What camping trailer? (2 Viewers)

[TeCKis300]

I was recently mulling over how much we used to camp vs how little we camp now, and realized that the setup which was most favourable for a quick camping session was in fact the small off-road railer with a quick-setup RTT on it. It was a great setup, and at times I do miss it.

However, when it comes to off-road adventures with a trailer, I'd caution everyone considering the option to think about the kind of off-road adventures THEY do, and their specific terrain. We're in the pacific north-west, with a ton of forests, steep mountains, and tight, overgrown trails. I've come to the conclusion that it largely doesn't matter whether I have a tiny off-road unit, or a 20ft, 4500lb travel trailer behind me. The limiting factor is always the same: ability to turn around.

In other parts of the world you may have more open terrain where finding a place to turn around is a trivial task, and so other limitations will come in play.

I'm glad you touched on this. The ability to navigate tight trails and turn around is key in my mind for an off-road trailer, which is why I lean toward smaller and lighter. Even in the southwest where it seems like wide open expanses, we're often in trails that exist in canyons, washes, rocks or trees meant for jeeps. Can only seek so much adventure if we can't turn around. I understand this isn't everyone's idea of adventure, and some may only go as far as federal or state parks. Which I do too, but I have a larger trailer for those trips so I don't have to walk the middle as much. Then there's tons of middling destinations between those.

Criteria for my off-road trailer is having a track definitely no wider than my tow vehicle, and preferably narrower. Tongue that allows up to a 90* jackknife turn. We've had to decouple friends trailers many times in a pinch and manually turn it around separate from the tow vehicle, which means ideally tongue weight <300-400 lbs.

 

[1Maverick]

Are you in the Denver area? I am part of a Toyota Offroad club Rising Sun 4WD Club Forum - https://risingsun4x4club.org/xf/

We put on Cruise Moab. Runs are posted and anyone is welcome to our runs, events and meetings

Today is the Blow Off Work and Go wheeling Run. Friday a group is heading up to Red Cone.

Thanks for the invite! Unfortunately I don’t, moved from there not to long ago, but In the area(Breck)every summer and a few times in the winter(skiing).

 

[1Maverick]

I was recently mulling over how much we used to camp vs how little we camp now, and realized that the setup which was most favourable for a quick camping session was in fact the small off-road railer with a quick-setup RTT on it. It was a great setup, and at times I do miss it.

However, when it comes to off-road adventures with a trailer, I'd caution everyone considering the option to think about the kind of off-road adventures THEY do, and their specific terrain. We're in the pacific north-west, with a ton of forests, steep mountains, and tight, overgrown trails. I've come to the conclusion that it largely doesn't matter whether I have a tiny off-road unit, or a 20ft, 4500lb travel trailer behind me. The limiting factor is always the same: ability to turn around.

In other parts of the world you may have more open terrain where finding a place to turn around is a trivial task, and so other limitations will come in play.

Good tips! Our ideal camping is a bit more isolation whenever possible and not in crowded camp lots with yelling kids and endless barking dogs. Having lived in Seattle, Bay Area, Las Vegas, Portland, Denver(Louisville), we want to get away from as much asphalt as possible. Montana, S.Dakota, Maine, Colorado up and down the Smokey’s and Minnesota are the primary states we’d like to visit more of.

 

[Artie]

I would suggest either the Kimberley Kamper or the Kimberley Karavan

Off Road Camper Trailers | Kimberley Kampers - https://kimberleykampersusa.com/campers/

Hybrid Off Road Caravans | Australian Made | Kimberley Kampers - https://kimberleykampersusa.com/hybrids/

I have owned both. The Karavan is a bit more comfortable all hardsided with an indoor toilet and shower. Also has an outdoor shower. In door and out door kitchens

Built in Australia to survive the outback. I also like that both allow you to stand. The floor in the Kamper is the same size as the Queen bed. You could put mats , cots and sleeping bags on it and fit 4. The Kamper has an option for Bunk Beds, which I got to sleep 4. I also as seen in the picture below Got a Jet tent and had it up to the awning as an extra bedroom for my daughter and her husband

My old Kamper -2002. Still looked like new when I sold it on 2015. Cruiserdan still has the exact same model

View attachment 3045883View attachment 3045884

upgraded to a 2016 Karavan. Select the link in my signature for more photos of the interior and exterior
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When you’re off road and towing on trails are you switching your tow pro to user controlled or staying on proportional?

I haven’t quite gotten comfortable with the redarc tow controller yet.

