Prolite trailer- worth the extra $ ?

GDP wrote:
Hello we are about to make a decision on our first TT purchase but the wife an I are at odds as to which unit to buy. TV is a Tacoma access cab 4X4 with towing package so 6500 LB towing capacity 650 LB tongue weight and 1150 payload capacity. The TT's we are looking at are...

Prolite Evasion 16 1890 lbs dry weight 165 hitch weight 7'11" overall height, 6'6" wide and 17'4" long.

Wildwood T175FB 2500-2900 lbs dry GVWR 3925 425 tongue weight 9'11" height, 8'1" wide and 21'7" long.

I want to go with the Prolite due to the lighter weight and smaller profile but she likes the bed configuration in the wildwood as well as the huge bathroom. The wildwood is $17995 and the Prolite is $27770 although I may have found a new 2015 out of province for $20995.

My question is would the smaller profile and weight of the Prolite justify the extra $$ when you factor in fuel savings and overall ease of use? Upgrading the TV is not an option and we will be crossing some serious mountain passes on some camping trips as well as going offraod at times. I would also like to be comfortable towing on long trips down south. Being inexperienced I jut don't want to tow something as bulky are the Wildwood or other "regular" sized TT's.

I would guesstimate (using US numbers) that one would get about 10 mpg with the Wildwood, and 13 mpg with the Prolite. You can do the math to convert to your numbers, fuel price, and number of miles you expect to tow. If you do a lot of traveling, yes it can add up.

I expect that your Tacoma can handle either trailer, although you may have to load the Wildwood carefully to avoid exceeding hitch weight rating of your pickup. I had a similar floor plan 23' Rockwood (another FR product) with a 380 lb (IIRC) dry hitch weight, but the 30 gallon fresh tank was under the bed; I bent a rear spring on my SUV (600 lb rated). So be sure to scale your tongue when loaded for camping.

The larger frontal area will make the drive train work harder and hotter at highway speed. The extra weight will come into play the most when climbing grades. You can do it, but you will be driving more slowly at times if you get the bigger TT.

The bed layout in the Wildwood is considerably better, and you will find yourselves appreciating the ability to exit the bed in the middle of the night without climbing over a partner.

I have owned some 16'-17' TTs as well as the 23' Rockwood I mentioned, and I have enjoyed towing the shorter, lighter TTs more. So I can understand how you feel about that.