Community Forums

FLJOE · 08-27-2019, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart W

We live in So Cal and have a 43’ DS. We have been to several western states camping, I would say 2 out of 20 or so campgrounds we have stayed at in past two years had room enough to pull in to a spot with a trailer ( our Jeep)attached. Several sites were just a struggle to get into the campsite with only the Motorhome. Yes some have had remote trailer parking, most of which you couldn’t have used your 40/43 foot MH to drop off the trailer. I guess you could pull your vehicle out of the trailer and use it to store the trailer
We tow a 4DR Wrangler with a BlueOX tow bar and base plate, so easy to tow.
Not saying trailering doesn’t work, we just choose the easier route for us.

I certainly don't want to turn this into a debate on the difficulty of pulling an enclosed trailer and finding places to stay. But to be fair, let me state some facts from someone that actually pulls one, me.

Our travels this year when we came out of Florida we visited 10 different states, most of which were "out west". Out of the 18 campgrounds we stayed in so far this year we had to drop it 3 times (had to get exact number from the boss).

The campground we are currently in we stay for a month to two months every summer in the middle of our travels. It is up in central Illinois. We visit friends/family plus my annual coach service facility is here. We drop it here but it is located in a huge lot about 200 yards from our site. A blind person could park it in that lot.

Our travel plans/reservations for October through December include several additional campground covering several other states prior to getting back to Florida. None of these scheduled campgrounds will require us to remotely drop our trailer because all have pull through sites at least 80' or longer.

Is it easier to pull a car 4 down? Of course it is. Can you get a site in 80% of the campgrounds available? Yes you can. However, with a little extra effort and planning we have had zero issues pulling and camping with our 73' RV combination.

Stuart W · 08-27-2019, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FLJOE

I certainly don't want to turn this into a debate on the difficulty of pulling an enclosed trailer and finding places to stay. But to be fair, let me state some facts from someone that actually pulls one, me.

Our travels this year when we came out of Florida we visited 10 different states, most of which were "out west". Out of the 18 campgrounds we stayed in so far this year we had to drop it 3 times (had to get exact number from the boss).

The campground we are currently in we stay for a month to two months every summer in the middle of our travels. It is up in central Illinois. We visit friends/family plus my annual coach service facility is here. We drop it here but it is located in a huge lot about 200 yards from our site. A blind person could park it in that lot.

Our travel plans/reservations for October through December include several additional campground covering several other states prior to getting back to Florida. None of these scheduled campgrounds will require us to remotely drop our trailer because all have pull through sites at least 80' or longer.

Is it easier to pull a car 4 down? Of course it is. Can you get a site in 80% of the campgrounds available? Yes you can. However, with a little extra effort and planning we have had zero issues pulling and camping with our 73' RV combination.

I’m not doubting your account, hasn’t been my experience including not being able to have my Jeep remaining hooked up.. obviously we have stayed at different parks. 44 foot MH plus 4Door Jeep Wrangler. In fact Winamuca Nevada was the only place we have stayed that could allow us to keep the Jeep connected. Many parks require you to unhook your TOAD prior to entering the park.
Again not to argue as I do not doubt your account or your experience. I feel it’s important to have the OP hear all sides of this . I have encouraged many that were considering a trailer to call around to various parks and inquire if they have 70’plus pull through sites, on several occasions this was what it took to change their minds about pulling a trailer
Forgot to mention I also tow a motorcycle trailer

Hawkeye · 08-27-2019, 09:25 AM

Everyone's style is different, and we pull everything from 4 down, a boat and a 26' enclosed, that being said, trailer parking is a real pain. We do a lot of last minute trips & changes and finding pull thru's are very difficult where we like to go. You need to plan far in advance. I would highly suggest to be able to pull your trailer behind your Jeep so you could get out of any kind of a jam.

Charlie and Martha · 08-28-2019, 12:18 PM

Again, thanks for everyone's input. Here's the deal. I love off roading. Both the Renegade or Compass is the compromise I made with my wife. For some reason she hates "real jeeps" as she calls them. But is willing to have one if it is smaller (she also hates driving larger vehicles). Both the Renegade and Compass get fairly good trail ratings and both weigh within 200#'s of each other.

So there is the compromise, I get some off road capability, she gets the price point and smaller vehicle she wants. Believe me I don't want to tow a trailer and have reasoned that the new vehicle plus the trailer will cost as much as a Cherokee (I left out the cost of baseplates, and the rest). That argument doesn't hold water for her. Ugh.

TJ · 08-28-2019, 01:44 PM

Ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do! If only more people in this world would learn the art of compromise, it would be a much better place.

Sounds like you've thought this through and weighed the options. I suspect you'll do just fine with the trailer.

TJ

Hawkeye · 08-29-2019, 06:07 AM

If your still in the midwest, I recommend Aluma or H&H brand aluminum trailers. The Aluma have a 5 year warranty, but are a little pricey. Only 1500lb for a 18' tandem car hauler. Good luck!

02trader · 08-29-2019, 10:09 AM

Charlie & Martha
I've pulled a 25' car trailer behind a 45' coach for the past 10 years...sometimes carrying my wife's AWD Subaru which can't be flat towed but more often a Jeep Rubicon set up for mild rock crawling. Since you stated that you like "off roading", there are at least two issues related to the trailer vs. flat tow debate which have not yet been mentioned.