 

[Romer]

When you’re off road and towing on trails are you switching your tow pro to user controlled or staying on proportional?

I haven’t quite gotten comfortable with the redarc tow controller yet.

I just let the brake controller deal with it unless a unique situation arises. I use a Prodigy brake controller

 

[Fisher23]

I was recently mulling over how much we used to camp vs how little we camp now, and realized that the setup which was most favourable for a quick camping session was in fact the small off-road railer with a quick-setup RTT on it. It was a great setup, and at times I do miss it.

However, when it comes to off-road adventures with a trailer, I'd caution everyone considering the option to think about the kind of off-road adventures THEY do, and their specific terrain. We're in the pacific north-west, with a ton of forests, steep mountains, and tight, overgrown trails. I've come to the conclusion that it largely doesn't matter whether I have a tiny off-road unit, or a 20ft, 4500lb travel trailer behind me. The limiting factor is always the same: ability to turn around.

In other parts of the world you may have more open terrain where finding a place to turn around is a trivial task, and so other limitations will come in play.

Excellent point!

I have personally hung my Camping trailer off the side of a cliff turning around. Good thing it's only about 1200 lbs.

 

[1Maverick]

Excellent point!

I have personally hung my Camping trailer off the side of a cliff turning around. Good thing it's only about 1200 lbs.

View attachment 3046272

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Does your trailer know it’s being towed by a Land Cruiser? Kind of ironic

 

[adashoe]

I would definitely do this setup for myself but my wife and daughter would complain with lack of interior space. I wish my LC was a Diesel.

Thats why I'm getting another RTT for myself on the LC

 

[Fisher23]

Does your trailer know it’s being towed by a Land Cruiser? Kind of ironic

LOL .. Yes but notice the Land Cruiser Matching Wheels

I also have a Jeep.

This is our 2nd one... it's a Jeep Extreme Camper. Livin Lite made them for Jeep a while back.

 

[Tex68w]

We tried off-road trailers and deemed they weren't for us.

 

[linuxgod]

We tried off-road trailers and deemed they weren't for us.

Really depends on your use case.

If you camp in Texas in the summer the lack of A/C may be a dealbreaker

They’re expensive and unnecessarily lacking in amenities if you largely use state parks and other established campgrounds. That’s why we have a Lance.

If you crawl trails they are often a burden and also ill-suited. In that case get an RTT

If you want to do forest service, blm, and usda boondock camping they are ideal

I’m sure I missed other scenarios but folks should get the point

 

[Tex68w]

Really depends on your use case.

If you camp in Texas in the summer the lack of A/C may be a dealbreaker

They’re expensive and unnecessarily lacking in amenities if you largely use state parks and other established campgrounds. That’s why we have a Lance.

If you crawl trails they are often a burden and also ill-suited. In that case get an RTT

Agreed and that's exactly why they didn't work for us. The other thing we hated was the inability to stand and move around in something you dropped $30K+ on lol.

 

[TeCKis300]

To add more color, I had a buddy that bought a brand new Lance for serious money. Decided it wasn't for him and his family after 1 year. It never got his wife engaged to where she'd join in on trips. Because it was stored in a commercial storage lot, it was logistically challenging to do weekend trips. The extra time ahead and behind a short weekend trip to get the trailer, load. Then turn around to clean, bring it back to the lot. Takes an extra half day ahead and behind an already tight weekend.

He sold it for a loss. Then turned around and bought an even more expensive XOC off-road trailer that lacked half the amenities of the Lance. But he's happy as he can store at his home. Prep for a weekend trip way ahead of the weekend. Park it after a fun weekend and clean-up on his own timeline during the work week. It also suits the BLM and off-road trips he enjoys doing.

To the points earlier, every trailer type is different. The suitability to trip types and family needs is a very personal decision.

I'll say that's a dynamic to consider in building the cruiser also. It's too easy to fall into building for a specific use type. Then trying to use it for commuting, home depot runs, car camping, or trailering, makes it not work as well. I prefer a setup that I can configure for the trip at hand. Whether road trip, car camping, overlanding, technical off-roading, trailering, etc.

 

[coleAK]

Well to add another train of thought. I’m in Alaska and we almost live camping all summer, put at least 10k miles on the LX summer through fall (June-mid Sept).

I know off road trailers and tear drops are all the rage currently. But I’m not sold. If all you do is off road to the capacity of said trailer ok possibly. Here is my $0.02

Big traditional travel trailers are comfortable. More space is nice when it’s 40F and raining for days on end. More space is good for gear. We typically camp with: 4 trail/enduro bikes, salmon dip/set net gear, gold prospecting equipment, clothing for everything from 70F and sunny to snow, ski gear (yes we are still skiing), fly fishing gear (rods/waders/…), hunting gear, ….

