Micro Lite - Cargo Lite

[kimjmoon]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the site and wanted to share my story and pics of my Microlite Cargolite. I purchased it last summer from Jim Mulder at gun lake paddle sports in Wayland Michigan. Great guy and a great price too! Mine has the barn style doors and a 2" receiver ont he rear for my bike rack as you can see in the first picture.

I have added carpet and a small ceramic space heater and have slept in it at temps of less than 20deg F and stayed warm as toast. I took out the bedding that they supply and use a Serta twin air mattress. In the summer when we camp I can haul all of our camping gear...5 grandkids worth plus full camp kitchen and then set up a base camp. Then blow up my Serta air mattress and sleep like I'm at home. Best of all, I can pull it at 65mph and still get 22mpg!
When I'm going down the highway loaded up like it is in the pic, people literally gawk at it as I go by~
Here is a pic of it set up at the campsite.

i looked at pop ups and teardrops, but this seemed so much more versatile. The ability to haul all this stuff and then set it up and sleep in it is what won me over.

I guess you could call me one happy camper

 

[vaddisonme]

Howdy,
What kind of bike rack did you buy to put on your Car-go Lite? I have a receiver on mine, too and would like to buy one, but I found that only a few brands are recommended for trailers, and I was worried about clearance... Some of them suggest 15 inches or more, and I know that the Car-go Lite is lower than that. So what did you end up buying for yours?

 

[kimjmoon]

On the roof is the Yakima system. Jim at Gun Lake orders them already installed. I just had to buy the bike holders for it. The rack on the rear is a Thule Parkway 4 bike rack. In order to get 4 bikes on it, you need to remove the pedals and turn the handlebars sideways. I like it because it tips backlwards. I put a 2" to 1/14 reducer on it and it just clears the doors when they swing open.

I actually owned the bike rack prior to buying the trailer and use it on my car as well. I have hit the bottom a few times on real steep driveways, but never had any issues going down the road.

I had to go to a local trailer supply house and test a few different ball holders before I found one that allowed the trailer to pull level when i had it full. Thats the key. If your trailer tips back due to a hitch thats too high, then you could run into issues.

 

[kimjmoon]

Just picked it up Sunday afternoon in Michigan and camped in it that night at a wonderful state park near
Gun Lake called Yankee Springs (two beautiful lakes, nice beach, very quiet the night we stayed). It was 41 degrees that Night and we were comfortable in the trailer with an extra blanket even with no heater. We had rassled a memory foam pad on top of the 4-piece foam pad, so we were plenty comfortable, There WAS an issue with condensation, even though I cracked the window, since it was so cold outside. I wiped off a few places around the windows, metal channels, etc, since they were a bit drippy. I am thinking that a little dehumidifier would be a good idea for cooler weather camping. The A/C would take care of the humidity in summer months. Besides that, LOVE it!!! It pulled really well with our little CRV and I didn't notice it was there except for a big orange blob in my rear view mirror instead of seeing cars , though the mileage dropped from 33 mpg to 25 mpg or so pulling it at 65-70 mph. We did take off the front spare wheel to reduce the tongue weight, and stored it in our tow vehicle. (I need to figure out how to weight the tongue!). Fit and finish was good, though there was one screw in the inside window trim that hadn't been screwed in, so we grabbed a screwdriver and took care of it. I see a couple of places where I may add a little more urethane sealant or whatever kind of sealant they use on RV's. We are now "camping" for two nights in my parents backyard (temperatures in the 40s again!) and set up under our bright orange EZ-up in case it rains. Heading down to Kentucky, Mammoth Caves, Iittle Rock in a few days. I will post some pictures when we get home. With our one night in the state park, we had three different people come up and ask to see our trailer and tell us how CUTE it is. I can tell that this will be an ongoing...problem? Benefit? Chance to meet people?

I am guessing that you didnt have a battery yet, but just an FYI, I imagine you got the Superfan and if you run it there is a wonderful crossbreeze with the windows open. I only used my AC once, and in the cooler months the fan can reverse to help pull out any condensation you may get. I don't think a dehumidifier will be necessary. I have about a dozen nights in mine in all types of temps and have never needed one.

I bought a huge Duracell marine battery at Sams Club and it works great.

 

[vaddisonme]

Actually, we had a battery amd have the fantastic-like fan, but it was cold outside, and I didn't want all that cold air rushing in...or out.. so I didn't use it.. What are the two metal posts on the walls inside your camper on
each side? I think I have the roofrack prep, too, but I don't have those inside my trailer...

 

[vaddisonme]

I took some pictures of my little modifications.... Nothing big, but I added a mirror to the front that I got at an automotive store for about 3 bucks (It's really designed to go on the back of the visor on the car...)and attached it with velcro, and I velcroed on a little alarm clock, and made some luggage restraints using belt strapping/webbing from a fabric store and iron on velcro. (You have to be a little careful with the strapping.. First you melt the ends over a flame, so the strapping doesn't fray, then you attach the velcro using a hot iron. Too much ironing means the webbing melts also and you end up with a useless mess; too little ironing and the velcro doesn't stick to the webbing, so, like Goldilocks, everything has to be just right... ) I have a folding shoe-rack frame below the big shelf, and there is room for two shallower plastic tubs on there, plus 4 large and one narrow plastic tub across the bottom. Plenty of room for clothes, dehumidifier, heater, bag, jackets, shoes, fire extinguisher, books, etc. I took the pictures when the Sweet Potato was in the garage, so not very good pictures, I'm afraid. I also bought a map of the great state of Texas and a map of the great country of the USA from an educational supply store. They are designed for junior high school kids, so are durable and laminated and about the size of placemats or a legal size paper. I attached them using black electricians tape, so it looks a bit like they are in frames. Other mods you can't see - I added hooks for both the curtain rod and to hang a hat or jacket, velcroed on two lovely small stainless steel containers, originally designed for kitchen sink storage - but the perfect size for glasses, cell phone, Kleenex- on each side in the back by the pillows, and I put privacy window film on both the doors. That way we get light, but don't provide a peep show for people walking by the trailer at night. I could have used curtains on the doors, but it seemed like they would get in the way of the screen door, and we have plenty of view and light without them.
We are heading out to Goose Island state park next month, and will take some pictures of the Sweet Potato in action to post.

