Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Spawn Sack on June 21, 2014, 06:04:38 PM
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So the wife and I are contemplating buying an off-road tent tralier. The primary reasons are we can tow it with our 4Runner, we can tow it into the remote 4x4 access lakes we love fishing, no more setting up a tent and sleeping on the ground!! :) Not to mention the benifets of having a fridge, furnace, stove etc.
I'm hoping someone on this forum can offer us some words to the wise when it comes to buying one.
Off the top of my head I'm wondering:
1- Good, better, best brands? Looking on Craig's list etc is seems that Star Craft and Rockwood are popular ones for sale.
2- Determining fair purchase price? I have no idea how much these things depreciate. All I'm going on so far is trying to find similar used models and compare prices.
3- Features to look for? Things to check out if considering purchasing? Any place you could take one to (RV dealer, etc) and pay to have them give it a good look over? I'd rather pay a couple hundred bucks than buy someone else's problem and have to dump a bunch of $ into it.
We live in Chilliwack and are looking for a used one. Here's a few I found online that sparked my interest:
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/pml/rvs/4524000523.html
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/rvd/4512220324.html
http://abbotsford.en.craigslist.ca/rvs/4515279908.html
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I would strongly recommend purchasing a small travel trailer that can be towed by your 4runner. Tent Trailers are not much better then tents, there is no storage space.
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Point taken. However we want something that is designed for/capable of going off road. Clearance and overall "toughness" is a big factor. We go into a lot of 4x4 access lakes and whatever we are towing needs to make it in/out in one piece! From my research so far it seems that most of trailers that fall into this category are the tent trailer type.
A-liner makes a nice looking popup offroad trailer, but they are quite expensive and look pretty tiny inside.
http://www.aliner.com/campers/Expedition
It is just the two of us in the 4Runner and with the back seats folded down there is tons of space. On an average camping trip we'll have the abck about 2/3 full with totes, coolers, fishing stuff, etc.
As long as a tent trailer had enough space for a bit of stuff I think it would be sufficent for us.
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I was in the same boat not long ago, I do a lot of off-roading. You can flip the axles on a small travel trailer and it will have a lot of ground clearance. Tent trailer's will have to be dried when you return from your trip if it rained. For about the same price as a good tent trailer, you can get a decent travel trailer too. The small travel trailers (16'-20') are perfect for people like you and me.
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Interesting. I'll have to look into the logistics of axel flipping. I'm not handy at all when it comes to stuff like this so it's something I'd have to pay someone to do :o
Humpy, or anyone, do you have any tips on the other questions I brought up at the beginning of this thread? Brands, what they're "worth," features to look for, possibly getting one inspected prior to purchase, etc.
All thoughts/tips appreciated :)
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look into the BAJA series of small travel trailers made by Jayco. They are off road minded and tow like a dream.
I have been borrowing a family friends this season and we enjoy it a lot. Model we have been using is the Jayco Swift 154BH Baja edition. Its a bunkbed model but they make other floor designs for the Baja editions as well.
FYI - Jayco is one of the top brands in regards to travel trailers
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Interesting. I'll have to look into the logistics of axel flipping. I'm not handy at all when it comes to stuff like this so it's something I'd have to pay someone to do :o
Humpy, or anyone, do you have any tips on the other questions I brought up at the beginning of this thread? Brands, what they're "worth," features to look for, possibly getting one inspected prior to purchase, etc.
All thoughts/tips appreciated :)
I would buy from a dealer, their trailers are certified and some even offer some sort of warranty. Buying used is risky, you really have to know your stuff, checking for leaks, etc.
Hook is also suggesting the same kind of idea I mentioned, small travel trailer.
I prefer older, more solid travel trailers, and I have heard nothing but great things from Jayco.
I have a friend who bought one and he loves it.
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Mk1 UEV 490 off-road camper trailer Conqueror Aus…: http://youtu.be/QpauUSmtJmA
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If you get one I'd love to see it in person😆
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I have one of these: http://www.expeditionswest.com/equipment/adventure_equip/Jumping_jack.html
Awesome trailer - very light and will fit a boat or two quads on top.
Bought it at Kitt trailers in Abby for about $8000.
(http://www.expeditionswest.com/equipment/adventure_equip/jumping_jack/album_two/images/jeep_trailer_twist.jpg)
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Thanks guys good ideas and good tips! :)
I checked out the Jayco Baja - nice looking trailer! A little pricey though. Also checked out the MKI UEV 490 and Expiditionwest trailers, both very cool but not really what we are looking for.
