Off Road Travel Trailers October 07, 2023, 08:00:19 pm Since a new LD build is no longer option, does anyone have any advice on off road travel trailers? Brands my wife and I have looked into: Kimberly Kampers, Imperial Outdoors, Black SeriesA topic search on the LD Owners Group spoke about recommendations on Escape trailers and scamps, but traveling off road would be an issue.We do not want slide outs or pop-ups. Thank you in advance for any comments. 1 Likes
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #1 – October 08, 2023, 09:24:09 am Probably way too small for you, but I spotted this Escapod in Utah last year and it looked very capable of going off-road.- John
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #2 – October 08, 2023, 10:50:51 am I think ORV out of Oregon makes some nice, well built trailers.ORV | Outdoors RV ManufacturingNot really off road trailer but decent enough to get you out there pretty far.I like the Back Country series. Only issue seems to be they are heavy.Which is kind of a plus for me. I have no interest in the lite trailers now popular.So, you would need a decent sized truck to haul one.For a real off road trailer, I like Bruder, made in Australia.EXP-7 - BruderX - The ultimate off road performance camper trailerHas awesome off road suspension, that I'd like to see an American company emulate.
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #3 – October 08, 2023, 11:44:53 am Checking forums dedicated to off-road vehicles would be better placed to ask this question. I see many four-door Jeeps and larger 4X4 trucks pulling off-road trailers. The size of the tow vehicle depends on how much of a trailer you want. The higher the degree of amenities, the bigger the truck. Too large a truck will be harder to drive on poor roads and can ride like a dump truck, IMO. Pulling a trailer off-road can be, ah, interesting, BTDT.My wife and I enjoy exploring back roads and trails and have found towing a Jeep behind our LD is the best combination for our likes and needs We have owned two 4X4 pickups and prefer the smaller Jeep for back road jouneys YMMVLarry 2 Likes
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #4 – October 08, 2023, 05:50:24 pm Wingersky,We have kept an eye out for these as we are moving to a trailer (have one on order).We went with a Bigfoot (molded fiberglass and very good build quality). Big windows and lots of storage inside and outside (and the layout we wanted - largest one is roughly 25’ living area so equivalent to a 31’ class C). But frosting on the cake (good build quality and layout we wanted) - tons of off the order sheet customization, things you would never think of without taking to previous owners. These are only at the will of the factory so you ask and Joe for a yes but they will do a lot of things.Example: No dinette, put in a couch, couch and table, theater chairs, or leave open for your own setup.Change storage from outside bin to inside cabinet - add drawers/door, or eliminate it for more internal room to use as you want. Move a skylight/roof vent/ etc to accommodate your desired solar setup (easy with their build). Add or delete air conditioners or vents. Add a pantry or custom cabinetry. Ask if you want the process of getting these off book options.The axle sits about 13” (if I remember right) on the standard model. The frame can be created with a larger rail (not correct term but you get the idea) to lift it I think another 4”. Tires are also much better than typical trailer tires.Recently I talked to guy well respected whose company does a lot of after build work to see if the factory lift option was what we wanted -Asking why we would want it.He works with some customers that truly off road, they will even add skis (rock and fallen tree type terrain) to drag the trailer over just about anything. I don’t know if his company works on other brands but he gives good solid info and knows his stuff (extremely high praise when I say this about anyone). PM me if you want contact info to pick his brains.Used ones can also be lifted easily - some owners flip the axles to gain some additional height and that works well for them.Lots of experience in the group to help you figure out any mod you want to do.We checked out Black Series and were very intrigued with its independent wheels. Unfortunately owners complained a lot about the same poor build quality problems that many RV brands have. I figured in the future if we wanted it, we could always get that independent wheel feature put on our trailer (not uncommon to have axle & wheel work redone).Outdoor RV advertises off road capabilities but their off road features (a little digging is needed to determine those features) are standard for all Bigfoot and nothing special like the Black Series. And again following owners the build quality is poor (we saw some of the these trailers at a dealer and were not impressed with build quality - not awful but not what we were looking for).Kimberly Kampers & Imperial Outdoors I had not heard of. I just checked them out and neither fit for layout we wanted.I suggest strongly get on user groups for brands you want info about and listen to what they talk about. Even private ones only for owners (like the Bigfoot one) often lets prospective owners on for a while so they can check them out. Facebook groups for that brand or even sometimes a specific model can also give good info as can places like irv2.com. 2 Likes
