Offroad Travel Trailers in the US?

Great questions, and thank you for sharing your experience. This will be our first trailer, and we still have a lot to learn, and hearing from people who have spent time out in their trailer really helps. We really value your input.

profdant139 wrote:
That Creek Side 20 FQ looks like a winner! I watched a video tour and was very impressed. The thick insulation and enclosed underbelly are great. A few random questions and comments:

With that arched roof, will you be able to put solar panels up there?

I'm sure it can be done. Worst case scenario, we'd have to use flexible panels, which are lighter, but more expensive.

profdant139 wrote:
Can your van handle a 4400 lb. trailer? What is its tow rating? (I am sure you have thought of this already -- I am just wondering what a van can tow.) And you will need to factor in the weight of the cargo, especially the water, with that 66 gallon tank -- another 500 pounds.)

Great question. Our E350 is a 1-ton van; it can tow 10k. We searched long and hard for one with the reliable 7.3L diesel. Not all Ford vans can tow 10k, but the v10s and diesel models can. This is one of the main reasons we went with the van we did, as most other vans (Nissan NV & MB Sprinter) can't tow that much.

With the height of our receiver, we're going to have to either lift the trailer (which we were planning on anyway), or get a drop hitch, which shouldn't be a big problem.

profdant139 wrote:
The rear bumper looks stout enough for a two inch receiver for the bikes -- a big plus. And if you have two batteries on the tongue, you will have plenty of tongue weight to counterbalance the bikes.

Great point, I hadn't thought of that. It shouldn't be too hard to weld a 2" receiver onto the rear bumper. It's definitely stout.

profdant139 wrote:
It looks like there is a lot of extra room above the dinette on the back wall for extra storage.

Good eye, we didn't pay attention to that!

profdant139 wrote:
The walkaround bed is a big deal for full-timing -- we don't have one, and it gets to be a chore to make the bed and change the linens when we are on a long trip.

I'm glad you mentioned this. We didn't think it was a big deal. We're small, and we figured it might just be wasted space, but that makes a lot of sense why a walk-around bed would be good.

profdant139 wrote:
Will you be able to install bigger tires? It looks like there is plenty of clearance above the tires in the wheel well, but there is not much room between the tires, judging from the video I watched.

This was one big downside. I don't think we can install much bigger tires, or they'll hit each other on bumps. However, the 20fq is sprung-under from the factory, so we could easily gain another 4" of height by flipping the axle. I do wish, however, that they had spaced their axles farther apart like the Passports do. There's so much room to fit bigger tires on the passports. I don't think we'll be able to get away with 31s on the creek side.

profdant139 wrote:
Once you buy a trailer, you will have to start a new thread on your expedition modifications!

I promise we will. We'll do a video series on it too, just like we did building the van.



We're pretty excited about the prospect of the 20rq. We'll keep an open mind and see if there's anything else out there. We've shopped like crazy and done hundreds of hours of internet research, but each week we learn something new. We'd love to hear any other recommendations of sturdy off-pavement trailers out there.


Part of me wants to remove all the suspension on a TT one day and install an independent coil suspension like the australian guys. I'm no suspension engineer, but I imagine trailers can't be that tough.

That Creek Side 20 FQ looks like a winner! I watched a video tour and was very impressed. The thick insulation and enclosed underbelly are great. A few random questions and comments:

With that arched roof, will you be able to put solar panels up there?

Can your van handle a 4400 lb. trailer? What is its tow rating? (I am sure you have thought of this already -- I am just wondering what a van can tow.) And you will need to factor in the weight of the cargo, especially the water, with that 66 gallon tank -- another 500 pounds.)

The rear bumper looks stout enough for a two inch receiver for the bikes -- a big plus. And if you have two batteries on the tongue, you will have plenty of tongue weight to counterbalance the bikes.

It looks like there is a lot of extra room above the dinette on the back wall for extra storage.

The walkaround bed is a big deal for full-timing -- we don't have one, and it gets to be a chore to make the bed and change the linens when we are on a long trip.

Will you be able to install bigger tires? It looks like there is plenty of clearance above the tires in the wheel well, but there is not much room between the tires, judging from the video I watched.

Once you buy a trailer, you will have to start a new thread on your expedition modifications!

I did some more research today on lifting these tandem axle leaf sprung trailers. I saw a 5th wheel that had a 4" piece of rectangular tube welded between the frame and leaf spring perches. It made a significant difference.

We went rv shopping for a most of the day today. We found some great layouts,but ultimately we decided that a big rear window was a must for us.

We ended up checking out an outdoors rv creek side 20fq. It was great. Fantastic frame and insulation, great build quality, and an interior that wasn't hideous.

I think it's between the creek side 20fq or the nash 17q (though I haven't yet seen a nash in person). I also really like the late 80s avions, but those are getting tough to find in good shape, and they'd need some serious suspension work.

We are leaning heavily towards the creekside.

themoreweexplore wrote:

BillyW wrote:
Seems like an Oliver with a little suspension work might be suitable?

Olivers look to be absolutely fantastic trailers. I've been dying to see one in person.

Olivers are definitely a cut above. We camp with a friend who went to the Oliver when his Casita got totaled. He purchased a used, pre-shutdown production 18' that I would love to have myself. Oliver does have a page that you can contact them to get put in touch with an owner near you willing to show their trailer off if they can work it out. These are NOT for the light of wallet though worth it.

