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Old 12-30-2013, 07:48 PM   #21
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Pam, did you notice you have a 1985 U Haul and you've posted 1985 times?!
OK...back to the topic 😎
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Old 12-30-2013, 07:56 PM   #22
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Trailer: 2013 Lil Snoozy #161 (SOLD)/2010 Tacoma
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Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
Ah the days of Rose Colored Glasses. Big ole trailers, Big ole tugs.. made of steel, got crappy gas mileage.. but, fuel was 28-32 cents a gallon. Road were two lanes and slow maximum speeds. A whole lot fewer vehicles on the road.... Weren't those days wonderful? Now only a memory. Fast forward to today and all the things now....
Why you spring chicken you.
Gas was 20-22 cents a gallon.
And there were only two cars on the road.
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Old 12-30-2013, 08:22 PM   #23
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Carl, I remember gas wars... with fuel (Ethel) down to 15 cents a gallon. Sigh. But, that's not what the OP was asking about
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Old 12-30-2013, 08:43 PM   #24
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Yep. Society is so confusing today.............LOL
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Old 01-02-2014, 07:58 AM   #25
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Cruising this site as I have SO many questions I would like answered (new to the forum and brand new owners of Trillium) and can't seem to find info on ripping up carpet in our Trillium to replace with cushion floor advice, and wondering if a Ford Escape would be a recommended vehicle to tow our 13' Trillium?
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Old 01-02-2014, 09:03 AM   #26
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Name: Randy
Trailer: 1980Trillium 1300
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Originally Posted by JRTrillium View Post
Cruising this site as I have SO many questions I would like answered (new to the forum and brand new owners of Trillium) and can't seem to find info on ripping up carpet in our Trillium to replace with cushion floor advice, and wondering if a Ford Escape would be a recommended vehicle to tow our 13' Trillium?
...A little 1.8L, 4 cylinder Toyota Matrix is pulling an...extensive modified 1300Trillium in one of its' camping trips(before paint job) without a problem...As long as it falls within towing specs, it would be OK. I would recommend a stronger towing vehicle on the ...far away trips. One of my farthest trip with Toyota Matrix as towing vehicle was a..500kilometer one way, but it will be...within speed limit of HW and a little struggle on up hill....( TRAILER HAS ITS' OWN ELECTRIC BRAKES, THOUGH)....
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Old 01-03-2014, 02:19 PM   #27
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A shower inside the trailer adds weight. Hot water tank plus its 25 - 48 pounds of water in it, and it uses a lot of space. Making you second bed a problem.

So maybe think outside the camper "box".

There are tall phone booth sized tents with loose weave floor that drains, many people set those up to use as a shower. This would move the shower outside. Some of these are specifically designed for use as a shower stall.

Many options exist for portable showers. Ranging from 2 liter soft drink bottle(s) with small holes drilled in the cap, left out in the sun to warm at the low end all the way to portable propane powered water heaters with 12 volt pumps.


Depending on your daughters age a small tent outside the camper could provide a place for a bed allowing for a shower inside a smaller campers closer to your weight range. In a pinch your daughter could use the pad and sleeping bag from the tent right on the floor, provided she fits in that space. Crowded but if one arrives at campground in the rain and wants to avoid setting up tent until weather clears....

It has been noted by many in reviews that these "shower" tents can not generally support the weight of solar shower bags commonly sold as camping equipment being hung from the ceiling.

Have to ask yourself how much use will you make of the sleeping accommodations for daughter vs. how much use will you make of the shower. And your comfort level with using a rustic solution.
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Old 01-03-2014, 02:56 PM   #28
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California
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With a very small trailer with 2000 lb weight limits the shower is useless. You dont carry enough water and have limited drain capasicty so your camping in areas that have water and sewer hook-ups anyway. Almost everyplace that has these ammities have shower facilities so you dont need it in your trailer. Most people that have to have a shower wont camp in the boonies anyway and if they would they are open to rural methods of clean up. Step up the tow rig and get a bigger trailer or enjoy the smaller trailer for what it is. I love my 13 foot trailer with no toilet or shower just a portapottie. I would hate it if 1/3 of the trailer was permanatly wasted for facilities that you dont need making you feel like your living inside a match box.
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Old 01-03-2014, 03:07 PM   #29
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It is possible to do a temporary shower in a Trillium. I really like this. Combined with a Coleman on demand water heater this would rock.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ium-39176.html
Coleman - Hot Water On Demandâ„¢ Portable Water Heater
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Old 01-03-2014, 03:26 PM   #30
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Lil snoozy

We have a twin bed with a cassette toilet and shower in a Lil Snoozy the factory says it weighs about 2200 lb we haven't weighed ours yet will do this spring . It has a 4gallon water heater The shower is wonderful so is the toilet not going to the RV facilities is a big plus for us especially in the middle of the night.
The grand marquie has a 4.6 litre v-8 engine with car on frame just like a truck . The only reason this car will not tow is Ford makes a lot more money on their f-150 . The only downside to towing would be explaining to the Judge that you were 200lb over if you ever got in an accident .
The car will tow any 13-17 ft fiberglass trailer easily it's just do you want the liability if an accident does happen ??
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Old 01-03-2014, 04:30 PM   #31
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There are a lot of discussions on towing weight limits, with totally opposite opinions expressed by intelligent people that have real world experience to support their opinions. Often the question of "OK to tow with..." comes down to how the individual asses and weighs the same factors.

