Fiberglass "egg" camper vs hard side, slide in truck camper for off roading

oldcircusbread

New member
I've inquired in FG egg trailer forums and members there have referred me to off road forums with my questions (posted on some relevant old threads I tried to zombie but only a couple forum members replied on two posts).

In short, can I mod a Scamp 19' 5th wheel (my first preference) or 16' Scamp (my second preference)--or competitor equivalent--to enable me to safely get off road (no extreme four wheeling but some moderately sticky situations)?

By off road, I mean nothing extreme (no rock crawling or cliff base hugging) but more than washboard roads. For example, I'd like to get on rutted Jeep trail roads a few miles to get to a camping spot off a better road, and I may want to take old ranch roads or unimproved boulder strewn forest service roads that are good in parts but rutted in others, and possibly need to cross a stream here and there. I'm also wondering if roads are muddy after a camping weekend where the weather person was wrong as they usually are in WY with its winds.

My issue is that I bought a 2011 Tacoma TRD Sport ext cab 4x4 long box with the towing package thinking it would be no problem to find a truck camper that would not exceed its payload. I also didn't want to drive around a full size truck all year unable to afford two vehicles (one for commuting and work/play vehicle). I'm a fourth generation WY native and I've been dying to get away from the transplants and their four-wheelers/ATVs for real peace and quiet which is requiring one gets more and more remote. I just may have to move to AK!

I've considered a Travelite 625 (1200 lbs), Livinlite Camplite 5.7 (1200 lbs), and Capris Retreat (1050 lbs). I wish I could find a used Northern Lite 6'10" used in great shape and hardly used as those were supposed to be around 900 lbs. Those are all the base weights. Throw options and gear in plus my family in my extended cab (plus 500 lbs for my family's weight) and I'll easily exceed a payload of 1,100 lbs by 500-1000 lbs.

I really *don't* want a pop up (I want to go into bear country frequently and there's something about a hard side that makes me feel safer if only illusion, have had some encounters that leave me weary in AK) either. I've read Taco forums voraciously to learn that some have put one of these in their trucks with air bags and/or upgraded leaf springs with LT tires and have had no issues, claiming they've done so for years and years and thousands of miles.

But I've asked engineering friends and they say doing so is unsmart even for the occasional weekend expedition and even if I'm not cruising around all year with a truck camper on. It's unsafe all the way around, especially other drivers on the road and a recipe for an out of control vehicle and a broken axle and bent frame and consequent power train issues. Yet lots of these Taco enthusiasts cry foul and alarmism. They say upgrade suspension and drive slower and increase following distance and I'd be fine.

I have considered a hard shell topper too and customizing the bed for just sleeping with a rolling kitchen galley but I really like the idea of a living space for when the weather looks good and one goes out into a deluge where you can sit and talk over tea or play cards or charades. And heaven forbid if we see catastrophic collapse in our lives worst case having some mobile living space when we get out of dodge. That's why I find a trailer more appealing but I truly want the best of both worlds.

So then I stumbled upon fiberglass egg trailers which is what led me eventually to post here as I got very mixed (and strong opinions on both sides) responses inquiring about if a Scamp 16' or 19' or equivalent could get me as far off road as I want to go. Part of this is that experience of "rough road" is so relative.

I've considered tear drops too and expedition trailers but as a middle aged teacher with a spinal fusion am still awaiting Ed McMahon at my door and have not yet won the lottery and although I descend from colonial old money on both sides, our line keeps getting disowned and disinherited for marrying down. Lol. My middle name is downgrade.

As to the FG trailers, some users say aside from vibration issues on hundreds of miles of rough washboard roads they've handled rough road even boulder strewn, unimproved and rutted forest roads with a Scamp like a champ. They say just slow down and a few lifted 4" and added 15" tires. But manufacturers are clear the FG egg trailers are not designed for off road like I want and it is ill advised. Yet there's a definite community of off road FG egg enthusiasts going back to the seventies who INSIST they can get almost anywhere a truck camper can. Unfortunately I've wanted to hear more from them on zombie old posts and none have chimed in. Others suggest they're crazy and they wouldn't. Which leaves me confused.

I really really like the idea of the greater space a FG trailer might lend over the kind of tiny compact truck campers that fit although overload a mid size truck like mine... AND I love the idea of dropping camp off and being able to explore and four wheel truly off road without the extra weight easier than a two hour truck camper extraction and later reinstallation.

But it's a no go if I won't be able to cross a fast moving non-river but healthy stream or ride on an unimproved boulder strewn (even at 5-10 mph) forest service road or a section of washboard graded road that got badly rutted with a FG egg. I remember some of the roads we took to favorite childhood sacred spots do have some steep downhills followed immediately by steep uphills too so don't know if I can't make it with a towing Tacoma with a trailer attached (what is a vertical z axis jack knife called?) and am looking for advice.

In my ideal world (I can't see buying a full size towing vehicle as the sole purpose of a truck for me is having one to help move things and the occasional rock or dirt or pavers or tile for landscaping for family and friends and getting away from other people into nature), I'd be able to mod a 19' scamp fifth wheel with a multi axis coupler or equivalent of a max hitch in the bed to enable extreme angles but minimize jack knife possibility.

