Trailer Camping - What are you towing off road and do you like it?

[JimmyFD43]

DIY all of it. If you go the Runaway route, a V-Series is $3,300 MORE than a base CoolCamp or RangeRunner, I sold mine for $3300, bought it new in 2018 for $3300 and put maybe 600 bucks into it. Kept the Jackery when I sold it.

I didn't have any fancy suspension or anything, when I put it on 285s, I put 4oz of balance beads in each tire to stop the resonant bouncing the little donut stock tires had, axle-flipped it with the stock leaf springs, and ran the trailer tires at 20psi. The tire shoulders still didn't touch the road at 20psi, but they soaked up every bump I threw at them.

I was on the move enough to charge the Jackery with the truck in transport and never had a need for solar, depending on your style of camping, you can make plenty of concessions.

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[JimmyFD43]

Hi, I saw one of your other posts with all your mods. I am especially interested in the switch fascia that you installed. How did you get the wires through the dash? Drill/ cut, or remove part of the dash? Great looking truck!

 

[Doc]

https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/caravan-painted-flowers-yard-600w-1196844.jpg

 

[ProtonDecay]

OK, I'll weigh in - probably at the upper end of the scale in terms of weight and to some degree price. We tow a Black Series HQ15 off road anywhere it will go (and even some places it won't).

Our criteria for the overall rig (truck and camper) were only met with this combo. We wanted, more or less in order:

A full-size indoor toilet and dry shower.
A queen-size or larger bed.
Light enough to be towed by a mid-size pickup truck.
Both truck and trailer fully off-road capable (high clearance, ability to take unexpected hits on the trail, good suspension, and enough power/water to stay off-grid for at least a week.

The trailer weighs in at around 4700 dry, but just under 6,000lbs fully loaded (78 gallons fresh water). The Ranger had the highest tow capability (7,500lbs tow, 12K GCVW). Fully outfitted with better/larger tires/wheels, front winch bumper, sliders, a bit of under armor, and assorted off-road gear the truck comes in around 5,500. With us in it we are still under the 12K GCVW, but not by much (on that note, CAT Scales are your friend here, and you can get 3 axle weights for $12 initial, and $3 for re-weighs).

Things go wrong off-road way more than traveling paved roads from park to park. Bigger ruts, boulders, off-camber turns, oncoming crazy wheelers who have a "we don't stop" mentality, slippery when wet, etc. If you really want to go off-road, have a look at something like ours or the Patriot Campers that Frenchy recommends. There are a few others, but anything made from composite over wood is either going to limit you going very far off-road, or get absolutely demolished the first time you go around a tree too closely. The good trailers have their own sliders and believe me, they get used (and bent, and then straightened, and then used again).

And get something with at least a few more inches of ground clearance than your truck, and independent suspension. Your navigability with timbren or similar is way higher. The Patriot and BS trailer suspensions are designed to go over boulders to some degree, but you won't be happy with an axle trailer the first time you try to grade the road with it.

We're 22K in after a year and have been the length and width of Baja, 3 trips to Utah, numerous trips to off-road locations in CA. We've had great times and the rig has withstood our stupidity on multiple occasions.

Let me know if you want pics of anything or have any specific questions. I'm no expert, but there's a few things I've tried and I might be able to save you some time.

 

[TheDo114]

OK, I'll weigh in - probably at the upper end of the scale in terms of weight and to some degree price. We tow a Black Series HQ15 off road anywhere it will go (and even some places it won't).

Our criteria for the overall rig (truck and camper) were only met with this combo. We wanted, more or less in order:

A full-size indoor toilet and dry shower.
A queen-size or larger bed.
Light enough to be towed by a mid-size pickup truck.
Both truck and trailer fully off-road capable (high clearance, ability to take unexpected hits on the trail, good suspension, and enough power/water to stay off-grid for at least a week.

The trailer weighs in at around 4700 dry, but just under 6,000lbs fully loaded (78 gallons fresh water). The Ranger had the highest tow capability (7,500lbs tow, 12K GCVW). Fully outfitted with better/larger tires/wheels, front winch bumper, sliders, a bit of under armor, and assorted off-road gear the truck comes in around 5,500. With us in it we are still under the 12K GCVW, but not by much (on that note, CAT Scales are your friend here, and you can get 3 axle weights for $12 initial, and $3 for re-weighs).

Things go wrong off-road way more than traveling paved roads from park to park. Bigger ruts, boulders, off-camber turns, oncoming crazy wheelers who have a "we don't stop" mentality, slippery when wet, etc. If you really want to go off-road, have a look at something like ours or the Patriot Campers that Frenchy recommends. There are a few others, but anything made from composite over wood is either going to limit you going very far off-road, or get absolutely demolished the first time you go around a tree too closely. The good trailers have their own sliders and believe me, they get used (and bent, and then straightened, and then used again).

