Tiny Trailers and Tear Drops

[Gunny]

I think a Casita will be the way I go. They seem to hold their value well. Their plant is not far from me and I got a tour of it. The folks actually looked like they took pride in their work, as opposed to some of the other R.V. manufacturers. Good luck in your quest for something you like.

 

[SoulRaven]

Gunny: I have considered the Casitas/Scamps etc. I like the Weiscraft Ponderosa since it is smallest with everything in it. The Scamp deluxe with the wood interior is beautiful. While it may not bother you, the fumes from the carpeting and glue has been a problem for others and would be a problem for me. In another forum, someone suggested I get something at least 3 years old that has had time to air out. I am not super sensitive but very particular about my health.

While I like the idea of a shower/toilet, having stayed longer term in RVs, I know how hard it is to stay ahead of black mold. I learned that many don't use the shower/toilet in their units. In boondocking, small tanks are basically useless.

Like I said, I considered them and many people are very happy with them. If I saw a reasonable buy on a unit in the area, I would take a look.

Definitely make sure that you join the Casita owner's forum if you aren't already a member. What really counts is having a knowledge of what you are getting, the pros and cons, and deciding if you can deal with them or not.

Good luck to you also.

 

[speedhighway46]

My wife and I purchased a new Casita in 1999; we still have it. I don't know about now, but back then you could specify what you wanted in your Casita when it was being built. We got ours without the bathroom and shower; no A/C and extra Fantasic fan; and no stove.

This trailer is still amazing and fits our traveling style perfectly. No mold, no smell, no odors.

We love it!

 

[SoulRaven]

I know someone that bought a new Casita recently and had issues with burning eyes and nose and to make it worse, it was raining so the trailer had to remain closed for their trip home. So many have had water damage not realizing that any vents and rivet holes that aren't maintained can leak and any water system in the trailer can also leak and soak the flooring. ALL trailers/campers will leak if not maintained. Yes, you can still get the "standard" without a shower/toilet in the Casita and per the photos, the extra room looks significant for such a small trailer and same with the Scamps.

I'm following "Interstellar Orchard" and she has a Casita about the same age as "Speed" above. http://www.interstellarorchard.com/

 

[Katewels]

I know this post is older but I just wanted to let those of you who are looking for a trailer know about trekkertrailers.com here in central Florida. I went to see his trailers and tiny homes firsthand and he does an awesome job. Everything is very well built. If I get a tiny home he will be my builder. He has a teardrop called Adam's Cabin that I love. It has a drop down floor so you can stand up in it. He will pretty much build your trailer any way you want it. His gypsy wagons are super cool.

 

[DannyB1954]

I considered a trailer as you can tow many of the smaller ones with a 1/2 pick up, but the thought that nags me is how do you keep them from getting stolen or looted when you are not at camp? are trailer ball locks really secure?

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I considered a trailer as you can tow many of the smaller ones with a 1/2 pick up, but the thought that nags me is how do you keep them from getting stolen or looted when you are not at camp? are trailer ball locks really secure?

Unfortunately, modern battery powered tools with diamond cutting blades can go through ANY lock or chain like a hot knife through butter.

I've given this a bit of thought, and if I go for a trailer, I would go with a non-standard coupler like the Lock N Roll.

https://locknroll.com/

A thief is unlikely to have the coupler needed to hook up to such a trailer to pull it away.

Also, the standard set up is to have the trailer wiring cord permanently attached to the trailer.  I think I'd set it up with a trailer connector on the trailer, too and have a cord with trailer plugs on each end, which I would take with me.  A thief would not be able to plug the trailer into his vehicle, and the absence of working trailer lights would definitely attract a cops attention while he's driving down the road.

Cargo trailers are frequently stolen.  They can be easily sold for a nice bit of money and they often contain lots of expensive stuff - tools, motorcycles, atvs, etc.

A teardrop is much less likely to be stolen.  It's a lot harder to sell, and probably doesn't contain much except some clothes and camping stuff.

A Casita?  Well, that probably falls somewhere between a teardrop and a cargo trailer.

 

[LoupGarou]

You see pictures all the time of Teardrop trailers open to the world in perfect weather conditions. It sure is nice to have something in which one can hunker down in and ride out a storm.

 

[SoulRaven]

We had a pop-up, over 2,000 lbs, pulled across the yard, long one and loaded onto a flat-bed and taken to south Tucson with hitch lock in place. They found it months later. We started using one of the wheel locks, Trail Keeper I think is the name. There is basically no sure way to stop someone from breaking in or hauling it away if they are determined to do it.

I would have to admit that this makes a van or small C a slightly more desirable unit than a trailer.

It just seems when it comes to criminals, it is hard to win. I figure they could strip my house and haul away one of the vehicles if I were out camping now even though we live in town.