Can someone here give me some real advice from experience?

It seems a lot of people share opinions that are not based on direct first hand experience so I'd especially appreciate responses from anyone out there who: (a) have done off roading with fiberglass trailers or (b) else have Tacos and have put the hardside camper in and have made it to 300 or 400 K miles without serious axle frame or brake issues, or (c) anyone who has won the lottery and is feeling particularly generous (lol, jk)...
 

southpier

Expedition Leader
just so you won't have one more forum experience with no replies ...

#1. I think you are wise to realize the limits of your equipment.

#B. you seem to want someone to contradict information you've already received.

#III. you're gonna do what you want anyway.
 

Rando

Explorer
One of the biggest issues with a larger trailer and the type of exploring you are planning is the ability to back up and turn around. When we are out looking for campsites, at least a quarter if not half the time we head down some rough narrow spur only to find there is a massive boulder in the way or someone else already has that perfect isolated camp site and we end up having to turn around with a 47-point turn after backing up 1/4 of a mile. If you do this with a 5th wheel or a larger trailer you could be in a sticky situation. We have a tacoma with an (overweight) fourwheel camper and feel that it meets our requirements pretty well.
 

java

Expedition Leader
One of the biggest issues with a larger trailer and the type of exploring you are planning is the ability to back up and turn around. When we are out looking for campsites, at least a quarter if not half the time we head down some rough narrow spur only to find there is a massive boulder in the way or someone else already has that perfect isolated camp site and we end up having to turn around with a 47-point turn after backing up 1/4 of a mile. If you do this with a 5th wheel or a larger trailer you could be in a sticky situation. We have a tacoma with an (overweight) fourwheel camper and feel that it meets our requirements pretty well.

This so much this. One reason I hated a trailer. I built one small enough I could jack knife it and stuff it into the bushes to turn around, but it still sucked at times.

But I will say I think the 16' FG egg would be a great choice if I was to do a "rough road" trailer with comfort. The 19' is getting big and heavy. When you get a trailer stuck it takes a lot to get it unstuck. Ask me how I know....

A little lift, bigger tires (Tire pressure is VERY important IMO on trailers, depending on weight they can take much much lower pressures that the tow vehicle which really helps on rough roads) and I don't see why one wouldn't last well if your careful about it.
 

Lionsgarage

Scoutfollower
I will add my 2 bits, I'm currently setting up a 17' casita (FG) that is actually a 14' trailer with a tongue to tow it that they add to the OAL to get 17'. 6" lift and a Tungus that can retract as well as extend. Adding independent park brakes on each wheel will aid in spinning it on tight roads.
I've towed a fairly large box trailer fill of snowmobiles for years and other than the 20-30 minute process we have spin it loaded 180 degrees many times when the road was not passable.
I don't plan on being in a hurry so backing up and turning around isn't an issue as long as you know how to back up and aren impatient.
All of the reasons the OP had plus more (sleeping in tents while backpacking for the last 40 years) led me to the comfortable easy travels of a trailer. Plus once disconnected we can go explore with the FZJ-80.
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
My experience is that to escape the Side by side and ATV crowds you need to be in areas that restrict use of that type of machine given they can go where full sized cars can't go.

On the flip side with a hard side trailer you can base camp in a established Campground with ATV restrictions and the Taco can take you on some great day trips.

Trailers get rattled to pieces being dragged down dirt roads. An egg shell trailer might be ok structurally but all the internal bits will get rattled and shook loose getting dragged up rough dirt roads.

Also consider the size you need. If its just you some of the really nice compact 13-16 footers might be plenty. I love our 12footer pop up given we can fit into pretty much any spot with no drama. Easy to store at home too. For a hard side I like the livin lite 16brb or the older 13brb bunk bed trailer. The bunk bed set up can be repurposed into great storage or if the lower bunk is ok for you then the Table area can be left set up.

The little 13ft scamp might be a little tight especially if your tall.
 

rruff

Explorer
I really *don't* want a pop up (I want to go into bear country frequently and there's something about a hard side that makes me feel safer if only illusion, have had some encounters that leave me weary in AK) either. I've read Taco forums voraciously to learn that some have put one of these in their trucks with air bags and/or upgraded leaf springs with LT tires and have had no issues, claiming they've done so for years and years and thousands of miles.

But I've asked engineering friends and they say doing so is unsmart even for the occasional weekend expedition and even if I'm not cruising around all year with a truck camper on. It's unsafe all the way around, especially other drivers on the road and a recipe for an out of control vehicle and a broken axle and bent frame and consequent power train issues. Yet lots of these Taco enthusiasts cry foul and alarmism. They say upgrade suspension and drive slower and increase following distance and I'd be fine.

It's not a safety issue. There are loads of vehicles that brake longer and maneuver slower than a Taco with a 2000lb load. Those huge RVs you see everywhere, for instance. Or pretty much any vehicle pulling a trailer.

Regarding structural ability, empirical evidence is your best guide. Plenty of people are overloading and abusing them worse than you will, without issue.

Trailers are a poor choice if you are negotiating technical terrain. Ok for going slow on dirt roads. I want to get away from everyone, so it wasn't a consideration for me.
 

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