First, though I hope it never happens to you, if for some reason on your "off-road" travels you have some type of "incident" on a trail which makes your Jeep unable to be flat towed (broken suspension component, bent driveshaft, severed brake line, etc.) and you are unable to make any needed repairs, as long as you are somehow able to get the Jeep loaded on/in your trailer at least you are able to "get out of town". This can be especially important if you happen to be "Jeeping" in some remote location where there are no repair facilities available locally.

Second, since good off-road tires on almost any serious 4X4 vehicle are far more expensive than even the best trailer tires, I would much rather wear out four trailer tires going down the road at 65 mph than beating up on four expensive off-road tires.
Just my take...

FLJOE · 08-29-2019, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie and Martha

Again, thanks for everyone's input. Here's the deal. I love off roading. Both the Renegade or Compass is the compromise I made with my wife. For some reason she hates "real jeeps" as she calls them. But is willing to have one if it is smaller (she also hates driving larger vehicles). Both the Renegade and Compass get fairly good trail ratings and both weigh within 200#'s of each other.

So there is the compromise, I get some off road capability, she gets the price point and smaller vehicle she wants. Believe me I don't want to tow a trailer and have reasoned that the new vehicle plus the trailer will cost as much as a Cherokee (I left out the cost of baseplates, and the rest). That argument doesn't hold water for her. Ugh.

There could be a slight learning curve to deal with. I would suggest RVParky as a good app for helping to seek out campgrounds in advance. I also use a Trucker's atlas and pretty much stay on designated routes so I don't run into issues. Safe travels!

PDXDawg · 09-05-2019, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie and Martha

My wife is dead set on us purchasing a Jeep Renegade or Compass Trailhawk. Neither is capable of being flat towed or dolly towed. So, when we get the new vehicle I will be relegated to hauling it on a trailer and the hassles associated with doing it that way. But, Happy wife, yada, yada.

The questions I have are:

If you tow with a trailer what has been your experience in parks for parking the trailer? Did they make you put it in a designated area? Allow you to park it next to your RV? Not allow you to camp there?

Did you purchase a trailer with electric or surge brakes? And, why would I choose one over the other (other than more expense)?

Did you buy a new or used trailer? Why?

Steel or aluminum? Why? (other than weight advantage)

Thanks in advance

Why don't you suggest a Cherokee with the 2 speed transfer case? Flat towable, so you don't have to deal with Dolly or trailer. Only marginally bigger than a Compass.

Barnburner · 09-05-2019, 03:08 PM

One quick thought after towing with our motorhomes for 20+ years.
While the aluminum trailers are nice and lighter, trailers flex a ton going down the road. I have seen multiple aluminum trailers break the A frame or crack in multiple pieces due to work hardening from flexing. These have all been good quality trailers such as Featherlite and Renegades, etc. Try getting one of them fixed on Easter Sunday in Casper Wyoming!
A steel trailer may be a bit heavier, but they are repairable by most truck repair facilities and wont require a TIG welder to do it.
I have stuck with steel trailers for that exact reason. We typically have our Jeep on our open trailer but we also have a 24' enclosed trailer that we use as well. As has been stated multiple posts, it does require a bit of planning at some rv parks and for Pete's Sake use good trailer tires on it. The only tires I have ever shredded on my trailer were XL load passenger car tires back when I didn't think it would matter. I use good trailer tires with the heaviest rating I can find and keep the air pressure monitored just like you would with your coach.

Jautry · 09-05-2019, 03:10 PM

Towing on a trailer means more insurance, additional registration, not to mention the troublesome parking - hooking and unhooking of three vehicles, storing the trailer, etc. Check your owners manual and your vehicle tow-ability list at :
Downloadable Dinghy Towing Guides | MotorHome Magazine

I would definitely go for for a TOAD!

OldToolmaker · 09-05-2019, 03:18 PM

We've been using a trailer for nigh onto 8 years now, and we did consider flat towing recently. We'll be looking for a bigger trailer to carry Both the car and the motorcycles. For the time being we take the car or the motorcycles.
I've watched people assembling their 4-down and time-wise it seems to be the same as using a trailer. The difference being I'm putting miles on trailer tires and brakes and not the car.

TRAKKER · 09-05-2019, 03:46 PM

I put my rock crawler Jeep on a trailer to save the expensive tires and wear and tear on the differentials and transfer case. It is narrow to fit my storage space. I travel mostly in the west and usually can find a pull through space. The gasser is 37' and pretty slow on the hills. The original tires failed rapidly so I upgraded to the highest level trailer tire. If the tire specifies 80 psi, that is the one. Then the wheels started cracking. The flat spoke wheels on this side have survived but the aluminum ones on the other side have a higher rating. No more tire or wheel problems but I carry two spares. The Jeep has receivers on both ends to easily move the trailer if necessary. I can get it off in ten minutes to drive around. A little longer to load it. It is a PIA but you learn to deal with it and back-up as needed. When we tour, I flat tow a Tacoma.

retired70 · 09-05-2019, 04:31 PM

My advice is DO NOT purchase a Jeep or Compass Trailhawk. It would mean endless hassles hooking it up and trying to find a place to park it at a camp site. Do what my wife and I did and that is we purchased a new 2018 Jeep Cherokee Limited with 4-wheel drive and a single button to push to put the transmission into pulling mode. (when towing our jeep we do not add one single mile to the odometer!) We tow it behind our motorhome with no problem (easy hookup) and we take it into the mountains and onto the beach.