Fourbtgait
Life of the Party
Before building the teardrop, I was looking at buying one of the A-frame trailers. Folds down below the roof of most vehicles for wind resistance, easy set up, decent room. One model has torsion axles as well.
Travel Trailers
- Thread starter Billy
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offensivename
Steelhead
Didn't mention the kind of tow vehicle. But I'll chime in. I love my slide in camper. My 3/4 ton is a bit light for what it is, and lots are probably out of the price range but maybe some of the cheaper slide ins would work if you have a lighter truck. The Scout models look pretty nice and are a decent build quality from when I was looking.
After looking at many cheaply made small trailers and ruling out going back to work so I could afford an Airstream, we settled on a Hiker. Minimal wiring, no plumbing, around 1800 lbs. so tows easily. Although it’s basically a really expensive tent, it fits our needs perfectly. When we go camping or fishing, we like to be outside, not cramped inside with cooking (or other…) odors. Cushy 6” mattress, tons of storage, and most of all, simplicity. It will go pretty much anywhere my Tacoma will and there is an ‘extreme’ model with a little more ground clearance. They start under $10k and are endlessly configurable. This one was $15k.
hikertrailers.com
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Discover Hiker Trailers: Top teardrop trailers, small campers, and affordable trailers. Perfect for outdoor enthusiasts seeking quality and budget-friendly options.
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They don’t really hold their value so lots of lightly used out there for sale that are really close to the same quality. Light and cheaply built go hand in hand however, even the more expensive models have many of the same cheap components in them too and have the same exact problems for lots more money.
Look at GVWR and payload ratings first. As that will be an indication of frame and axel strength. Expect to repack bearings and replace tires right away if going used. Tires age out rather than wear out. Installation of a weight distribution hitch with some sway control should be considered so the tail doesn’t wag the dog.
Consider under cover storage as that is HUGE for longevity. We have a 2002 trailer we purchased new that now has over 500 nights in it that has served us well. Now relegated to the hunting trailer. It looks surprisingly well for the amount of use as it has been stored inside.
There is no perfect rv as all are trade offs. Hence we now have the luxury of having a slide in camper and fifth-wheel added to the quiver. Have gotten good use out of all.
You mentioned purpose for purchasing. If you use it for quality family time you will never regret. Good luck!
Look at GVWR and payload ratings first. As that will be an indication of frame and axel strength. Expect to repack bearings and replace tires right away if going used. Tires age out rather than wear out. Installation of a weight distribution hitch with some sway control should be considered so the tail doesn’t wag the dog.
Consider under cover storage as that is HUGE for longevity. We have a 2002 trailer we purchased new that now has over 500 nights in it that has served us well. Now relegated to the hunting trailer. It looks surprisingly well for the amount of use as it has been stored inside.
There is no perfect rv as all are trade offs. Hence we now have the luxury of having a slide in camper and fifth-wheel added to the quiver. Have gotten good use out of all.
You mentioned purpose for purchasing. If you use it for quality family time you will never regret. Good luck!
O clarkii lewisi
Steelhead
I am an Escape owner x 2. Had a 15 footer for 5 years and have now upgraded to a 17 footer w/ Solar and bathroom. I would not own another brand - love the light weight for towing, solid construction and have had both fitted with lift kit as I drag it to some rugged places. For wet W Washington, the 2 fiberglass shell construction is key. They are not cheap, but for me ya get what ya pay for. Escape owners generally take great care of them and you can find them used. Good luck @Billy.
Lots of good info shared. Here's one more bit to process....
My family and I bought one of these new in 2011 and it is still serving us just fine.
( internet pic )
It is an 18 ft Jayco Swift and the floor plan is similar to this:
I live in Bellingham and I've dragged the trailer as far as Alaska, Iowa, and Yosemite.
I'm guessing a Jayco is comparable to a Coleman quality-wise and I've had no major problems with ours. A couple minor roof/exterior leaks that were rather simple to deal with on my own.
I bought new basically out of fear. We'd never owned a trailer before so we knew nothing about them. We were taking it to Alaska soon and the 2 year warranty provided peace of mind. Knowing what I know now, I'd be okay with something used but that's for you to decide.
Other stuff to consider:
Ground clearance. Straight off the lot, our trailer was basically made for smooth roads and paved parking. It handled the drive to Alaska fine but we bottomed out once or twice and as soon as we got home, I had the axle flipped. This provided another 3 or 4 inches of clearance which was sufficient.
