I've got a 2005 (made in Indiana) 4 wide deluxe, the street model. It is a purpose-built trailer and that purpose is light weight on road.
It has some weak spots. The trailer is so light, the suspension doesn't really move. To get rid of some of the bounce, I aired down to 6 psi on the Desert Run. The sidewalls then absorbed it all.
The rot issue mentioned has happened to some of these. It hasn't happened to mine at all. Maintenance makes a difference. From what I have read, the issue is a sealing seam line where the front diamond plate meets the body. Mine is caulked/sealed and came that way. The other potential spot is the original style taillights (flat ovals in a curved surface). That joint needs to be sealed as well. In the 7+ years I've owned mine, I replaced the roof vent (original plastic oxidized and became brittle) and the tires after 5 years because it sat in the weather and they dry-rotted. Other than those two things, no rot, no leaks. After I replaced those things, I started throwing a cover over it. The factory-installed vinyl graphics are beginning to go.
Design-wise, the rear shelf is made of particle board and the supports are screwed into the particle board. It finally let loose after being bounced all over before I got the air pressure right. I'll redo the shelf with real lumber. The side doors frame is L-shaped when viewed in cross-section. Driving 70 mph in a 40 mph wind-driven rain, some water made it up/wicked the L to cloth packed against the door and the clothing/bedding was wet when I stopped. I'll fashion something to make sure I don't pile stuff against the doors.
With 215/75x15 tires, it already has more ground clearance than my stock Colorado. No need for modifications there. Frame is 2x2 square tubing. I lash a bungee around the handle on the wheel jack to keep it from hanging low in the stowed position. The one time we made ground contact with something other than the tires, it was the truck, not the trailer that scraped.
For the desert run, I would look at door and hatch gaskets. I picked up a lot of dust.
They are stupidly simple, think hard-sided tent. Make sure any mods you make are firmly attached.
I bought mine at bargain price in 2005 and wouldn't sell it for what I paid even now.
It has a dry weight of 660 pounds and a 2000 pound axle (too stiff). Behind an SUV or pickup with shell, it seems to cost about 1-1.5 mpg to tow with wind resistance being the biggest issue. (When I had it behind the pickup with no shell, mileage suffered a little more.)
