Senior gal looking for easy lightweight trailer

[sharon_b]

Marsh you may want to reconsider the bathroom. It was on my initial shopping list too. But I didn’t want to deal with the stinky slinky & at the time it was just me so no one to pawn that job onto. Since then, every state park or campground we’ve been to has clean & convenient bathrooms. you can shower late night if you’re shy like me. It’s a lot easier to just up & go without so much prep or cleanup when you get home. Happy hunting!

[Debbie in Florida]

Marsha,

I am in a similar situation but realize I need to upgrade my tow vehicle as my tiny Subaru Cross Trek is only rated to 1500 pounds. The Casita representative advised that I get a vehicle with a 5,000 pound towing capacity to accommodate a Casita with bathroom, which surprised me. I thought I might get away with 3500. I also do hope to travel in the mountains. So your post and the responses really applied to my situation as well.

Leslie14, I would love to hear more about your Little Guy, which I have not heard of before, and about your tow vehicle and how you decided on both.

And like StevieBoy, I am wondering why AWD reduces towing capacity. I was planning to get AWD on my tow vehicle, which will also be my regular transport for all purposes. Will it interfere with towing in any way?

Thanks for all the great advice on this thread. Looking forward to learning more from all you experienced folks. I am a newbie and have never had a trailer before and am also a single retired woman. No dogs yet!

[Kai in Seattle]

Glen Baglo:

So the "dry weight" never changes from essentially the shell and frame? No matter what mods / options are stuck in there later? Peanut has inner wall panels that finish the interior... The inner wall panels aren't an option, surely? Like-- even the cabinets would have been considered options and not included in the "dry weight?" Not the beds, not the curtains, nothing? I can see why someone above said it was a relatively meaningless term if that's the case.

And I can see why they were able to say it was 1400 pounds. I'm surprised.

So once the thing is assembled, there's no real way to test that "dry" weight unless you gut it, but you don't know quite where to stop unless you can weigh it repeatedly as you do so and stop when it hits that odd, magic number...just for amusement, because you probably end up taking out things you don't want to have out. (Like the inner walls!)

I'm sure at some point of emptiness Peanut's shell and frame would've been 1400 pounds...that seems inherently dishonest, though, and I agree, quite pointless.

So what would one call the state of the trailer without your gear in it at all? "Empty?" versus, say, "Packed?"

Thanks.
Kai

[Glenn Baglo]

Options weigh something.
Dry weight would be what the trailer weighs without any options. If your trailer was built so that inner walls were an option, then you subtract the weight of those walls from the actual weight to get dry weight.
If fridge and stove and furnace are optional, then those wouldn't be included in dry weight.
Dry weight is what it is and no amount of misuse of the term will change what it is.
For a trailer as it came from the factory, with options, you would use the term curb weight.

[madjack]

...you may also want to check your lease...many do not allow for towing or add a surcharge for the privilege...............
madjack

p.s. we camped all over with a teardrop for a dozen years...we used a screenroom set up over the back for a kitchen and a shower tent from Cabellas with a handicap potti chair(taller than a porta potti)...one of the major reasons we bought a Casita17 was A BATHROOM of our own andnot to havvta use pubic restrooms for showers and such...plus as we get older, the night time trips to the bathroom get more frequent...plus nobody else has used it but US...the TD was better than a tent but your own bathroom is PRICELESS.....mj

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Marsh Erickson

thx Gordon2, I'm want easy. No one at the dealership ever talked to me about having to set it up. Uff-ta

Ahh I could tell you stories... including the Toyota people either being incompetent or flat out lying. But they do make good vehicles. If you want to discuss my experience setting up a Sienna for towing feel free to PM me.

I would look for a vehicle that comes with a 7 pin RV connector which is fully wired including the charge line, and has either built in trailer brake controller or at least the pre-wiring for one. The Sienna has neither and Toyota told me they dont sell what you need to tow with the Sienna and they do not endorse any after market items, so you are on your own and might void warranty (lawyers!). What tow rating I would want (3,500 or 5,000, etc) depends on the trailer. Nothing wrong with having twice the rating of the trailer.

Also make sure there is nothing in the lease that forbids using the vehicle for towing.

BTW, I did look for tow ratings for the AWD before my last post and didn't find it. But Jon is right, those stupid run-flat tires and such might affect the rating.

[Nancy B.]

I’m a senior lady with one canine travelling companion. I did things in reverse. I researched trailers for a couple of years and decided that I wanted an Escape 17B, because of their excellent reputation and ‘Made in Canada’. It was very clear from the website and Escape Forum that it could be towed by a Toyota Sienna so that is what I bought in 2010. The next year I was able to buy a second hand 17B with almost every option available. I was a bit nervous because I had never towed anything before. Since then I have gone south to Florida twice and in between spent a month in the Canadian Rockies. I could climb those mountains with no trouble at all. I’m still not great at backing the trailer up but there is no time limit on getting into a campsite...
Something I would like? Higher clearance on both the vehicle and trailer, and maybe a skyhook for lifting and turning the trailer around in some difficult places.

[Captain Dave]

Hi Marsh, Don't give up on the small Casita!!! I would advise against the teardrop, too small, no bathroom and have to go outside to cook in all weather. You have a great vehicle, a Toyota of any model is easy to sell or trade so that you can get a good tow vehicle, another toyota maybe. The Casita will last forever, it will serve all your purposes and will be great for your loving dogs!! (dog spelled vackwards? God) Anyway, there are a lot of Toyotas that will pull that Casita and I'd venture to say you could sell yours and not have to invest any or very little more to get the right one!! Hang in there girl, 70 year old Dave just buying a 17 ft Caita!