Loaded vs Unloaded weight & the axle rating. Like I noted before, I'd never owned a trailer before so I was surprised to learn how quickly we were over the axle weight limit. Stuff for three weeks on the road, two teenagers, a wife who likes to nest, a full water tank & fridge and we were WAAAY over. Things were fine after we pared stuff down, but it's something to pay attention to so you don't break or bend the axle or blow tires.
Sleeping arrangements. Bunk beds were acceptable for my kids...for a while. As an adult, they were a PIA to get in an out of...especially the upper bunk.
The dinette/bed combo also got old. Basically, the table transforms into the bed so if you want to sit at a table for morning coffee or breakfast, you either gotta go outside or dismantle the bed.
FWIW, since the wife and I now travel on our own, I upgraded to a heavier axle which provided more ground clearance still AND overloading the trailer is no longer a problem SO when I remodeled the interior, framing weight wasn't a big consideration.
I included this last bit because if you decide to get a less expensive model, the freedom of doing whatever you want to the interior is HUGE. I ended up converting the bunk beds into storage and a closet. Got a couple Lagun swinging tables to replace the dinette.
And made a fixed bed with a better mattress. The wife and I still have to crawl over one another in the middle of the night but it's waaay better than dropping or setting a table twice a day.
Say Yes to the toilet/shower.
I was initially against it but my wife INSISTED and now I'm glad we have it.
Storage wise, I've gotten by with the fabric covers. Sure a hard roof would be nice but I don't have the space. They'll last me 3-5 years.
I guess that's about it. Good luck and have fun with it.
Mike d
My family and I bought one of these new in 2011 and it is still serving us just fine.
( internet pic )
It is an 18 ft Jayco Swift and the floor plan is similar to this:
I live in Bellingham and I've dragged the trailer as far as Alaska, Iowa, and Yosemite.
I'm guessing a Jayco is comparable to a Coleman quality-wise and I've had no major problems with ours. A couple minor roof/exterior leaks that were rather simple to deal with on my own.
I bought new basically out of fear. We'd never owned a trailer before so we knew nothing about them. We were taking it to Alaska soon and the 2 year warranty provided peace of mind. Knowing what I know now, I'd be okay with something used but that's for you to decide.
Other stuff to consider:
Ground clearance. Straight off the lot, our trailer was basically made for smooth roads and paved parking. It handled the drive to Alaska fine but we bottomed out once or twice and as soon as we got home, I had the axle flipped. This provided another 3 or 4 inches of clearance which was sufficient.
Loaded vs Unloaded weight & the axle rating. Like I noted before, I'd never owned a trailer before so I was surprised to learn how quickly we were over the axle weight limit. Stuff for three weeks on the road, two teenagers, a wife who likes to nest, a full water tank & fridge and we were WAAAY over. Things were fine after we pared stuff down, but it's something to pay attention to so you don't break or bend the axle or blow tires.
Sleeping arrangements. Bunk beds were acceptable for my kids...for a while. As an adult, they were a PIA to get in an out of...especially the upper bunk.
The dinette/bed combo also got old. Basically, the table transforms into the bed so if you want to sit at a table for morning coffee or breakfast, you either gotta go outside or dismantle the bed.FWIW, since the wife and I now travel on our own, I upgraded to a heavier axle which provided more ground clearance still AND overloading the trailer is no longer a problem SO when I remodeled the interior, framing weight wasn't a big consideration.
I included this last bit because if you decide to get a less expensive model, the freedom of doing whatever you want to the interior is HUGE. I ended up converting the bunk beds into storage and a closet. Got a couple Lagun swinging tables to replace the dinette.
And made a fixed bed with a better mattress. The wife and I still have to crawl over one another in the middle of the night but it's waaay better than dropping or setting a table twice a day.
Say Yes to the toilet/shower.
I was initially against it but my wife INSISTED and now I'm glad we have it.Storage wise, I've gotten by with the fabric covers. Sure a hard roof would be nice but I don't have the space. They'll last me 3-5 years.
I guess that's about it. Good luck and have fun with it.
Mike d
Just curious….what did you end up with ?
Sorry to hear that. Good to have some time to think about what you want. I’m pondering trading out our RPod for something that doesn’t have a slide-out. Most of the time, I’m going by myself and climbing on a ladder to clean off the slide-out roof to prepare it for retracting isn’t going to work as I get older. Also climbing on the roof to put on the cover isn’t good.
You need to try the extendable painter's pole trick to on/off the cover. I also removed the TV antenna since I use starlink and don't need broadcast TV.
Good plan. I have several of those and will also remove the antenna. The TV was the first thing I removed from the trailer. A cover helps with the oxidation that the trailer gets in the hot Tri-Cities sun. Waxing is now a once per year job and I can hire my nephew to get the places I can’t do such as the roof.