I'm wondering about factors that one might consider in the purchase of an enclosed cargo trailer to haul all that bulky, dirty sports equipment and nice stuff that we can't fit in the RV. (I think Reality Check built the model for this type of trailer with his endless ability and creativity.)I'm considering a bumper hitch, dual axle from 8'-16' - long enough to hold bikes, 13' canoe, SUP, extra camping gear, 30gal fresh water, and all the stuff that's now mounted on the outside in boxes, etc. It needs to be 7' tall, but not sure of width - wheel wells inside or outside cargo area. I am a huge fan of surge disc brakes so will most likely get them. Does the angled front affect gas mileage enough to warrant the loss of space over a squared fronted trailer? I doubt there is SxS or other OHV in my future.We do a mix of dispersed camping usually 1 or 2 nights enroute to a destination for 3-4 days and then home again. Or just run to a local place for 2-4 nights. Currently camping w a class B, Sprinter van, but just getting underway w our retirement camping.Thanks for your thoughts.

Are you planning to keep the Sprinter? That seems like the only limitation.Most of our camping is for OHV trips and anyone with a moho tows a cargo trailer for their SxS and cargo. They all seem pretty happy with their setups.

Lots of people I know do motorcycle racing, cart, 4x4, boat and other types of racing. Most of them have motor homes and pull trailers; the majority pull enclosed trailers. Just make sure the puller is sized and equipped properly for the task, in total.

We pulled an enclosed cargo trailer for years whenever we went dirt-biking for the weekends. It held the bikes, fuel, camping gear etc. Was a lot easier than trying to pack it all in a Truck Camper :) ... Other times, we camped without the trailer depending on the trip. Then we carried tents etc., for the kids. A lot easier with the trailer, but sometimes we didn't need it, so left it home and camped in places we could not go with a trailer.

Hi,As dedmiston asked, Are you planning to keep the Sprinter?If so, the first thing you need to do is to determine the true towing capacity of your Sprinter RV. I don't know much about the specifications of the various Sprinter chassis', but I do understand that different years/models/manufacturers will have different tow capacities. Once you know the towing limits, you can then see if there's even an option to tow a trailer with all of the stuff you want to put into it. Good Luck,~Rick

ability wrote:Are you planning to keep the Sprinter? That seems like the only limitation.Most of our camping is for OHV trips and anyone with a moho tows a cargo trailer for their SxS and cargo. They all seem pretty happy with their setups.Not sure if the van is the answer, we're a year into it so far. We've bought and sold a TC and we're trying to develop interests other than hiking so the need for equipment is multiplied. It's rated at 500lb tongue wt and 5000lbs max towing. Another major limitation other than capacity is the ability to pursue dispersed campsites and smaller campgrounds in NPs and N Monuments. So I think something around the 8'-10' range to keep the overall length at ~30' might be the most practical. Perhaps a little more height?

Cargo trailers to tow behind an RV | Good Sam Community

valhalla360
Navigator
Oct 31, 2022
cptqueeg wrote:

Not sure if the van is the answer, we're a year into it so far. We've bought and sold a TC and we're trying to develop interests other than hiking so the need for equipment is multiplied. It's rated at 500lb tongue wt and 5000lbs max towing.

Another major limitation other than capacity is the ability to pursue dispersed campsites and smaller campgrounds in NPs and N Monuments. So I think something around the 8'-10' range to keep the overall length at ~30' might be the most practical.

Perhaps a little more height?

500/5000 may be the rating for the hitch.

What does the door jam say for weight ratings?
Even better, swing by a scale and see what she really weighs.

Pulling a small car 4 wheels down uses almost none of the trucks payload. If you are already near max loading and add a 500lb tongue, you may be overloading it.

If you stick to a small single axle trailer and keep the weight down (say under 2k lb), probably OK but since you have the MH, just swing by a CAT scale and get real numbers rather than guess.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Oct 30, 2022
The uses you’re envisioning is solidly in the single axle trailer realm for cargo carrying.
You need to narrow down what you’re after, IMO.
And a 7 or 8’ wide x 16’ tandem will pull about as much heavier as you’d expect it to compared to a little single axle. Sounds like you don’t have enough vehicle currently to pull more than a 3klb giver take trailer anyway. (And not be ragging on the tow rig)
Square or v nose doesn’t matter behind a larger vehicle. Semi trailers don’t have v noses for the same reason.
Aside from that it’s pretty much how much do you want to spend.
Trailer prices have aboot doubled as well in the last couple years. So choose wisely.
The same model 6x12 trailer I bought new in 2019 (used it once and sold it) for just under $3000 is $4999.99 currently at the same dealer today.
cptqueeg
Explorer II
Oct 30, 2022
ability wrote:
Are you planning to keep the Sprinter? That seems like the only limitation.

Most of our camping is for OHV trips and anyone with a moho tows a cargo trailer for their SxS and cargo. They all seem pretty happy with their setups.

Not sure if the van is the answer, we're a year into it so far. We've bought and sold a TC and we're trying to develop interests other than hiking so the need for equipment is multiplied. It's rated at 500lb tongue wt and 5000lbs max towing.

Another major limitation other than capacity is the ability to pursue dispersed campsites and smaller campgrounds in NPs and N Monuments. So I think something around the 8'-10' range to keep the overall length at ~30' might be the most practical.

Perhaps a little more height?
Rick_Jay
Explorer II
Oct 30, 2022
Hi,

As dedmiston asked, Are you planning to keep the Sprinter?

If so, the first thing you need to do is to determine the true towing capacity of your Sprinter RV. I don't know much about the specifications of the various Sprinter chassis', but I do understand that different years/models/manufacturers will have different tow capacities.

Once you know the towing limits, you can then see if there's even an option to tow a trailer with all of the stuff you want to put into it.

Good Luck,

~Rick
monkey44
Nomad II
Oct 30, 2022
We pulled an enclosed cargo trailer for years whenever we went dirt-biking for the weekends. It held the bikes, fuel, camping gear etc. Was a lot easier than trying to pack it all in a Truck Camper :) ...

Other times, we camped without the trailer depending on the trip. Then we carried tents etc., for the kids. A lot easier with the trailer, but sometimes we didn't need it, so left it home and camped in places we could not go with a trailer.
nickthehunter
Nomad II
Oct 30, 2022
Lots of people I know do motorcycle racing, cart, 4x4, boat and other types of racing. Most of them have motor homes and pull trailers; the majority pull enclosed trailers. Just make sure the puller is sized and equipped properly for the task, in total.
dedmiston
Moderator
Oct 30, 2022
Are you planning to keep the Sprinter? That seems like the only limitation.

Most of our camping is for OHV trips and anyone with a moho tows a cargo trailer for their SxS and cargo. They all seem pretty happy with their setups.

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