Using a Hybrid trailer as an onroad/offroad platform?

[Piet]

Has anyone looked at making a small hybrid trailer offroad worthy? Is it worth the effort? I have been thinking about this and some of my considerations are:

• easier to keep warm/cold than a tent trailer
• quick setup/takedown
• Single axle (not dual axle) easier to turn manover and lift
• Less than 18 feet (single axles come in 16-18 feet versions)
• lots of sleeping space (you can get 8 in a 18 foot trailer)
• less than 3500 lbs loaded
• possibility of creating an outdoor kichen on a slide drawer
• Very tiny bathroom (prefer no bathroom sink and no separate shower)

My current consideration is a R-Vision trail-lite F-18
http://www.trail-lite.com/PDFs/Bantam_Flier.pdf

 

[OutsideFamily]

Good question. I'm also interested to hear opinions on this concept. My wife and I have been shopping for a camper for a while. She wants a solid place to bathe the kids, and I want something with a little "soft-road" capability. This would be a solution that might meet both of those requirements.

 

[1speed]

The biggest problems with most commercial trailers are,

1. cabinetry (construction will not stand up to much vibration)
2. interior walls/doors (same as above)
3. vulnerable plumbing (black water dump systems typically hang very low)

After we retire in three years, my wife and I plan on spending up to a year at a time exploring and back roading/dirt roading with a trailer so with the help of Safari Pacific I'm building mine from scratch.

 

[Darwin]

You could possibly go with a heavy duty enclosed trailer and fix that up how you like it. Seems it might have some potential. Very stealth also.

 

[Piet]

I have considered building my own... however I am trying to eliminate projects at the moment. I tried finding a place to buy the aluminum trim, locking bars for the doors etc... no luck yet. I would like to buy something now... use it for a while and then build one that is similar but more durable.

I can pick up one of these used (2005) for $10,000 CDN Use it for 2 years and sell it for $8,500.

The other option I looked at was the Livin' Lite (Quicksilver) VRV. Essentially a cargo trailer with pop outs. Very cool and very stealth... but double axle.

http://www.livinlite.com/VRV-gallery.php

 

[Ray Hyland]

We recently bought a 1960s single axle 15 foot travel trailer.

Solid, with no leaks, but it had been stripped inside. I paid $600.

I put in a cheap laminate floor, the wife put funky striped wallpaper on the walls, and I built a queen-sized bunk-bed in the back. One bunk for the wife and I, and one for the kids. A couple of AA-powered LED "puck" lights stuck to the roof and we are done.

This way we can carry our camping gear (coleman stove, chairs, cooler, etc) in the front half of the trailer, cook/eat in it when it is raining, but in nice weather we just use it for sleeping. We affectionately call it our aluminum tent.

Because there is nothing built-in other than a solid plywood bunkbed bolted through the floor to the sub-floor, it can take a beating on tough roads, and at $600 if you did somehow destroy it you are not as upset as you might otherwise be. On really rough roads I carry most of the camping gear in the rover, so there is nothing bouncing around in the trailer except for sleeping bags.

Trailer probably weighs less than 1000 pounds total.

Cheers

Ray

 

[wjeeper]

Having worked at a local trailer repair place the "quality" of most travel trailers being built now flat out are poor. WAY too much pressed particle board, glue instead of screw and other piss poor techniques being used in them now! Instead of drilling holes oftentimes they just smash the head of a hammer through the floor and run the wires, huge holes for mice and drafts to come through.

Having said that there are still a few manufactures that still build them to last..........far and few between though.

Nearly every single travel trailer/ RV is built with stick frame construction. Not the most conducive to a vibration filled offroad environment in my book.

 

[Ray Hyland]

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I was happy to find a 40 yr old one in good shape. Very solid construction compared to the modern ones.

 

[Piet]

Having worked at a local trailer repair place the "quality" of most travel trailers being built now flat out are poor. WAY too much pressed particle board, glue instead of screw and other piss poor techniques being used in them now:

I take you are not buying one then...

I am not saying this is the ultimate but trailer, but currently there is not a trailer of this design that is built to offroad specs. My idea is to take one, use it for a bit an rebuild it as necessary.

I do not know of manufacturer that makes an offroad worthy hybrid trailer. (hey Martyn... Another AT trailer?) Australia makes a number of cool hardsided trailers... But that is a long way from me!

 

[Runt]

Yup I thought the same thing. I looked....and looked. Best I could find that could handle IMHO the rough off road forest service roads (FSR) and the easier off road only trails was this:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28585

There are many A-Frame pop up variants made by Chalet and A-Liner most can be modified to what mine can do. Which is impressive.....done 3' step ups 2-1/2 feet of mud, river crossings, thousands of Km of FSR tight trails.....tree tops of blow down are not the composite fiber shelled campers friend ....it comes down to what you have pulling it and whats between your ears . I have just over $ $ 12,000.00 Cad. into mine after mods which was purchased four years old in good condition. Most of the over 15' trailers like you put examples of weigh enough to break most smaller off road capable vehicles and the trailer will cost a fortune to modify and still depress you in its capabilities due to the design inregards to off road. Unless you own a full size 3/4 ton or maybe a Jeep Rubicon most other vehicles will fail pulling off road.....you might be ok but you will hate the towing experince on highway with the Rubicon. But a AT Trailer or similiar if you want to go to out of the way places will be fine with most off road capable vehicles due to the excellent suspension and lower weight. My trailer is about as best you can get trying to bridge the gap.....not worth it except for winter and the whole Bear issue up here. The following two make it worth it! Extended our camping season by three months and I do not worry about the girls at night when were at the camp fire. My 2 cents.

 

[Piet]

Another consideration.
2011 Trail Lite 180T Hybrid Trailer
GVWR:3,826 lbs.
Unloaded Weight:2,584 lbs.
Carrying Capacity:1,242 lbs.
Hitch Weight:326 lbs.
Overall Length:19'
Exterior Height:9'8
Sleeps:6-8
Fresh Water:30 gallons
Gray Water:19 gallons
Black Water:19 gallons
Tow Class:3500 lbs tow class

 

[JCMatthews]

We have one and have pulled it on a rough dirt road once. My feeling are that they are too top heavy to really do to much with the suspension. Also 5 miles on the rough road to camp, and when we got there the bathroom door was on the floor. It repaired fairly easily, but it would not hold up to to many of these trips.

 

[newimage]

Sorry had to throw this in, been in the works for a while and have had great reponse.:victory:

 

[laker]

Hey Piet have you considered modding a boler trailer for offroad use? Heres a pic of my 1970 Boler. I flipped the leafs over the axles for increased ground clearance. i will be putting larger tires on it here soon.I've pulled it over a lot of different terrians and it pulls like a charm! Very light and well built.This thing will hold up to a lot of rough trails. i haul onto lakes in the winter and use it as an ice shack, haul it into remote hunting sites and use it as a nice warm blind......hence the camo pattern. Chuck a porta potti in it for the ladies and yer good to go. I paid $300 for it a dozen years ago,now their highly sought after for matching the pulling vehicle and the prices since have sky rocketed. But if you could find a decent one, they are a great platform for converting to offroad units!

 

[Piet]

Nice Boler! They take moderate trail abuse pretty well. I would consider one.... if it were not for my 7 children. :victory:
My older kids are starting to move out. but I for sure will have 4 kids camping with me for a number of years yet.

That is the big driver for a 6-8 person sleeping unit. I ended up picking up a Starcraft 19 CK.
I was looking at a single axle... but the price on this one could not be beat. ($9K) I have it down to 2,700 lbs dry. Need to do a lift next.