Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello Everyone,
I've been reading for the 9 months. Finally completed the wife's Herculean Tasks, and now I'm on deck for my project.
This forum has such good support between members!

First decision, what size trailer?

I was all set to go for a v-nose 7x16 with the extra 6" height.
but then I saw a craigslisting for an 8.5x16 flat front at a good price:
http://sarasota.craigslist.org/grd/2821236691.html

I'm pulling with a Toyota Tundra 5.7L (2008). I don't plan on towing further than 4-5 hours to any destination. I'm in florida (flat, sometimes windy)

What are your experiences pulling a wider trailer (8.5 v 7)?
Does the v-nose matter?

Thanks for your input,
steve

(I'm planning for 4 single beds in bunk style, either in an "L" for a 7ft wide, or opposite walls in an 8.5", me, wife, 6 and 8 y/o boys)

Mine is 7' wide.

It's a tight fit through my driveway gate but I'm getting better and better getting it through the first time.

Besides my gate I found a construction zone challenging last summer. The sign posted: no wider than 10'. That was exciting.

My ct has a flat front and 6" extra in height. My cargo box on top of the truck bed helps direct the wind up and over. An easy solution especially with gas prices going up, up , up!

Barb

I've read all of your blog, and garnered many an idea from it.

I like my V nose and would never buy a new trailer without it. If you buy used then you have to judge how much you save and how much the gas will cost pulling a flat object. You also have no warranty on construction when you see what is behind the plywood. I think resale will be higher on a V nose 10 years down the road for the obvious gas reasons. Generally the smaller the trailer the more people are able to buy it on resale. Not all people can or want to tow an 8.5 by 16 so the price is usually cheaper than some of the smaller sizes. Personally 7 x14 would be the max that I would enjoy towing through strange cities. 7ft wide is the magic number that is needed to sleep comfortably across the trailer. Now I have a 6 x 14 which gives me a great 6 ft wide bed and is great to see around when towing.

I won't go shorter than 16. I won't go narrower than 7 (due to the bed thing you pointed out).
I don't care about resale, as I plan on keeping this project under $6000 total ($3500 trailer, $2500 stuff in it)

I'm mostly looking for people's towing experiences with bigger than 7x16. The guy who got me thinking about
all this pulls an 8x25 airstream, and he doesn't think that's a big deal at all. I'm less ambitious however.

I have a 7x16 v nose with a slant front roof and is 7ft tall and it's perfect for me,I wouldn't go larger or smaller.
I pulled mine last weekend 7hours 1way and it was no problem at all running 60-70 mph.
I don't think the v-nose get better MPG it's more to do with what your pulling it with and how fast you drive.
I went with the vnose and slant front roof because I liked the way it looks and hoped it would get better mpg,?
I have a buddy that bought a car hauler and I think it's 8.1/2 x 20 ft and he said it was to much trailer for his half ton pickup,so the bigger the trailer the bigger the truck to pull it with.

I have a 7 x 18 v-nose aluma. It is about #1800. Pulled it with 2 fourwheelers and gear with a 6 cylinder envoy. It was a little toomuch for that envoy but did ok under 65 mph. I bought a 1500 silverado and that pulls it fine. R&r trailers makes some nice aluminum trailers as well. I personally like aluminum trailers but they are a little more higher in price but I'm sick of dealing with rust.
Skin

I too never buy something that I am going to use thinking about selling it later
why worry about what someone you don't even know might want it's what I want that matters.

I use to go to Florida each winter and I pulled a travel trailer that was 25 feet long counting the tongue no problem in florida nice and flat

BUT isn't there always a BUT? If you decide like I did you want to head out west, I live in Ohio,
then the larger trailer may be more than you can pull I sold my TT just for that reason.

While Florida is one of my favorite places to visit I'll bet the wife and kids will enjoy seeing more of the country in years to come

as for the V-nose vs the round nose that debate will go on and on and on no real clear winner
I want the extra 2 or 3 foot space up front for a kitchen/storage area but you do lose tongue area.

pete

I have an 08 5.7 Tundra.. Your truck will pull either. I've pulled everything from a 5x10 flat bet to a 8.5x20' cargo trailer. Now that being said my current camper is a 7'x24' V-nose cargo conversion.. I do not like pulling 8.5 wide trailers. Thats one of the reasons I didn't want an off the shelf camper.. You can't see anything behind you tow mirrors or not. The 8' wide isn't as bad, but still not great.. If the inside dimensions work for you on a 7' wide trailer I'd say go that route.. The box is almost the same width as your truck so you can see behind you better and the wind resistance on the highway will be less. This helps with milage and in strong winds makes it easier to pull.. I would also say the V-nose is worth getting.. Just get an extended tongue though because the standard Vs have zero room for a battery box or LP bottles..