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #5 – October 10, 2023, 05:58:34 am how about HILT: The official adventure truck of wild-at-heart trailblazers every –...Edit: I realized they changed the price by 50K. I think I will stick with the Mitsubishi Chasis if I ever go in that direction. Based on last message on this thread, I check and saw NewBorn flat bed on Fucso. Still have few years but no harm in dreaming. 1 Likes
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #6 – October 10, 2023, 12:02:25 pm Quote from: Muhammad - October 10, 2023, 05:58:34 amhow about HILT: The official adventure truck of wild-at-heart trailblazers every –...Edit: I realized they changed the price by 50K. I think I will stick with the Mitsubishi Chasis if I ever go in that direction. Based on last message on this thread, I check and saw NewBorn flat bed on Fucso. Still have few years but no harm in dreaming.At $446,000, I would start saving nowWhile we occasionally see one of these monster off-road campers, they have always been in RV parks. Evidently, few are willing to take the chance of damaging their half-million-dollar rig driving off-road. I know I would be paranoid.Larry 3 Likes
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #7 – October 10, 2023, 01:22:43 pm Quote from: Larry W - October 10, 2023, 12:02:25 pmAt $446,000, I would start saving nowWhile we occasionally see one of these monster off-road campers, they have always been in RV parks. Evidently, few are willing to take the chance of damaging their half-million-dollar rig driving off-road. I know I would be paranoid.LarryLarry,I have seen folks at right place at right time making tons of easy money. I also witnessed easy come easy go as well. Question I have is what these expensive vehicles can do which LD cannot do? Biggest issue with LD is size and these vehicles are as big or bigger then LD. With you setup of LD and jeep you can goto more places I think .... folks are looking for alternatives now that LD has closed the doors. When my time will come I will take Mitsubishi Fucso or equivalent and put BornFree or equivalent on top of it but it is atleast few years in the future ...
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #8 – October 10, 2023, 03:40:25 pm The thing I don't understand about these really fancy expensive off road RV's is,why they all have such a small cassette style toilet in them. Usually 5 gallons. Maybe a spare cassette.They are designed to be off grid and out in the boondocks.So, you have a family of two, you, your wife or SO.You would need to dump the 5 gallon cassette a lot. Where do you dump if you are off grid in the boondocks?The off road gang say you can dump the cassette in any toilet. But I'm not planning on being around a toilet in the next few weeks. And that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.So, I'd imagine many of these cassettes get emptied out in the boondocks.I'd also think that a composting toilet would be a much better solution for this type of RV. Some have them, but most don't. 3 Likes
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #9 – October 10, 2023, 05:07:30 pm Hi Jota; My impression is that 'That is what a shovel is for'. Five gallons is quite a bit bigger and deeper hole, but in a sufficiently remote and un populated area.... Reminds me of past back packing trips (long ago). A solar powered device like an Incinerating toilet/composting design could work with some success. Sounds like a commercial startup in the works. Environmental and public acceptance nightmare perhaps. A 'waste' of PV solar power too. (maybe pun intended). TinyJohn Electric - Waterless Incinerator Toilet – ECOJOHN | incinerating... RonB
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #10 – October 10, 2023, 08:59:21 pm "I'd imagine many of these cassettes get emptied out in the boondocks."Yes. I've seen way too much of this, especially in areas frequented by the vandwelling crowd. Too often, they don't bother to use a shovel--they just go down in a gully and empty the cassette or bucket or whatever. Come the next heavy rain, it all washes downstream. 😖As you may remember, a few years back I lived and traveled in a 13' Trillium fiberglass trailer for seven months. I used a Porta Potti toilet with a three-gallon cassette, and kept a spare cassette handy in case of need. I don't remember exactly how long it took to fill one up, but it was longer than I had expected--almost two weeks?The Porta Potti cassette was very well designed. It could be carried without leaking, and emptied without making a mess (although I always wore gloves just the same). I generally emptied it into a campground dump station and paid for the privilege, but I think I did empty it into a toilet once. That was a little trickier, and I had to flush twice.So it is possible to get by with a small cassette toilet. It's also possible to be a jerk about where you empty it. Unfortunately, there are a lot of jerks out there. 🙁 2 Likes
