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Old 03-14-2013, 05:40 PM   #21
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Can't recall seeing a Sport Tec trailer before. I have looked at a couple of similar ones. Problem with them has been, none of them were large enough. I need a good 70 square feet of floor space and payload of 2000 lbs. But thanks for pointing that one out. Maybe I can research and see if that company ever made a larger model.
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Old 03-14-2013, 06:34 PM   #22
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Hey, Mike!

About that 2,000 pound payload need:

I think the curb weight of the Snoozy is around 2200 pounds and gross 3500 (?), though of course that's presumably with its ordinary fixtures. Are you thinking that the bare shell would come in at 1500 or so?

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Old 03-14-2013, 09:14 PM   #23
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IIRC the bare shell version is 1100 lbs.
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Old 03-14-2013, 09:30 PM   #24
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Only 1100 pounds! You're good, then.

I'm amazed at how much the finishwork must weigh...it's not often we have that sort of info re. FG trailers, so this is real interesting to me.

Thanks!

Francesca
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Old 03-14-2013, 09:40 PM   #25
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If we're allowed to deviate from Lil Snoozy to other moulded fiberglass cargo options, I'll point out the Shuttle by Trailers Unlimited; an appropriate model might be a 6'x12' SH2000-S6 (single-axle, 6' wide body). They're here in Edmonton, but someone much closer might build something similar. The body of the models up to 6' wide is moulded in a single piece, and the rear opening is framed in steel and equipped with steel-framed fiberglass doors (I don't know how they handle side doors, but they offer them). It doesn't have a Snoozy's sophistication of body construction - it's just a gelcoated single layer shell like most of our trailers, with wood stiffeners 'glassed on the interior walls so they don't "drum" - but it's moulded fiberglass.

At least two Edmonton companies (Budget and Trailers Unlimited themselves) rent these out, and the ones I've seen (probably hundreds of times) appear in good shape, so they seem to stand up well.

The photo on the S6 page unfortunately shows a smaller model, but by coincidence it has the spare tire positioning which I suggested in another Snoozy thread.
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Old 03-15-2013, 11:14 AM   #26
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Great link, Brian- those Shuttles look pretty nice.

I'm surprised nobody's bought one and posted on here about converting it for camping etc...though you have to go up in size quite a bit to get more than six feet of headroom, the prices are sure reasonable.

Francesca
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Old 03-15-2013, 05:21 PM   #27
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Shuttle, I haven't seen them before. They look like they could work. I wonder what is involved in getting one of these into the USA from Canada?
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Old 03-15-2013, 05:29 PM   #28
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Probably a lot easier than trying to get a private-sale travel trailer across, since you'd be getting it from an actual manufacturer!

Here's an NHTSA link that describes some requirements.

Francesca
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Old 03-15-2013, 07:42 PM   #29
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Mike, is Lil' Snoozy able to build a back door/hatch that will allow you to pack the trailer the way you need? One thing about a cargo trailer is the back door. Typically the entire width of the trailer and often with a ramp. It's about your needs... have you seen the nose cone for "typical" cargo trailers? If you're looking to improve MPG.

Nose Cone Wind Deflectors | Cargo Trailer Wind Deflectors | Fiberglass Nose Cones I saw a Nose Cone on a cargo trailer today on my way home from work. Don't know anything about them...
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Old 03-16-2013, 10:25 AM   #30
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Donna, the standard Snoozy door is all I need. My cargo of books and gift items is hauled in 18 gallon totes, about 16"x24" rectangles, and they fit through a narrow 'people' door just fine.

Francesca, I looked at that NHTSA link. It's for motor vehicles, but surely the requirements for trailers would be not be more stringent... probably less so.
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Old 03-16-2013, 11:16 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles View Post
Great link, Brian- those Shuttles look pretty nice.

I'm surprised nobody's bought one and posted on here about converting it for camping etc...though you have to go up in size quite a bit to get more than six feet of headroom, the prices are sure reasonable.
The height spec is inconsistent in the website: the 6' wide is either 6' or 6'6" tall... and the next larger series is 8' wide. It's unfortunate for potential RV use that if you want a good length of bed crosswise, you have to go all the way to an 8' body, which is not one-piece.

