The little/light Camper Trailer Thread...

Does this qualify as a little/light camper? It's only 48' long?

Want.

I owned this sweet little camper for a short while. Super light and could even be towed by a motorcycle.

http://rochester.craigslist.org/rvs/2486525578.html

What is the tongue weight when loaded like that? What is it with out anything in the front?

damn that is pretty neat. I could almost live in that!

Lotsa pix Monday!

Why isn't she allowed to wear a helmet?

Alot...I wish I had a way to weigh it. I pull it with a Jeep Liberty (diesel), had to add some Air Lift bags in the rear to prevent to suspension sag. Either air bags or weight distributing bars are a must on this trailer. Think of it more like a 22' travel trailer frame with a pop up on it. Pulls great with the bigger wheels and longer than normal frame.

Here is a way to measure the tongue weight with a bathroom scale.

http://www.etrailer.com/faq-trailertowtips.aspx

I don't think you can compare it with a 22' trailer. More like a 30+ft trailer. 3 bikes at a couple hundred pounds each (my best guess) and 300-400 on the trailer tongue itself (depending on your trailer model). Add battery, full propane tank, and fuel in the bikes you could be 900-1000 lbs tongue weight. :huh

I'd reconsider the Liberty as being a good tow vehicle.

It's a dangerous design as it's WAY too easy to overload your vehicle hitch - if they wanted it to work right, the axle would be rather farther forward and the unladen tongue weight would be about 10 lbs. Rule of thumb is tongue weight on a conventional trailer is 10% of the GVW of the trailer. Actually, the axle would be adjustable if they really wanted to do it right.

I used to tow a glider [sailplane] trailer that held a 15 meter glider - those wings were each one piece, so the trailer was roughly 10 meters OA or 35' long with one axle. Weight was about 1,500 lbs. Used to wag the CJ-5 once you got above 50 mph - was dangerous. My VW Rabbit would tow it at 80, perfectly stable.

But what do I know, I only studied elementary physics but I can read a force diagram.

And you see a lot of pop ups with toy porches fully loaded these days. I don't think our economy is as bad as everyone thinks, everyone camping has a full campsite full of toys. Here in CO, it's lots of double bottom rigs - Pickup, 5th week AND a trailer full of toys. Tell me all these people are broke will ya?

Great idea for a trailer, but hard to manage tongue weights.

Those trailers need weight distribution hitches in the worst way. Empty front deck, hopefully you still have the needed 10% tongue weight needed for stable towing. Loaded with maybe 600-1000 pounds of bikes you are overloading the tongue weight down force on many hitches and tow vehicles. With WDH you help manage the new loaded weight.

My toy hauler carried the bikes over the axles, did not mater much whether the trailer was loaded with 0, 1, or 2 bikes, tongue hitch weight was always about the same.

They're broke.... they just pay for it with credit.

I wonder where that 10% tongue weight figure comes from.....in europs, you usually see about 5% if you see what the hitch manufacturers recommend...i just bought a euro golf tdi hitch fro. Westfalia and it is good to 3750lbs and 220lbs tongue weight.

Just sayin'

And you see a lot of pop ups with toy porches fully loaded these days. I don't think our economy is as bad as everyone thinks, everyone camping has a full campsite full of toys. Here in CO, it's lots of double bottom rigs - Pickup, 5th week AND a trailer full of toys. Tell me all these people are broke will ya?[/QUOTE]

It's just that the rich are now camping!

Nice, what does it weigh?

From this site, their towing suggestions, 10-15% tongue weight.

http://www.etrailer.com/faq-trailertowtips.aspx

"Trailer Loading

The way you load the trailer can determine how easy you can tow it. While loading, keep in mind that the tongue weight should be 10% to 15% of the overall trailer weight. One of the main causes of trailer sway is not having a large enough percentage of trailer tongue weight compared to gross trailer weight. To help prevent the trailer from swaying back and forth, a few things can be done. Try placing heavier cargo in the front of the trailer, ahead of the trailer's axle. Also center the cargo left-to-right and use tie-downs to keep the load from sliding.

Trailer Sway can also lead to a loss of vehicle control. When starting out with a new load on a trailer, make sure it will not sway by gradually increasing your speed in intervals until highway speed is reached. If the trailer does begin to sway, try adjusting the cargo and equipment accordingly and then repeat the test. If repositioning the load and equipment did not help reduce the sway, a sway control or a weight distribution system with sway control may be needed."

Rather safe than sorry has worked all over the country for me so far.

A video of tongue weight and sway control fail is here:
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/81599673/

Love this setuup.

few questions.
I see a sink and a toilet, but does it also have a shower?
how much would this set me back?
Can you give a review after a weekend out in this thing.

Sure like your new toy hauler, good to go smaller. We had an 18' Work and Play, and it was always big enough when the bikes were out. We liked the huge one room set up without built ins.

Hope you enjoy your new trailer.