Louisd75
Adventurer
As a counter argument, I present to you the Gall Boys:
(they do seem to be towing a different trailer every few episodes)
High Altitude Trailer XT 105
- Thread starter Obsessed2findARuggedHybid
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As a counter argument, I present to you the Gall Boys:
(they do seem to be towing a different trailer every few episodes)
DRAX
Active member
Sure, but...I did exclude Australia from the "where would you be able to use these" comment.
They are hitting some pretty good obstacles, though.
Louisd75
Adventurer
Sure, but...I did exclude Australia from the "where would you be able to use these" comment.
It's pretty amazing some of the technical trails that the Australians are taking their big trailers on. I think they have a higher risk threshold than I do
I think that comes to the root of the issue. It seems like you and I are on the same page; our initial reaction is *where* we could a big $100k offroad trailer. In reality, we could likely take it a lot more places than we would initially suspect. But we also realize that there's more likelihood of damage and $100k is a lot of risk for most of us, especially if you're concerned about resale value.
DRAX
Active member
It's pretty amazing some of the technical trails that the Australians are taking their big trailers on. I think they have a higher risk threshold than I do
Indeed. Other than layout/features, one of the other requirements when we were trailer shopping was that the trailer has to be capable of going more places than I'm willing to take my truck. Sometimes we'll use it as a base camp, but base camp is often times not "just off the pavement" but rather "Where there are amazing views and few people." We used the places we camped while we had an RTT as a guide for where we wanted to be able to take the trailer and so far we haven't been disappointed. We also wanted a trailer capable of putting up with thousands of miles of off-pavement travel (Like Yukon/NWT and Alaska) once we start doing more very-long-distance travel.
I haven't been too worried about damage. Our trailer wasn't cheap, but we also have insurance in case there's a "big oops." Resale/durability were the real concerns and buying something cheap that would fall apart after a couple of years just didn't make sense.
Couldn’t agree more. I don’t get these large off road trailers with their RV-like interiors at all. I kind of see the line at 4,000 lbs for an off road trailer so am getting the EOS. Also don’t understand why you’d want a living room, tile backsplash and porcelain sink in something you’re going to throw down a bouncy trail. I’d be terrified to drive some f these giants on anything rough at all. Certainly anything over $100K. Kind of telling that a YouTube video showing a recent Roamer trip showed a bunch of off road trailers left in the campground, while everyone took their unencumbered trucks up a trail. I guess I just don’t understand the RV thing at all as it doesn’t even seem like camping. Most of the trailers are the size of mid size airstreams and have no business on any real off road trail. Starting to look like mostly a marketing myth to sell ever larger more expensive RV’s masquerading as off road capable trailers.
Obsessed2findARuggedHybid
Well-known member
Did you see that video they did a year or so a go were they drove a dozen or so monster Black Series and others over a gorgeous mountain summit . They had a few tense moments as they were blocking the trail from other jeep folks. Then they didn't even camp at the top they just all drove back down to the valley for a huge base camp. Silly
Yes, saw that one too. I wonder how many of those giant black series or Opus/dweller ever go any further than a KOA. If you can’t manage a recovery, probably no business going off road, and I can’t imagine recovery on one of those monsters. I just don’t think anything over 4,000 lbs should even be thought of as off road.
Obsessed2findARuggedHybid
Well-known member
Good points. Everyone has different definitions of off road. Off-road like your talking about would be very hard for any trailer taller then 8 feet. I think the Eos is as tall and heavy as you would dare go for true off road ing.
The next level of off roading that I am at is let's call it off- fire roading. Camping anywhere that has fire or dirt roads that are not super narrow, off camber, heavily rooted , rutted , drop off ledges or whoopty do's where you need to worry about departure angles. In Utah, ID,OR and MT we have a ton of areas to go off-fire roading. Always drop trailer and scout if you don't know the roads.
Treefarmer
Active member
That's right, the primary obstacle with a larger trailer is ground clearance, width and height. Width and height aren't often an issue in the desert SW. I think people here tend to equate "overlanding" with "off roading". We've traveled quite far off paved roads and then off the dirt/gravel roads with a 17,000lb 5th wheel to find boondocking spots where we won't see another camper for weeks at a time. You can also drag just about any trailer just about anywhere depending on how much damage you want to do to it. A Black Series can go places an Ember won't be able to just because the frame and suspension on the BS is sturdier. How much damage you'll do to either trailer in the process is another discussion.
rehammer81
Active member
Again, I think the big draw of the "off-road" trailer market is a trailer that won't rattle itself to pieces if you regularly leave the pavement with it. Only a very small percentage want to "wheel" it in what might be considered gnarly terrain. Trailers outside of the off-road market just aren't typically built to tolerate that regular use case.
This is where I think a new divide is shaping up between those that really just want a large and well built off-pavement rig with all the creature comforts, and willing to pay for them, and those that want what I'll describe as a more tactically capable off-road rig with certain trailer creature comforts like a nice bed and bathroom but not packed full of superfluous luxury. These are two different users.
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This is where I think a new divide is shaping up between those that really just want a large and well built off-pavement rig with all the creature comforts, and willing to pay for them, and those that want what I'll describe as a more tactically capable off-road rig with certain trailer creature comforts like a nice bed and bathroom but not packed full of superfluous luxury. These are two different users.
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Treefarmer
Active member
More tactically capable...nice. I'm going to have to appropriate that terminology!
You probably captured the distinction perfectly. There is definitely a need for “rough road” capable RV’s that won’t fall apart on washboard but don’t need to do anything more. If someone wants a luxurious interior the size of a small house, I guess that works. I tend to wonder if many of the Asian imports can even meet that benchmark though. They seem to be built like crap. But advertising and showing videos of people hauling these monsters up ledges and down drops is just silly. If you’re really going to do that stuff on a regular basis, 6,000 lb house on wheels is just crazy.
Here’s a guy who probably wished had at least a rough road capable conveyance. https://offroadportal.org/recovery-...QrbDENBMxTg1T9djyJNAgqzRXNLPSo02mGlfakSpTnafg
calicamper
Expedition Leader
These guys aren’t paying 100k they are like our youtubers getting a demo rig for content creation.It's pretty amazing some of the technical trails that the Australians are taking their big trailers on. I think they have a higher risk threshold than I do
Treefarmer
Active member
I know it's mean, but I do enjoy seeing photos like that! People try to take their road princess rigs where they shouldn't and end up paying for it. I can guarantee you that any trailer being discussed on this forum that is under 10,000lbs GVWR and had an independent suspension like the Cruise Master, etc., and a clearance of 20" to 26" isn't going to run into a problem like you see in those pictures of that Monaco Coach. They will of course be limited in the off road in comparison to a 3,500lb single axle overlander, but still more nimble than most of what's out there.