Help with looking at models

[John H..]

I'm new to the scene, and was looking for a bit of starter help. I've been looking around at the various models and brands, but was hoping to narrow the search a little as to which brands I should be looking for on craigslist, ebay, etc. My issue is that I only have a 4-cylinder (2008 CR-V), so weight is a pretty big deal. Just looking at photographs it's hard to tell which are above and below my threshold. Ideally I'd like something 1000 lbs or less (without gear). I know that every trailer will be different depending on options, but are there some specific models/brands I can look at that should (in most cases) meet that need? I had originally been looking at teardrops, but once my wife saw a picture of a Scamp she decided that style was what we need and won't even look at teardrops anymore I'm hoping I can accomodate her by finding a light enough egg...assuming they exist. Thanks in advance.

[Penney H. & Mike E.]

Welcome to the search! I am not an expert, but the first step is to look in the owners manual or elsewhere for your car and see exactly what weight you can tow, if any at all. There is trailer weight and hitch weight. i.e. Our Previa can town up to 3500#, our Burro was about 1200#, our Escape is around 2000#, both doeable for us even with gear in them.

There is a trailer called a Little Joe which is 880#. I have never seen one, but very impressed by them when I look at the web site.
Little Joe

There are likely others within that weight class and other folks will likely post info for you.

Good luck! It's worth the search to have a little egg in your life!

[LizP]

Hi John,
I recall reading somewhere on the board that "older" Scamps were lighter than newer ones...something about destroyed molds during a fire at their factory. The older 13 ft ones weighed closer to the 950 range and newer ones more in the 1200 lb. range. Can't recall the year threshold but I am guessing mid 90's. Someone on the board will help clarify.

Equipment will also play a part...common sense on that one. And a good understanding of your weight limits on the Cr-V from your owners manual is a must. You will no doubt find you need trailer brakes and don't expect the 13's to have them.

Final comment (I am looking for one also)--don't trust the weight limits posted in some ads. A lot of these have been modified quite a bit and you have to make a good guess as to the weight of the "stuff" in it. Or just know you'll rip it all out if you have to : ) Point is, most people have not weighed them and are guessing at the weight themselves.

Just my 2 cents; I have a ('06) CR-V also and do not want to kill it with a camper.

[curtis c]

just search the info on here and decide what you want in a trailer. do you want bunks bath etc. are you tall? what size bed do you want. search "bed size" and there is a post that has a link to the bed sizes of most of the small trailers. and for the weight thing you could probly pull any of the 13' no problem. all of the "eggs" are diforent in there own way but i think all of them are equal in general. i had done the same thing, i wanted to build a tear but after explaining to the little lady that the galley would be exposed to the elements we too started looking at "eggs". im sure other more knowlegable people will send links. ive only been using this site for a few weeks and found the amount of info you can find here is stagggering. good luck on your search

[Donna D.]

You've received some good pointers from the previous posters. Yes, by all means look at your owners manual... that's the starting point. Then, decide what you absolutely can't live without and your budget for that. If you're looking for the absolute lightest, Lil Joe (new) and early 1970s 13 foot Bolers come to mind. And yes, remember published weights from manufacturers are without options, batteries, water, propane tanks and your stuff!

[Raya]

The "family" of trailers that includes the Compact Jr., Compact II, Trails West Campster, etc. is also comprised of relatively lightweight campers (i.e. 1,000# range dry).

Raya

[John H..]

Thank you so much for the quick and helpful replies. I believe my CR-V's manual says 1400 lb towing capacity, although I'd have to double check to be sure. I guess I don't know how much all my stuff and things like water, etc would weigh, which is why I was shooting for something under 1000 lbs, as 400 lbs would give me plenty of leeway. I'll definitely look into trailer breaks too once I get that far in the search.

My wife likes the idea of something she can stand in quite a bit, so I'm sure she'd be willing to rip a few things out if we're cutting it close

[peterh]

The "family" of trailers that includes the Compact Jr., Compact II, Trails West Campster, etc. is also comprised of relatively lightweight campers (i.e. 1,000# range dry).

