wopachop
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Joined: 11/17/2006
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Hey everyone hoping for some advice. Looking for a small (19-23ft) light weight travel trailier. Low price being the major factor(under $6000 hopefully). At this point in life i dont want fancy wood or pretty fabric. Just a trailer that doesnt leak....hahaha i get the feeling people are laughing.
Here are some questions I could really use advice all my searching just brings more questions:
How does a light weight TT differ in construction?
Im looking for a used TT, have there been major changes in construction that would make it better to buy a 2003 lite model over a 90's model?
Can anyone recommend a specific brand i should look for?
Does "lite" = cheap quality or just cheaper price?
Thanks everyone hope to own a trailer soon!!!
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rhillx4
Huntington Beach ,CA
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Joined: 10/13/2007
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I don't know about light=cheap. We paid more for our Starcraft than we would have had to if we had a truck and did not have to worry about weight.
Light weight ones are not framed with wood. At least our is not and that is how it is so light. Or was till we put everything into it!  I can't speak for all manufactures but the Starcraft is very well put together. To the point that my DH took me to the dealer and none of the others were good enough for me now. He has dreams of getting a truck and larger TT.
Well good luck! And I am sure there will be lots of info for you to read on here soon.
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stpauligirlmn
St. Paul
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I'm not an expert in light weight trailers, but I own a small light-weight 13' Road Runner. It is not well made. Everything is made to be "lite." The construction is lighter, including particle board and plastic where some other trailers might have wood or metal.
Our light weight trailer is definately a "handy-person" special. We've had to fix the cabinets (not strong enough), fix the metal thing in the front of the trailer (not screwed to something strong enough), reinforce the dinette/bed (worried that it wouldn't be strong enough) ... you get the idea.
It doesn't leak (yet) and seems to work just fine for us. We use it on the weekends and usually one week of the summer. If we used it much more than that, I suspect it simply wouldn't hold up. Even with all the little problems, we love our trailer.
Maybe you want to consider a Scamp. I know those are made fairly well. I don't know about the other "fiberglass eggs," but perhaps a Casita or Oliver would provide the same quality.
As for finding a trailer for $6,000, I think you would have to buy a used one. Used trailers are usually bigger and heavier. The "light weight" trend is relative new, I believe.
Good luck in your hunt for the perfect trailer!
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wopachop
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stpauligirlmn wrote: The "light weight" trend is relative new, I believe.
yeah thats where i need help is figuring out the time line of construction trends.
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skipnchar
Topeka Kansas USA
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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Light doesn't equal cheap but "cheap" does equal cheap. Take for example the Jayflight vs Jayfeather. The feather is a more expensive trailer AND much lighter than the Jayflight. Just one example.
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seadawg
Tampa Bay, Florida
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Not all "lightweight" trailers are very light. Check carefully. Some are aluminum cage, some part wood, some, like Scamp, Casita, and Oliver are molded fiberglass. IMHO, molded fiberglass will probably get you lighter weight and less likelihood of leaks in a used trailer under $6000. Very durable, lots of longevity. Oliver is too new to be available yet in that price range... Lots of used Scamps and Casitas out there, as well as other brands. You might want to check the used trailers for sale on fiberglassrv.com, casitaclub.com and casitaforum.com forums. Most are 17 foot and under, however.
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stpauligirlmn
St. Paul
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I understand you dilemma. I don't think there is an easy answer as to the timeline issue. The newer light weight trailers (Road Runner, Fun Finder, Cikira, Eco...) just started being manufactured in the last 5 years or so. It seems to me that in the 1980's and 90's, bigger was better.
I know that Scamps, Casitas, Burros - fiberglass eggs - have been around forever. They are consistently light weight. I did just notice that you are looking for 19-23 feet. I don't believe any of these eggs come that large. Generally they are 13-16' and they are tiny inside.
Also, older trailers are often smaller and lighter. For example, the old "Canned Ham" trailers (like a Shasta) are small. Again, these wouldn't be 19-23'.
I would suggest that your best bet would be simply to look, look, look at what is available around you. Usually trailers have the gross vehicle weight listed on the outside of the trailer somewhere. Hopefully, your persistence will help you find a trailer that is in your budget and weight range.
Good luck!
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5weekendwarriors
iowa
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Joined: 05/12/2008
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I was told a few years back, when I was first looking into getting a tt, to stay away from any model with word lite. Now that I'm a little more experianced I'd say that's not completly true. Yes I think alot of tt that claim to be lite are made form lighter material, thus making them of cheaper quality. But some are still well built. Aluma-Lite would be an example of a well built lite tt. Just my 2 cents.
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HighCover
Fort Worth
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Joined: 11/26/2006
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I have a Rockwood (Forest River brand name) "UltraLite". It seems fine to me, no problems at all in 1.5 years and 5000 miles. I has all Dometic brand appliances.
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agesilaus
North Florida
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There is one light weight trailer that has been around a long time and is very well built. Trailmanors. They are by no means cheap and they don't satisfy your 350 tongue weight. They are built of aluminum/foam/aluminum panels. They are towable by minivans and such.
You have to find a fairly old one to get the price below $6000, but there are old ones out there.
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