Forum Discussion

bobka7914's avatar
bobka7914
Explorer
Nov 30, 2014

Small TT Capable of handling cold weather

Greetings. My wife and I enjoy some cold weather tent camping in January with our pooch each year at Algonquin Provincial Park/Mew Lake Campground near Whitney Ontario! We currently have a 4 season Cabelas XWT 12x12 tent with electric heaters to keep us cozy and warm (Mew Lake has electric hookups!). It is very peaceful and beautiful. You can literally hear a snowflake hit the tent. Friendly, gregarious Chickadees & Nuthatches will eat bird seed right out of your hand. You have the whole campground to yourself. Anyway, we're getting a little older now and getting tired of hammering and removing tent stakes in the ground. So, we're contemplating buying a Toyota Highlander (or similar vehicle) with a small TT, something like a i18 Cobblestone made by Travel Lite. It has a heated holding tank pads. Or, is there a small TT (with Q bed, small kitchen, dinette, bath with small sink/shower) that you can recommend for that has year round camping capability (NE US, SE Canada)? Also, what can we do, if anything, to be able to use that will negate damaging the water tanks and lines in cold weather? Can a manufacturer add any options that will minimize tank/line freeze ups? Thank you for your advise. Hope to graduate from tent to trailer in '15!
  • FrankShore's avatar
    FrankShore
    Explorer
    Nov 30, 2014
    You should really look at a Lance 1575. They're just right for a Highlander to tow and they're 4 Season. They're on the pricey side, but you're getting what you pay for. Lance Travel Trailers
  • bobka7914's avatar
    bobka7914
    Explorer
    Nov 30, 2014
    Thanks for the suggestion!!! I like the 1575, but like the layout and capacities of the 1685 even better. However the dry weight of 3405 lb dry weight concerns me. Do you think it may be too much for a 2015 Highlander XLE with a 5k towing capacity to pull adequately and safely?
  • magnusfide's avatar
    magnusfide
    Explorer II
    Nov 30, 2014
    Only the 6 cylinder Highlander can tow a trailer. They state it's rated at 5000 lbs but it does require special modifications for the rad at the very least. When we had a trailer we went with the rule of thumb of towing at least 1000 lbs less than the max rating. This gave us the room to tackle mountains and other challenging terrain without straining the tow vehicle.

    There are a number of ways to deal with winter even without the extra insulation. I do recommend heated tanks if you do quite a bit of camping below 32F but you can get those as an option from most mfrs.
    We did a thread recently on winter camping ideas for an RV.
    http://forums.woodalls.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28077385.cfm

    Examples of heated water hoses here
    http://www.campingworld.com/category/hoses-reels-fittings/189
  • FrankShore's avatar
    FrankShore
    Explorer
    Nov 30, 2014
    You should get the definitive answer at the group online that is dedicated to Lance Owners Lance Owners of America Someone there will tell you if you can tow the 1685 with whatever tow vehicle you want to buy.
  • handye9's avatar
    handye9
    Explorer II
    Nov 30, 2014
    Check out Rockwood Mini Lite series. They can be had with electric holding tank heaters, thermopane windows, and heated mattress. There are a couple models that fit in your weight range.
  • profdant139's avatar
    profdant139
    Explorer II
    Nov 30, 2014
    Although Fun Finders are not advertised as true four-season trailers, we have just come back from a trip to Utah in very cold weather (9 or 10 degrees every night, days in the high 30s), and our trailer passed the test! So I would say that you might consider one of the well-insulated small Fun Finders. You could probably add heat tape to the tanks, as long as you are going to a campground with hookups.

    Here is a link to our blog posting, where we discuss the trailer's ability to handle the cold:

    Utah in November -- small trailer, very cold weather, no problem
  • gtkato's avatar
    gtkato
    Explorer
    Nov 30, 2014
    I towed our 2012 Lance 1685 with a Nissan V-6, then a Durango V-8. Both struggled and strained on Mountain roads. I would say the Highlander would be straining most of the time except on flat terrain.
    The 1575 would tow great, and even smaller would be an R-Pod with tank pads.
  • nomadictxn's avatar
    nomadictxn
    Explorer
    Nov 30, 2014
    I really think that almost anyone will tell you to go superlite with little options or get a vehicle more adept at towing. Buying a tow vehicle capable of easily hauling a load thats set up from the factory with a brake controller, trans cooler etc. Can be cheaper and safer in the long run.

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