And get something with at least a few more inches of ground clearance than your truck, and independent suspension. Your navigability with timbren or similar is way higher. The Patriot and BS trailer suspensions are designed to go over boulders to some degree, but you won't be happy with an axle trailer the first time you try to grade the road with it.

We're 22K in after a year and have been the length and width of Baja, 3 trips to Utah, numerous trips to off-road locations in CA. We've had great times and the rig has withstood our stupidity on multiple occasions.

Let me know if you want pics of anything or have any specific questions. I'm no expert, but there's a few things I've tried and I might be able to save you some time.

Pics please!!

 

[WNCblueridge]

We absolutely love our rig! We have a TC Teardrop 5x10 model and it is the perfect camper for our needs. We got it a couple years ago after debating it for almost a year. What really put us over the edge was tent camping in the wet snow and cold at the beginning of October. Came home from that and put in our order for the camper. haha All we really wanted was a hardshell well insulated bed off the ground, and that's essentially all a teardrop camper is. You don't need to re-set it up at home after a wet trip like you do a pop-up or tent. You can leave it behind at the site unlike a truck camper or roof top tent. It does have less amenities than a full travel trailer, but we're minimalist outdoor people and are fine doing a lot of activities outside.

There are quite a few teardrop makers out there these days, all of which offer a different ideal and functionality. And I did a lot of research before our purchase. A lot of teardrops are either road cruising focused, or ultra off-road focused. And a lot of them I found had convertibility inside (move the pads around to convert from a couch to a bed and the like), but we didn't like that idea. We just wanted an actual comfortable matress without compromise. Others also incorporated a built in fridge/cooler, stove, and sink with onboard water. Not necessarily interested in that because that adds weight and takes away storage space. We wanted to keep ours simple and lightweight (originally were pulling it with my last Subaru Crosstrek).

TC Teardrops is a Wisconsin based company that allows extensive customizability. I literally conversed with the owners about what we wanted and what we were planning on doing with our rig. And since they're avid campers, using their own product, they had good recommendations for things to get/add and what they've found work best. You basically start from a base shell in any of 4 sizes (4x8, 5x8, 5x9, or 5x10) and add whatever you want to that. The come in 196 different colors, so really there is likely no other rig out there exactly like ours. The base models are very cheap and light for those minimalists, but you can still add a bunch of options to make it plenty more comfortable and useful.

Ours, the largest model of 5x10 (since I'm 6' 1" and wanted space to sleep comfortably), weighs in at 1200lbs dry with all our options, and is still small enough to sit below the roofline of the truck (especially with our topper), so it doesn't result in much frontal area addition. That means I still get ~20mpg pulling it with the Ranger on the highway. Goes down quite a bit on the freeway as expected, but we don't do that too much.

Weight: 1200lbs dry, ~1800lbs loaded for 10day trip
Size: 5x10 cabin, ~16' total
Cost: $7500 base, $11,800 with our specific options
Options from factory: 90w solar panel, front toolbox, 2" lift, off-road style tires, spare tire, shore power hookup, Rhino Rack roof bars, Rhino Rack Batwing 270deg awning, electric brakes, onboard Autowbrake brake controller, 12v outlet in galley for electric cooler, squared fenders, electric heater, queen mattress
Options I've added: second battery, inverter in galley, reciprocating fan in cabin (x2), more to come

Off-road-ability: We've taken it many off-road places. Many times on rough overgrown two-tracks in the middle of the Superior National Forest enroute to dispersed camping sites. And since the camper has much more ground clearance than the truck, then I have no doubts it'll go anywhere the truck is able.

Livability: We regularly sleep my wife and me, and our two 50-60lb dogs inside without issue. The 270deg awning allows for 3 times as much protected space outside, especially with the addition of the optional walls which provide great wind and rain protection. It takes 5mins to setup and teardown, including unhook and setting up the awning. A bit more to stake everything down and setup the walls (if we want them). With the solar we never need to get electric campsites and can easily stay at dispersed sites. We lasted 9 days, with shaded sites and rainy/cloudy days, while running our fans (x3) almost constantly and charging phones, computer, dogs collars, and smart watches. The panel charges the battery from dead to full in a single day in direct sunlight.

Thanks for the detailed description. Always prefer primitive tent camping but now approaching 50yr old this seems a perfect fit. Never was interested in the big RV setups (although nice) but this type you have looks perfect

 

[ProtonDecay]

Pics please!!

Sure, here are a couple.

This one is the whole rig at Prewitt Ridge above the Big Sur Coast in May:

Here's the other side while at a dry lake bed north of Bodie, CA with the Overland Bound from Livermore in June:

And here we are on Leavitt Creek (above Bridgeport on 108):

This weekend we're going to try Leavitt Lake. Fingers crossed, as the road is not maintained and has significant erosion leading to some lean angles that may well put the trailer on its side. I'll make sure to get pics because not sure very many other trailers this size have made it. We normally only use the winch for true recovery, but I expect we'll be using it for traction and stability on this trip.