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #11 – October 10, 2023, 11:15:00 pm Quote from: Jota - October 10, 2023, 03:40:25 pmThe thing I don't understand about these really fancy expensive off road RV's is,why they all have such a small cassette style toilet in them. Usually 5 gallons. Maybe a spare cassette.They are designed to be off grid and out in the boondocks.So, you have a family of two, you, your wife or SO.You would need to dump the 5 gallon cassette a lot. Where do you dump if you are off grid in the boondocks?The off road gang say you can dump the cassette in any toilet. But I'm not planning on being around a toilet in the next few weeks. And that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.Limited experience with a Porta-Potti, but made many short trips and two of three-week duration using a 6-gallon Thetford Porta-Potti for two people. In short, it was quite doable. Mostly we stopped at Forest Service campgrounds to either stay the night, or just to empty the Porta-Potti in the outhouse.How soon it becomes filled to the point of needing to be emptied is an individual thing amongst the occupants who are using that facility. We found that we could go for a week with mostly in-house use. If other facilities were available, they were used some of the time. Not every campground would allow us to dump the Porta-Potti in their system, unless and until we convinced them that there was no formaldehyde in our "discards".As with a lot of the needs attendant to successful RV'ing, we found that a campground spot on a weekly basis for one or two nights took care of just about everything that needed to be done. As members of Thousand Trails, we could also stop over to use their facilities even if not planning to stay the night. It always seemed more pleasant to just stay put for a day or two and relax and get everything ship shape again.A Porta-Potti can also be used like a dry toilet with Poo powder and specialized plastic bags, which changes the dynamics a bit. This will work in just about any toilet format.I'm seeing more and more vandweller videos using the very $$$$ Laveo system. Think Porta-Potti and Diaper Genie all wrapped up in one $$$$ package! But it certainly does check all the boxes. Virtual hugs, Judie 1 Likes
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #12 – October 11, 2023, 11:51:15 pm I just came across the following video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68QUEqZ192I
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #13 – October 12, 2023, 12:22:16 am Quote from: Jane and Scott - October 08, 2023, 05:50:24 pmKimberly Kampers & Imperial Outdoors I had not heard of. I just checked them out and neither fit for layout we wanted.With my limited research, I discovered that Kimberly Kampers do not use any wood in their construction. This group has taught me that any water damage is an expensive and time consuming task to repair. 1 Likes
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #14 – November 04, 2023, 08:22:03 am another promissing one but wish there is some real user reviews ..... Expedition Vehicle Manufacturer | Truckhouse | Sparks this one, unless material is magically light, Tocoma model it is already over weight (but that model is already completly booked !!!!)i wil keep looking but if could not find anyting bretter when I am ready to order, earth cruiser is on the top of my list so far. still have lot to see in US/Canada from the comfort of LD. Targeting 2027 which is also 40th wedding anniversary (and i thoght it will be just another cruise)Edit: I looked at their web site again and they did seroius modification to Tacoma to accomodate house (I knew that Tocoma has only around 1400 lb carrying capacity). Nice build, here is little clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08J7vuDuG-w on their web site there is another model for 1 ton truck which is in design phase. After LD averything look too expensiec. 1 Likes
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #15 – November 04, 2023, 11:41:56 pm I looked into the manufacture recommended by Jota, Outdoors RV. The only model that caught my attention was the Outdoors Back Country 20bd. I believe it is the only model offered by Outdoors RV without a slide.ORV | Back Country Series 20BD
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #16 – November 05, 2023, 12:04:32 pm Quote from: Wingersky - November 04, 2023, 11:41:56 pmThe only model that caught my attention was the Outdoors Back Country 20bd. I believe it is the only model offered by Outdoors RV without a slide.ORV | Back Country Series 20BDIt's nicely equipped with big tanks and lots of insulation.It will weigh nearly 10,000 lbs when loaded and will need at a minimum a 3/4 ton pickup to pull, preferably 4X4 to utilize the trailer's off-road capacity and a 12,000lb winch, in case the trailer gets stuck in sand or snow, it is a big trailer for off-road use.Most off-road trailers I see in the backcountry are smaller, with less tank capacity, usually pulled by 4-door Jeeps or small 4X4 pickups.Larry
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #17 – November 05, 2023, 05:46:55 pm Quote from: Wingersky - November 04, 2023, 11:41:56 pmI looked into the manufacture recommended by Jota, Outdoors RV. The only model that caught my attention was the Outdoors Back Country 20bd. I believe it is the only model offered by Outdoors RV without a slide.ORV | Back Country Series 20BDThat would be the one I'd get as well.I'd want to pull it with a one ton truck. They are heavy, but to me that isn't a problem, if you get enough truck.And I really don't go far off road and ground clearance is more important than 4wd, but I would have 4wd too.
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #18 – November 06, 2023, 12:15:59 pm Quote from: Larry W - November 05, 2023, 12:04:32 pmIt's nicely equipped with big tanks and lots of insulation.It will weigh nearly 10,000 lbs when loaded and will need at a minimum a 3/4 ton pickup to pull, preferably 4X4 to utilize the trailer's off-road capacity and a 12,000lb winch, in case the trailer gets stuck in sand or snow, it is a big trailer for off-road use.Most off-road trailers I see in the backcountry are smaller, with less tank capacity, usually pulled by 4-door Jeeps or small 4X4 pickups.LarryThe awesome advice from the “Hero Members” is exactly what makes this group website so valuable.Thank you!
