Your Camping trailer weight?

[762X39]

Tough crowd huh?
My 70's vintage travel trailer weighs in at 3300lbs wet (17' Holiday) and I drag it down fire roads, logging trails and anywhere else I can.Most home-built trailers are over heavy but not properly (actually not engineered at all) engineered so 1/4 wall is used rather than good design practices. I have seen lots of light weight trailers survive tough trails partially because they are light and partially because of good design practices. Besides as most hard core travelers will tell you, weight is the enemy.

 

[Rocket Ship]

Let me ask you this. Ever see any "engineered" vehicle using L-angle for a frame? Even C-channel the Americans used for the longest time is pathetically weak compared to a fully boxed frame. Finally now after 50 years, they figured out what Land Rover has known since the beginning. Ever see an airplane with L-angle wing spars? A roll-cage made from L-angle? Dump bodies framed in L-angle?

The ONLY thing L-angle has going for it is that it's cheap. It's the cheapest structural form you can get. But that's it.

I don't disagree that some home-builts are overly heavy. I'm not a proponent of 1/4" wall anything. But L-angle is not the solution. As stated, 2x2 1/8" wall square tube is about 4X stronger than 2x2 1/4" angle, and weight is roughly the same. Why would you use L-angle? On a trailer which consists of 500lbs of steel, you're talking about a price difference of about $100 or 20%.

John, your vintage trailer is probably built better than any standard travel trailer made today. That being said, it seems like I see the remains of a travel trailer almost every time I drive down a dirt road that accesses a remote campsite.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Mine weighs about 630lbs empty, once I finish the fenders it will be around 685. Loaded it weighs around 820-850.

 

[java]

thanks for the weights guys!

im leaning toward building my own. a m101a is just too hevy to start with. i currently have a trailer made of angle, its starting to bend and fall apart in places....

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

I believe that my (and all) M101 CDN2 is listed as 750# dry and stock weight. I think it is actually lighter than that but have not yet weighed it? It is rated for 500# load on highway...had that much in it on Saturday, barely moved the leafs and it towed like a champ. Shocks are a bit dodgy, but I have a new set in the box I am installing after paint.