Lightweight travel trailers

[EpcotQueen]

We are thinking of getting a lightweight travel trailer. Have a 6 cylinder Rav4 with towing package. Anyone here tow using a Rav and what do you tow? I've been researching the Heartland MPG.

 

[bama_ed]

What does your owner's manual list as your Rav4 towing capacity?

What is the Gross Vehicle Weight (the maximum empty plus full cargo load) for the camper?

Thanks,

Bama ED

 

[chartle]

Well I checked out the Heartland MPG and it says its dry weight is under 3,000 lbs which probably means 2,999, maybe 2,995 if you are lucky.

I have been vigrously researching tow vehicles in this class and every single one with a v6 had a 3,000 lbs tow rating. The only one higher was a Jeep Liberty at 5,000. So without looking it up i'm going to say your rating is 3,000.

I have always read that your loaded trailer weight should be around 75% of your tow rating. So I think this trailer is out of your range with out checking all the other factors.

ETA OK I checked and a current rav 4 has a towing capacity of 3,500 and a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (lb.) 4600, with third-row seat 4895. Never understood GVW.

 

[Mcert01]

We are thinking of getting a lightweight travel trailer. Have a 6 cylinder Rav4 with towing package. Anyone here tow using a Rav and what do you tow? I've been researching the Heartland MPG.

I have been towing trailers a long time. Here is my opinion, take it for what its worth.

The trailer will have the UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight) listed.

Figure on about 800 pounds above the dry weight to give you a ball park on the total weight you will be towing. Remember - passengers count against the vehicles towing capacity (at least some manufacturers list passengers as counting).

Check the total tow weight for the vehicle first, then shop for trailers. If the poster above is right and you are at 3,000 pounds you are really looking at a smaller pop-up rather than a travel trailer. The salespeople will tell you "it will be fine". It won't.

I try to keep the loaded weight to no higher than 80% of towing capacity just to be safe. This way you will have power for hills, etc., and it will be safer.

In all honesty, I wouldn't tow anything more than a pop-up with a RAV. It is not just the towing capacity, but the wheel base as well. It is really not meant to tow anything big, like a travel trailer. Safety first.

 

[chartle]

My plan is to build one of these.

 

[MartyM]

T@B teardrop camper. They are so cute!

 

[Pooh2]

We are looking at the Aliners. When we saw them from the outside we thought it would be way to small. But it is surprisingly roomy inside!

http://www.aliner.com/campers/Classic

 

[WDW1979]

We are thinking of getting a lightweight travel trailer. Have a 6 cylinder Rav4 with towing package. Anyone here tow using a Rav and what do you tow? I've been researching the Heartland MPG.

Due to the limited towing capacity of my van, I have been thinking about buying either a pop-up or a small travel trailer from Livin Lite RV. Their pop-ups and travel trailers are made mostly of aluminum and are therefore very light.

http://www.livinlite.com/

 

[Disney Bunny]

Here's some info:

Knowing and understanding GVWR is important to towing because it tells you explicitly the maximum weight of passengers and cargo you can safely carry in your truck or SUV. GVWR is the total combined weight of truck (or car) and trailer, including all passengers, fuel, fluids and cargo. GVWR is constant and does not change, regardless of what you tow. It’s engineered in when the vehicle is manufactured.

Because tongue weight must be included in the GVWR, you will need to know how much weight capacity you need to have “left over” for when you hook up your trailer.

For example, if you have a 5,000-pound truck with a 6,200 pound GVWR, you can safely carry 1,200 pounds in the vehicle. If you are towing a trailer with a 300-pound tongue weight, the amount of passengers and gear you can carry decreases to 900 pounds. Simple, right?

