Advice from current or past Livin Lite owners, similar TTs

[Cairn_terrier]

We are about to become first time TT owners, basically seeking upscale backpacking quarters. We will travel very, very light and want quality construction over size. Lifelong backpackers, retiring to travel, hike, sleep in real bed, take our small dog.
Tow vehicle new 2014 Honda Ridgeline rated at 5000lbs gross max weight.
14db noted below is 2500 lbs, plus water, 500# max, plus a max of 500 of gear, mostly our very lightweight backpacking gear, miniature stoves, sleeping bags, etc. Target total weight of 3500#.
Questions: Comparing a Livin Lite 13db vs a 14db. I can see that we would get a bit more space/weight with the 14',and more cost.
Beyond that, what are your thoughts on these three specific items:
Single vs double axle. Is the double far superior and why? Does this indeed give me a huge margin of safety in the event of a TT tire blowout?
Wet bath vs dry bath. Is a wetbath a real pain? Wife will use this, I will most likely almost never use this opting for the outdoor shower 365 days per year.
Electric brake vs surge brake? Which is better and why?
Other CONSTRUCTIVE suggestions welcome.
Slams or criticisms that do not help me make a better decision ... not so much.
Thank you to kind replies.

[Cairn_terrier]

Thank you REXLION for your time and expertise/experience.

I copied this to my files. If/when I return to this idea of a LL purchase, and actually get one I will be diligent with my packing and tongue weight, do multiple small pulls to get experience, and then look at sway bars if I feel they are necessary.

We are at the moment, temporarily abandoning this entire idea due to this being a real pain so far. We retire in June, and nothing is pressing, so I am going to relax on this a bit. I put a rant on last night about the frustration of this buying experience.

Many thanks for your time, this was one of the most helpful postings I have gotten.

r

[rexlion]

I've towed many trailers, from utility to cargo to popup to TT, for a total of perhaps 200,000 miles. The thing that will bite you with sway is having too little weight on the hitch. If you have 10-15% of the trailer's weight on the hitch, sway is mighty unlikely with a TT of the size you're contemplating.

I tow 16' to 17' with my Highlander all the time. Wheelbase is shorter than your Ridgeline's. No sway whatsoever, and handling has been great. You should not need any sway control. I did buy and use an Andersen hitch during last summer's travels, just because I wanted to improve the ride (reduce front-to-rear bouncing).

Now, one time I had a scary sway problem with a 4x8 utility trailer! I was young and ignorant then, and had loaded it with a steel structural part that stuck out the rear and gave the trailer a negative tongue weight. So it can happen when you don't load correctly, like I did that time.

Unlike most folks, I have never felt that a tandem towed any better or bounced less than a single axle. I had a Rockwood 23' tandem and the drawers and doors would pop open constantly. My single axle 16' KZ doesn't have this problem. I had a tandem cargo 6x12 that seemed to bounce just the same as my single axle 6x12 (based on how it treated the contents). Of all the above, the one that felt unstable when towing was the Rockwood, so I used an Equal-i-zer WD/sway hitch with it and then it handled fine; I think the 23' length coupled with my 111" tug WB was the issue there.

Between 13' or 14' get the floor plan you like better (or can afford). I hope that helps.

[Francesca_Knowl]

For the record, I mentioned W/D hitch (and sway control) use only as it relates to the O.P.'s question about brakes. Those add-ons aren't typically compatible with surge brake systems; and evidently surge brakes come on at least one of the trailers being looked at.

[Cairn_terrier]

No argument, thanks for your comments. Yes, with my very limited knowledge, I would think a WD hitch would be best, and this is indeed in conflict with Honda, so I basically do not know what to do at this point.

Hopefully I will get some Ridgeline owner input, or be able to see if my Honda dealer can hook me up with Ridgeline owners who are towing.

I may even see if the service manager can get a question to the engineers.

thank you for your thoughts.

