Couple trailer for Tesla Model Y? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 09-25-2021, 01:36 PM   #1
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Name: Jen
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Couple trailer for Tesla Model Y?

Hey everyone! My husband and I are looking for a fiberglass couples trailer. It will just be us and our pets (two ragdoll cats). We are planning on towing with a Tesla Model Y, which has a tow capacity of 3500 lbs and tongue weight of 350 lbs.

My main thing is I would like a dry bath. We saw a Vintage Cruiser at the Hershey RV show, and were thinking about something like this:

https://www.gulfstreamcoach.com/products/light-weight/vintage-cruiser/model/17scd

We would also be happy with something used and actually retro. We are new to RVing.

Thank you for any advice and recommendations!
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Old 09-26-2021, 07:25 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by Jmalmsteen View Post
Hey everyone! My husband and I are looking for a fiberglass couples trailer. It will just be us and our pets (two ragdoll cats). We are planning on towing with a Tesla Model Y, which has a tow capacity of 3500 lbs and tongue weight of 350 lbs.

My main thing is I would like a dry bath. We saw a Vintage Cruiser at the Hershey RV show, and were thinking about something like this:

https://www.gulfstreamcoach.com/prod...er/model/17scd

We would also be happy with something used and actually retro. We are new to RVing.

Thank you for any advice and recommendations!
The 3500 ponds includes everything. the people, dogs, supplies, water etc. You never want to tow at max weight.
Google campers that weigh 2500 or less. When it comes to what you want, most of the time you have to settle.
Someone posted on YouTube pulling a Casita with a Tesla.
Let us know what you decide.
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Old 09-26-2021, 07:40 AM   #3
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Nothing near that weight range in molded FG with a dry bath. Sorry.

I have friends with one of those Vintage Cruiser trailers. Several cabinet doors fell off on the way home. Its a real dog. And its going to weigh more than you think. First, lots of stuff are "options" so conveniently not included in dry weight. Want a spare tire? Option. Want an awning? Option. Want an AC, option, and so on...Got to love this, "In-Floor Spare Tire Storage under Bed" is standard. It just doesn't include the actual spare tire. Tricky, very tricky.

"Dry weight" is one of those mythical concepts, like the Easter Bunny. If you go to a dealer, ask them for a certified scale weight on the trailer you are buying. Watch them flop on the floor, make up a myriad of excuses, do anything to not talk about actual weight. Every truck stop out there has a certified scale, so its not that difficult!!!
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Old 09-26-2021, 10:59 AM   #4
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We won't shower in it anyway, so I'm going to need to reconsider that! I was planning on towing with no water tanks filled and no propane and going for full hook up.

Looking for something smaller and lighter seems to make more sense though. I'm at the starting phases of this and appreciate any and all advice!
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Old 09-26-2021, 01:50 PM   #5
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If you can accept a wet bath, a 16’ Scamp, 16’ Casita, or a 15’ Parkliner fits the 3500/350# bill. You might also manage a 17’ Escape, but a 17’ Casita will exceed your tongue weight rating. There’s also the Happier Camper Traveler, which I believe is available with a wet bath. It’s a new design, so I don’t know as much about it, but worth a look. Last, don’t overlook the 13’ Scamp. With the front bath and big bed options, it’s a cozy but complete couple trailer.

When it comes to towing range with an electric vehicle, trailer weight matters more when accelerating and climbing, but frontal area and aerodynamic shape are more important when cruising on the flats.

Best wishes in your quest! Electric vehicles are still an anomaly in the recreational towing community, so we will look forward to hearing your reports. The world, for better or worse, seems to be rushing toward electrification, so the rest of us may have to get on board at some point.
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Old 09-26-2021, 04:40 PM   #6
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There are several owners of HC1 s who tow with Tesla’s
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Old 09-26-2021, 09:07 PM   #7
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Towing with Tesla

We have towed our 13’ Boler with our Tesla model Y four times this year. Once as far as 250 km with no problem. Leave home with a full charge and charge up over night at the campsite. It tows like there is nothing behind and the the regenerative braking eliminates the need to shift down going down hills. Works great.
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Old 09-27-2021, 07:39 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by Jmalmsteen View Post
We won't shower in it anyway, so I'm going to need to reconsider that! I was planning on towing with no water tanks filled and no propane and going for full hook up.