I saw a camping trailer conversion of a Shuttle in Teardrops and Tiny Travel Trailers, and the owner/builder eventually joined FiberglassRV as well. It is based on a 5' by about 15' Shuttle, with an outside galley at the back and sit-up (but not really stand-up sleeping/living space in front). Looking for previous discussions of the Shuttle, a found a round similar to what this is becoming: Orca Trailers. In that discussion, Donna provides this information about Cathy's Shuttle conversion:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
I try to think outside the box when need fit meets functionality (and budget). Years ago we had a new member Cathy Mutch join us. She had a converted all-molded fiberglass cargo trailer she and her Dad had converted into a travel trailer...
Cool trailer! Check out her album. Pictures by catrinka613 - Photobucket...
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Old 03-16-2013, 11:23 AM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Magee View Post

Francesca, I looked at that NHTSA link. It's for motor vehicles, but surely the requirements for trailers would be not be more stringent... probably less so.
I think so, too...main relevance being that a trailer is a sort of vehicle.

The rules likely to apply, especially for a cargo trailer, are those relating to legal ownership (certificates-of-origin etc.), and maybe braking/lighting requirements.

Dunno about import tariffs... do folks that buy from Canadian Escape have to pay any???

Francesca
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Old 03-16-2013, 12:26 PM   #33
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I would be concerned about the carrying ability. RV's are not made for cargo. One can easily overload a travel trailer. They are designed to carry mostly air.
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Old 03-17-2013, 12:50 PM   #34
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The Shuttle trailer is an unknown in terms of fuel economy. Its shape is improved in front, but the edges are squared off rather than rounded. I would hypothesize that it will not do as well as the Snoozy. On the other hand, it's a lower investment and it seems reasonable to assume it will do somewhat better than a traditional trailer.

All things to consider and weigh in balance.

One question this raises in my mind is, why should the empty Snoozy be priced so much higher than a Shuttle of similar size? When they first began production, I asked the Smoaks and got an approximate cost, if memory serves, of over $9K. The 6x12 Shuttle is $5250. I wonder how much of that difference is in the cost of the 'sandwich' style molded body, and how much is in economy of scale (higher production of Shuttles)? Surely not markup..... well, I'll have to ask again, perhaps now that more Snoozys are being made the price of an empty shell will have come down. I tend to believe that interior build would be a substantial portion of the overall cost of manufacture, as it is labor intensive.
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Old 03-30-2013, 04:20 PM   #35
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I have a quote from the Smoaks and it is lower than the rough estimate I recieved when they first were starting up. I'm close to ordering one.

I have another question for Snoozy owners: what is the approximate height to step into the trailer?

I think Herschel or somebody got a bumper put on theirs, and it serves as a step. I'm trying to decide if I should get one of those.
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Old 03-30-2013, 07:48 PM   #36
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Herschel has added a folding step to his:

MODS

Don't know if this pic will give you any indication.

And here's another pic:

http://lilsnoozyclub-com.webs.com/ap...toid=169410449

Home page showing Herschel and Darlene in the pic:

http://lilsnoozyclub-com.webs.com/
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Old 03-30-2013, 09:34 PM   #37
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Just judging from the low-angle front-quarter view on the Snoozy site, it looks like the top of coupler / top of frame / bottom of body is about 18 inches off the ground. Depending on the floor thickness and any lip at the threshold, the step in could be an inch or two more than that. Owners or Smoakin' can provide a more accurate answer, but that's a starting guess.

This is more than twice the rise of a typical staircase step, so something better than just stepping up from ground level seems appropriate. A pickup truck-style step bumper could provide one step, with a fold-down or portable step below that. The folding step looks good, but I find a common aluminum folding-leg portable step provide a very stable and large stepping area, below our motorhome's built-in steps when site conditions make the first of those too high.
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Old 03-31-2013, 10:57 AM   #38
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I was thinking a custom "ramp" would be nice.
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Old 03-31-2013, 12:01 PM   #39
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I have been getting in and out of my old cargo trailer with its 17" high threshhold for years, so if it's about the same I can keep doing it. But I sometimes think a step would be nice.
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Old 03-31-2013, 12:14 PM   #40
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I like the portable step as suggested by Brian. I bought one of these early on to help my aging Mom get in and out, and have found it really handy for all kinds of uses even when not being used as a step. Holds three hundred pounds, folds flat, and sells for less than twenty dollars

Francesca

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