Back when I had a smaller TV, I purchased a 6x10 V-Nose. However, 3 weeks ago and just before I took delivery of the trailer, I purchased a bigger TV. Although I am happy with the 6x10 V-Nose, if and when I purchase another and bigger trailer, I would probably choose a single 3500 lb axle, 7' wide x 12' long V-Nose. The empy weight of this size trailer is around 1560 lbs which leaves about 1900 lb of max carrying capacity. This combination of width / length / carrying capacity would suit my needs very well...

8Ball-
Talk about specific info for me!
Perfect, I'm going to go the 7ft route. I was aiming for a 16ft, but will maybe consider a little longer.
Thanks !

I'm also in Florida, and also have a half ton truck. My trailer is 8'6 x 20' x 8' tall, flat front and it's a friggin' sail. I can pull it 60 MPH without too much of a hassle, I would love for it to be a V-nose, or for it to be 8' or 7'6. I do like the extra room it gives me, but towing it in the Gainseville area on 75 can get tough. You'll have to pay close attention to RPMs and speed on those hilly stretches.

I do love the width though. I can park my Rhino inside and walk down both sides of the Rhino without too much trouble while parked. A Queen sized mattress fits in there long ways with space on both sides. Across the front I have room for a 3' shower stall, a 1' wide closet, and a ~3'6 kitchen counter all in the front 3' of length.

At 60, it pulls fine. Not much trouble from passing Semi's. Above 60 and you know it. Especially at the pump. BTW, at 60 MPH, a 4 hour trip easily turns into a 6 hour... Still not bad though.

I'm glad I have the room, but have thought many times about out some kind of V on it to increase aerodynamics.

Mirror extensions would be an absolute must. You have to learn to tow while watching the middle line in the road with that width too. If you watch the center line, and gauge the distance from your trailer tire, which requires the extended mirrors, you can pull fine for hours. I've pulled 6 hours each way 3 times now.

My experience with fuel pulling a very heavy 7' wide x 16' trailer vs the 8'6 wide x 20': Both flat front. The 16' trailer weighed about 10'000 lbs. The 20' toy hauler weighs about 4,000.

7' wide x 16' heavy weight trailer at 70 MPH, I got about 8 MPG (200 miles to a tank)
8'-6" wide x 20' Toy Hauler at 60 MPH, I'm getting about 6.5 MPG (150 Miles to a tank)
Pulling nothing my 2006 Silverado gets about 17 MPG

Tundra's are half tons.. But man I'm telling they are really in the middle ground between a 1/2 and 3/4 truck.. Trans cooler, 12 rear end 385 hp 400 #Tq, large disc brakes. The list goes on.. With a decent brake control they will pull 10k+ trailer pretty well.. I can pull my 7x24 at what ever speed I want pretty much. It will run 70 up a mountain.. Of course I try to stay out of it because of milage. I would say 7x18 or 7x20 V nose would pull great.

And just so people don't chime in saying how a Tundra is miles from a 3/4 truck.. Here is a picture of my other truck.. 2011 2500 Duramax Diesel. The Tundra isn't a diesel by any means, But the difference between the trucks pulling 8k isn't so much...

Thanks for the reply, Pyrofish.
The real-life mpg numbers you've provided are pretty convincing about the difference in aerodynamics. (Imagine, in your example, the 7' wide trailer being the same weight as the 8.5)

I'm now thinking about 8-Ball's idea of going 2-4 feet longer than the 16ft. A little harder to maneuver in state park campsites, but a big difference in what I can fit in there.

Currently, I'm looking at three different cargo trailer manufacturers:
1. Express in Clearwater, FL
2. Cargo Craft (Ordered into my hometown of Sarasota from Georgia)
3. King America (In stock in nearby Palmetto's Thor trailers)

Express, direct from them, is approx $1000 more for the same 7x16 6.5 with a ramp. But I'd be local with the manufacturer, and they sure look like quality in person.

Again, I appreciate all the advice,
steve

The biggest factor for me was I wanted a trailer that was taller than a stock trailer so my lifted golf cart would go in with no problem and I am 6 ft and a stock trailer my head was touching the ceiling.
So when you decide you want one built you can have it made any way you want,my trailer company charged the same for a 6.1/2 as a 7ft so I went with the 7ft and I am glad I did because it feels like you have alot more head room walking around inside.
One thing that was mentioned in another post by 8ball was adding extra insulation in the ceiling and and I think if I were doing it over I would go that way.
I started out with a portable AC = big mistake= but when I would stand up you could feel the heat coming in from the ceiling,now I have a window AC and I haven't tested in in full summer FL heat but the end of last year is was working great.