Generally speaking exceeding manufactures tow specifications boils down to being willing to accept.
  • Potential personal liability in the event of an accident. If one exceeds tow vehicle stated capacity it is possible that insurance will claim you were doing something unsafe and deny claim.
  • Reduced speed of travel or ability to handle steep terrain easily.
  • Increased wear and tear on tow vehicle.
  • Possibly purchase of additional equipment such as anti-sway, transmission cooler or trailer brakes when a larger tow vehicle would not require them for the given trailer.
  • Potentially poor gas mileage. Some vehicles see this more than others, depends on how dependent vehicle is on overdrive or gearing to get its normal gas mileage. And how you drive it.
It is worth mentioning that the more over the weight limit or closer one is to the limit the greater the potential impact.

At the same time there are many members here that have RV travel styles that place low demand on the towing vehicle. Some members have a great deal of experience with towing or detailed knowledge of auto mechanical design to the point where they are comfortable using there experienced judgment instead of the more general one provided by the manufacturer.

Sort of boils down to your confidence in your ability to assess requirements and equipment capability.

As I have mentioned more than once on these type of "religious" issues It is sort of hard to tell someone that has been doing it for years or 10's of thousands of miles it won't work. My suggestion is if you want to consider using their experience as a guide to your decision get as much detail as you can about their actual use, equipment and circumstances. It's really hard to make an apples to apples compare unless you get into the specifics of trailer weight, terrain, speed, what year and model of tow vehicle and transmission etc.

Personally I tend to be a bit risk averse and have a preference for a good size margin of error. With a 5k towing capacity and a 13 ft. camper of around 1/3 that load I still had trailer brakes installed when the opportunity came up.
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Old 01-03-2014, 04:48 PM   #32
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RogerDat, good post. The only thing I would add is that unless the manufacturer states how they arrived at their rating, any rationalizing is pure conjecture. Raz
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Old 01-03-2014, 05:13 PM   #33
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RogerDat, good post. The only thing I would add is that unless the manufacturer states how they arrived at their rating, any rationalizing is pure conjecture. Raz
Thanks Raz. However if the manufacture put out such an explanation it would be in engineer-ese, translated into legal-ese, then edited and approved by management. Passed back through legal, translated into at least 4 languages, edited for consistency in all 4 then back to legal.

Half way through reading the statement finally released at how they arrived at their rating I'm sure most would be begging the manufacture to kill them because they now "know too much".
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Old 01-06-2014, 10:17 PM   #34
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Thanks Raz. However if the manufacture put out such an explanation it would be in engineer-ese, translated into legal-ese, then edited and approved by management. Passed back through legal, translated into at least 4 languages, edited for consistency in all 4 then back to legal.

Half way through reading the statement finally released at how they arrived at their rating I'm sure most would be begging the manufacture to kill them because they now "know too much".
Is your real name Douglas Adams?
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Old 01-06-2014, 10:31 PM   #35
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Originally Posted by JRTrillium View Post
Cruising this site as I have SO many questions I would like answered (new to the forum and brand new owners of Trillium) and can't seem to find info on ripping up carpet in our Trillium to replace with cushion floor advice, and wondering if a Ford Escape would be a recommended vehicle to tow our 13' Trillium?
You couldn't find a better choice of Tow Vehicle for your 13'Trillium (properly equipped of course).
The newer ones are even more awesome (from what I'm told and from the spec sheets)

Even if your old carpet is glued down, it can be removed cleanly with a razor knife, an old steel pancake turner, and a wire brush.
I did a 13 trillium with "pergot" type flooring with great results...
once removed there remains a great surface to install any flooring of your choice. Even if the subfloor is less than perfect there are many good choices for patching or making a nice smooth subfloor.
The sturdy construction of the trillium includes a solid floor which is easy to work with.
Below is a photo of the new floor in my project Trillium, and photos of my two Ford Escapes which are perfectly matched to my 13D Scamp.
(I did tow the Trillium with the gray Escape, but only about a thousand miles or so.)
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Old 01-06-2014, 11:19 PM   #36
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Trailer: Egg Camper
Tennessee
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I'll throw this out there. My EggCamper, with rear bed and side dinette, front bath and shower, has a stated weight of 1980lbs. Then of course you add belongings and food. But I also don't have heavy cabinets and gas appliances.

