Lil Joe and Ponderosa by Weiscraft - Fiberglass RV
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Old 05-02-2015, 09:20 AM   #1
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Name: Yonny Yonson
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Lil Joe and Ponderosa by Weiscraft

Can anyone speak to the quality and practicality of these small trailers?

Anyone out there who owns one?

I want a very small trailer that can sleep two, allow for standing up, and be super light and compact. This trailer seems to fit the bill but it is hard to glean much from the website. Since they are custom(ish) made the prices are up there but would be worth it if the product is high quality.
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Old 05-02-2015, 09:33 AM   #2
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I've only seen/been in one at the lake casitas rally .... I was very impressed and I'm currently looking for one
I contacted the mfg recently requesting a brochure and was told to check on the web
Bottom line is I think they are a great trailer for two and like I said earlier I posted in the "wanted section"
That I was looking for one in or near so calif


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Old 05-02-2015, 09:38 AM   #3
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We are planning a trip this summer to visit our son & his wife in Denver area
And I'm hoping to visit their office
I know this doesn't answer any questions you have but I'll be more than happy to report back to you what I see etc
Alan


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Old 05-02-2015, 09:55 AM   #4
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A rear entry trailer is a different animal altogether... that's why the vast majority are side entry. That being said, Weiscraft appears to be a quality product.

It follows in the footsteps of such venerables as LiteHouse.
Compact and Hunter are further examples of the layout.
All of these are out of production today, but this controversial genre persists in the form of the much larger Lil Snoozy and rumors of a new trailer coming soon whose name escapes me.
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Old 05-02-2015, 10:14 AM   #5
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Lil Joe and Ponderosa by Weiscraft

Quote:
Originally Posted by floyd View Post
...this controversial genre persists...

Controversial...? What makes rear-entry trailers controversial? Different, certainly...

My only thoughts on the Little Joe are that cost, weight, and height aren't much different than a similarly-equipped Scamp, but there's a lot less room inside. It is narrower, which has some towing advantages, but it lacks the garageability of the older pop-top rear-entry designs.
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Old 05-02-2015, 10:31 AM   #6
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If you go to the bottom of the page after reading these posts, it will give you "similar" threads on Weiscraft.

I wish more manufacturers had the choice of rear entry door. To me, it seems you get a lot more cabinet space along the sides.
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Old 05-02-2015, 11:07 AM   #7
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As I see it the major problem with rear entry trailers is campground layouts. Most are designed with side entry in mind. Many have things like large drop offs, brush, a berm, and other such obstacles at the back end of the trailer pad. The good thing about small trailers you don't have to be all the way back when camping, however you might not have enough room for tow vehicle. One has to remember you spend most of your time outside, and at least part of that is getting stuff out of the trailer, especially if you do a lot of outside cooking.

That's my 2.6 cents worth.
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Old 05-02-2015, 12:16 PM   #8
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Hmmmmm... Rear Entry a negative?>>> NOT


The rear entry floor plan can give more usable space, as the new NEST, which was designed from the ground up, attests to. Add to that, about 98% of all slide in truck campers are that way and they have excellent interior space utilization for the foot print they occupy.


My 1978 Sunrader mini motorhome with entry, was about the size of a 13' egg inside and had a full California King size bed.... Take that 54" bed lovers.



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Old 05-02-2015, 12:43 PM   #9
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Lil Joe and Ponderosa by Weiscraft

Aaaah... controversy!

Regarding campsites and rear-entry trailers... My experience is that full-hookup areas often favor side-entry trailers, with hookups on the street side and picnic table on the curb side. However, many of the no-hookup (tent) areas I prefer are oriented toward the back of the parking pad. I even camped one place where the table and grill were on the street side, so we had to walk all the way around. No big deal.

Regarding space utilization... Rear-entry does seem to favor larger bed space in a given footprint. Side-entry allows for two separate sitting/dining/sleeping areas.

Choices are good!
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Old 05-02-2015, 01:58 PM   #10
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Smile Weight & TV

Quote:
Originally Posted by johnwgorman1 View Post
Can anyone speak to the quality and practicality of these small trailers?

Anyone out there who owns one?

I want a very small trailer that can sleep two, allow for standing up, and be super light and compact. This trailer seems to fit the bill but it is hard to glean much from the website. Since they are custom(ish) made the prices are up there but would be worth it if the product is high quality.
What will you be towing with???
1485 lbs dry weight, the Ponderosa doesn't count as "super light weight" hereabouts. And that will go to at least 1800+ lbs. ready to go. Do you have very restrictive tow limits?



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Old 05-02-2015, 05:42 PM   #11
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I have never read any negative comments about the brand. Not many owners who are members here, granted, but the few who are have not griped about anything.
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Old 05-02-2015, 05:57 PM   #12
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We run a LiteHouse - it's almost identical to the LittleJoe. It's narrow but like Perkin's tent, is bigger on the inside than the outside. I removed the LP stove and the ice box. I'm building a liquor cabinet and shelf where the stove was and am going to try and mount a small a/c where the cooler was. It's an awesome trailer.


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Old 05-02-2015, 06:44 PM   #13
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Name: Yonny Yonson
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Info hard to get

When I emailed the builder of the Ponderosa the answers I got were cryptic and when I asked for more detailed photos he didn't reply. So I guess he has enough work locally and doesn't need to take care of clients. Honestly, if I am going to invest 13-19K on a trailer I'd like some detailed info. BTW. When I called Scamp last year the "salesman" was extremely nice (Minnesota)... almost to an uncomfortable point. But I did appreciate the answers to all my questions.
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Old 05-02-2015, 06:49 PM   #14
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Humm, maybe your issue is like mine with Scamp. I've ALWAYS gotten better assistance when calling over emailing. Now Escape.. That's a totally different story. Customer Service is stellar no matter how you contact them

I still have a hard time believing all molded towable manufacturers don't respond to customers. This isn't wonder years of the early 1990s.
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Old 05-02-2015, 09:17 PM   #15
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Name: Yonny Yonson
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Posts: 13
I'll give the guy at Weiscraft a call. This might be his better medium to describe his wares.
Thanks,
John
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Old 05-02-2015, 09:25 PM   #16
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Let us know what they have to say! I am curious to know what they are asking for their Ponderosa trailers nowadays (but I'm not serious enough to bother them about it).
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Old 05-02-2015, 09:29 PM   #17
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Name: john
Trailer: Compact Junior
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The rear entry door lets you.......

slide a kayak in the backdoor. my 10' long Compact Jr lets me slide a 9'-6" kayak inside, saving the expense and hassle of carrying it on the roof of my car.

and when I took the trailer to the fairgrounds for inside storage I was able to store the kayak at no extra cost.

and there is probably a bicycle out there with narrow enough handlebars that would fit in the backdoor.

I don't have a rock guard on my front window so when trailering I can look in the rearview mirror and see out the backdoor window at what's right behind me on the highway. I like that.
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