WHAT DO YOU HAVE?

[simplehuman]

Hello Jennifer and welcome. I have owned a 1972 13' Safari, (tent trailer which didn't keep my wife at all) and now own a 06 Bigfoot 21' FB and I'd never buy another stick again. Best of luck in your search.

[firsttimer]

Originally Posted by PCO6

firsttimer - I'm not sure where you are in Ontario but there are a couple of Cadets for sale in Keswick. I have no idea of the shape they're in but can say that they look decent and complete from the outside. Cadets are are a bit older and they are light weight (about 900 lbs. dry). I have an '86 project on the go and can't attest to what they are like as original. I'm making a lot of modifications to mine so I wouldn't go by anything I say anyway!

Thank you, Yes i have been looking at the Cadet as well, but they are very hard to find. Is there a link or add for the ones on sale in Keswick? I wouldn't mind having a look.

[firsttimer]

Originally Posted by steve67

The only 1500lb trailers I've found are the early Bolers and Trilliums. You'd need to find one that has not been worked too much since that usually adds to their weight.

When we bought our Boler a lot of thought went into reducing the weight with our updates so that our Forester could pull it. That added to the fun of working to make it ours.
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ler-90495.html

Thank you, Yes i have been looking at the older boler and Trilliums.. and hoping, like you said that no added work has been gone to hike up the weight. Yours is gorgeous.. love it. I dont mind at all putting work into, I am looking forward to it actually.

[firsttimer]

Originally Posted by Wayne Collins

Engineers are a conservative lot. they (almost) always build a safety factor into their designs. Therefore, when they say your tow rating is 1500 lb, that is, maybe half of the maximum design capacity. So, you can safely tow a 1500 load.

As others have pointed out, tha REAL weight of your trailer has to be as fully loaded, with all your stuff, and full tanks. And, the only way to know how much it weighs - is to weight it.

Thank you Wayne, that does make me feel a little better. I was starting to get discouraged. I do plan on getting it weight whenever i find one.

[firsttimer]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Trying to find a trailer that can be towed by a vehicle that was never designed to tow anything always seemed like adding an unnecessary obstacle , simply to complicate the process . Vehicles rated to tow 3500 lbs are fairly common , not that expensive, readily available and also work well as commuter vehicles
When I was young and had 5 kids to raise , I couldn’t afford a tow vehicle so we bought a tent .

I have a toyota Rav4, I know its not the biggest car, but im hoping it can pull a small camper. I do appreciate everyone's input.

[firsttimer]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Bought our lightly used Scamp 13 as an alternative to a small tent trailer 8 years ago. We were wanting to move up from a tent and only had a 2000# tow rating. It’s great for small families who prefer a more outdoor-centered camping style. It’s been fairly trouble-free, mainly because it’s so simple. We have enjoyed it a lot!

Yes that is what im looking for, Nothing big. Just something to rest my head at night and have a bit a space if its raining to sit and make food. Im ok with no bathroom or shower as I mostly do campgrounds and know they have those available to their campers.
I have seen the Scamps they are so cute. I am mostly looking at Boler, scamps and trillium for their lightweight.

[Gloria in Idaho]

I'm a single woman that has no interest in repairing a fiberglass camper. I first had a 1984 Uhaul 13'. It had running water, gas stove and a heater. The only reason I bought it was because I could no longer sleep on the ground and also felt safer in it. To me, it was just a fancy tent! The only things I had to do to it were fill the propane tank and drain the water tank. I liked that size because I could reach everything and it was easy to keep clean. When it reached a point where it was going to need some work I sold it.

I went a few years without a camper, then decided to get another 13'. This time I decided to get the works. So I had a shower/toilet, fridge, heater, air conditioner, stove, awning, insulation etc. No sooner than I bought it, I became ill. I bought it in CA and drove it back home to ID in the fall in the mountains. I wasn't able to do all the winterizing it needed which messed up a lot of stuff and cost me a fortune for the needed repairs.

So my suggestion is to consider just how much time you want to put into regular maintenance, which of course will vary by location. If I were to buy another one, I would go back to one with low maintenance like my first one, which also had more room and storage than one with all the extras.

[firsttimer]

Thank you Gloria, i really appreciate the input. I honestly dont want one with all the bells and whistle, I think I will be very happy with a simple 13' boler or trillium with the bare necessity. I really like this site, and love all the information everyone is sharing.

Originally Posted by Gloria in Idaho

I'm a single woman that has no interest in repairing a fiberglass camper. I first had a 1984 Uhaul 13'. It had running water, gas stove and a heater. The only reason I bought it was because I could no longer sleep on the ground and also felt safer in it. To me, it was just a fancy tent! The only things I had to do to it were fill the propane tank and drain the water tank. I liked that size because I could reach everything and it was easy to keep clean. When it reached a point where it was going to need some work I sold it.

I went a few years without a camper, then decided to get another 13'. This time I decided to get the works. So I had a shower/toilet, fridge, heater, air conditioner, stove, awning, insulation etc. No sooner than I bought it, I became ill. I bought it in CA and drove it back home to ID in the fall in the mountains. I wasn't able to do all the winterizing it needed which messed up a lot of stuff and cost me a fortune for the needed repairs.

So my suggestion is to consider just how much time you want to put into regular maintenance, which of course will vary by location. If I were to buy another one, I would go back to one with low maintenance like my first one, which also had more room and storage than one with all the extras.

[Alex T]

We were in your boat and bought a 1973 trillium at Christmas to tow with a manual Honda Element (1500#/150# max) - we backpack a lot and have learned to pack fairly light due to the elements unofficial max payload of 650#. After stripping off 32# propane tank, 50# battery and 40# spare tire, all of which were on the tongue, we got the tongue weight down to 140#, and the trailer weighed in at 1322# total weight (with spare tire inside under the rear dinette. Trailer has no furnace but does have a fridge, and has brakes... seemed to tow fine empty (in the city) but After all that we’ve realized we probably need a better TV as we have a 2 year old and 4 month old and will travel BC’s mountain passes often, and I don’t want to be too close to the limit (esp as the car would be full too) so we just bought a 4Runner so we can actually bring some gear and not chug up hills. It’s a slippery slope!
If you REALLY want to keep your TV, make sure it’s under 1000# (which is rare in the FG world). Sounds like it’s just you tho so you probably won’t have all the issues/criteria we had.

[Alf S.]

Hi: firsttimer... I'm lazy when it comes to hooking up. I chose the biggest, newest, fiberglass fifth wheel style trailer on the market. It's easy to hook, and so easy to tow!!! My bro told me I'd always need a pickup truck. I said "SO"!!!
Here's a pic getting ready to go!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Stevieboy]

I bought new 2018 17’ Casita Spirit Deluxe. Have lived in it since Nov 2017 when I picked it up.

[FabulousFrankie]

I have a 2011 Casita 17’ Freedom Deluxe. Love, love it.
Handles well, nothing broken, nothing replaced. I think it would be too crowded with a second person, I travel with my dogs i have owned a 25 foot RV, a teardrop, I have had my Casita for 3 years and wouldn’t trade it for anything ❣️