Small Trailer Guidance

[limerence]

Hi Folks,

New to the forum and the trailer world altogether and not sure exactly where to start. The wife and I have 2 dogs and looking to start a family soon. I have a 1999 Ford Diesel E350 Van but also a 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon. With that said, that would be nice to pick up a small trailer that could be towed by either. I think with those requirements, I would automatically land at a 13 ft trailer?

If thats the case...

1) Are there reputable brands to look for?

2) Are there certain years where there were advancements that would be better to look for?

3) I'm 6'3", would I fit in a bed with the wife?

4) Do they come with a double or queen size bed in addition to a dinette AND bathroom?

Thanks in advance.
-John

[ripple]

Lil Snoozy has 6'4" headroom, short queen bed 60x76, sofa with table, sink, toilet with shower, Trailer Specifications: Camper: Smoakin Concepts Composites

[Jon in AZ]

Hi, John!

I'll start with a note about length. Molded fiberglass manufacturers designate models by the total length (bumper to tongue). So the actual cabin length is about 3' less in most cases. My Scamp 13 has a 10' cabin. A Scamp 16 has a 13' cabin, etc. It's an older convention, which Airstream still uses, I believe, so we're in good company. However, most conventional framed trailers designate models by cabin length. It's something to be aware of when you're making comparisons.

It also explains why no 13' egg includes all the things you listed- double or queen bed, separate dinette, and a bathroom- in a 10' cabin. You pretty much have to go to 16' or larger to get all those things, and even then there may be compromises. You might want to go to Scamp's website and look at their various layouts. They sell more 13'ers than any current manufacturer and offer the most choices. They also make several 16' layouts.

Next a note about weight. Eggs are among the lightest full-height travel trailers you can buy, but they are not as light as some sources might lead you to think. A very basic 13'er- rear dinette, center galley, front sofa/bunks, no bath- weighs about 1500-1800 pounds loaded for travel. A 16'er (with separate dinette and bathroom) will weigh between 2400-2800 pounds loaded. See the thread Trailer Weights in the Real World for actual loaded weight data for a variety of makes and models. Post #297 links to a spreadsheet of the data.

All this may influence whether you will look for a trailer you can pull with both vehicles. I don't know about yours, but I believe recent VW TDIs are only rated to tow 1000 pounds in North America. Whether or not it's prudent to exceed that number is a very controversial issue hereabouts…

Third, a note about height. Not many egg trailers offer stand-up headroom for a 6'3" person. The only 13'ers that might are the vintage rear-entry models (Hunter Compacts and Trailswest Campsters) with a pop-up roof section. Among current offerings, the only ones that offer at least 6'3" headroom are Escape (19' and larger), Bigfoot, Parkliner, Lil Snoozy, Egg Camper, and Oliver (23.5' only). Some taller members report it is possible to make do with less than full headroom, but as I am not "height challenged" myself I can't really say.

Last, a note about bed sizes. Be aware that RVs in general do not follow the residential conventions for full-queen-king. Bed sizes are all over the map. The "double" bed in my 13' Scamp measures 45"x76", for example. Some manufacturers are forthright in their specs about the actual bed dimensions; others, not so much. By most accounts, bed size is more important than ceiling height for a tall person, since a comfortable night's sleep is (arguably) the most important function of a trailer. The Bed Sizes thread might be of some help, especially with out-of-production models.

Hope some of this is helpful. Best wishes getting it all sorted out and finding the right trailer for you!

[limerence]

Thanks Ripple and Jon!

After thinking about what you wrote I think I would probably go with a 13" trailer and give up the bed, bathroom, and dinette dream. Maybe give up the dinette and just squat? Reason being is that I would like to be able to two with the Jetta if possible. The hitch I had installed was a custom one from Eckharts Custom Hitches in CA and rated at 2k lbs. Not only that, I don't have a lot of real estate in terms of parking at my house so the smaller size is preferential.

And you are right Jon, its ok if I stand up and hit my head but a cramped bed would be harder for me to deal with. Although it depends on the wife's approval, we may upgrade the Ford E350 to a 2006 Dodge Sprinter if we can find a good deal on one. I was looking at Sportsmobiles as a potential combo but they are cost prohibitive.

You both mentioned Lil Snoozy and Scamp. Are those the brands that stand out in quality to look into (not sure if there are big differences between manufacturers or not)? And are there any year differences with big improvements (sorry, relating it to the car world)?

Thanks,
John

[Glenn Baglo]

A 2,000 lb. hitch on a vehicle with 1,000 lbs. tow capacity does not increase the capacity. Your limit is still 1,000 lbs.
It is the lowest value that determines what you can tow ( see picture ).

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by limerence

...You both mentioned Lil Snoozy and Scamp. Are those the brands that stand out in quality to look into (not sure if there are big differences between manufacturers or not)? And are there any year differences with big improvements (sorry, relating it to the car world)?...

I wouldn't say Scamp or Lil Snoozy stand out particularly. In any case, "quality" is subjective and related to the price paid. I'd hesitate to compare a $10K Scamp with a $25K Escape or a $60K Oliver. Each is good quality for a very different market segment.

In general, molded fiberglass trailers don't change a lot from year to year. One worth noting for tall people is that Scamp increased the interior height of its 13' models from about 5'11" to about 6'2" starting with 2007 models. A factory fire in early 2006 necessitated new molds and Scamp made the decision to increase the height of the 13'ers to match the 16'ers.