Looking for something smaller and lighter seems to make more sense though. I'm at the starting phases of this and appreciate any and all advice!
Over time, you may just find that no hookups opens up a world of camping experiences. Most National Parks have no hookups for example. Propane heat is a big PLUS. We are on a month long trip right now. Only two places we camped have had hookups. The rest not.

Personally, showering in a space half the size of a phone booth, if not less, has no appeal to me anyway. If where I camp has no showers, I've gone to a truck stop and for a relatively small fee, I have enjoyed a spacious shower. Last one was a Flying J. Not sure if all Flying J showers are this good, but the one I used was spotless, modern, spacious.

Carrying at least some water while you are traveling means you can use the trailer on the road for bathroom breaks, meals, whatever. You don't need a full water tank, but some water is quite helpful. If the weight of the water puts you at risk towing, you have too much trailer IMHO.
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Old 09-27-2021, 07:54 AM   #9
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With an electric tow vehicle, hookups may be important for reasons other than the trailer.

If we proceed with electrification of transportation, there are going to be many unexpected challenges, unintended consequences, and necessary adaptations. It will certainly alter the recreational vehicle landscape. In addition to electric infrastructure in campgrounds and rural areas, travel trailers will have to become significantly lighter and more aerodynamic. Molded fiberglass trailers are generally ahead of the curve now, but there’s still lots of room for improvement.

If I were going to tow with an electric vehicle today, my first choice for a trailer would be the San Diego-made Meerkat (or a vintage Eriba Puck from which it was derived). No bathroom, which is why I didn’t mention it before. At 925# base dry weight, it’s the lightest trailer I know with stand up headroom and a very aerodynamic shape (thanks to a pop-top). It does have space for a porta-potty for emergencies.
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Old 09-27-2021, 10:43 AM   #10
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Tesla 3 towing a 26' Airstream (not that I'd suggest trying it).
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Old 10-02-2021, 07:30 AM   #11
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Greetings!
I have an Eriba Puck 1970 camper and like Jon iN Arizona, think it could be a nice fit. is a 1973. Mine has the original drapes, cusions, etc. I think there is very little changed on her.
The best thing is the King bed.
Good luck in your search!
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Old 10-02-2021, 11:18 AM   #12
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Jen,
For reference: We have a 2015 Escape 17A. It is about 2000 lbs dry weight.

With fresh water tank and propane tanks full, and our gear and food, we are typically at 2600 lbs. Yes, all the little things add up!! (Note: the new Escape 17A's are almost 200 lbs. heavier).

The 17A has no bath, but we have a porta-potty instead, which is very convenient, as there are no grey and black water tanks to mess with, and, lots of weight we're not hauling around.
Our tow is a Honda Pilot 2WD @ 3500lbs tow rating/350 lbs hitch. It works great, even in the mountain West (We fish at 8-9000 ft. up in the mts.) We are at about 75% capacity, and would not want anything heavier.
Our son has a Tesla, and we've had a few discussions regarding his borrowing and towing of our Escape. He has done quite the analysis of Kw/mileage while towing, has determined that it is not viable for other than short trips.

So, IMHO, a 13' or 15' fiberglass trailer should likely be your target. Or perhaps a 2016 or older Escape 17A, but good luck finding one for sale, especially at much less than the price of new.
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Old 10-02-2021, 11:56 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jmalmsteen View Post
Hey everyone! My husband and I are looking for a fiberglass couples trailer. It will just be us and our pets (two ragdoll cats). We are planning on towing with a Tesla Model Y, which has a tow capacity of 3500 lbs and tongue weight of 350 lbs.

