Off Road Trailers - East Coast

[NJeep09]

Hello All,

Newbie here. I am currently looking at an offroad camping trailer to tow behind my 09 2dr 6spd Sahara with Tow Package. I am looking at the usual targets:

Adventure Trailer
Tentrax
Kamparoo
New Image Offroad Trailers
Sierra Trailers

My question is two fold,

1. What do I really need to do camping on the east coast from Maine to Carolina. Obviously not the High Sierras or the Rubicon Trail.

2. What should I outfit the new trailer with to enhance resale value in the event that I decide boondocking and offroad camping isnt for me and my wife.

Thanks in advance.

NJeep09

 

[indiedog]

Welcome NJeep. That's a very open question you've asked there. It's a simple question but there's not a simple answer.

1. What do you need?
- Somewhere to sleep
- Somewhere to cook
- Somewhere to sit
- Somewhere to store stuff

And that's about it! It's up to you how complex you make each of those things and there's lots of factors to consider there.

2. Outfitting the trailer?
- Refer to answers to Q1. My advice is the less you put on/in/into/pay for the trailer, the better your return will be.

I'd say hire a couple first and give it a go to see if it's for you. Even though I'd looked at trailers heaps, it wasn't until I hired one to see what it was actually like to use that made a lot of decisions for me. You'll see what you like and don't like, and what conveniences are attractive. It's worth the money and many companies will refund the rental if you purchase.

Good luck with it.

 

[Trail Monkey]

agreeing with above post. ill just add that it sounds like you should buy used to get started. this siteis a great place to locate a good used trailer and they generally can be resold quickly. if you can swing it the AT Horizon is one of the nicest as it has a kitchen area.

you should however detail more of your habits and likes/dislikes here for better guidance. also will you only be doing the region you mentioned? or do you really plan to venture further?? because theres not a ton in the region you mentioned. but further north you have nova scotia and labrador - great opportunities there- and then of course heading west lots of great opportunities.. from my knowledge most of the use in the region you detailed will be along the coast on beach's. as theres not alot of backcountry where multi night overlanding is possible.

so if you have more details, lets hear em..!

 

[NJeep09]

Thanks for the feedback. Actually planning a trip next summer into the Gaspe Penisula, back thru Maine, (Baxter State Park & Acadia). Things important to me:
1. Comfortable place for wife to sleep
2. some sort of power thru vehicle 12 volt system for marine fridge, tent fans
3. Rugged enough to go where my Sahara will go.
4. Carrying capacity for camping gear, stove etc.
5. Easy to handle trailer.
6. Eventually plan to go out West and Alaska.

Love camping, wife likes it but dislikes the hassel of setting up and tearing down. Also she hates to be cold, so thinking gizmos like tent heater and portable hot water showers powered by propane.

 

[Dmarchand]

You may want to think a little more in depth about the difference in environments between the west and east. Specifically the increased inclement weather and significant bug population. You should consider a trailer setup that incorporates more enclosed awning space with no-see-um mesh (same for the tent). Some of the tents on the market do not have a fine enough mesh to prevent bugs from dining on you. And nothing will end your days of camping with your wife faster than a few wet experiences. So a trailer that allows your gear to stay dry, even when the doors/lid are open.

Unless you are rocking really technical trails in the east, it sounds like you are hitting mostly dirt or improved roads. So no need for an airbag/independent setup.

 

[Trail Monkey]

Sounds to me like you shoul dbe looking at adventuretrailers.com oasis or teardrop. both make for a quick setup and excellent protection from environment. both will go anywhere the sahara goes. teardrop a bit more so and lighter i believe.

only problem is you wont likely find a used one for sale so soon..

 

[Box Rocket]

Sounds to me like you shoul dbe looking at adventuretrailers.com oasis or teardrop. both make for a quick setup and excellent protection from environment. both will go anywhere the sahara goes. teardrop a bit more so and lighter i believe.

only problem is you wont likely find a used one for sale so soon..

Only downside IMO to the teardrop is that unless you store your gear in the truck, you have to remove it all from the trailer in order to sleep. This goes against his thinking of reducing setup/teardown time at the campsite. Most of us here have a trailer to free up room inside the tow vehicle because we need the seats or the space for something else.

I would look at either the Horizon or Chaser first if I were looking at AT options because the gear can all be stowed inside the trailer and the sleeping area is ready in a couple minutes.

+1 on the awning. That is the next thing on my list (in addition to a tent). My wife still puts up with the time to setup a ground tent but that will end at some point. The awning to protect from rain and/or sun without having to be inside the truck or tent is a great thing.

 

[Hilldweller]

Specifically the increased inclement weather and significant bug population. You should consider a trailer setup that incorporates more enclosed awning space with no-see-um mesh (same for the tent). Some of the tents on the market do not have a fine enough mesh to prevent bugs from dining on you. And nothing will end your days of camping with your wife faster than a few wet experiences. So a trailer that allows your gear to stay dry, even when the doors/lid are open.

What he said.
We don't camp from mid June to late August to avoid the incectiverous beasties. And the rest of the time we prepare for weather.
Something else to consider: if you get something with a tent, you need to be able to devote time or space to letting it dry. My tent deploys too tall to open in my garage ---- I need to take tremendous steps in keeping it dry.
We camped last Saturday until Wednesday; it took until 2:00 pm on Wednesday for the tent to be dry enough to pack up and take home.

And I wouldn't camp in Alaska in a tent unless I had a dependable electric bear fence...

Our rig:

 

[NJeep09]

Thanks for the info guys. I am currently finalizing a build of a custom trailer with an outfit called New Image in Calif. Its fully loaded, RTT, Dual Battery Management System - with inverter and solar panel, Lock and Roll coupler, Fuel and H2O tanks, matching Hubs and Rims to my JK, and electric brakes. Weighs about 900 lbs. If Alaska really becomes a reality in the next 5 years, will sell this and get an Adventure Trailer. It was about half the price of a Tentrax or AT Chaser - delivered to NJ.

 

[Hilldweller]

Their trailers remind me of Outlander; never saw one in person though.
Post up some pictures and let us know how you like it.