Small trailer suggestions

[mavapa]

I’m a couple of steps away from buying a small trailer. I like what I have seen of the T@b 320 and 400, but they are pricey, new or used. Does anyone have a suggestion for a similar type? I want small, preferably narrow and light. I have looked around at several brands, but nothing has jumped out at me. I’m just wondering if I have overlooked anything.

[BackOfThePack]

mavapa wrote:
I’m a couple of steps away from buying a small trailer. I like what I have seen of the T@b 320 and 400, but they are pricey, new or used. Does anyone have a suggestion for a similar type? I want small, preferably narrow and light. I have looked around at several brands, but nothing has jumped out at me. I’m just wondering if I have overlooked anything.

— Why is “small” important?
(They don’t tow more easily).

— “Value” re money spent goes up in lineal feet increases.
(There’s a minimum, basically, and also a sweet spot for length/money)

— Inconvenience can weigh heavily after awhile.
(Constant hard use ups the wear rate of interior).

— Small capacities reduce boondocking ability
(Meaning increased energy use to go back/forth from
the store; propane supplier, get water; dump tanks, etc).

— Vast majority of its life it never moves. That IS the way to look at it.

The above is preparatory to asking:

1). How many years will you own it?

2). How many nights aboard annually?

— The “price” of the RV is the total number of nights aboard over those years.
Each night is worth = $$$

Shorter the period of ownership and lesser nights, the higher the cost of going camping.

The typical RVer spends too much as he keeps it five years and spends maybe thirty nights aboard annually. Then trades for another stapled cardboard box.

You’re say, age fifty and you plan to use this till you’re age 75?
(That’s a MUCH better starting perspective).

For a couple (even a family of five) a 28’ is a great size when it’s also quality. The type which will outlast your ownership. And there’s no need to buy new, much less buy over & over. My parents 1975 TT is still on the road with the second owners 17-years after they bought it. My folks had it thirty years.

“Used” (when you’re in earning years) just means an annual list of upgrades to tackle as time & budget allow. May not amount to much, or maybe you want to maintain the higher level of OEM quality.

TTs continue to go downhill from their 1960s quality. There are next to no true improvements save ducted A/C and distributed water-radiator heat.

The classic layout is rear full bath, beds going forward, and kitchen area with all appliances over the axles. The difference from there (length) was how big was the lounge area. (Dinettes separate are wasted space vs closets/cabinets). A full exterior awning package is what makes for camping versatility past “capacities”. One chases shirtsleeve weather (or, from 40F to 90F) to make the most of low thermal mass (all TT).

Greater clarity about NOW and SOME DAY will be of help. (Don’t discount being trapped by weather, days of rain, or being sick/injured. Don’t be FORCED out of the TT).

[tommyznr]

trail-explorer wrote:

Skibane wrote:
In many states, RVs under 4000 lbs. GVW don't require a title to sell

I've never seen a trailer (RV, cargo, utility, etc) traveling down the highway without a license plate on it.

Which states allow trailers to go on public roads with a license plate (and title)?

Wisconsin for one.

[trail-explorer]

Wade44 wrote:
The Founder/COO of Ember worked for both Thor and Forest River which should tell you something. I doubt he has had some divine intervention regarding build quality.

FAKE NEWS alarm just went off.

The Founder of Ember is not a "he".

Details here if you don't believe me.

[trail-explorer]

Skibane wrote:
In many states, RVs under 4000 lbs. GVW don't require a title to sell

I've never seen a trailer (RV, cargo, utility, etc) traveling down the highway without a license plate on it.

Which states allow trailers to go on public roads with a license plate (and title)?

[Caveman_Charlie]

https://www.scamptrailers.com/

To the original poster maybe one of these will be what you are looking for.

[Wade44]

dieseltruckdriver wrote:
The Ember brand might be worth looking at. I have looked at a couple of them and they are geared towards boondockers if that interests you. They seemed to be higher build quality compared to most. I didn't look them over closely, but the floors aren't "squishy" in them. They are in most, and for me that's an instant no.

I don't think they would be lightweight though.

Seeing that "Ember" is staffed from the top down with Indiana RV Industry insiders, I am not so convinced they're higher build quality. Two that jump out at me that made the same claims were Keystone RV and Grand Design. The same bozo's were involved with both, then lined their pockets and bailed out LOL. I owned both and they were low grade garbage from day 1. Every "new" manufacturer based in the Elkhart/Goshen IN area since forever makes that claim. Its all marketing BS. None have ever reinvented the wheel nor do they care to. The Founder/COO of Ember worked for both Thor and Forest River which should tell you something. I doubt he has had some divine intervention regarding build quality. Old dogs don't learn new tricks.