 

[vaddisonme]

 

[vaddisonme]

View attachment 1Here's pictures from Goose Island state park... the Sweet Potato sporting a new tongue box containing 2 1-gallon propane tanks.

 

[Crabapple-TNT]

I notice you have a tongue box, did you order that with the trailer or add it after? Normally the spare goes there, did you mount it elsewhere or do you always just put it in the tow vehicle? The dealer up here for these gave me some good suggestions re galleys. If you have the barn doors on back you could install a shelf affair that could hold your camp stove, water jug etc. This shelf could be fixed or removable if you prefer. Also you could attach some racks to the inside of the barn doors to contain spices or other kitchen related items. Furthermore, the side awning can also be installed across the rear and pulled out to cover this makeshift galley. Down side of this however is that the trailer will always be open when you are using this makeshift galley....don't know if I like that! There is also a screen room available for the back. So the Cargolite thus configured is on my short list for next spring, along with the Wazat, and the upcoming T@G. I want to be right around 1000 lb since my tow vehicle is a Subaru Crosstrek.

 

[vaddisonme]

We have the ramp door, not the barn doors. If I could do it over again. I would go with the barn doors for ease of loading and unloading things! I ordered the front tongue box off of amazon, and a friend used a sawzall to cut off the tire mount. We put a hole in the bottom of the tongue box and the bottom of the tire mount goes into the tongue box....we did this on purpose since we wanted the box to be vented for the two one-gallon propane tanks that are in there, and we use the bottom of the tire mount to strap a smaller propane bottle to. We just throw the spare tire in the tow vehicle. We actually don't miss a galley ktchen amd aren't much for cooking. We really like the open space in the car-go Lite... I don't think my 6'5 husband could stand the curves of a teardrop, or the way the cabinets come down low over your feet,

 

[Knolly]

Sorry to bump this thread, but are you all still happy with your Micro-Lite trailers? I do a lot of motorcycle racing and track days, and right now just have an open trailer, but I'm hoping I can upgrade to a basic trailer that I can haul my bikes in and then sleep in at the track, and the Car-Go Lite Xtreme seems like it'd be an awesome option. The standard Car-Go Lite looks like a really great trailer too, I just think I'd struggle with headroom while loading the bikes.

I've exchanged some emails with one of the dealers and they seem really helpful and have plenty of options (for instance, I wanted a ramp door for loading, and even though it isn't a standard option he said they could make it work), so I'm pretty optimistic. I sadly just have to wait around a bit until my car's lease runs out so I can get something with a tad bit more towing capacity.

 

[coop74]

I have had mine for over a year... Over 30 nights spent in it to include two long trips to the Keys... Great camper. Only issue so far, burnt out light bulb.

Easy to pull, set up and very comfortable... No downsides so far.

 

[Knolly]

Glad to hear that you're still liking the Xtreme. I'm still lusting over one of those trailers... I think I'm definitely going to grab one over the winter for next race season. My current vehicle isn't super strong as a tow vehicle but my lease is up in December and I'll get something more proper for light duty towing which should make it no problem to pull this.

 

[Knolly]

Completely shameless plug: If anyone with an Xtreme is thinking of selling it or sees a used one pop up, let me know! I'm finally going to have to get a new trailer in the next few months and am not sure of what direction to go in, but if I get a non-custom one it'll be a Cargolite Xtreme.

 

[coop74]

Completely shameless plug: If anyone with an Xtreme is thinking of selling it or sees a used one pop up, let me know! I'm finally going to have to get a new trailer in the next few months and am not sure of what direction to go in, but if I get a non-custom one it'll be a Cargolite Xtreme.

Only bad thing is they are getting more popular and thus more expensive. I still think it is the best value for the money.

We are going out west with ours for 10 days thus summer. Love our...

 

[crttaz]

I think I've found what I'm looking for

 

[photoagent101]

Hi folks: I'd like to buy a used or new Micro Lite Cargolite Extreme or a Vymeron Toy Hauler. I've written GunLake Paddlesports and gotten a reply from James Mulder, which is much the same as what is on their website. One of the Micro Lite websites stated that they had dealers in the west, but James' reply seems to indicate that customers must place and order and pick up their trailer in Elkhart, IN. I am based in the Monterey, CA area as well as Olympia, WA -- so if anyone sees this post and is thinking about selling their Car-Go Lite X TREME or Vymeron, please let me know. If anyone has suggestions on where I might be able to buy this trailer between Monterey and Olympia, then please let me know. I am willing to drive pretty much anywhere in CA, WA, and OR to pick up a what looks like a wonderful trailer, but not as far as IN. At least not right now! My email is photoagent101_at_gmail.com. Thanks!

 

[frisby5]

Anyone on here stiil have Car-go light extreme trailer? I just bought a used one 2020