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Looking for a small trailer

LYH
Explorer
Explorer
Hello,

We are a family of 3 (myself, my wife and a 1.5 yo daughter) are looking for a used ( 2-5 yo) lightweight trailer for a cross country trip this coming summer. We will be towing with a 2006 Honda Ridgeline. The trailer should hopefully be not longer than 16-17 ft, gross weight of less than 4,500 lbs and will have a queen bed, bunk beds and a dinette. I was doing some searches online but couldn't find anything that matches this description. It is usually a dinette that turns into a bed, or all of the above but in longer and heavier trailers ( 20 ft and above...)

Any help on this matter will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

LYH
32 REPLIES 32

Jebby14
Explorer
Explorer
http://www.tilburyautosales.com/used-cars-trucks-ontario-dealer/1995-Award-Classic/vid-6300/

its bigger than you want but low profile and light. worth at least a phone call for numbers to see if its possible (do the math yourself don't trust them)
Q: Whats brown and sticky???

A: A Stick....

Jebby14
Explorer
Explorer
My trailer is a 1991 prowler 19E that is modified with a heavier frame axles and a rear cargo deck. its got a double in front a bunk above it and a dinet that goes down to a double. factory dry weight was 3400 lb with the mods and gear but no water (potable water removed just black and gray left) we come in around 4800 lb. I pull it with a 4.7L Jeep WJ rated for 6500lb. I do ok but you can tell im at the MAX my jeep can handle.
Q: Whats brown and sticky???

A: A Stick....

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
I stopped by the casita factory a while back since their layout impressed me more than the scamp and other small similar ones. they had a 16 footer that had a small two swivel chair dinette on the side and a large dinette in the rear that could be made up as a bed and left that way. at that time to get a decent length hang up closet you needed to get a roof ac rather than the low one that was in the bottom of the closet area. a nice setup
bumpy

LYH
Explorer
Explorer
Thank you all for the great comments.

Do you have any information on the lightweight fiberglass trailers like 17' Casita/Scamp/Oliver?

This might turn out to be an easy solution for easy towing with the Ridgeline...

Since I have only seen them online, I am not sure how comfortable they are and what is their resale value.

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
seaeagle2 wrote:
. Then you can't eat breakfast til everybody is out of bed...


I discovered that when the GGS was along. had to stand at the kitchen stove to eat.
bumpy

seaeagle2
Explorer
Explorer
Our Takena 1860 (not the BH with bunks) has pretty much the same floor plan. I think you'd find it way to cramped for 3 people, I would imagine the dinette seats 2 comfortably and makes into a cramped bed. Then you can't eat breakfast til everybody is out of bed...
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tatest
Explorer II
Explorer II
LYH wrote:
Thanks,
Any thoughts on this model?

http://roseburg.craigslist.org/rvd/5423306903.html


I am not seeing the bunk beds you required, but something might be built over the bigger bed.
Tom Test
Itasca Spirit 29B

tatest
Explorer II
Explorer II
A 16-17 foot travel trailer means a 13-14 foot box. I don't think anyone can fit your furnishings requirements into a box that small, unless the some of the beds go into tip-out tent ends, what is now called a hybrid travel trailer.

However, I've seen a 16-17 foot box (19-20 foot trailer) outfitted with a rear corner double or short queen bed, a single bunk over that, and a small dinette up front. This makes for a very small bathroom alongside the beds, kitchen in the middle opposite an entry door. Dinette will also make a small bed, and some manufacturers might put a pull-down bunk or pipe bunk above that, although pull downs haven't been very popular the past 15-20 years; these were more regular features in the 50s through 70s.

Who makes these? In 2004-2006 I was seeing them from Jayco and Road Runner. I don't know if there are new ones out there, the buyers have instead gone for the hybrids with bedding in the tent ends, because it means more living space inside the box.

If you can 19 feet of length, I suggest looking at Livin Lite's Camplite 14DB and 14 DBS, 18'8" length with a 14'11" box. The DB puts a single bunk above the large front dinette, which converts to a queen bed. This leaves room in the middle for a sofa (or optionally a two seat dinette). The DBS puts a permanent queen bed up front with single bunk over, and a two-person dinette in a slideout. This works for two adults and a toddler, assuming the toddler eats in a high chair, as putting the dinette in a slide makes room for the high chair.

If you must stay at 16-17 feet length, I suggest looking at some of the layout alternatives for the Scamp 16-foot egg trailer. Some options put a single up front with a bunk optional over it, and all have the large bed/dinette in the rear. Getting the front bunks means sacrificing bathroom space, one of the options being a small shower and toilet space in a side closet. There are also layouts with a larger front bathroom, and a two-seat side dinette that can make up into a single bed.

In the early 60s we traveled with a trailer on a 16-foot box, 19 foot length, that put a double bed overhanging the tongue (like a truck camper), dinette convertible to twin bed, larger-than-queen gaucho in the back with dual pipe bunks over. We managed to sleep 10, four adults (two oldest sharing the twin bed/dinette, because that goes back to the bed size for their early 20th century generation), two teens in the cot size pipe bunks, and four smaller children sharing the gaucho. However, this travel trailer did not really have a kitchen or bathroom, did have a fridge and cold water sink, and a pit toilet in a tiny closet-like space. It had no real living space, even when made up for daytime, it was a place to sleep, we lived outside.

After the older kids left the family this travel trailer was replaced by a pop-up tent trailer with a 12-foot box (but no bathroom). In Michigan's climate, it was ideal space for two adults and three pre-adolescent to early adolescent girls, taking it out to a state park with a beach for one to two weeks at a time. But this is not so good as a travel trailer, where you would be setting it up every evening, taking it down every morning, whether the tents might be wet or not (and in the midwest, they usually would be, on a summer morning).
Tom Test
Itasca Spirit 29B

gmw_photos
Explorer
Explorer
LYH wrote:
Thanks,
Any thoughts on this model?

http://roseburg.craigslist.org/rvd/5423306903.html


If it really brings that much money, then they did well buying/using/selling, because that is about what it cost new.

bobndot
Explorer II
Explorer II
That might work for you . I would construct a bunk to sit directly on top on the dinette. See the pictures posted by "insp 1505" in the link below . scroll down to the 11.37 pm post with pics.

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/24686379/print/true.cfm

LYH
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks,
Any thoughts on this model?

http://roseburg.craigslist.org/rvd/5423306903.html

2012Coleman
Explorer II
Explorer II
You may also want to look into rental.
Experience without good judgment is worthless; good judgment without experience is still good judgment!

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lawduck
Explorer
Explorer
You might check out one of the Pacific Coachworks (Econ, Mighty Lite, Panther, etc.) 16BB. They are double rather than queen bed, but very light (GVWR of 3850 and tongue weight of 290).

westend
Explorer
Explorer
I would think buying and selling a used Airstream would be the least financially successful path to take. You would stand the chance of a long resell duration and might take more of a loss with the higher priced trailer. With your Honda Ridgeline and schedule of events, a pop-up makes the most sense.

If hard sides is a must-have, then a small used trailer is your best choice. There are a lot of vintage trailers that will offer a basic camping experience and many of them are easy to maintain and fix.

Good luck with the hunt!
'03 F-250 4x4 CC
'71 Starcraft Wanderstar -- The Cowboy/Hilton