Poll - How easy is your trailer to tow - Fiberglass RV
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Old 08-19-2009, 11:47 AM   #1
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I am currently looking to buy a fiberglass trailer, and am looking for other owner's experiences with their trailers. I am in particular interested in the 13' and 17' Escape, and the 13', 16' and 17' Casita, current models.

Prone to sway issue?
Easy to tow?
Encountered any problems?

Thanks,

Gerda
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Old 08-19-2009, 12:29 PM   #2
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Gerda, I don't think there is a fiberglass egg that is hard to tow. I never was much of a tow'er before buying a 17ft Casita. My life before consisted of my Father/Brother/Husband doing most of the towing. I wasn't afraid of going forward, but the backing up thing was what scared the beejeebers out of me. But once my Mom showed me the ropes, even that is easy now. I can honestly say, there are times you don't even know the Casita is back there. Backing up, is not about the lenght of the trailer as much as the lenght of the tounge/hitch (period). They say longer is easier, but it's really the fact that the tounge is longer!
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Old 08-19-2009, 12:32 PM   #3
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Hi Gerda,

My first thought is that that's a question with many varied and subjective answers. Partly because people have different views of "hard" or "easy," and partly because even with same trailers, people have different tow vehicles, drive in different terrain, etc.

However, we can still give you information

I tow with a 4-cylinder Volvo rear-wheel-drive station wagon. It doesn't have a huge number of horsepower (114), but it does have decent torque, and it's fairly heavy (about 3500#). For myself, I only have one vehicle, so I wanted to be able to continue to drive my normal car, with it's easy parking and 28 mpg when not towing (which is most of the time).

I've towed boats, and various utility trailers - through the mountains, cross-country, etc. but I was very very pleasantly surprised when I picked up my Boler (over 1500 miles from home...). It's the first trailer I've towed where I could almost say "I don't even know it's back there." Not quite, but close.

One thing I especially like is that there is very little "blow by" when a semi-truck and trailer pass me. You know, where they go by and you get pushed and pulled and feel like you're hanging on for dear life. That just doesn't happen. Another great feature is that I can pull into a parking lot, and into a set of normal parking spaces where there are two open (one ahead of the other), and my entire rig fits easily into those two head-to-head parking spaces. Granted, I still don't park right up by the front door, but I don't have to find a special back lot, nor do I need tons of maneuvering room.

Having the car weigh more than twice what the trailer does is very nice. That way the dog wags the tail, and not vice-versa. I would consider getting trailer brakes, as I think they would be a nice bonus, but I can definitely go without them. Of course I drive defensively, keep a look out far ahead for situations that might be shaping up, etc.

I had originally been looking for a Trillium (and indeed, had gone to look at one when I ended up with my Boler -- it was my "fallback" trailer since I was making such a long trip), and then not two weeks after I got home with my Boler, one of the other Trilliums I'd called on called me back to say that yes, the trailer was available. Naturally.

Well, I decided to go check it out, and I was wondering if I did buy it, if I would be giving up this amazing ease of towing I'd had with the Boler. (In fact, I started a thread about it that you might want to look up, as there is information similar to what you are looking for.) I didn't know if my Boler was just magical, or if it was the rounded shape in general, or if there would be no difference.

In the end I did bring the Trillium home (but when the time came to thin the herd I decided to keep the Boler, even though the Trillium was also a great trailer). I will say that it was nearly as nice to tow, but not quite as handy. However, there was more than one variable, so again, subjective.

I think the Trillium was also very easy and nice to tow, with perhaps just a shade more "blow by" from oncoming or passing trucks (it is a bit more square and "bluff" in the front). Also, there was a bit more weight on the tongue (it had two propane tanks there, as opposed to one in my Boler, and also it was the bathroom model, which might put a bit more weight forward). In my case it was a bit less pleasant having the weight there, so that was part of it (of course that could be tweaked).

Again, with the Trillium I had the ease of parking and maneuvering due to the overall shortish length of the rig (car + trailer).

I did later get a chance to tow a different Boler 13 and it was just as nice as the one I brought home from Winnipeg.

Both are fairly maneuverable when off the tow vehicle, because they are lightish.

I haven't towed any of the larger eggs, although technically I could with my particular set-up.

Raya
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Old 08-19-2009, 12:38 PM   #4
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I used to have a 1999 Casita 16-ft towed with a 1993 Chevy G20 (1/2 Ton) van that had a 5.7L (350 cu in) V8 engine and auto transmission. I had absolutely no trouble towing it at all - hardly knew it was there. If you'll be using a vehicle roughly this size, or larger, then I think you should have no problems.* If you're planning to use a significantly smaller tow vehicle, this information may not be of much use to you.

Don

*(just keep enough weight on the tongue to prevent sway)
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Old 08-19-2009, 12:46 PM   #5
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Raya, A friend of mine who's Dad was a long haul trucker gave me a tip her Daddy taught her, When a Big truck is passing or heading toward you, let off the gas just as they are nearing you, then just as it's about around you, put your foot back on the gas. This trick cuts down on the Blow by affect. You don't get pulled/pushed around. I have no clue why it works but it does. Robin
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