Weight of your trailer?

[Mtn Mike]

How heavy are your expedition trailers? I'm in the design phase of building and expo trailer. In the past I've towed trailers with various weights from 500-5000 lbs. Never mind the factory tow rating of 5000 lbs; my little V6 Toyota seems to do best on the highway and do best off road when towing trailers less then 1000 lbs. Heavier than that is doable, but more of a hassle. I notice lots of people towing expo trailers and camper trailers that weight much more than 1000 lbs.

I also talked to a guy recently selling an M101 trailer that weighed in at 1300lbs empty. He said he tows it off road all the time with his XJ. Really?

 

[Hill Bill E.]

I also talked to a guy recently selling an M101 trailer that weighed in at 1300lbs empty. He said he tows it off road all the time with his XJ. Really?

I guess it would depend on what he meant as 'off road'. I've towed some heavy trailers with my XJ, and down some minimum maintenance roads.

But dragging my M416 through what I consider 'off road' can be a chore. I had it loaded with about 500 pounds of gear, enough stuff for a week long hunting trip.

Took it to the local OHV park, and ran some of the tougher trails, to see what worked, what didn't, etc.

I have never had to take it through anything worse during my hunting/fishing trips.

Don't think I would want to drag more than 1000 pounds (combined trailer/gear) behind either of my Jeeps.

 

[Mark Harley]

M101A2 when bought 1350 now 1080 and climbing.
Pulled with my 2002 GMC Sierra 2500HD crew cab.
It is too big to trail so I stick with the logging roads and fire roads.

 

[Mtn Mike]

M101A2 when bought 1350 now 1080 and climbing.
Pulled with my 2002 GMC Sierra 2500HD crew cab.
It is too big to trail so I stick with the logging roads and fire roads.

Bill, that's about what I was thinking too. Mark, it's a whole other story with a full sized truck. Nice work on your build. I'll be following it for future ideas!

 

[Rocket Ship]

Mine is 2000lbs. No, I can't take it on a "trail" but that was never the plan. It's designed to be durable enough to use on fire-roads and that's what I use it for. If I'm going on a trail, or want to travel light, I just leave it at home and use back-packing type gear in the truck.

 

[Titanpat57]

2500# ROAM Camper..trailer/water/gear...towed with a 4Runner 6 cyl.

Have not been on any really serious trails as of yet (semi good logging roads and such in PA/NY ) but going slow has it's advantages as far as gearing. I've only been up one hill in Pa. heading to Ricketts Glen SP on RT 487....steep as all hell, and 4Runner did not like that at all, had to gear down to second.

 

[RubiconGeoff]

I tow a 900lb Lifetime Tent Trailer with about 200-300lbs of additional gear on it with my little 97 horsepower short-wheelbase 1997 Geo Tracker without any problems. On hills at high altitude I have to downshift from 5th to 3rd and wind up the 4 little hamsters under the hood, but I can still boogie along as fast as I'd want to go with a trailer behind. Power and brakes aren't an issue.

On steep rock gardens with 2-3 foot tall rocks, the trailer can act as a bit of an anchor and make medium trails somewhat challenging, but the tight dimensions and dual air lockers mean I can drag that trailer through pretty much any trail it'll fit on.

 

[xerofall]

M116A2 is plated at 780 lbs, haven't stocked it up yet except for a queen size bed frame made from 2x4s and a few sheets of plywood. Even then my JKU Jeep barely even knew it was behind it.

 

[TacoDell]

Would you consider these clips off road trailering ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pibS4xWF19M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YXqv08F04A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PkPNmaq1r8 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6BjCnI511I

^ I'm at around 900(ish)#'s here...
I wouldn't think it a good idea to go much heavier
...if wheeling in this manner

on tarmac or fire roads... could pull more fo' sho'

But I'm a minimalist... so... I don't need muh house wit' me.

Many of the fine, but heavier trailers I see here...
I'd be leaving at a base camp... and would never know a trail.

 

[Mtn Mike]

Yeah I would call that wheeling and yeah your trailer looks like it's happily following. That's kinda what I was thinking as far as an ideal trailer weight. Towing a m101 sized trailer up the same trails could be a problem :Wow1:

 

[Nd4SpdSe]

I took my trailer to a scale weight station on the way to storing it for the winter. With the gear, but no water, and not loaded in wood, she weighed in at 1100kg, or 2560lbs. I weighed it together with the truck, then pulled off and unpinned the trailer to weight just the truck, and subtracted the two.

 

[flipmachine]

orange and black 2002lbs black and white 2450lbs.. but new models come with all aluminum front box's so shed 180lbs from that 2450... thats with tent and propane tank etc.

 

[Martyinco]

787 Loaded with gear.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Im 600lbs wet and can travel 95% of the places my Land Cruiser can go per the design requirement.
Equipped with a queen bed, 3x5 vestibule, two awnings, and water tight its hard to beat.