Another is that in 2014, Scamp added a wider dinette/bed (54" vs. 45") as a no-cost option. The trade-off is a smaller galley and storage closet. It's worth noting that deluxe (wood interior) versions always had the larger bed, but it became available in the standard (fiberglass interior) model.

Your best bet in all this is to get a first-hand look at some and form your own opinions. One good way to do that is to attend a fiberglass egg rally in your area. There you will be able to see a variety of makes, models, and sizes, new and vintage. Here's a link to the 2016 Rally Map. If you contact event coordinators they can advise you about a visit. Some have a scheduled open house time.

[Jay H]

Hi John,
I don't have measurements for you but I am 6'4" and I own a Boler which tops out at around 6". The bed and trailer are wider than the height so as noted above I have a great night's sleep. As for standing room, it rarely is an issue. If I am at the kitchen I am looking down anyway and usually if I am in the trailer it is to sit or sleep. I do my standing outside.
So as previously noted - go try out a few models and decide for yourself if you need to stand up inside. That will answer a lot of questions for you right off the bat.

[limerence]

Thanks for the help everyone. Will try to do some more research and also taking into consideration what Glenn Baglo had mentioned as well.

If I wanted to stay under 1k weight, are there any trailers that were made in the past that would be sub 1k? One that comes to mind is the Eriba Puck but not sure if there are others that fall in this category.

Thanks,
John

[Mitzi Agnew-Giles]

I feel that both the Lilsnoozy and the Parkliner answer his particulars for bathroom, dinette, spacious bed. The difference being that the Parkliner bed is made up from the dinette. The Lilsnoozy bed is permanent and you can either eat at the dinette or bring folding TV tray tables and eat while sitting on the couch. The reason I looked mainly at these twomodels had to do with the engineering. Instead of being straight on the bottom these two have curvatures to reduce turbulence in airflow, giving an easier tow with no need for stabilizers.
The reason why I picked Lilsnoozy over Parkliner is that I intend to travel with 3-4 cats, and utilize the Lilsnoozy's basement, storage hatch, what ever you call it. It's all the space under the dedicated bed, being 8 ft wide, however high (2 ft?) and extending roughlu 3 1/2 to 4 ft or so to the front of the camper . This is storage for the table, folding chair, whatever, it is accessed both from outside and from inside under the bed. I intend to put an LED light strip in there along with the kitty litter, scratching boxes, food and water bowls. Depending on the size of the OP's dogs, they may want to dedicate some of this area to the dogs needs. While it wouldn't help a Great Dane sized dog, a beagle dog or smaller might enjoy going in and out of this area.
I toured both factories (parklliner NC aand lilsnnozy SC) and am glad I did so. Nothing beats seeing in person the stuff you are going to pay thousands of dollars for. Just reading about small lightweight trailers, I had decided the Rpod fit my needs, but in person I found it not a congenial fit at all. Without pets or husband I would have gone for the Parkliner, but being concerned about their welfare both physical and mental, the Lilsnoozy won hands down.
If your main concern is weight, and you can corral your dogs in your tug vehicle, you might look at some of the larger Tear drop campers. Check for ones made of lightweight material. Throwing a screen house into atear drop camper enlarges your living area" while you are parked. If you are agreeable to popups there are several motorcycle campers (such as Aspen) you might find meeting your needs. Pre pets, I had decided on the Aspen, able to be towed by my 4 cylinder Toyota car, as my retirement housing, but with my cat family and damaged back I need something that doesn't take a lot of time and effort to set up.
You can call Tom at Parkliner or the staff at Lilsnoozy and ask if there are any owners in your area that you can ask to look at their rigs. I believe Scamp and Casita offer this service as well.
For information on tug vehicles, you might look at the thread I started under the title "Tug vehicles". I learnt a LOT from the friendly neighbors here in our virtual world.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by limerence

...If I wanted to stay under 1k weight, are there any trailers that were made in the past that would be sub 1k? One that comes to mind is the Eriba Puck but not sure if there are others that fall in this category...

Good call, John. I think the Eriba Puck just might work. It will likely tip the scale a bit over 1K loaded, but not much if you were careful. Pretty cool little trailers for 1-2 people. Not many out there, though.

There is a modern knock-off called the MeerKat, 900 pounds empty: Meerkat Teardrop Camper - Small Camping Trailer Dealer In California | Little Guy Trailers. Like the original it has an aluminum frame and skin with a molded fiberglass roof. In the specs, it looks like there's only 6'1" of headroom in the pop top area. They're located in San Diego, so you might be able to arrange a look at one.

Another small vintage Euro import that shows up occasionally is a Cadet. Don't know what one weighs, but I'd guess it's lighter than a run-of-the-mill Scamp, etc. It's all-molded fiberglass with a pop-up roof section. Again, not many out there, and most seem to be in Canada.

[Jon in AZ]

Looks like there might be a Eriba Puck for sale in KS right now- no price or pictures, just turned up in the classifieds on this site. We only see maybe one or two a year…

1961 Eriba Puck

[Mike Magee]

Personally, I would not hesitate to tow a 13' with a TDI equipped with a custom hitch. But the bed size in the 13' could be problematic for you.

[redbarron55]

Check forums.tdiclub.com and search towing and hitch threads.
All kinds of opinions out there.
One side says weight is weight on either side of the pond. The other says you will die and you estate will be sued for a bazillion bucks.


Sent from my SCH-I605 using Fiberglass RV mobile app

[vintageracer]

Look at these options.

No fiberglass but aluminum.

Comparable to the "Puck" size and weight wise.

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