What kind of camper do you have?

Heck yes. Really dig the Bigfoots but between the weird lack of information on how you can actually buy one and the width of them (even the small ones) while towing with a Tacoma, just didn't make sense when we were ready to dive into fiberglass trailers. Luckily the Escape 19 fit the bill perfectly. The Bigfoots have way more aesthetically pleasing interiors though and tons of room.

Assuming you're towing with a different vehicle?

 

We pulled it with a 2011 Sequoia for about 12k miles before I wanted to get a truck to bring the toys with us. The short wheelbase of the Sequoia made you have to really pay attention the whole time while you were pulling it at 65mph. The 1-ton Chevy with the 8.1L gasser is like a land yacht while pulling it. Gas mileage is exactly the same as the sequoia at 9mpg

 

Just a thought, but anyone gone the fifth wheel route? I know they make a Scamp one and I think I've seen some videos on YouTube of someone doing it with an ultralight one, but wondering if anyone has experience here. I wonder how hard it is to mount a fifth wheel or gooseneck in the Tacoma's bed?

 

I've owned 16' and 17' Casitas (close cousin to the scamp) and see little to no advantage to the 5th wheel Scamp (unless you find one for a solid deal $.) The reason I say this is you give up the truck bed (for the 5th wheel mounting and swivel) for an already lightweight travel trailer.. it just doesn't make sense to me.

A medium size 5th wheel trailer might make sense for the Taco but I can't think of one offhand. Fiberglass trailers and airstreams hold their values very well over time.

 

Very nice. I have an older version (2001) that's in excellent shape. What is mounted to the exterior shell several feet above the outdoor shower door? It kinda looks like the stove vent but the stove should be on the other side of the trailer.

Edit: I looked up the newer floor plan and see that the stove is on the drivers side. Cool.

 

Here's a guy that tows a fifth wheel with his 17 Tacoma, if anyone is interested. He has other videos with some more details on it too if you look at his channel.

 

8.5mpg

 

Been dragging this t@b around!

 

We've got the four wheel fleet pop up and love it! I just wish we had more time to use it...

 

Don’t we all wish we had more time

 

After our first attempt at purchasing a travel trailer fell through due to COVID, my wife and I brought this home today. Around 3400 lbs. Added a Equalizer hitch to better distribute the weight. Could definitely feel it behind me, but the truck didn’t struggle (I’m also in the Midwest, so it’s pretty flat). It did only manage about 9 mpg. Haha. Hoping the shell I’m adding will help improve that a bit by keeping more air off the front of the trailer, but I’m not hopeful.

 

At some point in the next year or two when the covid situation normalizes and people start spending money on overseas vacations again, etc , travel trailers will flood the market and it'll be a great time to be a buyer!

 

We are trying to buy right now and it’s crappy, people wanting what they paid for their tt 5 years ago. We have a new Vista cruiser 23rss on order but is already 2 weeks overdue and we are desperate to get on the road, hopefully it’ll be here soon

 

Godspeed. The buying process was a nightmare.

 

Retro 135

 

I saw some comments earlier about the 5th wheel style of trailer - and the goofy hitch that occupies the the truck bed. I had a Jayco - small one - with the fifth wheel arrangement and hated that hitch from the start. Had an awful time with it the first time we took it up in the mountains. If you were not able to get the hitch in the proper plane to match the trailer - king pin wouldn't re-latch. The answer - if you stick with that sort of arrangement - is a heavier and more expensive stand for the truck. One of my welders (ranch kid) listened to the bitches after a long weekend in the mountains and explained that I should have gotten the outfit rigged for an agricultural gooseneck - and a "flip-flop". So I did.


To fit it, we removed the truck bed (1/2 ton Ford) and added an engineered x-member to hold the ball slightly ahead of the axle centerline. The hitch deck plate was just slightly higher than the deck ribs when the bed was reinstalled. Modified the trailer to have the agricultural tube and socket welded over the king pin and gusseted properly. A big chunk of vehicle weight disappeared and this set-up will seat and latch or tow when the truck and trailer are at impossibly different angles. Hunters dream. This arrangement has a huge safety factor advantage over the 5th wheel - and the load is in just the right spot for the truck.

When you drop the trailer - and flop the ball - she goes back to the usual cargo duty. Takes minutes to re-raise the ball and be ready to take the trailer. Added a big (and empty) white plastic water tank that hugs the bed floor until you get the outfit parked at your favorite site. Then you can go for water and stay awhile.

 

Do you have any sort of grade going up your driveway? I have a tight set up with a parking pad next to my garage off of an alley. Slight uphill grade from the alley to garage/parking pad level. I’ve looked at the trailer valet, and some reviews say it’ll do the grade; others say it won’t. Curious about your experience if you have a grade.

 

Do you have enough room behind the parking pad to mount an electric winch and use one of these on the tongue? If so it sounds more reliable and affordable than a $700 tug that may or may not do the job depending on conditions.

 

Now that’s an idea. I probably could—long term, if we stay in this house, I’m going to build a new garage with a big bay for it. My only concern with that is the rear bumpers aren’t designed for much. If you put a bike rack on them, it’ll void the chassis warranty. If everything is on wheels, it really shouldn’t put a lot of strain on the bumper, but I’ve also seen how cheaply these trailers are built.

If that worked, a wheel jack and a winch might also do the trick, but again, I’d be worried about the bumper.

 

Yes, smart to think about being gentle on the frame and either reinforcing or using a tow strap on the axle. I'm guessing after initial setup it'd be relatively easy to maneuver.