So far we have just under 25K miles in 16 months and the truck is holding up fine. We adhere to a 5K dealer service interval, and I've swapped the differential oil myself once (after a failed river crossing). We get around 10-12 mpg between 55-65 with the truck tires at 40 lbs and the trailer at 80. The only real issue encountered so far is brakes. The stock brakes on most trailers are drums, which are wholly inadequate for the roads we travel with this trailer. We've upgraded the trailer to discs and won't ever have a sizeable trailer without discs again, the difference is that huge. Electric-hydraulic brakes take a bit of practice to adjust and use properly, but once through the learning curve we are very happy and much safer.

 

[TheDo114]

Sure, here are a couple.

This one is the whole rig at Prewitt Ridge above the Big Sur Coast in May:

Here's the other side while at a dry lake bed north of Bodie, CA with the Overland Bound from Livermore in June:

And here we are on Leavitt Creek (above Bridgeport on 108):

This weekend we're going to try Leavitt Lake. Fingers crossed, as the road is not maintained and has significant erosion leading to some lean angles that may well put the trailer on its side. I'll make sure to get pics because not sure very many other trailers this size have made it. We normally only use the winch for true recovery, but I expect we'll be using it for traction and stability on this trip.

So far we have just under 25K miles in 16 months and the truck is holding up fine. We adhere to a 5K dealer service interval, and I've swapped the differential oil myself once (after a failed river crossing). We get around 10-12 mpg between 55-65 with the truck tires at 40 lbs and the trailer at 80. The only real issue encountered so far is brakes. The stock brakes on most trailers are drums, which are wholly inadequate for the roads we travel with this trailer. We've upgraded the trailer to discs and won't ever have a sizeable trailer without discs again, the difference is that huge. Electric-hydraulic brakes take a bit of practice to adjust and use properly, but once through the learning curve we are very happy and much safer.

Nice setup!! Thanks for the pics

 

[Rhino]

I’ve got a 2020 high altitude trailer.
full foam/ composite construction.
100w solar, 1100w inverter, 10lb propane, stove, domestic 35l fridge, hot water sprayer/ shower, Thule racks, batwing awning.

I just sold this Runaway CoolCamp XL 4x8 trailer, I axle-flipped it and put it on matching 285/75/16 tires and it followed me down 50 miles of "damaged" forest roads on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon without question. A week or two before I was there some bad storms had come through the area and took down trees and washed parts of the road out pretty bad. A few low-range climbs and descents and short water crossings a little over two feet deep in places.

There was nothing fancy about it, a pillowtop twin XL mattress and some lights inside and out powered by a Jackery 200. For outdoor living space I had an easy-up 10x10 shade tent and a folding plastic table. Camp kitchen was in an Action Packer tote strapped to the rack on the tongue.

I loved the setup, but I'm moving to a GFC to get the overall rig length and complexity down. I might end up in another hard-sided unit down the road, we'll see how tent life treats me.

both of these are nice they seem to be the best for offroad use

the second seems to be the best thou its small and not super heavy so it wouldnt be to much of a pain on a trail


the rest all look like something you would maybe see on a gravel road.... and much harder would fall apart

 

[raytwntrvlr]

I don't see much true off-roading in my future but there will be some two track adventures. She sits nice and high and at twenty feet can get around a pretty tight curve. The clearance at the axles is just over 12 inches. Weighs in at 3650 fully loaded and is fully self-contained including 100 watts of solar. For a longer off grid stay a gennie will definitely be used. Another plus for this rig is it is only seven feet wide. Not much more than the Ranger. Leaving day after Labor Day for a swing out through north Idaho and over to Crater Lake then back home through Colorado. Looking forward to being in Orofino, Idaho for Lunberjack Days. We'll be camped right on the Clearwater River.

 

[WingShot]

Upgrade complete…

OBi Dweller 13, 5732 LBS GVWR, 300 AH AGM Batteries w/300 W solar, 52 gal. fresh water, 21 gal. grey.

High clearance, independent suspension, articulating hitch, skid plates…it has gone everywhere my Ranger has tried to take it (with only minor damage). From Moab, UT to the Snowy Mountains in Wyoming.

 

[MXGOLF]

OK, I'll weigh in - probably at the upper end of the scale in terms of weight and to some degree price. We tow a Black Series HQ15 off road anywhere it will go (and even some places it won't).

Our criteria for the overall rig (truck and camper) were only met with this combo. We wanted, more or less in order:

A full-size indoor toilet and dry shower.
A queen-size or larger bed.
Light enough to be towed by a mid-size pickup truck.
Both truck and trailer fully off-road capable (high clearance, ability to take unexpected hits on the trail, good suspension, and enough power/water to stay off-grid for at least a week.