Here is my solution. We had an airstream for 6 years then 8 years ago switched to a outdoor RV 22BHS. I can use the ORV 80-90% of the places we go in AK. In the places we can’t take the ORV have 2 other set ups.

A ground tent+EZEup+12v fridge+Camp kitchen+pop up with chem toilet set up. Used this as a semi mobile base camp during hunting season and when we set up for salmon set netting on the beach.

RTT. Have a RTT+smaller Kitchen (run off tailgate)+fridge. Use this when we go up above the Arctic circle each fall.

For likely less then the price of a boutique off road/tear drop you could have everything listed above and a much more comfortable versatile set up.

I also know so many people that have bought campers, off road trailers, RTTs, motor homes,…. That almost never used them or bought something they hated and switched. Rent first if possible.

 

[Romer]

Not mine 2013 Kimberly Kamper Karavan - https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/2013-kimberly-kamper-karavan.233501/

 

[WCDAVE]

Not mine 2013 Kimberly Kamper Karavan - https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/2013-kimberly-kamper-karavan.233501/

That is a great deal. Checks pretty much every box of the OP with money left over to upgrade. I think it’s good to go as is though.

 

[dcs111]

All thoughts are useful and your suggestion of renting first is really smart. I may talk to my wife about that and rent a couple for some 3 day trips to get a good feel for it. Believe me, I’d much rather buy nice tent and camping equipment from REi and Moose Jaw but my wife didn’t grow up camping multiple weeks of 4wheelin’ and fishing in the mountains of Northern Cali. as a kid. So, I gotta spend the dough to get them in the woods and off grid. I don’t even want a tv in the camper. Just board games and books for nighttime entertainment.

Second to renting. Make sure the memories are positive- my family started in a very similar mindset with need/ desire to have the full suite of amenities. Through rentals and the range of experiences, we have discovered our use case is oriented towards being nimble, efficient, and capable of camping just about anywhere…. With that revelation, things like a fixed toilet, kitchen, TV, etc become less important. This is mostly my Wife coming to the realization and becoming comfortable with various trade offs. I’ll say further we were aiming for a Mission brand trailer after narrowing in on style, features, build quality, etc through exhaustive virtual research… we flew out to TX to look firsthand and, surprise… didn’t like it in person… But then we were introduced to thr Taxa brand and that is what we are currently towing around (literally on a 3 week trip around UP area). Good luck in your search and keep us posted!

 

[Bomar]

Go Kimberley and never have to buy again.

Get a Kamper and your 200 will not even know it is behind you

 

[TeCKis300]

Second to renting. Make sure the memories are positive- my family started in a very similar mindset with need/ desire to have the full suite of amenities. Through rentals and the range of experiences, we have discovered our use case is oriented towards being nimble, efficient, and capable of camping just about anywhere…. With that revelation, things like a fixed toilet, kitchen, TV, etc become less important. This is mostly my Wife coming to the realization and becoming comfortable with various trade offs. I’ll say further we were aiming for a Mission brand trailer after narrowing in on style, features, build quality, etc through exhaustive virtual research… we flew out to TX to look firsthand and, surprise… didn’t like it in person… But then we were introduced to thr Taxa brand and that is what we are currently towing around (literally on a 3 week trip around UP area). Good luck in your search and keep us posted!

Pics?

 

[Heckraiser]

Hiker Trailer (teardrop style)

Pros:

• Gets you out of the weather, frees up some space in the truck
• Sturdily built (built in CO, we picked ours up literally 5 minutes from our house)
• So damn light you can grab it by the tongue and move it around by hand without breaking a sweat. This is a huge advantage if you're new to backing up a camper

Cons

• It's basically just a bed in a box
• really long wait time last time I looked

A-Liner Scout Lite
Pros:

• Smallest hard-sided pop-up they make--actually able to get it into the back woods
• Stand up inside
• 2-beds on opposite sides of the camper ideal for my sleeping habits (flop and fart all night long)
• Sink, water tanks, stove, etc, all available if you get the right model
• pre-wired for solar if you wish to install panels
• Torsion axle rides super smooth

Cons:

• not built for off-road. Needs a lift and some modification if it's going to be used in any sort of iffy terrain
• no toilet (although there are other solutions for this)
• too heavy to schlep around by hand--have to learn to back up a camper