Hey All,
I am starting to think about getting into the RV/Travel trailer game but am starting to realize my needs/wants don't seem to be in line with the majority of RV customers. I am looking for some feedback on where to start looking or if my wants are feasible etc.
Some background: I live in Utah and am looking for something that I can use in the Winter and Summer. The majority of my camping will be boondocking with about 4-5 days being the max stay time but in reality, 2 nights will be the norm.
I would like a trailer that I can pull bumper pull behind a 3/4-ton or 1-ton truck that will have a sled deck on it. For those who are not familiar, picture a platform on top of a truck bed with room for 2 snowmobiles.
Since I will be boondocking at snowmobile trailheads, I think a fiberglass trailer will be my best option for insulation reasons. Is this a reasonable thought or based on false premises?
A hot shower is a must. I am a bit more flexible with toilets but figure the Hot Shower aspect will guide my toilet decision. I am worried about my Fresh, Grey and Black water freezing over night. Are there reliable tank heaters out there?
I would like this trailer to be able to travel off-road. Nothing too extreme as my truck will not be modified further than an off-road package. Do I need to upgrade the suspension/axles for that? I have been looking at http://timbren.com/axle-less/ which would seem to meet my needs - especially if I double up the burliest axles.
I would like to run the trailer on full battery power. Something like a Tesla Powerwall seems to be more than sufficient to power a trailer for a couple of days. The issues are that you cannot lie the wall flat and that batteries do not work well in cold temperatures. Are there any solutions that are RV-oriented? It would be great to have the batteries at the bottom of the trailer for its center of gravity. Finally, I saw that the new Earth Roamer (the $1.5m RV on the Ford F-550 platform) has something on board that will monitor the battery and fire the truck up if the battery gets low so that the generator can charge the batteries. Is this an off-the-shelf type of tool/appliance? I haven't been able to find anything like it but figure I am using the wrong search terms.
So heres the question: Am I better off finding a well-used trailer and starting from scratch? Are there trailer companies that sell just shells? Or is there something on the market that I have not yet discovered that would fit my needs?
Sorry for asking these all at once but I figured I would just create one post rather than a post for each area of concern. Thanks all for your help in advance
I am starting to think about getting into the RV/Travel trailer game but am starting to realize my needs/wants don't seem to be in line with the majority of RV customers. I am looking for some feedback on where to start looking or if my wants are feasible etc.
Some background: I live in Utah and am looking for something that I can use in the Winter and Summer. The majority of my camping will be boondocking with about 4-5 days being the max stay time but in reality, 2 nights will be the norm.
I would like a trailer that I can pull bumper pull behind a 3/4-ton or 1-ton truck that will have a sled deck on it. For those who are not familiar, picture a platform on top of a truck bed with room for 2 snowmobiles.
Since I will be boondocking at snowmobile trailheads, I think a fiberglass trailer will be my best option for insulation reasons. Is this a reasonable thought or based on false premises?
A hot shower is a must. I am a bit more flexible with toilets but figure the Hot Shower aspect will guide my toilet decision. I am worried about my Fresh, Grey and Black water freezing over night. Are there reliable tank heaters out there?
I would like this trailer to be able to travel off-road. Nothing too extreme as my truck will not be modified further than an off-road package. Do I need to upgrade the suspension/axles for that? I have been looking at http://timbren.com/axle-less/ which would seem to meet my needs - especially if I double up the burliest axles.
I would like to run the trailer on full battery power. Something like a Tesla Powerwall seems to be more than sufficient to power a trailer for a couple of days. The issues are that you cannot lie the wall flat and that batteries do not work well in cold temperatures. Are there any solutions that are RV-oriented? It would be great to have the batteries at the bottom of the trailer for its center of gravity. Finally, I saw that the new Earth Roamer (the $1.5m RV on the Ford F-550 platform) has something on board that will monitor the battery and fire the truck up if the battery gets low so that the generator can charge the batteries. Is this an off-the-shelf type of tool/appliance? I haven't been able to find anything like it but figure I am using the wrong search terms.
So heres the question: Am I better off finding a well-used trailer and starting from scratch? Are there trailer companies that sell just shells? Or is there something on the market that I have not yet discovered that would fit my needs?
Sorry for asking these all at once but I figured I would just create one post rather than a post for each area of concern. Thanks all for your help in advance