Compact Jr. Weight - Fiberglass RV
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Old 12-13-2007, 05:31 PM   #1
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I'm new at this so please forgive me if I'm doing this wrong. Can anyone tell me the empty weight of the Compact Jr. I was going to haul it with a Chevy Uplander. Any comments. Thanks Rick
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Old 12-13-2007, 08:56 PM   #2
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Quote:
I'm new at this so please forgive me if I'm doing this wrong. Can anyone tell me the empty weight of the Compact Jr. I was going to haul it with a Chevy Uplander. Any comments. Thanks Rick
One of the moderators had a Compact Jr. and he said it was 1400 pounds.
Compact Jr. Weight

Here's another and I stopped looking at two:
Tom's Compact Jr.

Both are loaded to travel. Not exactly what you asked, but a start.
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Old 12-13-2007, 10:21 PM   #3
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Rick,
My Compact Jr. has several modifications that add weight. The frame has been beefed up, air conditioner and dorm frig both add a little. I've never emptied all the stuff that is packed away inside and then weighed it. My guess would be around 200 lbs. of pots, pans, dishes, hoses, electric cords, heaters, lights, etc. are inside. So, empty the trailer may weigh as little as 1200 lbs. I tow with a 2002 Toyota Sienna and have had no problems with power, stopping, or handling in 10,000 miles with this combination. I think the Uplander will do fine.

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Old 10-08-2018, 07:10 PM   #4
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Name: Manuel
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Motorcycle

New to the forum and looking to pickup a compact Jr. To be towed by a motorcycle. As far as I can tell it's the lightest camper and tongue weight. But would like real world experience with the camper also wondering if anyone has installed electric breaks on one?
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Old 10-08-2018, 07:31 PM   #5
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I have a Goldwing 1800 and I would never, ever, try to tow a Hunter Jr. Think a Bunkhouse popup, I've owned a couple of those and pulled them with my Goldwing. 350 pound Bunkhouse = OK. !400 pound Hunter Jr, no way, no how.

I've got at least 400,000 miles on a motorcycle pulling a trailer. Pulling a trailer with a motorcycle is never a positive as far as handling, stopping, or performance. I really noticed the Bunkhouse behind the Goldwing, whereas my Escapade teardrop shaped trailer pulled so much better. So when I took a 13,000 mile trip to Alaska, CA and a lot of points in between, I left the Bunkhouse at home and took the Escapade instead. I took the Bunkhouse one or two states max, I took the Escapade across the USA and Canada many times.


Towing with a two wheel vehicle is so very different than towing with a four wheel vehicle. A little push from the rear on a pickup truck is not a big deal. On two wheels, it can become one.
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Old 10-09-2018, 02:01 AM   #6
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Ya I've seen the bunkhouse and thought about it but when I seen that lady pulling a teardrop I thought maybe I could do a very light camper. It probably is a bad idea.
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Old 10-09-2018, 06:28 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by Manuel View Post
Ya I've seen the bunkhouse and thought about it but when I seen that lady pulling a teardrop I thought maybe I could do a very light camper. It probably is a bad idea.
I've seen a lot of stupid stuff people do, but I don't copy them. Sometimes stupid stuff works until it doesn't work. Its the old "Joe does it so why can't I?" When you eventually get into a situation like strong side winds, heavy rain, steep downhill with the trailer pushing the back of the bike (uphill is typically easy), these are those white knuckle situations that can be very scary on a motorcycle.

In my experience, heavy rain is not the worst, its the unexpected strong side winds. Got in one situation in WY once, there were other riders blown off the road and crashed. I used the "last weapon" I had and sped up, a lot. I knew either I was going off the road at a high rate of speed, or I was going to make it. I really rolled the dice on that one (pulling my Escapade trailer at the time, which made it worse). Where rain becomes a factor is visibility, I tell people, if you can't see other vehicles, GET OFF THE ROAD as soon as you safely can!

People who have not towed a trailer behind a motorcycle don't realize the forces created from the trailer to the two wheel motorcycle affecting everything including balance in a negative way. Motorcycles were never made to tow trailers. No manufacturer provides any tow rating, as none of them approve the concept. So you are already out there pulling anything. How far out there you want to go is definitely up to you.

In forty years of motorcycling, I've survived quite a few stupid mistakes. (that other motorcyclists didn't survive). My survival was not skill, I was lucky. I won't repeat any of them. In the world of motorcycling, its that old saying: "There are bold motorcyclists, and there are old motorcyclists, but there are NO old bold motorcyclists!"


bill
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Old 10-10-2018, 12:57 AM   #8
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Bill, wonder if the 3 wheelers would fair any better towing.
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