I'll second Raya's suggestion on the Compact and Campster trailers, which are fiberglass trailers with "pop top" roofs that you can raise so you can stand at full height. They're a good choice for a tow vehicle (TV) with a low tow limit both because they're lightweight and because their windface fits nicely behind most small SUVs and Minivans, making them much more aerodynamic and significantly reducing the work the TV has to do to pull it at highway speeds.

The downsides are they aren't made anymore, so you have to buy used and will quite possibly need to do some repairs and rehab to make it work for you, and they really only sleep two.

Two upsides are that, with the fold-down roof they easily fit in most garages and they really only sleep two, so you get privacy and kids like tent camping anyway.

Here's a link to the Compact Jr photo album.

[Pete Dumbleton]

It is my personal opinion that the earlier Scamps didn't weigh much less than the current Scamps, just that there is a bit more truth in advertising -- In the early years there was apparently some reason to keep the dry weight under 1,000 lbs, so they were supposedly 950.

The frame label on my 91 Scamp 13' says 950 lbs, but I highly doubt it -- I've never weighed it empty, without LP tank, heater, battery, spare tire, but with all that stuf and my personal gear and ten gallons of fresh water, it weighs in more like 1,750 lbs -- That's 800 lbs of personal gear and options?? I seriously doubt it!

[Roger C H]

Welcome to another egg fan.

I see a CRV is rated for 1500#.

My Trillium specs say 1450#. You could carry a sandwich in it.

You probably should be looking at a Little Joe:

http://www.weiscrafttrailers.com/joespecs.html

The specs for the Little Joe say 880#, but the tricked-out Ponderosa is 1480#

Or get another tow vehicle, but being a 2008, you probably got it recently.

DO NOT think about going over the rated load. Check out this thread:

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/in...howtopic=34146

[Joe Z]

The "Lil Joe" and the "Ponderosa" have always interested me...... Here are some links that may help your decision.

Little Joe floorplan:




Little Joe flyer:




ponderosa floorplan:




ponderosa flyer:

[LizP]

John, as you can see, it all becomes very confusing. The weight issue, that is. At least it did for me.

I am going to take a guess here that NEWER trailers probably weigh more than the older ones. One reason may be because of "improvements" in "technology" of construction and or adding more and more 'standard" features (that add weight). I really don't know, just taking a guess. Case in point is the Little Joe. It now weighs 1100#'s (used to be advertised at 850#).

If the trailer manufacturer says the trailer weighs 950#'s, then figure up what the weight of a 13' spare tire weighs, a fridge vs. ice box, etc., and add that in. I would think the "dry" weight should include all the standard features, not just the frame and shell. Given our 1400-1500 tow limits, a stripped down version is what I am searching for.

Another variable I have considered is what can be carried in the tow vehicle. Again, look closely at your owner's manual. These 13's are very cozy and do not have a lot of storage capacity. Many of the 'cabinets" you see are filled with wiring. Unless you plan to fill every nook and cranny with bricks, I can't imagine standard "camping" gear is going to add 400#'s, at least my needs do not dictate that.

But, you haven't told us how you plan to use the camper? I don't plan on living in it, we have some hills in the midwest, but no mountains; and I get the standard 2 weeks vacation a year and weekends off, so I am speaking from that perspective.

I have yet to pull one of these baby's but I am going to trust my owner's manual of the Honda Cr-V on the limits. I have concluded that I should be okay with this decision. There was a change in the Cr-v for 07- and I think it is slightly less that the '06 body style version.

[John H..]

I do like the look of the Little Joe, mostly because that one does seem to be more spot-on for the right weights. I actually wouldn't mind an old model of something either, assuming it was in good enough condition for me to tow it home from wherever I got it. I'm not very good with structural type repair, but we could handle cosmetic things like upholstery, etc. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for those campster models too.

As for what I plan on packing in it, not a ton. Right now we just do tent camping and everything we take already can fit in the back of the crv, along with our dog (although it can be a tight fit with some Tetris style packing) but we don't have a roof rack or anything, so not a ton of stuff. We don't even need things to be stowed away in cupboards (although a few small items might be nice). My primary reason for wanting a small trailer, which is why I was looking at teardrops originally, is I would love to have some place to keep a portion of our camping gear when it's in storage and not to have to put up and take down tents and bedding, etc when we get to a campsite. For example, we decide it's time to go camping, throw the dog, food and clothes in the car, attach the trailer and head on out. My wife would also like something she can have the option of sitting in or cooking in if it's raining, as that can catch you off guard a lot in the mountains of Idaho. And of course something that's a hard shell feels safer than a tent when out in the woods north of Boise. That's where her preference for an egg over a teardrop came in.