My main thing is I would like a dry bath. We saw a Vintage Cruiser at the Hershey RV show, and were thinking about something like this:

https://www.gulfstreamcoach.com/prod...er/model/17scd

We would also be happy with something used and actually retro. We are new to RVing.

Thank you for any advice and recommendations!

Check with Andy Thompson about what to tow with your Tesla Y & how to set -it up for towing. You're close enough in PA to go up to his shop at CanAm RV in Ontario CAN to have them set it all up for best towing too.



Andy is a regular poster on Airstream Forums & other of these RV Life sister forums, & is always helpful. He's also a big Tesla TV fan, & you can read up on his Tesla experiences both on his CanAm RV website & at his "Hitch Hints" articles on RV Lifestyle magazine.



Here are a couple of links to get you started below:



https://www.canamrv.ca/blog/post/tes...tream-trailer/



https://www.rvlifemag.com/hitch-hint...uture-is-here/



Links to other Tesla TV articles will come up on those links above, & you can go to their respective list of articles pages for more.



Good Luck!
Tom
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Old 10-02-2021, 01:20 PM   #14
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I am also looking to with an electric in the near future. I think air resistance is what really brings the range down so I am evaluating things like pop ups and a liners. It will hurt to sell the Scamp 16 but I think that is the reality if I want to go more than 100 miles per charge.
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Old 10-02-2021, 01:41 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by biw314 View Post
I am also looking to with an electric in the near future. I think air resistance is what really brings the range down so I am evaluating things like pop ups and a liners. It will hurt to sell the Scamp 16 but I think that is the reality if I want to go more than 100 miles per charge.
Wonder how something like the Cricket would do? It's narrower than most small pop-ups and A-frames, and the tapered back end makes for better aerodynamics. No personal knowledge, just popped onto my head when I read your post and thought about pop-ups I towed in the past.
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Old 10-02-2021, 02:15 PM   #16
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I'm in love with the Cricket. It looks simple awesome!

But US$30,000 to $33,000 is like, YIKES!

(I remember when coffee was $0.10, so get off my lawn kids!)
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Old 10-02-2021, 02:57 PM   #17
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Electric Road Trip

Our daughter and sil plus 2 kids and a dog, tow a 21 foot Alto with their X. In Colorado. In the mountains. 😬 It's doable, but there's a certain anxiety....

As for the model Y, check out The Electric Roadtrip on YouTube. Sorry, but I'm old and don't know how to link to a YouTube. There are a few segments, it's long and can seem like an extended Tesla ad. You can skip the first without losing any information. It features a family with a Y towing a Casita in the mountain West. There is a pro/con wrap-up at the end.

I drive a Y and, while it's my favorite car I've ever owned, there's no way I would tow with it simply because of where we roam with our Bigfoot. They simply don't have chargers in the "right" places.

We are waiting for the charging network to get more saturated, then we'll buy an electric pickup. Not the Tesla, mind you, because they are UGLY, imo.

Cheers!
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Old 10-02-2021, 03:06 PM   #18
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I'm in love with the Cricket. It looks simple awesome!

But US$30,000 to $33,000 is like, YIKES!

(I remember when coffee was $0.10, so get off my lawn kids!)
A lot of new RVs are in "Yikes!" territory in my book, too. But so are electric vehicles capable of towing. Which is another way of saying if you can afford a Tesla Y, you can probably afford a Cricket.

The Cricket does look like it belongs behind the new Tesla pickup.
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Old 10-02-2021, 03:39 PM   #19
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Jumping in again on this thread since our daughter, prior to towing the Alto with her model X, had first a Cricket and then a Mantis as her family grew. Since they frequently camp with us during the summer months, I experienced both models. I know there are Taxa (the company that makes them) afficianados, imo they are simply a different configuration of pop-up trailer with the same pro/con list. They are cute though. We owned two successive Casitas and loved them both and if you can be disciplined about weight and patient about the charger distribution, a small fiberglass egg is worth a serious look.
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Old 10-02-2021, 04:00 PM   #20
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Send a message via Yahoo to Darwin Maring
250KM = 155 miles between charges.
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