[Reisender]

afidel wrote:

Reisender wrote:

mavapa wrote:
So you tow with a Tesla? Pretty cool. I have not actually been inside a T@b. If I can convince my wife to go RVing, the 400 would be the preferred option, I think. If it ends up just me, I would probably lean towards the 320. But given the cost, I’m trying to see what else is out there.

Yah. We tow with a Tesla model Y. Great tow vehicle for us.

I think a 320 would be fine for one person. I believe there is a 320 solo floor plan just for that. They discontinued it this year but I believe they can be found used. Most people with T&Bs look after them do you might find a good used unit.

Hope it works for you.

Happy camping.

What is your Wh/mi when towing?

Depends on highways speeds etc. Our last couple trips were on secondary highways to provincial parks. Kinda off the beaten track. Max 80 kmh and quite often slower on curvy twisty valley roads. About 270 wh per kilometre ish under those conditions. Maybe 30 to 50 percent more on other trips. Depends.

Here is a couple of shots of the data on our second last trip to Mabel Lake provincial park. Maybe 70 kilometres from our house.



This one shows the cars projected use and actual use. It was pretty cold which maybe explains the deviation.



And when I say cold, yes that is a snow squall headed across the lake. It turned out to be a nice week but we were a little concerned. No snow tires etc. 🙂

[afidel]

Reisender wrote:

mavapa wrote:
So you tow with a Tesla? Pretty cool. I have not actually been inside a T@b. If I can convince my wife to go RVing, the 400 would be the preferred option, I think. If it ends up just me, I would probably lean towards the 320. But given the cost, I’m trying to see what else is out there.

Yah. We tow with a Tesla model Y. Great tow vehicle for us.

I think a 320 would be fine for one person. I believe there is a 320 solo floor plan just for that. They discontinued it this year but I believe they can be found used. Most people with T&Bs look after them do you might find a good used unit.

Hope it works for you.

Happy camping.

What is your Wh/mi when towing?

[CortesCamperOH]

Coming soon(June 2022)
https://www.cortescampers.com/blog

Made in Ohio by hand with pride !

[Reisender]

My apologies. The solo model is a T@B 400. Still worth considering. Neat floor plan.

Safe travels.

[Reisender]

mavapa wrote:
So you tow with a Tesla? Pretty cool. I have not actually been inside a T@b. If I can convince my wife to go RVing, the 400 would be the preferred option, I think. If it ends up just me, I would probably lean towards the 320. But given the cost, I’m trying to see what else is out there.

Yah. We tow with a Tesla model Y. Great tow vehicle for us.

I think a 320 would be fine for one person. I believe there is a 320 solo floor plan just for that. They discontinued it this year but I believe they can be found used. Most people with T&Bs look after them do you might find a good used unit.

Hope it works for you.

Happy camping.

[mavapa]

So you tow with a Tesla? Pretty cool. I have not actually been inside a T@b. If I can convince my wife to go RVing, the 400 would be the preferred option, I think. If it ends up just me, I would probably lean towards the 320. But given the cost, I’m trying to see what else is out there.

[Reisender]

I'll throw our 2 cents out there. We downsized from a 40 foot coach. We went to a T@B400. If you have the budget and are willing to wait for the build it is a very nice unit. Very good quality etc. Here are a few points that we are impressed and happy with.

- Balance. The trailer is designed with all the storage pretty much over or slightly behind the axle. The hitch weight changes very little with loading. Filling up the fresh tank actually lightens the hitch by about 10 pounds. The AGM batteries are mounted under the bed and slightly behind the axle. Really you can't load a lot of weight in a L@B anyway. There is just not a lot of places to put stuff.

- Hydronic heat and hot water is really nice. Really quiet and uses very little 12 volt, its also super efficient.

- Basement air and heat pump. No big gun turret on the roof. Helps with mileage of the tow vehicle (or in our case battery consumption and range)

- Fit and finish. Nice materials and very well done. Very european feel.

- Built in inverter, Lithium ready although we are staying with the AGM's

Here are a few pics. Not sure if you have been in one but worth taking a look. We tow with a fairly high performance SUV with a stiff suspension and 447 hp. Rear end squat is negligible. But heads up, Nucamp doesn't recommend using a weight distribution hitch so plan accordingly. Our trailer loaded for camping is around 3420 pounds and hitch weight around 340 pounds.

Hope you find your dream trailer. Safe travels and happy camping.

[NamMedevac_70]

I down sized. Small is very good.

[Skibane]

^One trait that all the decent-quality brands seem to share: They're all owned by relatively small, "mom-and-pop" companies.

None of them are owned by any of the big, profit-driven RV conglomerates.