If you've never been to Idaho, it can be a pretty mountainous area. That said, there are a lot (Idaho has an insane amount of options for camping) of campgrounds that are easily accessible and have good roads without a lot of switchbacks. There are those type too, but they can be avoided and still leave a lot of options to try out various parts of the state. We don't plan on doing any sort of living in it or cross country vacations, mostly just hitting up some of the campgrounds that are close to town and maybe the occasional campground up in the mountains.

[Joseph Domingos]

Hey John,
Not sure how much it'll help, but figured I'd add my two cents here too...hehe I have a first generation CRV, which is less powerful and slightly smaller than yours, and I tow a Compact II quite nicely with it.

Now honestly I've never weighed my trailer, so I can't swear on a stack of bibles that it's EXACTLY within my rated tow capacity (which I THINK is the same as yours, like 1400-1500lbs). But I know that it's rated weight (on the registration) is below my tow capacity, and I've been on many trips with it successfully, without problems or damage to my vehicle. Also, my trailer does not have trailer brakes.

I know that, here on the website, I've seen a few folks towing 13' rigs with Elements as well as CRVs, so there are possibilities out there. I personally felt that the Compact family was probably one of the lightest rigs out there, so it was a good possibility for me. I do agree with earlier posts as well, that it DOES fit in a standard garage (mine clears the garage doorway by like 1-2 inches!) and it is a bit lower profile that many of the other rigs, so there is probably less wind resistance when you're going down the road. They are also pretty much two person only rigs. You COULD sleep somebody on the floor/walkway area, but that would be SO crowded. I think a dog could snuggle in somewhere though, like under the table/bed or something...

As far as amenities, mine's just about as loaded as they came, with the tiny bathroom, 3 way fridge, full stove, etc. I've seen a wide variety of option lists on rigs on here and EBay so there are some choices out there, plus it often seems that we're only limited by our imaginations with what we can equip our rigs with.

Anyway, hope that helps, good luck on the hunt, and when you DO find something, make sure to take lots of pictures to share with all of us K?
Joe

[Tim M]

I have a 72 Boler American - and we just got our 2008 Honda Element set-up for towing it. However - my advice, which is probably not the same as many people here - is make the rig the way you want it. I know many won't agree with me and say it ruins the resale of it - - but I say customize to yourself.

Myself, I removed the sink, the stove, the furnace, the icebox, the Propane, and 1 of the over head cabinets - - I am camping with a bare-bones unit....

We use our camper 90% of the time at a site that doesn't have power so I never really have a need for it. If I need power, I'll use an extension cord and power strip hooked up to an electric heater.

I, like you, use our camper strictly for sleeping and storing gear while away on climbing days... so keeping it close to real tent camping as much as possible.

I love the older ones, as you don't feel bad ripping out things that don't work for you, or that you don't have a need for...

I paid $750 for my unit, but it needed a lot of work - - I have about $500 invested in it so far, new tires/hubs/wheels/rhino LineX


Tim

[Mike Magee]

I have a 72 Boler American - and we just got our 2008 Honda Element set-up for towing it. However - my advice, which is probably not the same as many people here - is make the rig the way you want it. I know many won't agree with me and say it ruins the resale of it - - but I say customize to yourself.

Myself, I removed the sink, the stove, the furnace, the icebox, the Propane, and 1 of the over head cabinets - - I am camping with a bare-bones unit....

...

I paid $750 for my unit, but it needed a lot of work - - I have about $500 invested in it so far, new tires/hubs/wheels/rhino LineX


Tim

Pulling out what you want is a fine idea for reducing weight, but just be aware that some cabinets and stuff need to stay in because they lend strength to the shell. We've seen some photos of eggs where the owners took out everything, and the roof sagged or caved in.

