Looking for a light weight camping trailer

[BlackdogGS]

I'm looking for a good quality trailer to pull behind my new Highlander. My rig has a tow capacity of 5,000 pounds so I'd like a trailer around 17' and 3,000 pounds dry. There is an Eco a few miles away for about $10,000. The Casita trailers are around $14,000 when you find them. Are any of you familiar with these brands?

I also have a F150 with tow package that could be used also. I think it's good for 10,000 pounds.

The trailer would most likely stay on paved roads so I don't need serious 4X4 type construction. The weight is my main concern as I'd like to keep the gas milage reasonable. It must be comfortable for the wife and I plus two dogs. Thanks.

 

[calicamper]

Cricket? How hard sided do you want to go? Cold weather stuff or just summer and shoulder season? Full house like accomidations or light simple clean easy acomidations? How many beds needed?

 

[BlackdogGS]

Cricket? How hard sided do you want to go? Cold weather stuff or just summer and shoulder season? Full house like accomidations or light simple clean easy acomidations? How many beds needed?

I seen the Cricket for the first time last week. Very nice but the wife wants a bed, cabinets, sink, etc. it must sleep at least two. It will be for summer use mostly.

 

[calicamper]

Ahh gotcha. House like;-)

I've seen some very house like nice pop up campers. That give you lots of space, cabinets and house stuff but you retain the low weight and easy towing. The small hard sided trailers are tough. Iivin lite aluminum hard sided rigs are really nice and light but have a bit of a utility feel, vs the wood housy feel you get with the traditional RV trailers which as your finding get heavy pretty quick.

 

[kmlacroix]

Forest river Rpod

 

[Smksignals]

I had a 05' Keystone Outback 21RS and loved it. I think they are still being produced. GVWR was 5500lbs I believe. Not sure what dry weight was, maybe 4-4500lbs? The F150 would tow it fine. Excellent trailer for a small family.

 

[calicamper]

I like the Rpods my self. Though seems like they have lots of quality issues but every RV style camper seems to fall into that category. Id buy used at steep discount knowing its a huge value looser and may need repairs etc. In my case Ive run into a couple of families mom dad and two kids using mid sized SUV or 4dr pickup. They all really liked the bunk bed model. One had the rear external kitchen which I think is the only way to go. Only cooking most people do inside is coffee and maybe pancakes. Most people end up doing more complex dinner prep outside anyway.

 

[Jeffrey_A]

A Scamp? Pretty light weight. I suspect a 16' would come in below the 3,000 goal wet.

http://www.scamptrailers.com/

 

[BlackdogGS]

R-Pod comments

Comments from spouse of person looking for lightweight travel trailer (+/- 17-20 ft in length).
We appreciate information provided by everyone. It is amazing the configurations, single/double axle, volume of water tanks, appearance, and on and on. A travel trailer with indoor plumbing is on the preference list. The man who posted original inquiry has just returned from international, lengthy motorcycle trip, so bathrooms are probably not a great concern from his vantage point.
Thank you for mentioning R-Pod; we viewed two videos, one with slide-out, one without.
The R-Pod seems to provide the features & configuration & maybe price that we'll focus on.
It's very apparent that considerable homework is needed to make even a semi-educated purchase. As much as we're not looking forward to going to a dealer, it might be the main way to be able to see several models at one time.
And gee, there's always the subject of $$. A few days ago $10K was the figure; now it's looking like closer to $15K.
Thank you for comments, and we'll gratefully accept more information.

 

[Cave_Campers]

New truck camper @ 750 lbs and <$10k

We'd love to get your feedback on our new truck camper. It was designed to fit the payload of a 1/2 ton, is built to last with composite panel construction, and you can spray it out to clean. We built this with outdoor enthusiasts in mind. By design, we chose not to include a bathroom and shower. We think some people prefer to handle bathroom and cooking activities outdoors vs. in a confined space. What's left is a spacious shelter for sleeping, storing gear, and getting out of inclement weather. We really worked hard to build something tough enough for the overland market. Let us know what you think!

 

[WalkerDurango]

I have the same truck and my Northstar camper goes great on it... Frankly, I'm looking to sell it, so if you're interested in a 2011 Northstar 600 ss let me know. Looks great and has good space for two people!