Towing a 13' EGG with a 1997 Subaru Impreza

[SojournBill]

I just joined your community for your knowledge, expertise and experience.

We are currently looking for a 13' fiberglass travel trailer (Scamp, Boller, Trillium, Casita, Uhaul type) that we could tow with our 1997 Subaru Impreza - 2.2L

I look forward to any experience and advice you can give us about towing and trailering.

Specs for the 1997 Subaru Impreza rate the car for a 1500 lb towing capacity.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and ideas.

Bill

[Thomas G.]

Welcome. Check this thread and see how many loaded campers are less than 1500 pounds.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html

[SojournBill]

Wonderful!
Great information to have!
Thank you

[rabbit]

Bill, have you considered a teardrop. Some low weights there.

jack

[Roger C H]

I think that the lightest trailer one can buy new today would be the Little Joe. The website claims 1100#, but these specs all have to be taken with a grain of salt.
Our trailer is #21 on the list in post #2 and we had stuff in it for a two month sojourn through Arizona.
Little Joe owners: It would be nice if you would have your trailer weighed and send the information to Frederick Simpson, "The Scaleman,"

[SojournBill]

Jack,

Somehow missed your reply.

Yes, Teardrop trailers were the first I thought of....
Small and lightweight.

However, I didn't kinda divulge all my plans for a smaller trailer.

I would be using the trailer in North Dakota 12 months out of the year -
with temperature extremes and snow on the ground, a teardrop doesn't sound like too much fun to be trying to cook outside in the snow.

The next step up to me seemed to be the type of trailer I'm considering now - The 13 to 14' fiberglass trailers.

I have a lot of fiberglass experience as a result of working on a 32' fiberglass boat I had for over 18 years.
I did everything from bottom/hull work; decking/cabin fiberglass work - even installing a bow thruster myself.
I feel very confident about doing several fiberglass projects I am contemplating for a FPG trailer I would get.

As far as the winters go with extreme temperatures, I have received training and have a Building Performance Institute designation where I worked as an independent contractor for a major Public Utility for a couple of years - doing home energy inspections. I currently still have my blower door, infrared camera and all my test equipment.

I look at the trailers and see all kinds of places I can save energy by doing some fairly simple things.

Once I got the trailer over to North Dakota, I don't intend to move it often - putting it outside a friends house and primarily using it for a place to cook and sleep.

Thank you for your input - but, after thinking how I would use the trailer a teardrop doesn't seem too practical to me.

[SojournBill]

Roger,

Thanks for the Little Joe referral.

I didn't even know they exist.

Love the opportunity to check out new ideas and see how others consider space and utility in design.

Thank you for your input.

I have to spend more time looking over the website.

[MC1]

They make a good TV if you can find the right trailer for it to tow.

[Bob Miller]

A Lil' Bigfoot might be an answer. These are Canadian built 13' "egg" shape trailers that have slightly more (but not a lot more) insulation that the others out there. We pull ours with a Honda CRV that also has a 1500b limit and, as luck would have it, there is currently one for sale (albeit be in Alberta right now) for a very attractive price,
Goto: fiberglass-rv-4sale.com and, it it's not still on the front pag,e use the pull down for trailers in Canada.

FWIW: Empty weight is listed as being about 975 lbs

[honda03842]

Bob. As I'm sure you know we tow with a 2004 Honda CRV with manual transmission. It is approaching 200,000 miles and plan to rep-lace it next year. Since you probably tow with an automatic since they no longer make manuals for the NA market, I was wondering if you would share your towing experience with me.

Driving gear? Mpg? Typical tow speed?......

Thank you.

[Bob Miller]

Our 2008 CRV is very selective in what gear it can shift up to when pulling either of our FGRV's. Usually it won't shift into O'Drive unless we are going downhill or have a tail wind so, for the most part we lock out the overdrive with the provided switch
MPG's drop to about 18 when towing at a maximum speed of 55 MPH.
Were I selecting a new TV I don't think that I would get another CRV, I see it as being a bit too marginal for towing.

For about the same or even less money, I think that an extended cab, V6, Toyota Tacoma is a better choice.

[honda03842]

Bob how wide is the lil Bigfoot? Do you know about what RPM your engine is turning at 55 mph?

As to the Tacoma, we've considered numerous tow vehicles but no trucks.. So far we've stayed with the Honda because it's proven to work for us.

I've considered a Ford Escape but our last Ford required a 'transmission cube' (like the old flash cube) and I'm a little gun shy.

Thanks for your rapid response.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by SojournBill

I would be using the trailer in North Dakota 12 months out of the year -
with temperature extremes and snow on the ground

At what temperature does carbon monoxide become a solid?

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Bob how wide is the lil Bigfoot? Do you know about what RPM your engine is turning at 55 mph?

As to the Tacoma, we've considered numerous tow vehicles but no trucks.. So far we've stayed with the Honda because it's proven to work for us.

I've considered a Ford Escape but our last Ford required a 'transmission cube' (like the old flash cube) and I'm a little gun shy.

Thanks for your rapid response.

The Lil' BigFoot is within 3-6 inches in all directions of a 13' Scamp.
As I remember it is turning about 2600 @ 55, but that's because it can't get into overdrive without lugging. It's not like that's a big deal when you have a computer controlled automatic.

[Brian Van Snell]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

At what temperature does carbon monoxide become a solid?

baglo

The answer is -205 deg C. (-337 deg F.).

Lowest recorded temperature in North Dakota was -51 deg C. (-60 deg F.). Feb 15, 1936.

Brian

[Thinh]

Originally Posted by SojournBill

I just joined your community for your knowledge, expertise and experience.

We are currently looking for a 13' fiberglass travel trailer (Scamp, Boller, Trillium, Casita, Uhaul type) that we could tow with our 1997 Subaru Impreza - 2.2L

I look forward to any experience and advice you can give us about towing and trailering.

Specs for the 1997 Subaru Impreza rate the car for a 1500 lb towing capacity.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and ideas.

Bill

That is a little wagon Toyota 4-cylinder 1.8 liter engine and with the Trillium 1300 in the photo. This is only the 5 th trip of campings this year of mine. Inside it, it also carried b/t 4 to 5 bicycles on the road and...no problemmo at all...