Changing my ways, from VAN to TT!

[bullfrog]

Believe me I looked about 5 years for something light weight but sturdy that we could boondock in and couldn't find anything for under $10,000. RVsue recently replaced a fridge for example and doesn't do extreme off road as she pulls her Casita with a full size van. I looked at the few manufactured small not light weight trailers made for boondocking that were $18,000 but as I said would require a 3/4 ton or better truck as 4 x 4 trucks seem to have a lower capacity weight wise. I have seen rear bumper mounted bicycles break off the bumper and fenders flexing so much they break off just going down the highway. Unfortunately manufactures have determined that light weight means using thinner and less of the same materials they have always used rather that new lighter stronger different construction and materials. Good luck finding a decent well built manufactured rig you can tow with a small SUV for less than $10,000!

 

[OutdoorFT]

Honestly, those types of vehicles arent that good for towing, even when set up. If youre stuck on that vehicle, you might not be thrilled with pulling a TT. Now, smaller campers (pop ups etc) may be more your style.

 

[glenpinpat]

a friend of mine pulled a tab with here escape for years and thousands of miles including alaska, grand canyon, and newfoundland. Tab was touching 2000lbs loaded. Here only problem with the escape was the small fuel tank which meant she had to refuel too often. I also switched from a van to a trailer for a host of reasons but the main two reasons were so we could keep camp set up when we wanted to go to town or sight see and second reason was still have my home when we broke down.

 

[DreadHeadDrifter]

Thank you everyone for your wonderful advice!

My Escape does have a transmission cooler already installed. I met a gentleman today that tows a small 16 or 17 foot trailer with his escape. it seemed just the perfect size! He said dry weight is about 2,400 pounds. He packs very lightly and said it works well for him but he does not travel more than 100 miles in any given day. But he does live full time out of his travel trailer!

I will continue to weigh out my options and would love any additional feedback on quality light weight travel trailers that can be found for 8k or under,

thank you all again for your help!

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Do you know how long he's been towing that set up with his escape just out of curiosity? A couple of months vs a couple of years can/will make a huge difference on someone's opinion of how they like it.

You can always try it though. If it doesn't work out you can either go to a larger tow vehicle or smaller trailer. Or you find it's perfectly doable and down the road you go.

 

[mayble]

Will you be moving the trailer frequently, or setting up in a park or long-term boondock for a month or more, and only moving a few times a year?

If you don't plan to move often, you can always have someone haul your trailer to a new location, particularly if it involves long trips and/or steep grades.  Pros will do it for a fee, friends & neighbors will do it for beer & pizza.  Your Escape could do the lighter work, shorter trips on flatter terrain, going to the dump station, etc.  If you find it too limiting, you could always upgrade your vehicle later on.

 

[JamBandFan]

Hepcat, what made you switch from towing small trailers like Scamp to going with a Class C and Class B?   And why do you need both the Class B and the Class C rigs you have now?

This might be a bit out of the OP's budget....but what do people think of using a Class C or Class B to pull a toad vs. a tow vehicle + small trailer as your rig set up?  What are the pros and cons of these two different rig set ups?

I know a guy that used to be a 18 wheeler truck driver in the western U.S. for 30 years, he is one of those people that seems to hate towing trailers (despite him having a career of towing a trailer!).  He has a Class C Rialta that pulls a high gas mileage toad.  He loves Roadtreks too.  His nearing 90 year old mom has had many rigs over the years (A, C, B, tt's) and Roadtrek was always her favorite and most used RV.   He doesn't like truck campers either because claims he's seen too many flipped over on side of highway.

Although towing toads I imagine is not without risk.  I was reading a post recently from a full time RV blogger about how their toad started swerving and lost control and crashed into the back of their rig. Caused expensive damage to both Toad and their Class A.....but more importantly they dodged a bullet in that their was no one close to them on the freeway or their toad could have possibly crashed into another car (yikes!....better have umbrella insurance policy if you have assets to protect!).   

I was also talking to a retiree in a state park one time and got a tour of his older smaller Class A....I asked him why he didn't tow a trailer so he could unhitch and have the freedom to drive his tow vehicle around.  He said he hates towing anything since his sister was killed by a travel trailer that lost control on the freeway (she was not driving the trailer, she was just an innocent bystander that happened to be driving on the freeway just by chance in the next lane of someone pulling a TT).

 

[user 37446]

OP, I'm going to go out on my own limb (with a bow saw) and say to go ahead with your plans. Initially I was siding with the "no way" group, and I had all the same reasons (still do, actually). However on pg 2 of your thread you said you were staying in the lower SE and actually were not moving much. Then there was the longer parked stint in Louisiana.

As long as you prepared to either roast your brakes or transmission at some time, and can be setting aside the savings to completely replace the vehicle in a reasonable amount of time, then you can probably get away with it. I still don't think its anywhere near ideal but it is "doable" if you keep to your self described limits of the I-10 area. For any longer tows, get a friend with a pickup to pull it for gas and beer money.

I'd still rather you traded off your Escape while it was still in good shape but only you know your finances.

 

[caretaker]

DHD, I'm just spit ballin here,,I'm NOT trying to denigrate you in any way shape or form, but why don't you use the van as a tow vehicle, you probably have a lot of stuff you could remove from it to lighten it(the van i mean) you know it inside and out?

 

[mizjewels]

Look for an older sunline. They are out of business now, but were a well made unit with a loyal following. The sunline forum community is very active and helpful. Load of remodel threads and help if you find yourself needing repairs. A t-1550 or 1661 should be in your weight range. Doubtful you'll find a 19 footer that will fall in line with your max weight. Newer lightweight trailers are made like crap, a solid older sunline will last much longer.