While we never want to tow more than our vehicle is rated for (to avoid liability at least!), the wind resistance is IMO a bigger factor than the weight when it comes to the strain on the drivetrain. Eggs are pretty round, which helps. Any 6.5' wide 13' long egg (or smaller) should be a candidate worth considering (either as is or after stripping down somewhat). Having a transmission cooler is valuable. Keeping a light foot on the gas pedal is also valuable. Years ago I towed a UHaul CT13 from Michigan to Colorado and back without incident or ill effect on my Dodge Omni; I kept it around 50 in 4th gear, faster going down hills, but going up steeper grades I backed off slower still and downshifted (I had a 5 speed manual).

Used FG trailers keep their value pretty well, so if you decide to trade later on for a larger tow vehicle and larger trailer, you'll only take a beating on the tow vehicle.

[Penney H. & Mike E.]

The Little Joe, I do believe, is made on the same molds as the older Lite House, you can look in the albums to see the Lite House and the similarities. As with many fiberglass RVs, companies come and go but the molds can resurface and the trailers reincarnate, sometimes with the same name, as was the case with Burro and now Trillium, sometimes entirely new as with the Lite House/Little Joe reincarnation. Maybe there are some Lite Houses out there.

There is also the older Play-Pac which might be light, but don't know how easy to find one.
Often with the older trailers, finding the exact weight is tricky other than taking it and having it weighed before purchasing. Though there are lovely examples in the albums on this forum of older bygone trailers, they can be hard to impossible to find.

As other's have said, I would encourage you to stay well within your weight allowance. Call the folks at Little Joe and ask if the weight they give includes, tanks, etc. Some companies are honest with their weight stats, Escape takes the trailers and has them weighed. You might be able to work with a manufacturer like Little Joe to see if you can have it weighed before buying with full tank, etc. Also, there might be some features that could be eliminated or changed to lighten the load. Just call, my experience having just done a lot of research before purchasing, is that FGRV manufacturers love to talk about their trailers, as do owners (you are finding that out on this forum! )

Remember,you can start with what meets your needs now, and if molded fiberglass eggs get you hooked, you might want a bit larger one down the road and it will be worth getting a bit bigger tow vehicle. Or you might find it's now your cup of tea.

If you lived closer you could come tow our little Burro around, (which happens to be for sale) and see what if feels like - it is simple, ice box 'frig', etc. and older so not a lot of extras. It would be good to 'practice' tow before buying to see how it feels, but knowing your weight is the bottom line.

[Steve Outlaw]

"My issue is that I only have a 4-cylinder (2008 CR-V), so weight is a pretty big deal."

According to everything I can find on the net the tow capacity of your vehicle is 1500 lbs. I believe you stated your manual says 1400. I would go with the manual. Even if you can find a camper that is at or near the tow capicity of your vehicle I'd be careful. We were towing our Oliver with a 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (tow capicity 3500lb) with the Oliver weighing in at about 3900 fully equiped and loaded for camping (the way you would actually use it.) The Jeep pulled it, but not well. On a trip out West last fall it struggled against the headwinds in Oklahoma and with the mountains in Colorado. Overall gas milage was a dismal 12 mpg or so (and that was when gas was 3.50+/gal.) Needless to say, we were not happy. I have since gotten rid of the Jeep and replaced it with a Tahoe. No trouble pulling now, and getting about 15-16 mpg towing. All that being said, I hope you can find a camper you and yours will be happy with, it is a great experience.

Steve

[Pam Garlow]

Just a little more on trailer weight and towing. I have a 1985 13ft Uhaul. No restroom, no frills. It has an icebox instead of a refrigerator. I removed the original (non working) propane heater and (nonworking) swamp cooler from the roof. Uhauls have double walled fiberglass shells, and do not use the ratfur lining on the inside (don't know if this saves weight?). Everything in it is molded fiberglass.
I took it to a local truck scale, and unloaded, the dry weight is 950lbs.
I'm pulling it with a 6-cyl 2006 Chrysler van rated at 1,800 lbs tow capacity.

[Raya]

I would think that if anything, the double-hull would add weight. But probably not much.

Raya

PS: Thanks for the real-world info. I always wonder whether I can just pull into those highway scales (assuming no line-up of trucks, of course).