single mom - needs advice

[Donna D.]

Joy and Lily

Hey, another Joy and Lily! The other though is Joy A (Avila) and Lily is a dog.... but same, same... she travels alone too and is the MOD QUEEN.

At anyrate, here's a topic you should read. Lots of helpful info when looking to purchase an egg.

Just click here: The Official "Search Tips" Thread!, Posted by request

But as has been mentioned... please be very, very careful of scams. There are lots of helpful people here and some are willing to go look at a trailer in their general vicinity if you should find one for sale.

Oh and don't forget to print out the Buyers Check List

Good luck!

[Raya]

FYI: I tow with an '08 Honda Element with a capacity oif 1500 lbs, camper is said to weigh 900, had no problems at all.

Jan, just an FYI: The U-haul 13 weighs a bit more empty than the typical 13-footer. I think because the frame and axle are a bit beefier (they were made for the rental trade). The published empty weight for a U-haul 13 is 1250#

With a tow capacity of 1500# (including gear and fluids in the trailer), I would take the rig to a public scale and see what you are really pulling. Then you'll know and can pack (or unpack) accordingly.

Raya

[Anne Badgley]

I'm surprised no one has pointed this out, but your towing capacity is linked to engine size (4 cyl or 6 cyl, what horsepower/torque?), drive (front wheel drive has higher towing capacity than 4 wheel drive because of lower vehicle weight) and transmission. The Xterra is built on the same chassis and engine choices as the Frontier pick-up and has the same towing specs in the literature.

Brian corrected me on this glaring error. I meant to say two wheel drive (not front wheel drive). He also said that the 2002 Xterra was not available as a 4 cylinder in spite of what Edmunds says. Thanks for setting the record straight Brian!

[joy mccalla]

Hey everybody,
My stepdad says I need to check on brake issues related to the camper to know if I need to get a brake box installed on my Xterra. Can somebody explain to me about brakes?

I called a local place about getting a trailer hitch installed and it was around $200 and the wiring package was about $50. Sound reasonable?

THANKS!
Joy

[Penney H. & Mike E.]

Your future trailer may or may not come with brakes, one reason to wait until you have found what you want before getting the hitch set up (in my opinion). The brake hook-up would be part of the electrical package that would be installed. Many of the older, smaller trailers do not have brakes and there are many discussions here on the forum about brakes or no brakes. You can have them added, for safety if it is a concern. Our first trailer was a '87 13' Burro without brakes, we never even thought about them as we did not have a problem in 12 years of ownership. It stopped when needed, if we stopped quickly we did not have any fishtailing, etc. But a 13' Burro is light, our tow vehicle, a Previa, heavy and we did fine. Our newer and larger Escape has them, as all newer trailers do. Some states may require them. There are many folks with more brake knowledge than I have who can address this, but I've given you some food for thought.

Good luck on your search, take your time, as others have said, take the check list and someone else along to look at anything or if it is a ways from you see if someone on the forum might be able to go look and let you know if an available trailer is worth pursuing. Patience and education will bring you something you will enjoy and have adventures in for years to come!

Penney

[KarinP]

Hey everybody,
My stepdad says I need to check on brake issues related to the camper to know if I need to get a brake box installed on my Xterra. Can somebody explain to me about brakes?

I called a local place about getting a trailer hitch installed and it was around $200 and the wiring package was about $50. Sound reasonable?

THANKS!
Joy

Joy, I just had a hitch installed for about $175.00 (93 for the hitch, the rest labor). HOWEVER, it turned out to be a hitch that connected to the wheelwells instead of the bumper (better). So for the second time around, we bought the hitch from etrailer and my husband installed it without any trouble. In other words, be sure that the hitch is right for your vehicle and what you are towing (probably a 13'?). And, you can save $ if you buy the hitch and your stepdad installs!

I agree with other folks about waiting til you get your trailer to do the wiring. I had a brake controller installed, certain I had brakes, which I didn't (older Scamp). I don't imagine you save a lot by doing both at the same time.

Good luck to you - you have lots of fun ahead!
Karin

[Raya]

I've found www.hitch-web.com to be a good resource for hitch shopping. I actually used it to help me when I was vehicle shopping too; it was a good way to (loosely) determine the tow rating for various vehicles.

Raya

[Karalyn]

my advice is to buy the camper first and then see what you need. Maybe someone can haul it home for you if needed until you get the proper equipment on your car.
just my opinion

[David & Leslie]

Hi Joy & Lily - don't know how far you're willing to travel for your "Egg", but here's a really nice Burro in California:

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv...281795232.html

We found our Scamp13 on eBay ... Our FGRV angel was saving it for us, but we had to travel from Nevada to Kansas City to pick it up! We have never regretted the trip or our choice. Good luck in finding the FGRV just right for you! L 'n D

[Don N]

That is a very nice looking original Burro. And the price is fair on it.

[joy mccalla]

Looked at the camper in Cal. Don't have my money saved up yet and it's a little far. Can't buy anything until November at the earliest but it's good to see what's out there in my price range. I love looking! My stepdad can pick up the camper for me so I think I'll wait to get the towing stuff installed and will continue to get that figured out so I'll be ready.
Thanks again!
Joy

[Roger C H]

Here is a good general information website on towing. You should educate yourself before shopping so that you are more likely to be aware if the seller is being truthful or feeding you a line.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing

Buying an egg is like taking a vacation, the planning is half the fun!

As former tenters and new this year to eggs, we are really delighted with our "Homelet".

Good luck and have fun shopping for your new little home.

[Nate M]

Joy - FYI, I pull my 13 ft. Scamp with a 2001 Nissan Xterra (4cy 5 speed). No issues what-so-ever. I when to the local U-Haul and had them put on a hitch.

Good luck!

[David & Leslie]

Hi, again Joy - here's a link to a nice affordable Compact Jr. on eBay ... just FYI. L 'n D

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1971-Hunter...3A1%7C72%3A2148

p.s. yikes, now THAT is link! Might be easier to just go to 'Referrals" section and open Tom Trostel's post ... same destination.