It comes down to, you do the best that you can to secure things and that is all you can do. It does pay to make your unit less "generic" with color or graphics.

 

[Stephen]

Here is our teardrop. It is a 2015 Little Guy Silver Shadow. The longest we have been in it has been two weeks. We have weathered some pretty nasty storms and rainy days without problem. What makes it good is that tent you see with the orange top. It is a 10X10 and it attaches to the passenger side door with a sleeve that tightens around the door making a seal to keep the bugs out. The sides lift up to make a screen room and it has that awning flap thing that can go over the top to shade the trailer from the sun. Some one mentioned that it was a pain getting dressed and it is, but with the tent, no problem! When we have boon docked and can't set up the tent it has been tougher to meet society's dress code! The canopy is just a Walmart special, but gives us somewhere else to go if the weather isn't great. 

We are hoping to go for a year soon and are curious how we will do in something this small for a long period of time. So far it has been no problem, but there is a big difference between full time and a couple of weeks!

 

[Stephen]

I forgot to mention that it is a dream to pull. Weighs just over 1k lbs. I get between 17 and 20 mpg depending on the terrain, weather and flights of sparrows!  

 

[rvpopeye]

I spent 6 months in a 2 man tent with a big plastic tarp giving me a "front porch" and a "garage" for my bicycle on rainy days.
You don't live in it , you live out of it and sleep in it !!

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I spent 6 months in a 2 man tent with a big plastic tarp giving me a "front porch" and a "garage" for my bicycle on rainy days.
You don't live in it , you live out of it  and sleep in it !!

    I agree, did a cross country trip in a Wrangler and two man tent and spent many days in nasty weather.  A tarp, sleeping bag and a few good books and bad weather turns into a relaxing few days.

 

[arctic cat]

Well for several years I lived about four months a year and travel to Alaska back and forth in my Jeep Wrangler with a tent.  At the time I was travelling by myself and I went overlanding with it (overlanding as where there is no real roads and remain in remote location in the desert for about six week without resupplies}.   Water was the biggest issued so I recycled water and human wasted (urine, yes you can boil it)  

Eventually my gear grew and I purchased a small trailer 3.5 by 5 trailer and from there graduated to a POD which is about 600lbs dry weight.

Now I have lady friend and an 80 lbs dog so I need more space I'm working on a van see the project here.  Some people sleep in a van and carry their stuff in trailer.   But I'm doing it backward.  My van would be my cooking and living space and my MYPOD would be my sleeping quarter.  I live very comfortably and it all depend on your comfort  zone.  I'm an adventurer so to me having a microwave and a/c and hot shower are luxuries.   I was a grunt in the Army, so very little add to the adventure and the challenge.   But that is me.

 

[Katewels]

One thing I thought about doing to protect my teardrop is to hide some sort of GPS device in it to help the police find it if it was ever stolen.

 

[Katewels]

Last evening I emailed RunAway Campers and asked the road height which was not covered in any of the info, within 2 hours I had a response.  Road Height is 94 inches on the largest model.

Also check out Trekker Trailers (trekkertrailers.com). I think they are better built than the Runaways.

 

[SoulRaven]

I came across Trekker Trailers some time ago. This is a link to Adam's Cabin: http://trekkertrailers.com/adams-cabin-finished-model/#more-78 The price, without options, although options are limited so it doesn't add much is $10,900. It doesn't have a kitchen but one can be added to the back for $795.00. The size is 5 wide, 5 tall and 10 long with a weight of around 1,100 lbs. I thought the dropped floor at the entry would be nice.

Some of the tiny houses are really neat the way he uses the space as I have watched the videos available on YouTube. I had originally wanted a tiny house but found that places where they could be placed were very limited. Too many rules!

 

[Stephen]

I met a guy who had a cricket trailer. Part pop-up, part hardside trailer. They are pretty nice! http://taxaoutdoors.com/cricket-trailer/

 

[SoulRaven]

The Cricket is nice, they have a more simple and slightly smaller one called the "Tiger Moth".

I came across another teardrop manufacturer, know nothing about how they would hold up as they are new company, I'll summarize for those interested without being able to click the link: Honey Badger campers, base model is $2495, that is bare bones and they are small, with a few amenities, $2895 with metal roof and they have the roof I love, wood (I know the down sides) starting at $2495 and they do use birch which many companies do. Weight 450 lbs, hitch wt is 75 lbs. 4 x 8, a little too small for me, maybe they'll do something bigger before I buy. Located in FL, will ship for a price of course.

http://www.honeybadgercampers.com/

 

[ArtW]

I just bought a 4x8 enclosed cargo trailer to convert
what won't fit in it will fit in the back of my ranger