**********************************************************
So a 2012 RAV4 2WD 2.5L 6cyl has a GVWR of 4600 and a tow capacity of 2000 pounds (unless you bought one with the optional 3500 pound tow capacity). The curb weight is 3529.That means that you only have 1,070 pounds for passengers (you subtract the curb weight from the GVWR), fuel and any cargo that you are carrying inside the vehicle. Subtract 2 average size adults and a full tank of gas (16 gallons x 6 lbs to figure the fuel weight) and you only have about 670 pounds left over for additional passengers, cargo and the tongue weight of the camper you are towing. Tongue weight on a pop up is going to be around 125 pounds further reducing that GVWR to about 550 pounds for additional passengers and cargo.

**********************************************************************

All of the Heartland floor plans I just looked at show their weight at 3800 pounds. This is WAY over what the RAV 4 I just stated can safely tow. You should also limit yourselves to 80% of the actual tow capacity meaning that anything you tow should not be over about 1600 pounds. Not going to be able to find much except a pop-up based on these numbers that you can safely tow with your vehicle.

All of these numbers are for safety reasons. Don't let a salesman talk you into buying something that you cannot safely tow. I once heard someone say that within reason most any vehicle can tow most anything. It's stopping and controlling it that it can't do.

Take it from someone who totaled an F150 and 27 foot travel trailer.....you don't want to be me in that situation.

 

[TOGA]

Well said and true. GVWR is something that should be fully understood and calculated before looking/purchasing an RV. You'll be glad you did this homework beforehand.

 

[jonimce]

I have been towing trailers a long time. Here is my opinion, take it for what its worth.

The trailer will have the UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight) listed.

Figure on about 800 pounds above the dry weight to give you a ball park on the total weight you will be towing. Remember - passengers count against the vehicles towing capacity (at least some manufacturers list passengers as counting).

Check the total tow weight for the vehicle first, then shop for trailers. If the poster above is right and you are at 3,000 pounds you are really looking at a smaller pop-up rather than a travel trailer. The salespeople will tell you "it will be fine". It won't.

I try to keep the loaded weight to no higher than 80% of towing capacity just to be safe. This way you will have power for hills, etc., and it will be safer.

In all honesty, I wouldn't tow anything more than a pop-up with a RAV. It is not just the towing capacity, but the wheel base as well. It is really not meant to tow anything big, like a travel trailer. Safety first.

I totally agree with you. We have a 2002 Chevy Express van, all custom with a V8, (gas hog) and a full tow package, they say we can tow I think 7000 lbs. My Aero lite TT (Love it) is around 4000 and it is kind of a struggle for the heavy hills. We are now in the market for a truck.

 

[EpcotQueen]

Thank you all for the input. Lots to think about. I posed the question to my hubby "If you had $10k to spend, what would you buy, a travel trailer or more points at DVC?".....No answer!

 

[bama_ed]

Thank you all for the input. Lots to think about. I posed the question to my hubby "If you had $10k to spend, what would you buy, a travel trailer or more points at DVC?".....No answer!

EQueen,

That's kinda where I was going with my initial question to get you thinking about what is possible and safe versus what you want. The other folks who responded have done a great job of laying out the issues.

Whatever trailer you want/end up with you need to have a towing capacity with a safety margin (choose one) 20-30-40% of the max Gross Vehicle Weight to keep your family safe. If you have ever been overloaded, rolling downhill on a wet, rainy surface, and had someone cut in front of you..... well, it's scary IMO.

A 20% margin for safety is probably okay. It may be something you consider down the road as you upgrade vehicles (I spent three years waiting before I got a used Suburban with an 8000# tow limit to pull my popup which is does like a dream with plenty of margin).

We just want you to be safe. Whatever you decide, I hope you're happy with your decision.

Bama ED

PS - ignore Chartle. He keeps making us jealous when he posts pictures of that little teardrop.

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

We are looking at the Aliners. When we saw them from the outside we thought it would be way to small. But it is surprisingly roomy inside!

http://www.aliner.com/campers/Classic

My 14 year old son is drooling over Aliners! (we have been out looking at 5th wheels recently ... dreaming)

He has decided an Aliner will be his 1st camper. Why? "Because, mom, it will look SO COOL all decorated for Christmas at Disney!!!"

It's good to know I'm raising him right.