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Debbie in Florida

...And like StevieBoy, I am wondering why AWD reduces towing capacity. I was planning to get AWD on my tow vehicle, which will also be my regular transport for all purposes. Will it interfere with towing in any way?...

In the class of vehicles you are considering- compact and mid-sized crossovers- 4WD generally carries the same or higher tow rating than 2WD. The Sienna AWD is a minivan and somewhat unique.

I tow a small 13' Scamp with a 2WD Pilot. Most of the time I can't tell the difference, but I have experienced occasional loss of traction on the front drive wheels while climbing grades on slippery surfaces, such as you might encounter in a campground or back road. With a heavier trailer, it could be more of a problem.

Living in the sun belt, I do not consider AWD a necessity for everyday use, and it adds up-front cost and sometimes additional maintenance. However, it could be useful in your travels, and in some vehicles it comes with a higher tow rating.

Pick-ups are a different story. 4WD usually reduces payload and tow rating somewhat due to the additional weight of the components.

[Kai in Seattle]

Glenn Baglo,

I think a lot of things inside were bought separately, so were options, including the back upper cupboard, a $15 option I saw in the paperwork. I think the inner walls were always included without extra cost.

Curb weight, then, with the fixtures that were included originally and for us now, the ones that are in it now...sure, I've heard that term, but didn't realize what it meant.

So the curb weight is without bedding, food, clothing, liquids like water, propane, etc., all the camping gear. Got it. That's what we got when we had it weighed--curb weight, not dry weight, though we included the mattresses and curtains.... We must've had it at dry weight for a brief while we were rebuilding it but didn't know it. It may well have been 1400.

What's the weight called when it's loaded? The actual weight one ends up dealing with on the road?

THANKS!
Kai

[Glenn Baglo]

Travel weight?
I don't know.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

What's the weight called when it's loaded?...

Gross vehicle weight (GVW).

That's not to be confused with gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which is the maximum allowable total loaded weight according to the manufacturer.

I have never seen the term "curb weight" used in reference to a trailer, but I have seen the term "unloaded vehicle weight" (UVW) used to refer to the empty as-built weight, including all permanently affixed equipment and options.

[Kai in Seattle]

OK, Jon and Glenn, thanks!
Kai

[thrifty bill]

You can certainly get a toilet without a bathroom/shower. That saves the space for a front sofa on the Scamp instead. Many people use a portapotty instead. In many ways they can be handier. No black water tank to dump, much simpler plumbing in your trailer, lighter trailer too.

In s really small trailer giving up critical space for a bathroom is a tough decision. As trailers get larger it’s easier to get it all: permanent bed, bath, separate dinette. But such a trailer takes a much more substantial TV.

Personally I would not want to tow with a leased minivan or SUV. First do they even allow it? What about modifications you make adding hitch, brake controls and wiring? Finally when the lease is up I wouldn’t want to lose my investment in towing upgrades.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

...
Personally I would not want to tow with a leased minivan or SUV. First do they even allow it? What about modifications you make adding hitch, brake controls and wiring? Finally when the lease is up I wouldn’t want to lose my investment in towing upgrades.

I tend to agree, but my brother did tow with a leased Highlander, and at the end of the lease they exercised their option to purchase the vehicle. That worked for them.

[Tom 72]

I would review my lease, which is better than tipping them off by asking. Plus, many employees seem not to know anyway. If a factory hitch receiver is there, that's one thing, but an inspection at the end of the lease would probably reveal a hitch, even if you had it removed. The presence of a factory receiver doesn't mean they can't tell if you towed. Also, the wiring harness.

I recommend finding a used trailer to start making memories, and that may make sense even if the tow vehicle isn't an issue. Plenty of folks trade RVs after determining their real needs. Plenty of others probably wish they bought something different.

Lastly here's a 900 lb trailer. Not molded fiberglass, & unfortunately there are no used ones:
Expedition Camping Trailer: Taxa Tigermoth Trailer

[stude]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

It's the AWD version. That could be the reason.

Without the factory tow package, mine was rated for 2000 pounds. That could be another factor . The threshold for brakes is likely 1000 pounds.

If the 1500 pound figure is correct, I don't think this'll work. 13' models with the full front bath package typically weigh more like 1800 pounds.

:just for info sake is the brakes as most USA states anything over 1600#'s has to have brakes or don't get caught towing it without as the fine is pretty heavy.
Stude

[Franswa]

I saw what must be the latest version of those....towed by a Subaru sedan....I think the roof popped up on this one as well....

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by stude

:just for info sake is the brakes as most USA states anything over 1600#'s has to have brakes or don't get caught towing it without as the fine is pretty heavy.
Stude

A 3000# threshold for trailer brakes is more common in the US. But several states set the bar at 1500#, and one (NY) requires brakes over 1000#. There is definitely no uniformity across the states.

Legalities aside, most smaller passenger vehicles- minivans and SUV's- specify trailer brakes over 1000#. Toyota does not provide any pre-wiring for trailer brakes in their passenger vehicles, even those with the tow package. It's another reason why outfitting this very marginal lease vehicle for towing may not be a good idea.

Looking ahead, brakes are a sound safety investment on any molded fiberglass trailer, even the small ones. Many 13' trailers did not come with brakes, something to check when buying used.

[Marsh Erickson]

Thx for encouragement Leslie14, will continue my research. May have to forego a trailer for the time being and enjoy my Sienna and motel room, just doesn't sound as adventurous though. Happy traveling to you and your pups.