Interesting find - Travel-Lite

[richard cabesa]

I found this trailer in the local trader and couldn't help but go take a look. It is supposed to be a 1971 Travel-Lite. Now, try as I might, I just couldn't find anything on the net about them. Anybody around here know anything?

A little under 12' long, bumper to hitch and the box is 9'-4" That orange piece on the roof is a popup with the galley on one side of the box and the head on the other.

The door is on the rear

The bed is up front and measures closer to a king than a queen

Stove, refer, sink, water tank, heater, head and yet I could pick up one rear corner, and I'm a wuss. It's a pretty light weight fibreglass box in two pieces, tub and cap. Even the wheelwells and molded into the tub. They look big enough to handle a larger tire if you lost the drop axel and lifted it a bit.

I've been thinking of doing a trailer project and this thing would be a project! There is a little something wrong with EVERYTHING on it. But somehow, I'm still interested.

Except for their price :Wow1:

They seem to think it is rare, like, unobtainium rare. Does anyone know anything about these trailers? I searched the net for quite a while and came up with nothing.

 

[ntsqd]

I've seen them here and there. There's a couple pictures of them floating around this forum somewhere. I'd guess not common, but not unobtainium rare either.

 

[Snowrydr01]

that thing is awsome, id almost feel like id be too carefull and not want to bring it through rocky sections.

 

[jagular7]

Check with the fiberglass RV folks. There are no pics there in the gallery, but you could be the first.
Even if it is rare, being there is limited amount over 30 yrs ago, parts are not what they would be today. So yes, basic start off 1 only project.

The overall design is very similar to other fiberglass RVs of that era. Hunter, Havasue, etc. have the basic 2 piece tub with rear door entry, cooking one side, closet other, table/bed up front. To keep them aero and light, the pop-top with canvas was the solution for a stand-up style. Since you don't need to stand up front at the end of the table or the head of the bed, you only need to stand at the doorway entrance and cooking area. Many pop-tops were that way.

Many fiberglass rv projects start near/under $500-700 range. So anything beyond that, wish them good luck.

 

[richard cabesa]

that thing is awsome, id almost feel like id be too carefull and not want to bring it through rocky sections.

Yes, but I gues if you brought a yard of cloth and a can of resin, it'd give you something to do around camp in the evening. :sombrero:

My thoughts of what kind of use this would get are more along the lines of a base camp. Down the dirt roads and only slightly into the rough stuff. Obiously you wouldn't drag this thing through the Rubicon.

A straight axel and some 32"s to match the truck would gain 8-10 inches of GC. I think that would be enough for most fire road type of stuff.

Sounds like I''m trying to talk myself into this.

 

[richard cabesa]

Many fiberglass rv projects start near/under $500-700 range. So anything beyond that, wish them good luck.

So you're saying the $3500 they're askin' is too much for this? :bigbossHL:


Thanks for the link

 

[JackW]

That's a nice looking trailer - and probably really worth close to what they are asking for it. One of the $500-$700 trailer projects that someone else mentioned would probably be gutted, filthy and pretty decrepit looking (at least all of the ones I've seen). Fiberglass trailers tend to be lighter and more weather tight than the aluminum/wood frame trailers like the Shastas and Scottys. I've got a late 70's 13' Boler I'm restoring - I've got around $2k in it and its not in as nice a shape as that trailer. I'd say if you can get it for under $3k its a pretty good buy.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/ is a great website for information about this type of trailer.

 

[richard cabesa]

The frame and fibreglass are really the best parts of the trailer. There are only a few small stress cracks in the glass and the frame only has a light surface rust. It was supposedly stored indoors for 20 years.

Everything else though . . . rubber on all the windows dried up, framework for the opperators on the poptop are shot. Hinges on the main door are bad, no weather seal on the door. Plastic/screens on the popup need to be replaced, upholstry is a little smelly. The wiring looks like it needs going through and I'm sure the plumbing would as well. Tail lights missing, propane tank no good. Faux wood grain on the cabinets peeling off and the counter top and vinyl on the floor wrinkled up in places.

Hmmmmm . . . maybe I'm trying to talk myself out of this.


I told the Missus. a grand and I'd snap it up, $1500 and I'd squirm but still probably do it. Any more than that, I dunno