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #19 – November 06, 2023, 12:29:43 pm A problem with large off-road trailers I didn't mention is the ride quality of a 3/4 or one-ton pickup when not towing, they will beat you badly on rough or dirt roads. The truck may get you deeper into the backcountry but your back will not appreciate it while exploring on day trips. A pickup with an adjustable air suspension could be a good upgrade.Larry 1 Likes
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #20 – November 06, 2023, 01:08:11 pm Quote from: Jota - November 05, 2023, 05:46:55 pmThat would be the one I'd get as well.I'd want to pull it with a one ton truck. They are heavy, but to me that isn't a problem, if you get enough truck.And I really don't go far off road and ground clearance is more important than 4wd, but I would have 4wd too.I own a 2017 half-ton pickup (F-150) with a 10,700 lbs towing capacity and Ford's "absolute best possible payload of 16,000 lbs." However, I would feel more comfortable towing it with an F-450 (one-ton truck as suggested by JOTA).Since the cost of purchasing a truck is currently ridiculous due to the "economy and COVID," does anyone have any thoughts on towing the trailer with my current F-150?Since the above question does not apply to LDs, please let me know if the moderators do not feel it is appropriate, and I will remove it. On a side note, I am a pharmacist and do not know as much as I would like to about cars and trucks. Nevertheless, I feel pretty comfortable talking about prescription drugs.
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #21 – November 06, 2023, 01:52:06 pm Quote from: Wingersky - November 06, 2023, 01:08:11 pmI own a 2017 half-ton pickup (F-150) with a 10,700 lbs towing capacity and Ford's "absolute best possible payload of 16,000 lbs." However, I would feel more comfortable towing it with an F-450 (one-ton truck as suggested by JOTA).Since the cost of purchasing a truck is currently ridiculous due to the "economy and COVID," does anyone have any thoughts on towing the trailer with my current F-150?Maybe Andy will repeat his experience towing a similar-sized Airstream trailer behind a F150 and finding the truck to be inadequate, learning that a minimum of a F250 was needed to tow this size trailer safely. F150s are fine, light-duty trucks but towing a maximum-size trailer is going to be a miserable experience.An F150 will be OK for a much smaller, lighter trailer or tear-drop.Larry
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #22 – November 09, 2023, 04:43:52 am ‘“ Maybe Andy will repeat his experience towing a similar-sized Airstream trailer behind a F150 and finding the truck to be inadequate, learning that a minimum of a F250 was needed to tow this size trailer safely. ”I talked to Andy about that a few months back since we are moving to a truck and trailer.The problem he reported was that his tongue weight of the trailer was more than the stated tongue weight. So his f150 didn’t have the payload needed.He made a few changes (truck and trailer) before settling on a setup that worked well for him.Our research indicated payload seems more important than towing capacity as people don’t think about it as often (based on reading forums). Tongue weight needs to be gotten from actual measurements by users and while there are some calculations that can be done using various weights at a cat scale ( I can dig those up if anyone wants them) a tongue scale is best.In one of the trailer forums (I think in the fiberglassRV forum, but maybe IRV2) there is reportable a table from a guy who went around a rally and weighed a bunch of the trailers and posted his findings.Tongue weights can vary significantly depending what belongings you put where and what tanks (waste, fresh, propane) are filled to what levels, but the table shows that variation. I can’t offer a link to that table as I never tracked it down instead getting tongue weights from the owners group for the trailer we settled on.Which type and model of hitch you use also makes a difference (eg a weight distribution hitch or …). We are aiming for a lot more payload then our basic planned configuration (people, tongue weight, something for misc belongings) so we have plenty of extra payload for some “maybe” items down the road.Trailer owners we have met that just do short trips often don’t load the trailer heavily (they use the truck bed for bigger/heavier things) and one guy with a 7000 full weight Rating for his trailer only weighed about 4500 lbs. So while your towing weight is a little close it depends how much stuff you are putting in it and if you are using a weight distribution hitch (shifts some trailer weight up to the truck). 1 Likes
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #23 – November 09, 2023, 10:29:17 pm Would the use of a weight distribution hitch make any difference?
Re: Off Road Travel Trailers Reply #24 – November 10, 2023, 11:35:28 am Quote from: Wingersky - November 09, 2023, 10:29:17 pmWould the use of a weight distribution hitch make any difference?Definitely. I would consult a shop(s) in your locale that specializes in towing setup and hitches, plus research the web on the subject. A properly sized truck and trailer, with the right towing gear can be comfortable to drive, get it wrong, it can be a nightmare.Larry 1 Likes
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