 

[Baloo]

I hate to be on the band wagon, but as a guy who works on vehicles. Small crossover type SUV's (anything with a transverse mounted engine) is really not made for towing. Not saying you need to go buy a 3500 Dually, but maybe a Tahoe or an Expedition (even the older explorers tow well). Your transmission will thank you! Good luck on your plans.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Florida Black Bear]

I just read your comments from more than a year and a half ago. Not only superbly written, but addressing the concerns of many of us who cannot quite embrace a van dweller lifestyle (i.e. travel trailer, Class C, Class A). As it is often stated, "rarely does one stay with their first mobile living choice." Most of us can imagine living in a van, but the actuality of long term is incongruent for many. Thank you for your insights.



Absolutely, and I will also be replying to the other's here in a few! I have spotty internet connection at the moment. 

For me, it was great living in a van, but there are a few things I would like to change for full time living. Mainly comfort things that I do not mind paying a little extra for in the long run. 

1. I am 6 foot 3, and even my high top chevy cargo van I could not stand up, my main issue was when getting dressed. After a while having to get dressed laying down or having to find a place to run in to get dressed wasn't working out too well! I would also like a little more head room when cooking so I dont have to basically sit on the floor. So the extra head room is my first factor that I would like to change! 

2. I would also like to have a toilet, and a means to shower in my trailer. I had a gym membership, which worked when I was around the gym.  But I would like to have the convenience of being able to do so comfortably in a trailer. Sure, you can do your business in a plastic bag inside a bucket, and you can shower with a spray bottle. But, when you have female company for the night, or even after awhile. It kind of gets old, and believe it or not some people find that gross (particularly the less outdoorsy people). I would much rather pay slightly more to have these "comforts", and contained waste tanks that I can dump when needed. To each his own.

3. Which leads me to my next reason! Tanks! Fresh water tanks, grey water tanks black water tanks! Having to go in the night happens in a van, using plastic bags and what not can lead to gross smells that require you to have to get out of your van and find an appropriate dump place for said bag. Not only do I care about the environmental impact of dumping waste, but if I can keep certain smells out then I would like that. I also like the idea of having my waste in a contained tank, as well as my drinking water and used sink water. All of these things are not necessary to live, but they are nice. Some people will say hey thats more stuff to break and need to get fixed. But to me, its still worth it! 

4. Safely using propane for cooking, heat, and refrigeration. In a van, you have to be very careful when using your propane cooking stove, or even your mr.buddy heater! Often times, I would use a coleman camping stove, the chances of leaks, gas buildups, and fire (in my opinion) are much greater when using these stoves over using an actual stationary stove built into a trailer, that is meant to be used inside a camper. These coleman stoves are generally meant to be used outdoors, and cooking out doors is not always an option. Same with the heater, if I have a propane built in heater in my TT, I feel a little safer using it than having to use a Mr/Buddy heater and make sure nothing is within a certain range that is flammable and not dozing off with it on. Also, proper ventilation. I hear way too much of accidents happening i personally think that using these appliances that are made to be used inside a camper have an advantage over using camping quality gear inside a van. 

5. Storage! The companies that make TT's pay the designers fairly well to make the most use out of every square inch (usually). Although you can almost always find a DIY alternative for a van, I feel that a Travel Trailer is made with maximum storage use in mind. And also have better, more secure storage (cabinets and stuff) that wont rattle your ears off when going down the highway.

6. Designated "areas". In a travel trailer you have your kitchen area, your bathroom area, your bedroom/sleeping area, usually a small table or eating area. In a custom van, things tend to kind of blend together and can be a little confusing, especially when you are first getting started. For me, this effected the "flow" of things. Having food storage under the bed, and my cmaper stove in the other corner of the van made things not "flow" as easily. Its nice to have a feeling of having different "rooms" inside your small home, instead of having everything just spread out everywhere.

Of course these are all things that vary to each persons wants and needs. But this is how I see it. And honestly, i could continue for hours about why I would like a Travel Trailer. To me, it just makes sense. If you are trying to live off little money, and do not mind giving up a few comforts, then the van life is great. But after a year of doing that, I am ready to step up the quality of living just a tad. Ill probably add more to this post a little later on, but those are the first things that came to mind.

 

[ckelly78z]

I was looking at <20' travel trailers today online, and found a Coleman 1605FB light LX that seemed to have everything I was looking for in a 3500# TT....solar prep, queen size bed, single axle, 2-20# propane tanks, a full sized 3 way fridge, and a whole lot of storage.

I don't think a Ford Escape would pull this unit, not nearly enough torque to do it properly, but worth looking at the camper as a possibility.

I also looked at the whole Rpod line from Forrest River and was impressed with some of the layouts, but discouraged by the almost unanimous reviews claiming piss poor build quality.

 

[texas0322]

I wouldn't want to pull a travel trailer with an Escape. I'm sure it will physically do it but it won't be a pleasant experience I don't think. I pull a 17' Lance with my chevy van now. Have been extremely happy with it so far

 

[bullfrog]

With a V6 you should be looking at a light weight teardrop or tent trailer. Only way I have found to get something lite enough is a foamie build smaller than the profile of the vehicle and by the time you equip it for fulltime your too heavy. Only way is if you basically sleep in it and carry everything else in and live out of a backpack. The closest to what your asking for is the folding A frame trailers. Sorry but that is what I and others here have found.

 

[highdesertranger]

a 20ft trailer with a single axle. oh my that must be an interesting tow. highdesertranger

 

[closeanuf]

Towing with a front wheel drive vehicle is interesting; not something I would recommend. JMHO

 

[tytan5905]

There is much more of a home feel with a TT than a vehicle. IMHO!!