The trailer weighs in at around 4700 dry, but just under 6,000lbs fully loaded (78 gallons fresh water). The Ranger had the highest tow capability (7,500lbs tow, 12K GCVW). Fully outfitted with better/larger tires/wheels, front winch bumper, sliders, a bit of under armor, and assorted off-road gear the truck comes in around 5,500. With us in it we are still under the 12K GCVW, but not by much (on that note, CAT Scales are your friend here, and you can get 3 axle weights for $12 initial, and $3 for re-weighs).

Things go wrong off-road way more than traveling paved roads from park to park. Bigger ruts, boulders, off-camber turns, oncoming crazy wheelers who have a "we don't stop" mentality, slippery when wet, etc. If you really want to go off-road, have a look at something like ours or the Patriot Campers that Frenchy recommends. There are a few others, but anything made from composite over wood is either going to limit you going very far off-road, or get absolutely demolished the first time you go around a tree too closely. The good trailers have their own sliders and believe me, they get used (and bent, and then straightened, and then used again).

And get something with at least a few more inches of ground clearance than your truck, and independent suspension. Your navigability with timbren or similar is way higher. The Patriot and BS trailer suspensions are designed to go over boulders to some degree, but you won't be happy with an axle trailer the first time you try to grade the road with it.

We're 22K in after a year and have been the length and width of Baja, 3 trips to Utah, numerous trips to off-road locations in CA. We've had great times and the rig has withstood our stupidity on multiple occasions.

Let me know if you want pics of anything or have any specific questions. I'm no expert, but there's a few things I've tried and I might be able to save you some time.

I saw one of those last week at Netarts Bay Oregon where I was camping. That thing looked pretty stout. It looked like it had sliders all the way around it. I wonder how tall it is inside?
Thanks,

 

[ProtonDecay]

I saw one of those last week at Netarts Bay Oregon where I was camping. That thing looked pretty stout. It looked like it had sliders all the way around it. I wonder how tall it is inside?
Thanks,

I am just a bit over 6' (shrinking as I age) and fit standing up fully anywhere in the trailer, including under the air conditioner, which sticks down a couple of inches, so I am guessing 74-75 inches. The only place I've ever hit my head is going out the door - I have to duck just a bit while going through, so that may only be 6' or maybe a bit less.

In general we find this trailer a good compromise between all the tradeoffs. I love the Obi Dweller and Dweller 15, and the Conquerer (people we travel with have them), but they all require a bit of setup to use, and we like the convenience of being able to go into the trailer and use the potty easily whenever we stop. There is room to get around, but no more than that. Wife and I are both around 6' and in the low 200's for weight. The toilet is not tight, but there is little room to spare. The shower is very good (enough height and room to shave/turn around). The dinette is a bit tight for us (knees and feet hit the table upright), but we can both sit in it to eat when required (we prefer outdoors). The bed is pretty close to a queen and we fit in it fully stretched out and don't crowd each other when tossing or turning. They are a bit pricey, especially if you enhance it (LFP batteries, Victron inverter, rewire everything to run off the inverter instead of requiring shore power, etc.), but they haven't changed very much (the newer ones are bit better organized) and you can get good deals on slightly used ones that weren't what the initial buyers expected. Have a look at RV's of America - they no longer sell new BS, but they used to be the biggest dealer for them (by far) and so they get a lot of BS trade-ins, and they stand behind everything they sell. If you watch their Youtube videos you'll probably see us in the ones for Colorado & Mexico. Anyway, best of luck with whatever you decide!

 

[ProtonDecay]

Upgrade complete…

OBi Dweller 13, 5732 LBS GVWR, 300 AH AGM Batteries w/300 W solar, 52 gal. fresh water, 21 gal. grey.

High clearance, independent suspension, articulating hitch, skid plates…it has gone everywhere my Ranger has tried to take it (with only minor damage). From Moab, UT to the Snowy Mountains in Wyoming.

Yeah, the whole Obi line is amazing! And they are very capable off-road. We were traveling with someone towing a Dweller behind his Ram PowerWagon when he decided to take a dirt road paralleling the highway - at 50 miles an hour! It was great fun until he hit a ditch - messed up the steering on his PW, but the trailer came through unscathed. The design and components used on these are all top notch! I hope you have many wonderful trips!

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

For any fello Canuckleheads looking for an off-road trailer from Canada, I saw this parked on display in the middle of rural western Ontario today so I had to stop and check it out…

The Trailer and Treeline RTT are all made in Alberta. The Ontario distributor is located in Palmerston. It looked fairly nuke proof and well-designed (Dometic, Jackery, cookstove pullout, tons of storage, crazy suspension, aggressive tires, Check out beaverbuilt.ca for more details.

Yep, they’re spendy. ?

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