We used a StarCraft 2004 11RT pop-up for 7 years and found it to be ok for rough roads. Interior was not hardened at all, and required a lot of re-work and maintenance (I think ANY production RV trailer will have that issue.) Off road meant big tires, high clearance and a "cool off road look". It was like most trailers, built to carry 3,500 lbs on a 3,500 lb suspension. There was a huge tongue frame and a beefed up (compared to normal pop-ups)frame under the box but standard Dexter 3,500lb axles, brakes & springs. They added shocks and the axles were flipped - that was it. Do have to say never had any problems with the suspension. Definitely not a full time sort of rig either.

I have very limited experience in modifying TT's for rough (not off) road travel. I replaced the 11RT with a Eclipse Milan 18CK (chosen for price not quality!) 4k dry, about 5.5k with essential stuff. I immediately flipped the 2 3.5k axles and added shocks, went on a very short rough road trip and bent the axles. Replaced them with 3" axle tubes with 3.5k spindles (to keep same brakes/hubs/wheels) and later added Dexter EX-flex equalizer. Have not have any problems since.

Were I to try converting/raising any current production trailer, I would definitely consider engineering and adding a suspension sub-frame with 5k suspension/axles/brakes etc. One axle for up to 3.5k lbs and 2 axles for up to 7k. Just way too many bent axles and suspension failures on very new trailers these days.

Good luck with your search, keep us posted and I love your website & blog! Give Fender a treat for me.

We also saw a 19 foot premier bullet tonight that we really liked the interior of. I've heard horror stories about keystone tgough, and without bigger tires, it still wouldn't have the ground clearance I need.

It's definitely a balancing act. I want something big enough to full time in, but small enough to get back off the beaten path.

Ground clearance under the axles isn't what I'm worried about, it's more clearance with steps, black tank valves, stabilizers, and the jack and rear "bumper." Taller tires should help get all of that a few inches higher (at the cost of a higher cog).

My guess is that a cargo trailer would not be well insulated. Check out the Fun Finders (although a 189 is probably too cramped for full timing). The newer Fun Finders are very well insulated -- thick foam in the walls and ceiling. But if you want real four season capability, check out the Nash or the Arctic Fox. I have also heard that the Lance trailers are well insulated -- I am not sure if that is true.

Also, you could easily add extra insulation under the trailer -- I have done that, and more can be done than what I did. You could slap on a one inch thick layer of foam board, covered with an underlayer of coroplast. This would not affect ground clearance if the trailer axle is flipped -- your ground clearance would be determined by the height of the axle above ground. And with monster tires, no problem -- you might have more clearance on the trailer than on the tow vehicle.

The only thing to watch out for is the escape angle -- if you have a big overhang in back, coming out of a deep ditch can be a problem. Some folks put skids or rollers in the back, for just such an event. With my new trailer, the back has never come within a foot of the ground, no matter how rough the terrain. But that is partly because it is so short.

profdant139 wrote:
You are really adventurous! What about modifying a large egg trailer (maybe the biggest Casita?) and beefing up the undercarriage?

Thanks. We like to get out. Casitas are cool. I'd like to check one out in person some day. I worry that they may not be insulated enough, but I realize I'm not going to be able to get it all.

We also saw a fun finder x189fbs tonight. Really cool layout and awesome use of space. We thought of you when we saw it.

profdant139 wrote:
Or a well-insulated conventional trailer with all-aluminum framing on a steel chassis? Again, upgrading the running gear (including the axle) would be preferable.

Are you talking about an enclosed trailer, like a box cargo trailer? They seem pretty beefy and we'll made. I've seen a few converted for full timing. I need to look into this option more.

profdant139 wrote:
Although the expedition-grade pop-ups are very rugged, they may not work for you if you are looking to full-time, especially in very cold or wet weather. The same is true of a truck camper -- they can get kind of tight for full-timers. And I think there may be some extreme places a truck camper can't go that an ordinary truck can handle -- truck campers sometimes have clearance problems and center of gravity issues.

Really good points, and I agree.

profdant139 wrote:
Rather than finding a "go-anywhere" trailer, you may have to settle for something like what we are doing -- we tow the trailer to the wildest place that is still marginally towable. We unhitch and then take the tow vehicle to the trailhead, which is usually several miles further into the back country.

I think this is exactly the route we will be taking. No trailer will make it to every trailhead I want to get to? And that's ok.

I am a tread lightly master trainer. To me and most people, off road means off pavement. We always travel on designated roadd abd trails. We have spent countless hours working with the forest service and blm on restoration, mapping, and education projects. I appreciate everyone reminding others to stay on trail.

"My, what big tires you have!" 31s?? The trailer would look like it was wearing hiking boots -- excellent! A 20 footer is just about big enough for full timing, if you get along really well with your spouse. ;)

rexlion wrote:
I have one of these Li'l Snoozy trailers in empty-shell version, for cargo. But I can camp in it also. This has, I believe, the thickest and most rigid shell of all molded fiberglass trailers. The frame seems quite stout, but a person might be able to order one with a beefed-up frame if need be. I have put a spring axle on mine and increased the height about 4". With the outrigger type axle, one could do a lot of things with the wheels and tires... just re-weld the fenders higher.

Anyway, not sure if this is appealing to you, but thought you might get some ideas.

Super appealing, Thanks! I've been curious if the lil snoozies were as well built as other campers. They have some cool design features.

Got any pics of yours?

I saw a 20' jayco tonight with 31s stuffed under it.it was even still sprung under. I'm heading back tomorrow to take more pics. It really got the wheels turning in my head, I haven't seen tires that big under a trailer before.