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John_Joey's avatar
John_Joey
Explorer
May 16, 2013

3,500 max tow capacity.

In our pursuit of fine tuning our snowbird lifestyle we're getting down to a tow vehicle. DW has her heart set on a SUV that can tow 3,500 lbs max.

All we need is a TT for 2-4 (max) weeks down south and then back. We have a place once we get there for long term. The question I have for you TT experts is do I have any viable TT options open to me given that weight? It would only be 2 people who never boondock except when forced into it.

45 Replies

  • There is not a lot of options in a hard sided trailer at 3,500 lbs max towing weight.

    You WILL be looking at some very small trailers, most likely not more than a bed.

    One of the ones that comes to mind is the Tab trailers, looks like the old "tear drop" trailers of yesteryear with today's prices :E they don't come cheap.

    CLICKY LINK TO TAB

    Another option could be a Aliner but I am not sure if they are still making them. Aliners are a cross between a popup and a hard sided trailer. Basically it has hard sides that fold up and down so you will have some setup and tear down work to do.

    I personally would not use a vehicle rated that low to tow much more than a Skidoo or such since those vehicles tend to be not really designed for towing..
  • Here's one like we used to have. It weighs around 2700 lbs dry. It's a Skyline Nomad 186. It has a bunkhouse that you can use for great storage if you don't have kids with you. We towed it with a Toyota Sienna (3500 lb limit). No problem. Click the link below:

    CLICK HERE

    And here's a picture of us camping in it and the minivan we towed it with.

  • My neighbor has an R-Pod that he tows with a Tacoma and the 4.0 V-6. He says it tows ok but wishes it had more power sometimes. The Tacoma has a pretty beefy V-6 and a tow capacity around 6000 lbs or so. My point is the R-Pod is tiny, and the truck he pulls it with has a much higher capacity than what you are looking for and hes not completely satisfied. I dont think you will find a combo that will be much fun to travel with considering the small tow vehicle.
  • There are some TTs under 3,500 lbs, but not many and they are pretty small. Google light weight travel trailer and see your options.