WHAT DO YOU HAVE?

[firsttimer]

Hello,

Does everyone on this forum own a Fiberglas trailer. Im so curious to hear what you own and what are your inputs on your own trailers? How many years have you had it, do you regret getting that size or are you happy as can be? Please tell me about yourself and your camper, im super curious. I think all the information i can get is best. So that I make a informed purchase when the time comes.

Thank you!

[steve dunham]

We’ve owned three different fiberglass trailers but I make no recommendations because what works for us and our style of camping may not work for your style of camping and your budget
Also remember your choice of Fiberglass trailer is affected by your choice of tow vehicle so choose wisely

[firsttimer]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

We’ve owned three different fiberglass trailers but I make no recommendations because what works for us and our style of camping may not work for your style of camping and your budget
Also remember your choice of Fiberglass trailer is also affected by your choice of tow vehicle so choose wisely

Im looking for something under 1500 lbs cause that is my towing capacity. Im also not wanting anything big because im single and most often travel alone or with one friend.
Im hoping to find something under 10 000$ canadian. *fingers crossed*

[AlanKilian]

We bought a 1977 13' Scamp in 2008, replaced a bunch of stuff, globbed silicone all over the outside (I'll hear about THAT from this group) and drove it all over MN, WI, ND, SD, all the way to the south-end of the Mississippi, and now all over New England.

Old Volvo 950, newer Honda CRV and now newer Volvo V70 as tow vehicles.
We're going to upgrade to a Volvo XC40 before my wife retires and we go across the continent with it.

We've replaced (by ourselves) cushion fabric, table, water tank, curtains (Home-made) window gaskets, tires, lights, propane tubing, stove, ceiling vent and cabinet doors over the last ten years.

(Oh yeah, we're having the axle replaced and getting trailer breaks installed.)

The old zero-electricity gravity furnace worked well in MN.

[thrifty bill]

Basically nothing under 1500 pounds other than an occasional Burro. Check weights in the real world. Need to step up tow vehicle wise to have choices.

Every couple of days someone is posting looking for something 1500 pounds or less. Most of the simpler 13 footers are about 1,800 to 2,000 pounds.

The Meerkat is lighter, it’s not molded fiberglass and it is quite rare. It’s a pretty cool trailer. It’s not cheap.

Another one is the Weiscraft Little Joe. Very rare, very small.

Manufacturers make what customers want. Trailers have been getting larger, several mfrs dropped their smallest models,. People want bathrooms, showers, A/C. All add weight. Going into the molded FG manufacturing business takes a lot of $$ and many sadly don’t survive.

The business graveyard is full of failed FG trailer companies like Hymer, Egg, Lil Snoozy, Weiscraft, Parkliner, and many more. Its a really tough business.

[Hazel in Sk]

Too bad some manufacturer doesn't make a stripped down basic lightweight model!

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Hazel in Sk

Too bad some manufacturer doesn't make a stripped down basic lightweight model!

Probably due to a very low demand and an even lower profit margin
With electric vehicles becoming the norm things may have to change
I can see the day when buying a vehicle that can tow a normal size travel trailer farther than 5 miles without a recharge may be cost prohibitive.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by firsttimer

Im looking for something under 1500 lbs cause that is my towing capacity. I...

No, that is not your towing capacity... while it might be for now, you can increase it. A new tug is not cheap but keep in mind that your number (1500 lbs) is only under ideal conditions. You will surely be much happier if your trailer is less than 80% or more of your vehicle's maximum towing rating. And if any other of the other pertinent ratings such as tongue weight are exceeded then you still might end up with a tow vehicle that you will want to upgrade even if the trailer weight is well under 1500 lbs.

[Daniel A.]

I bought my 17 foot Bigfoot some 10 years ago its a 1991 weight runs around 3200 pounds loaded. I've never regretted the purchase its perfect for what I want. It is important to have a tow that works trying to minimize is not a good plan more headaches than worth the enjoyment you could otherwise have. I tow with a chevy Tahoe.

[AC0GV]

Originally Posted by firsttimer

Hello, Does everyone on this forum own a Fiberglas trailer.
Thank you!

It's not just fiberglass, but molded fiberglass. Any members that want to share information have posted it in their listing.
ENJOY!

[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!

[thrifty bill]

We have owned four campers overall, three molded FG. Don't overlook floor plan. Our first molded FG was a mistake, as the floor plan did not work for us at all. Lesson learned.

To have any real choices, you need a more serious tow vehicle that can handle more weight. The under 1,500 pound class basically does not exist. There are a couple of extremely rare exceptions.

To give up weight in any size, you have to give up functionality. Awning, A/C, bathroom, all add significant weight. Even things you would assume are standard can be options like a refrigerator or a furnace. And four season trailers weigh more than others.

Some things people may overlook is room to pass each other in the aisle way, a place to sit separate from the bed, windows (more the better, and more that open too).

[Glass House]

We’ve had a 13’ Boler and a 17’ ’88 Bigfoot. We love the bigger Bigfoot and the bath. We tow with a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The thing we miss about the boler is having the dinette in the rear. One always backs into their campsite and the lake, the forest, or the ocean are behind you. In the boler or we could look at that from the dinette. In the big foot the dinette is in the front where you get to look at your tow vehicle or the other campers passing by your campsite. My next rig will have the dinette in the rear.

[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

[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 .

[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!

[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.

[jokra]

You need to ask yourself with how comfortable you are towing a trailer, especially since backing up will be much more difficult or impossible on your own. You need to decide how many seasons you want to use it. I personally am quite happy to camp in a van in summer, since I don't like cooking inside when camping. I always have a tent or awning that I use when it rains. I even have an electric fridge that plugs into a cigarette lighter. I suggest you try renting one before you buy and see what you want and where you want to use it? If you have camping equipment, you might even try renting an empty U-haul trailer close to the size that you want to buy and see how it works for the weekend. Try to keep an open mind before making a purchase. If you find that you don't like RV life with a tiny trailer, you will need to buy a new tow vehicle and trailer.

[Alex Adams]

I tow my 1240 pound (loaded weight) 1979 boler 13 footer with a manual transmission 2017 Subaru Crosstrek (1500 pound tow rating). I have towed it to the Catskills in NY and to South Carolina. I do not drive on the interstates, I prefer the back roads since the journey is almost as important as the destination to me.

[Johnys Journeys]

i have a 2003 casita Spirit Deluxe.