We bought our 13' around 1998 when our kids were very young so we could camp in the early spring and late
fall - prior to this we tented. All we had for a tow vehicle was an Aerostar so the
Trillium when we found it was an obvious choice, and back then, fairly cheap.
We used it several times a year in remote locations where the temperature usually ranged from +15C in the day to -10 or lower at night. We spent one week in -5 to -25 which was an experience having everything freeze to the walls. The gravity
furnace and
propane fridge (refrigeration was rarely required) allowed us to camp for a week in sub-zero conditions in relative comfort - it never got 'warm' but stayed above freezing inside. Cupboards were a different matter.
Anyway, long story short, in 2010 with a larger tow vehicle we got a 24' Nash cheap for a trip to Inuvik and the
Trillium had been sitting ever since. This year we planned a trip to northern BC and with only two of us don't need a 24' trailer which greatly limits where you can stop so it was time to refresh and repair the
Trillium.
Over the years I've done a bunch of upgrades, most of which I've forgotten until now like a fluorescent
light (remember those),
lights in the cupboards, a demand water pump, a car stereo and some speaker jacks on the outside. Early on, someone drove into the back of the trailer on a snowy highway so we had to do some major repair and at that point I added on to the back of the frame to carry an aluminum storage box with some LED
tail lights (brand new technology at the time) and lengthened the tongue to balance things out, make it a little easier to back up and move the
battery outside. I also painted the outside with Endura heavy equipment
paint as part of repairing the damage to the shell. It was green so I stayed with a shade of green to keep the inside matching.
Both the
fridge and
furnace were acting up and after some TLC and repairs they are working like new. I cleaned up the frame and painted it, replaced the wheel bearings and marker
lights before taking it on our 3600km trip in September and had no issues except the door coming open on the road. I picked up the handle and installed it as insurance against this happening again but it never seemed to unlatch again. It was nice to tow something that is literally not noticeable and it was interesting how many people waved or wanted to talk about the little trailer along the way.
I'll add more about the
furnace and
fridge repair if people are interested.
1975 Trillium 1300
2013 
Trillium
Linear Mode