We have never owned any type of trailer before (well aside from our boat trailer) but I am leaning towards a "pop up" style off road tent trailer. Why? Probably first is the cost. It seems by and large they are quite a bit cheaper than a hard top like the Baja for a simialr year, condition, options, etc. One would not be a huge financial investment, so down the road when we inevitabley want to upgrade we will not take a huge $ loss. Second I like that they are quite light. Some of the lakes we 4x4 into are pretty dodgey in a few spots. In the event a light trailer got stuck/hung up I could probably unhook it and come-a-long it out. A "full size" trailer I'm not so sure! :o
Currently we either make day trips into these lakes which kind of sucks are we get up super early to be at the lake at a reasonable time, then we have to be packing up by 4-5pmish to make it out at a reasonable time for dinner etc. The odd time will will tent it and stay the night which just sucks overall - I'm done with tenting! At least with the tent trailer it has a proper bed(s)/mattress, fridge, stove, etc. We have a big double garage that it could be set up in to air out at the end of the trip. Heck it could probbaly just stay up/open when not in use to allow full ventalation.
I realize tent trailers are not as "good" as a hard top but they seem like a good way to get into the travel trailer scene with not a huge $ investment. Some definite costs/benifets and I appreciate the feedback thus far.
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I also have a 4runner and go into a lot of 4x4 areas. We tent and it gets the job done but I hear you - tent trailer would be luxurious!
I haev very limited experience with tent trailers but as I think you know, weight will be the constraining factor....not much jam in that engine. I regularely trailer a 2,000lb boat with my 99' and it can struggle at times...personally I wouldn't want to go up/down the coq with more than 2,500lb in tow, if that.
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Australia is a country full off crazy what we call is camper trailer, and there some very good ones around. Not sure if you can get the same over there, but have a read and there is plenty of good infos.
http://www.myswag.org/
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Thanks guys good ideas and good tips! :)
I checked out the Jayco Baja - nice looking trailer! A little pricey though. Also checked out the MKI UEV 490 and Expiditionwest trailers, both very cool but not really what we are looking for.
We have never owned any type of trailer before (well aside from our boat trailer) but I am leaning towards a "pop up" style off road tent trailer. Why? Probably first is the cost. It seems by and large they are quite a bit cheaper than a hard top like the Baja for a simialr year, condition, options, etc. One would not be a huge financial investment, so down the road when we inevitabley want to upgrade we will not take a huge $ loss. Second I like that they are quite light. Some of the lakes we 4x4 into are pretty dodgey in a few spots. In the event a light trailer got stuck/hung up I could probably unhook it and come-a-long it out. A "full size" trailer I'm not so sure! :o
Currently we either make day trips into these lakes which kind of sucks are we get up super early to be at the lake at a reasonable time, then we have to be packing up by 4-5pmish to make it out at a reasonable time for dinner etc. The odd time will will tent it and stay the night which just sucks overall - I'm done with tenting! At least with the tent trailer it has a proper bed(s)/mattress, fridge, stove, etc. We have a big double garage that it could be set up in to air out at the end of the trip. Heck it could probbaly just stay up/open when not in use to allow full ventalation.
I realize tent trailers are not as "good" as a hard top but they seem like a good way to get into the travel trailer scene with not a huge $ investment. Some definite costs/benifets and I appreciate the feedback thus far.
Unfortunately sometimes this is your only option or pick a base camp and day trip to the lake from there. Lots of people do this. We used to have a tent trailer and only used it like a tent to get us off the ground, never used the heat, sink, stove and I actually sold it for MORE than I paid for it :D
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HI Spawn Sack
You really want to take some serious time and explore all your options and really research the trailer/model history you are purchasing.
I have the E3 Evolution trailer that I have towed with my Fore Runner- no problem. I do however prefer to use my Tundra instead as it has more towing capacity.
I wouldn't recommend constantly toeing full weight or max capacity with your vehicle. ( my E3 fully loaded brings me close to I believe 80% to max on the forerunner, I have to check as i cant remember exactly right now)
I can email you details if you want as I will have to dig them up.
I would say with a smaller trailers ie: 10' you shouldn't have any issue with toeing.
Unfortunately my E3 had roof/leak issues which is not fun so make sure you are satisfied with your research. I agree with the other guys on here and try to purchase off a dealer if you can. I did private and had no recourse and cost me big $$.
The thing is with these trailers, imo, is that yes they are marketed as heavy duty but it really is just the trailer frame that is heavy duty or larger than the typical pop up trailers as well as the extra height off the ground. The interior material is the same as all tent trailers which i find is made of really light weight materials and not so strong. They are made that way because they are trying to keep the overall trailer weight down.
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Thanks for the replies guys :) I have towed various boats, trailers etc around the 2000lb range with the 4runner with no issues. I believe it's rated to tow 5000lb. However navigating the coquihalla etc I would not wnat to be anywhere near the max rating. As Lyall stated around 2500lb would be about the higest one would want to go and that seems reasonable. Several off road trailers I've been checking out are in that 2500lb range.
