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Post by fivefootmenace on Feb 1, 2014 15:40:35 GMT -8
Hi all!
I'm new to this forum and new to vintage travel trailers. I've been wanting one for years and have finally began my search. I have a car that can tow 1200 lbs easily without trailer brakes and 2000lbs with. Any suggestions on what direction I should be looking as far as camper. I'm really loving early 60s shasta body styles or similar. I know the shasta compact is totally doable with my car but I don't know if their are other manufacturers I should be watching for or if a large sized shasta has brakes and then would make it towable for my car.
Thanks for any advice you can give!
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Post by vikx on Feb 1, 2014 20:16:32 GMT -8
Welcome Fivefootmenace, What tow vehicle do you have? Does it have a FACTORY tow package? That would include the hitch, wiring, brake control and a transmission cooler. The cost of adding the above can be quite high. It isn't just the trailer weight that dictates the size and brand. You must take into consideration tongue weight, tow stability of the car and hitch class. IMO, any vehicle towing a vintage trailer should have a class III hitch. Stopping does make a huge difference as well. Many trailers did not come with brakes. Changing out the axle and adding brakes can cost upward of $1000 if you pay a shop. Most early Shasta Compacts are listed around 1250 pounds, but can easily go over that with PO additions and "stuff". Some Aristocrat Loliners are about the same. I would weigh any trailer you are considering rather than take a seller's word. Please check out our towing section here: vintagetrailertalk.freeforums.net/board/49/towing-tow-vehiclesThere's quite a lot of info there. |
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Feb 1, 2014 22:13:00 GMT -8
Welcome to the best incurable illness around! As far as a Compact or larger-sized trailer, it's totally up to you. One potential advantage of one of the larger ones is the availability of both a full-time bed and a table/benches. For pulling 2k pounds, you can get away with an Airflyte, but its not recommended to go to the full towing capacity of the vehicle. As far as the advantages of one of the older Compact style trailers (and there are a few manufacturers that made 10 foot boxes with the same layout), is that they have a larger table than the Airlfyte - a good thing if you have more then two campers or you entertain. The two long benches can be rigged so as to make a king size bed. The closet is huge, and allows you to hang clothes and still have room for drawers, or a porta-potty. OR you can get really creative and ditch the table for a full-time bed. Lots of ways to do this. In places with hot summers, a few people have installed a/c under the full-time bed. One of our favorites was making a full size bed (that's 20" off the end of each bench) and taking that extra 20" to make a tiny table for two. You can leave the closet as is or turn it into a wet bath, with shower, and leave the table and benches as is. Or you can do as some of us have done and try to get the best of all worlds. Here's a blog post our daughter did about Hamlet. Check out the floorplan. Neither of us has any particularly great handyman skills, just imagination and determination. www.howiseelife.com/blog/2011/06/20/trailer/ |
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Feb 2, 2014 8:59:22 GMT -8
Hellow 5foot...
Very wise of you to seek help and information before purchasing a trailer. You will save yourself a lot of headaches in the future by doing your research now. Welcome to the board and here's my two cents worth.
This question comes up a lot around here and most people try very hard to find a trailer they can tow with their under-powered, light weight and short wheel based gas saver vehicle. The best advice I can give you is to go out and buy a proper vehicle that will tow up to 3500 pounds minimum safely. The rule of thumb is that you only tow half the weight that the manufacturer claims your vehicle is good for. Most trailers 15 feet long including tongue will weigh in at around 1500 to 1800 pounds or more dry. Then add your spare tire, mattress, water, propane, clothing, TV, food, ice, bedding and anything else you may wish to bring along to that for the total weight.
If you are stuck with the vehicle you have then I would suggest a small fiberglass trailer like a Burro or Casita. Maybe even a Fiberstream which has a bathroom, a huge bed, full kitchen with large pantry AND a heater which weighs only 1100 pounds dry. They are even dual axle and a wonderful little trailer. Lots of windows so very light inside.
You could also look into Teardrop Trailers. They are under 900 pounds for the most part. But if what you really want Is a Birchwood Beauty of vintage roots you won't find anything that is truly safe to tow using our rule of thumb.... Your maximum pulling weight is 2000 pounds with brakes. That means you should really tow no more than 1000 pounds in total including all your stuff. Also the one thing they don't tell you is that the passengers in the tow vehicle need to be included in your calculations.
Hope that helps without discouraging you. There are options... |
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Post by fivefootmenace on Feb 2, 2014 9:38:32 GMT -8
Thanks everyone! My towing vehicle is laughable being a manual 2004 Hyundai accent but this year is freakishly good at towing. I know with brakes it's rated for 2,000lbs (I dont understand how but I'll take it) but like everyone suggests I do want to keep the weight of the camper at about 1,000 with brakes. It currently needs an aftermarket tow hitch installed but I have use of a Silverado in the mean time if I happen to find "the one." I'm willing to put the money and time into adding brakes, if for anything else, than for peace of mind. A teardrop isn't really an option for us because we like to bring our dog with us and sharing a teardrop camper with a 65lb husky my idea of a relaxing vacation lol. I'm going to keep doing my homework and I'm super psyched I found this forum with people with so much experience and are so willing to offer practical advice! Thanks again!
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Post by bigbill on Feb 2, 2014 10:34:53 GMT -8
If I had a small tow vehicle before I bought a trailer of a given weight an size I would have a class three hitch installed and then go rent a closed cargo trailer about the height and width of the trailer I thought I wanted to find then load the trailer till it weighed about the same amount as I am thinking I could pull. Next I would tow it in traffic and up and down some long steep hills at highway speeds just to see if I was comfortable towing the type of trailer that I was considering. Also it would be great to do this on a rainy, windy day. Many of us fail to realize that when we hook a six and a half to eight foot wide trailer behind our vehicle the first problem we encounter is trying to change lanes because we discover we can't see around the trailer. Then the next fun thing is a beautiful scenic drive through one of our National forests or parks and find that about half way up a hill the rig is down to first or second gear and the engine is overheating as we struggle to run twenty miles per hour in a fifty MPH zone and the people behind us is blowing there horn. I don't understand why but this seems to have a bad effect on a other wise fabulous vacation.
I realize that the trailer rental is an investment but it might save you a huge disappointment plus thousands of dollars buying and fixing up some thing you can't use without purchasing a large tow vehicle you don't want or can't afford.
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Post by fivefootmenace on Feb 2, 2014 11:13:35 GMT -8
That's great advice bigbill! My father has a trailer so your idea wouldn't actually cost me anything. I know finding the right trailer may not happen right now since there aren't a ton on the east coast :-( but in the mean time advice like this is awesome! I'm researching hitches right now and hopefully will have my husband install it within the next couple weeks if the weather warms up in Jersey.
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Post by bigbill on Feb 2, 2014 12:05:55 GMT -8
While looking into hitches you want to consider looking into a hitch that will accept an equalizer head which will allow some of the trailer weight to transfer to the cars front wheels. This might allow it to tow better than all of the weight hanging on the back. You may have to move into a class IV hitch to allow this.
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