Given the strong merits of the OP's tow vehicle I believe he could safely tow it with his car. And I second the comments about the soft rear suspension. But then that is easily fixed.

Jason
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Old 01-07-2014, 12:14 AM   #37
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Originally Posted by JRTrillium View Post
Cruising this site as I have SO many questions I would like answered (new to the forum and brand new owners of Trillium) and can't seem to find info on ripping up carpet in our Trillium to replace with cushion floor advice, and wondering if a Ford Escape would be a recommended vehicle to tow our 13' Trillium?
We tow a 13 ft. Scamp behind a 2005 Escape V6 without any problems. Our camper is probably lighter since it does not have a bath and we don't travel with water in the tank. We also don't have an RV battery. That said we have minimum impact on gas mileage at 65 mph and I have to watch it so that my speed does not creep up to 70, plenty of surplus power.

I do notice rather long stopping distances but have always felt that our Escape had somewhat "soft" brakes.

Escape also comes with a 4 cylinder engine, don't know what it can tow or how well.

On flooring several people have mentioned Allure flooring, a slightly padded vinyl product which comes in strips designed to overlap and stick, has a wood plank floor look. Saw some at a rally and some pictures here on the forum and am thinking of giving that a shot myself.
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Old 01-07-2014, 10:08 AM   #38
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Originally Posted by RogerDat View Post
We tow a 13 ft. Scamp behind a 2005 Escape V6 without any problems. Our camper is probably lighter since it does not have a bath and we don't travel with water in the tank. We also don't have an RV battery. That said we have minimum impact on gas mileage at 65 mph and I have to watch it so that my speed does not creep up to 70, plenty of surplus power.

I do notice rather long stopping distances but have always felt that our Escape had somewhat "soft" brakes.

Escape also comes with a 4 cylinder engine, don't know what it can tow or how well.

On flooring several people have mentioned Allure flooring, a slightly padded vinyl product which comes in strips designed to overlap and stick, has a wood plank floor look. Saw some at a rally and some pictures here on the forum and am thinking of giving that a shot myself.
Both of the Escapes in my post are 2.3L 4CYL engines with 5spd manual transmissions. Mid twenties fuel economy at 58MPH.
(That's the speed with Minimal impact on MPG)
Our 13Scamp is a Deluxe with every option except a second propane tank.
We do have a bathroom/shower, a 27 battery, and we carry about half a tank of water and two bicycles. Our trailer has brakes and we have switched the Escape to better than stock brakes and better than stock tires.
The chassis is identical to the V6.
In 2009 the 2.3L engine was increased to 2.5L with a comensurate increase in HP and Torque. The "New" Escape offers neither a manual trans,(like ours) nor a V6 like yours.
There are now three engine choices..
A 2.5L normally aspirated,a 1.6L EcoBoost, and a 2.0L EcoBoost.
Each is mated to a new 6spd automatic transmission.
The Hybrid is gone, as is the VARiable speed transmission.
Unfortunately the engine choice is tied to trim level so you must buy the SE or the Titanium to get EcoBoost. Still the 2.5L has more power than its predecessor (although it can only be had with an automatic.)
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Old 01-07-2014, 11:18 AM   #39
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Serg, good to hear you are joining the RV crowd.

Your Merc has a proven track record for towing all sizes of trailers so the 2K egg should be a non event.

We traveled with friends who had a mid 2,000 Grand and they really liked the way it towed their trailer. Thinking the tow rating must be much higher here in Canada.
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Old 01-07-2014, 02:09 PM   #40
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Both of the Escapes in my post are 2.3L 4CYL engines with 5spd manual transmissions. Mid twenties fuel economy at 58MPH....

.... Our trailer has brakes and we have switched the Escape to better than stock brakes and better than stock tires.
The chassis is identical to the V6.........

In 2009 the 2.3L engine was increased to 2.5L with a comensurate increase in HP and Torque. The "New" Escape offers neither a manual trans,(like ours) nor a V6 like yours.
My fuel economy is better at less than 65 mph. But it's not reduced by much at 65. Much of the time I shoot for 60 or 62 mph sort of depends on traffic and overall distance. On 100 mile trip 1 or 2 mpg does not make much difference, longer trip I figure an extra gas stop slows me down as much as a couple mph over the course of 8 hours of driving and the money saved is greater.

When I replaced the axle on the scamp I had them put on one with brakes, may never need them but better to have and not need than.... crunch.

I have always liked driving a manual trans for the added control it provides as well as typically having better fuel economy, but as automatics have become more fuel efficient the manual trans is getting less and less common even as an option.

I will say an automatic is nice in stop and go traffic.
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