I hear what you guys are saying about dealer vs. private sale. I would like to shell out a few extra bucks and buy from a dealer, however I would consider a private sale. We are definitley not looking for a new one at this time.
HOOK, yeah we do the day trip thing from base camp all the time. My wife's family has a cabin on Pressy Lake with is near-ish Bridge Lake (70 Mile turnoff). Some of the lakes we 4x4 into are around 2hrs to get though from the cabin. We are used to the day trip scene but it would be really nice to stay the night and not have to TENT it, which we almost never do now that we are older. A tent trailer would be a huge comfort upgrade...ahh...electricity, shower (even if outside), fridge, etc. It would also be nice to have a tow trailer to take on random road trips etc.
Anyways I'll be doing more research on brands, features, weights.
Last question: obviously it is not that hard to check if the applicances etc all work in a trailer. How does one check if a roof leaks on a sunny day? Could you get someone to spray the roof with a wide fog on a garden hose?
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every tent trailer I have ever been in that leaked took on a distinct musty/moldy smell. If there is any mold staining ANYWHERE even on the curtains then it does or has leaked. I would be asking how they repaired it if they said they did or who repaired it if they had it done and if they have receipts for the work. Next problem area is from below, yes you can get leaks into the flooring which are the hardest to find and fix. I would steer away from trailers people took on decent to heavy 4x4 roads because this will beat the frame to hell. Trailers aren't really made for that if the off road type (off road means off pavement in the trailer world)
Our tent trailer had a slow leak in the roof which I couldn't find so I used a paint on sealant and it worked great and was very easy. After sitting all fall/winter when I went to open it this spring the smell was gone because it stayed fully dry. I did the repair before the camping season last year and we used it lots. Only sold because we plan to get a travel trailer
If you camp anywhere that gets windy I will advise you to strap the 4 corners of the trailer to the ground so they can't sway in the wind because this can bend the arms. Ours leaned somewhat because of this but strapping it back to a tree worked well to straighten it out 8)
Lastly - check every nook and cranny you can when your checking it out, even underneath if you can. Also if you plan to take it on 4x4 roads have tubes put in the tires so if you pop the tire bead your not stuck with a flat
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Good tips HOOK thanks a lot! If I/we smelled mold/must that would be a huge red flag. Is there any way to actually "check" for leaks? Put a sprinkler on the roof maybe? I think with enough effort a leaker could be cleaned up and aired out enough so one could not detect any odour.
Most of the off road lakes we like are generally nice smooth roads to a point, then it's 4x4 low until we hit the lake. If any of ya'll go to West King Lake, Faulkner Lake, etc in the Bridge Lake area you know what I'm talking about. I think as long as the trailer had as much clearance as the 4Runner it would be fine and not get beat on. Generally we are going quite slow, looking for a good line into a big dip/rut, avoiding large rocks, etc. You could probably get out and run faster! The main factor is clearance, and as far as I can tell the off road trailers have tons.
About the tire thing...if you pop a bead how do you get the tire back on? Isnt this as bad as a flat...in other words...the tire still has to be changed right? Sorry I'm a bit un-ed-ja-ma-cated in this area ;) I do get that if the tire comes of the rim and there is a tube inside it will not deflate.
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If you pop the bead you can still slowly drive on it until you get somewhere to jack it up and remove the tire to take it to have it re beaded, sometimes you can do it with big screwdrivers and a lot of cursing (I read its doable on a wheeling forum)
Musty/moldy smell can also come from them not airing out the trailer properly however when its just moist canvas once it dries fully and airs the smell should leave and the smell should be slight and not punch you in the face strong. We knew ours had a small leak when we bought it, you could see it on the roof panel in one corner by the water line the water left. I doubt someone is going to put a sprinkler on it for you seeing as that will soak everything and unless its a bad leak probably wont show up right away.
In regards to the off roading. Clearance is good yes but what really messes with trailers is the side to side rocking, this twists the frame and can cause issues, its more of an issue with a solid sided trailer though but you can still twist the chassis on a tent trailer. Off road ones should have a beefed up frame to prevent this.
If your really set on an off road tent trailer then I would look at one with a cargo deck on the front, this allows you ease of carrying stuff instead of loading the 4 runner to the roof. Good tarp or build a box to keep it all dry and dust free
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What about the option if a rooftop tent? I have seen some nice ones out there and it for sure gets you off the ground. ARB makes a really nice one but I think you would have to get it from the States. All in for a really good one and the heavy duty cross bars I think you would be in for around 1500$. They also come with an awning for cooking etc. They are not nearly as comfortable as a trailer, nor would you have the storage, but you wouldn't have to worry about getting it stuck on an FSR road somewhere or stress about backing it up in some real tight spot.