 4-cubic-foot fridge with a small freezer. Scamp 13 and 16 models get a 1.9-cubic-foot fridge with no freezer, while some Scamp 19 layouts get larger units.
Interior and options
Scamp wins on interior character. The deluxe models get birch or oak cabinetry, which feels warmer and more home-like than fiberglass cabinets and MDF doors. Scamp also offers clever layouts, including sofa bunks and a child-size dinette bed in one 13-foot floor plan.
Still, Casita has one layout advantage that matters to a lot of RV buyers: twin beds. That setup avoids the midnight climb-over.
On options, it ends in a tie. Both offer paid upgrades like air conditioning, furnace, awning, TV, and AGM batteries. Scamp adds a dry-flush toilet and generator option, while Casita offers standard roof vent fans, standard dual propane tanks, and upgrades like a larger fresh tank.
Final thoughts
The video says that, category by category, Casita comes out ahead. It wins on financing, tanks, lead times, construction, refrigerator size, and ground clearance. However, since this comparison was made, Scamp’s lead times have improved a lot.
Scamp still has real charm. The wood cabinets stand out. Still, for this matchup, Casita is the winner… unless you have your heart set on that 19’ 5th wheel. In that case, we need to compare Scamp vs. Escape. But that’s a post for another time.
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RVDT2911
Casita makes more than just one 17’ model. They also make the 24’ Discovery
According to their website, a 15′ Patriot model also.
Since you’ve written this article, scamp had made some major changes. They now have the scamp lite, a trimmed down version in both 13/16′. There’s also a higher axel bonding edition with a different axel, that allows each wheel to “bounced” on it’s own (I’m sorry, I forgot what it’s called). They’ve changed the cabinet doors on the standard to a nicer looking wood, n there’s windows with the sunshade/screen inside the frame. Also, the 13′ uses a 2200# axel standard, not the 3500#. Although it can be used. (I did, n it raised about 4″, which is perfect for boondocks!). Overall, they’re both great campers, I have the scamp 13′ n love it!
Casita has three different lengths, not one. They have 15 foot, 17 foot, and 24 foot trailers.
Headroom. Ceiling height. Can I fit inside ? Wonderful designs I am too tall or too big for.
I still prefer the Escape RV trailers, to either Casita or Scamp.