[gmw_photos]

Cairn terrier wrote:
Thank you all for your time and some very helpful comments. I printed all of these to add to my small, but growing knowledge base. I will continue to review these.

I need to recheck my Ridgeline book and will post a thread about that. I am almost sure that it said NOT to use a weight distribution type hitch, so I need to educate myself about this. I will post in the two vehicles area.

I'm not trying to start an argument here. But, I will be curious to see how you deal with the weight distribution hitch situation. You are right that Honda does not recco one, but to me, the reasoning is suspect. From the owner manual:

A weight distributing hitch is not
recommended for use with your
vehicle, as an improperly adjusted
weight distributing hitch may reduce
handling, stability, and braking performance.
=============

If we take that at face value, one could argue that if a user were to take the time to actually adjust the WD hitch properly, then perhaps it "would be ok to use one". Their statement sounds like a lawyer writing a CYA note in the manual. I'd sure be curious what the Honda engineers say about it.

My opinion is the trailer you are talking about behind a vehicle of that class and size would be better rigged with a WD hitch.

[Cairn_terrier]

Thank you all for your time and some very helpful comments. I printed all of these to add to my small, but growing knowledge base. I will continue to review these.

I need to recheck my Ridgeline book and will post a thread about that. I am almost sure that it said NOT to use a weight distribution type hitch, so I need to educate myself about this. I will post in the two vehicles area.

[windpusher]

Dual axles, less sway which is important for a lighter TV or for that matter any TV. Pulled a heavy, high sided popup with single axle for a few years but have noted when pulling a heavier travel trailer I had more stability with the trailer with 2 axles.

[rewindgy]

Ran a 2004 Funfinder 18ft 9" trailer with single axle- Ridgeline had no problem towing - but dual axle pulled better! Tried buddies 2007 same trailer with dual axles and it pulled way better! Not sure why, same trailer

[Dtaylor]

The difference between 13 and 14 feet will seem like 10 when you get stuck inside for any amount of time. (like a rainy day) Personally, I would not own a trailer that is not a double axle, even my boat is a tandem. I think they tow better with less bouncing. If all that is available is wet bath, then that what you get. They do not take up as much room as a full bath would. On a 13 or 14 ft trailer, all space will be at a premium. My boat trailer has surge brakes and they are not as reliable as electric would be. Surge brakes rely on the weight of the trailer to stop.

I love Livin Lite and what they do. I have never heard anything negative about them.

[Francesca_Knowl]

Love the Camplites! Been drooling over them ever since they first came out.

No experience as an owner-yet- but here's my take as a wannabe:

Though I've seen it stated elsewhere too, I dunno about that "double axle margin of safety" thing. On doubles, a single tire isn't meant to take up the whole load on that side and might actually mask the first blowout until it fails,too. Even if it doesn't, in the event of a blowout on one side, it's recommended that the remaining tire be at least internally inspected and preferably replaced due to likely internal damage caused by the sudden shock of uptaking the extra load. Failure to do that can and does lead to the "cascade of blowouts" one reads about here from time to time.

I've actually had a (completely self inflicted) blowout on my single-axle trailer. Two things I was "pleased" to find out during that experience:
-First, that tracking/control of the trailer remained stable even though I was traveling at about sixty and couldn't get over for almost a mile;
and
- The tire itself, though completely destroyed, stayed on the rim just as it's supposed to do according to industry standards!

I guess it boils down for me to: I doubt I'd base a trailer buying decision on that "redundancy of two axles" parameter.

Per surge vs. electric brakes:
I much prefer the latter, especially due to ability to manually apply from the driver's seat if necessary. Been a time or two with my small trailer that this is what stopped an unexpected sway event.

Also, surge brakes work by "opposing force", which means that they lock up if backing up even the slightest incline. Last, though this may not be a consideration on such a small setup: most weight distributing systems can't be used with surge-type braked trailers, and I believe the same is true of friction-type sway controllers.

Have fun and keep us posted on what you decide!