Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello CT conversion friends!

We are brand new to this forum and are currently shopping for a 5x8 cargo trailer to convert into a lightweight recreational home base to tow behind our Subaru Outback. In our area it appears we have 2 major brands/dealers: Mirage and TrailersPlus. Prices are fairly similar but the features and quality are our major concerns.

What we plan to haul:

Camping gear and mountain bikes. The goal of this CT is to provide a cool-able place for our dogs to stay while we search for epic single track. We plan to use a Fan-Tastic fan running of a deep cycle battery. We will create a little bed/table area that folds out of the way and some shelves to store our gear.

Occasionally, we may haul our dual sport motos weighing 225 and 450 lbs respectively. Assuming, of course, we can finagle a fit.

Where we plan to go

We will travel significant distances via the interstate in Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, etc. so mountain passes will be a regular part of our travel as well as 75mph speeds. Additionally, the occasional dirt or fire road to get into some primitive and quiet areas will be traveled.

What we've found in CTs

Mirage - based locally in Nampa, ID. The entry-level Cargo Craft has a wood structure, luan walls and plywood interior that is part of the overall stability of the trailer. This is a flat-top trailer with a slight v-nose.

Mirage XPO is a step up with 3" tube steel walls and roof and has the "traditional" curved roof and front. All 24" OC.

TrailersPlus.com offers Patriot and Liberty trailers are similar to the Mirage XPO, just a different brand and a bit more expensive. They claim to be of higher quality with an A-frame trailer base and fully welded walls.

Does anyone have personal experience with either of these? Thanks in advance!

everyone will have their own manufacture preference......I have a 6'X10' vee-nose all aluminum trailer.....dont know what your tow vehicle is, but steel framed trailers are heavier......aluminum framed are significantly more expensive to purchase...my Aluma towed great behind my 2011 5 cylinder Chevy colorado....that was fully loaded with camping gear and Harley Streetglide......Ive since upgraded to a fullsize Silverado and havent towed with it yet.....although I had 2009 Silverado prior to the Colorado...

I had a 6'X12' with a slightly curved front and it was like towing a parachute with the Silverado....get a vee-nose if there is an option....

my 2 cents.....

BAD NEWS !!!!

most states have 55 MPH limit towing trailers

They sell some nice off road trailers In Australia only $25k+ -
but lots of goodies all included.

rideondirt,

Here is a link state by state of laws pertaining to towing trailers. http://www.towingworld.com/articles/TowingLaws.htm

Idaho: Max tow speed is 65
Utah: Max tow speed is 75
Colorado: Max tow speed is 75
Oregon: Max tow speed is 55
Speed limits vary from state to state. When entering different state those laws are posted on the state line.

To address your question, I don't know. I work a po-boy operation so for me price made the big difference for me. Good luck on your venture.

Earnest

From an Idaho CT roadie, buy the least expensive CT because you will be doing lots of mods to make it as you want i.e., to fit your needs. The actual brand is somewhat immaterial. Look for steel frame loops inside, solid construction steel framed floor, 3/4" ply flooring, a good solid axel, quality wheel bearings, and at least 13" tires/wheels, 14" preferred.

Don

Thanks for the input! I guess I've never seen folks adhering to tow speed limits so it never crossed my mind! Slower is fine- better mileage anyway. It's all about the journey, not the destination.

Don- thanks for the info regarding steel frame construction. The least expensive CT we found had wood wall and ceiling supports rather than steel.

I have only seen one wood walled studded CT on this site
most people including me like the metal framed walls celing and floor
most travel trailers are made with wood frames and some like the one I had leaked and the wood rotted not fun to fix.
welcome and good luck on your trailer.

rideondirt wrote:Thanks for the input! I guess I've never seen folks adhering to tow speed limits so it never crossed my mind! Slower is fine- better mileage anyway. It's all about the journey, not the destination.

Don- thanks for the info regarding steel frame construction. The least expensive CT we found had wood wall and ceiling supports rather than steel.

Rideon,

Just to make sure we're on the same page, please see my build thread http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=38095 to understand what I refer to as steel frames. You will see pics of my CT, which has wood walls and flooring but remove the plywood (in my case to insulate it) and there are steel frames the plywood attaches to that make up the structure of the CT. If the CT you are looking at has plywood walls remove one panel to see if there are steel frames underneath/behind. If the frames are made of wood, and I don't care what kind of wood, pass on it. As Pete mentioned, it will rot eventually (unless stored indoors, and even that is sketchy). Yes, there are a lot of teardrops made of mostly wood but why take the chance. Steel frame commercial CT's are made to live outdoors. They have steel frames for a reason.

Don

Ditto what Don & Pete said. I've been down the wood frame road before and have no plans to ever do it again. As in any kind of construction project, if you have a good foundation, it will give you many years of good service and enjoyment.

Earnest

Thanks all!

The least expensive CT does, in fact, use wood as the actual frame (with plywood for the walls and ceilings). Our primary concern was durability despite the salesman's argument that "RVs have been using wood construction for years". Sounds like the consensus is spend the extra couple hundo and spring for the steel tube wall construction. I just wish that one came in a v-shape rather than the regular rounded front end.

Onward to the purchasing process!

here is a great website http://www.trailershopper.com/ you can spend days looking around.
they have a dealer locator, they also have some videos about how they are made.
it's a one stop shopping for trailers.

A little bigger than your requirements, but similar application here's what we bought and what we did:

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=48345

We custom ordered a Cargo Craft Expedition with straight axles for ground clearance they added RV side door and two offset windows at the factory. Happy with everything except they cut the window holes a little larger than I liked. (made a repair after I built it and it took a little extra work to seal it properly). They make several sizes including a single axle version.

BTW...IMO the v-nose is possibly overrated in regards to real world fuel economy, Cargo Craft has welded steel tubing for the walls and roof, it's really worth it especially for those occasional trips on a forest service road.

I've determined I would use the same manufacturer/dealer again if I had too. BTW they sent a truck from the factory at no charge to my house to handle a few warranty issues.

David

David,

Your bike rack is exactly what I envisioned for ours. Something that would hold them in place during transport and then move outside at camp. Love the setup and wish we had the tow vehicle for something like it!

Thanks for your thoughts about the v-nose. I considered a fairing on the roof of the Subie but when really thinking about it, a lot of air is coming around the sides to the rear of the car too so it may not be worth the hassle. We notice this with our bikes on the hitch rack - even a few inches of tire sticking out on either side impacts the mileage!

Brian and Mandi

Ok, so these guys are probably too far away from you but...they've been selling this brand for many years and the pricing is pretty good. I imagine you could order whatever you wanted from them.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BRAND-NEW-2012-5x10-5-x-10-Cargo-Craft-Enclosed-Cargo-ATV-Motorcyle-Trailer-/230918278219?pt=Trailers&hash=item35c3cd4c4b

dealer site:
http://www.tuggertrailers.com/CargoCraft.aspx

I realize now I mis-read your earlier post, I bought a Cargo Craft; the manufacturer (made in Georgia and Texas), My dealer and manufacturer represented the Georgia plant. No knowledge on Mirage's "cargo craft" line in the West, I'm sure they are different companies

The bike rack is the ticket, we just thread two NRS kayak straps around seat and handlebar posts (bikes alternating direction in rack) and secure them to the sidewalls of the trailer and no movement.

Bike rack plans here:
http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/goodies/TruckbedBikeRack.htm

David

Take a good look at trailershowroom.com, they have a place in Oregon, and can build anything you want. I've been very happy with mine.

Mike