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Re: Best width for a trailer camper?

PostPosted: Tue Aug 15, 2023 8:24 pm
by TimC
For two... five wide. For solo camping, 4 wide.

I've built and camped in several 5' wide Benroys. My first, a woodie, has a queen mattress with <2" cut off the width. For my son's foamie we lengthened the axle so we would have 60" inside and 64" outside (2" foam walls). So five wide is very roomie and comfortable for two.

I am currently building a 4 wide foamie. I solo camp and my goal is to make this thing as light as possible and stash the minimum amount of gear in it. I'm considering cutting the mattress width from 39" to 36" to increase the storage in the sideboard that runs head to toe on the road side. It will be a modified Benroy profile and primarily pulled with a small SUV EV. I hope I've made it light enough, narrow enough, short enough and with an efficient shape to minimize the reduction in range of the car. We'll see how well all that turns out.

Re: Best width for a trailer camper?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 16, 2023 9:26 am
by RBB
green1 wrote:Might I suggest slide outs? My trailer is a total of 4 ft wide, plus wheel arches. We sleep crosswise in the trailer, with a standard size double bed mattress plus an extra 6 in of length.
Despite being 4 ft wide when being towed or parked at home, at camp it is 7 ft wide.


I thought about slide outs, but one of my build goals is to sleep 3.5 adults (well... 2 adults and 2 kids, and an 80lb dog)... and I am aiming for minimum set up time once we arrive at camp... one person needs to be able to park, level, and set up camp in 15min or less... that is my goal.. couldn't come up with a lightweight enough design that met this with a slide out. (And we already have a frame that is 74" wide!)

Re: Best width for a trailer camper?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 16, 2023 1:05 pm
by twisted lines
First one is 5' with Wheels and tires outside 83" Requires Extra lighting.
New one is 75" Wheels /Tires under carnage! Desire's Extra lighting.

Voted Over 6" but it's the tow Vehicle width.

Re: Best width for a trailer camper?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 16, 2023 6:25 pm
by green1
RBB wrote:I thought about slide outs, but one of my build goals is to sleep 3.5 adults (well... 2 adults and 2 kids, and an 80lb dog)... and I am aiming for minimum set up time once we arrive at camp... one person needs to be able to park, level, and set up camp in 15min or less... that is my goal.. couldn't come up with a lightweight enough design that met this with a slide out. (And we already have a frame that is 74" wide!)

Ours sleeps 3 in 2 slide outs (a double bed, and an "RV bunk“). I do all the setup myself, and I highly doubt I've ever taken a full 15 minutes. Total trailer weight is 1300lbs when fully loaded. Not the lightest trailer out there, but light enough to move on level ground with a single person, and to be pulled by any vehicle (I tow with an electric sedan)

Re: Best width for a trailer camper?

PostPosted: Mon Sep 18, 2023 5:47 am
by Pugwinkle
green1 wrote:
RBB wrote:I thought about slide outs, but one of my build goals is to sleep 3.5 adults (well... 2 adults and 2 kids, and an 80lb dog)... and I am aiming for minimum set up time once we arrive at camp... one person needs to be able to park, level, and set up camp in 15min or less... that is my goal.. couldn't come up with a lightweight enough design that met this with a slide out. (And we already have a frame that is 74" wide!)

Ours sleeps 3 in 2 slide outs (a double bed, and an "RV bunk“). I do all the setup myself, and I highly doubt I've ever taken a full 15 minutes. Total trailer weight is 1300lbs when fully loaded. Not the lightest trailer out there, but light enough to move on level ground with a single person, and to be pulled by any vehicle (I tow with an electric sedan)

Would love to see a few photos of your set up!

Re: Best width for a trailer camper?

PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2023 12:38 pm
by green1
Pugwinkle wrote:Would love to see a few photos of your set up!

Here's the whole build journal. Slideout details are about half way down the 2nd page, and skip to the end of the last page for full images of the trailer.