Overland Rig Setup vs. Trailer Set Up

[JandAOffRoad]

I posted this earlier in another forum, but now I'm thinking this is where it belongs..lol

So, looking for the PROS and CONS to a Rig Sleeping Setup vs. a Trailer Set Up.

I have a new 2018 Tacoma TRD 4X4 Off Road and in time I will make a final decision based on what we like, don't like, types of trips we take, etc. and make a final decision later (right now it's ground tent camping option), but just curious as to your PRO OPINIONS!

My initial thought is I like the idea of dropping the trailer at camp and taking the truck anywhere I want to go without having to break down the sleeping setup up, and have a lighter load while going off road. Again, just an initial thought.

Thank you.

 

[TreadHead Pops]

We have both set ups in our family. We run our rtt on our jeep and our son uses an off road trailer we built. After seeing how easily he unhooked and took part in trail runs, at a recent rally, we’ll be kidnaping his trailer once he builds the replacement!!! Love the extra space he has in the trailer which keeps the jeep “cleaner” and easier to stage as the kitchen. Climbing up and down to get up in the jeep rtt is not a problem, but having to store and stage everything out of the jeep makes for a few challenges. Like you, we’re a bit worried about the increased load on top of the jeep and how it will handle on off camber trails....


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[VCeXpedition]

I spent several years sleeping in my rig, a 1995 Landcruiser. I'd made a sleeping platform for one on the passenger side that worked pretty well for me, all the other stuff I needed fit nicely in other parts of the truck.
This worked well for me (just me) for a long time, but the truck got heavy as I added more "necessities" to my kit.

Last year Memorial Day, I picked up my AMO Trailer (link in my sig) and moved most of my stuff there and now my truck is much lighter, which makes trail-running more pleasant.

As you mentioned, putting the trailer up for an extended stay works well, go off and play, come back to an established setup, ready to go. It works great.

What doesn't work so well is moving camp every day, which I do quite often on longer get-aways. Honestly, the trailer is not that much more work to break down and get moving than it was to stow my sleeping area and clean up the truck to get it ready for a trail, so the time is about a wash, but there are some trails where a trailer is a liability for me, I'd rather not be dragging it through some of that stuff.

Long and short, if I know I'll be moving day to day, I'll probably pack in just my rig, if I plan to establish a basecamp, the trailer will come along.

Dan.

 

[efog]

Honestly surprised this hasn’t gotten more traffic. We have a RTT on our truck and we’re already thinking trailer. Biggest downside is finding a great campsite, but having to break camp to go do anything (unless trailheads or other activities are right by camp). I’m looking at building a trailer for us in the near future. We want something small, but bigger than a teardrop. There isn’t much available in the US...


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[RedRob]

Strictly opinion, based on no practical experience- I don’t want an “adventure” trailer. If I’m going to go full nasty off-road I only want my truck. At this point in my life I’m okay with ground camping. If I’m going to put up with the downsides of pulling a trailer I want an indoor kitchen and a shower and I’ll just stick to manageable roads. That’s what makes sense to me.

 

[TreXTerra]

I would like to do a trailer setup at some point. Since I love doing Pro/Con analysis, why the hell not?

Trailer
Pro

• Modular and scalable. I can easily go out with my current non-trailer setup for a "light" trip if I want to, or hook up the trailer and roll heavy.
• Base Camp. I can set up a base camp with the trailer and go off during the day to explore side trails, hike, or whatever and not have to pack everything away.
• Security. A locking trailer is more secure than leaving a bunch of gear at camp. I can also secure it by using a non-standard coupler so no one can tow it away easily.
• Comfort. Keeping everything and everyone off the ground will be more comfortable, especially in wet weather
• Easy to pack. I can keep all my gear in the trailer at home, just hitch up, add water and fuel, and roll out.
• Portability. If I replace my tow vehicle with a new make and model, I don't lose all my kit that is specific to that rig. I can just hitch up my existing trailer to a new tow vehicle and go out. Building onto a vehicle often requires lots of specific parts that don't switch over to the replacement (especially things like mounting brackets).
• Frees up space inside the vehicle. Currently I carry two people and my gear, if I could shift half that gear to a trailer I could bring some friends with me.

Con

• Weight. Trailers are heavy
• Maneuverability. Getting a trailer through some trails is simply not possible. I'm thinking specifically of the Flint Trail Switchbacks in Canyonlands National Park. Even my Xterra has to take two or three swings at some of those just to get turned around - that just isn't possible with a trailer.
• Cost. Most the pre-built trailers I've seen cost more than my vehicle - often several times as much.

Really it comes down to agility on the trail vs comfort in camp. When I'm in camp at night I often think about how nice it would be to have a trailer (especially in crap weather), but when I'm on the trail I'm very glad that I don't have one swinging around behind my rig (especially on difficult sections). It is all about what you want to trade off and what fits your style of exploring. One nice thing with a trailer is that you don't have to bring it on every trip, so it doesn't keep you from doing tighter trails.

 

[Kelso]

We have a RTT on the roof. I'm starting to build a trailer for it. If it doesn't work out I'll probably buy cots for our ground tent...
RTT is a cool idea and sure has some big advantages but being up on our roof just isn't working for us.

 

[TreadHead Garage]

One thing to note about have a trailer setup is the ability to have all the gear loaded ready to head outta town, without having your daily full of camp gear all week. I can hitch-up after work friday fill the cooler and im on the road.

Also if you build the trailer for you needs, it can handle most trails. Our trailer is built with tube steel and timbren axles. tents mounted low and the axle width matches the jeep. we made the tongue long so the trailer can be jackknifed passed 90 and still clear the jeep.

 

[MoreGone]

In all honesty, if the trailer is not out of the budget, go for it. It will give you options even if you don't use it all the time. I was looking for awhile and eventually came across a great base trailer for <$1000. Now I have options. I have camped more without it since purchasing. Because it was just me. If my wife were joining or a bigger group, bring the trailer.

It's all about what I am doing.
Rock crawling trails? Leaving the trailer home.
Weekend at the lake? Bringing the trailer.
Long multi-day trip - Bringing it.

 

[1Louder]

Trailer with a but...

90% of my trips I take my trailer. I keep my gear in very portable FrontRunner boxes and MountainSmith gear bags. That way if I don't want to take the trailer it is very easy to move my gear and blast off. I have a OZ Tent for trailer less trips. Seeing folks have to fold up their RTT each day to go explore is too much work for me. On scouting trips where I do not know the trail conditions I typically don't bring my trailer.

There are plenty of extremely capable off-road trailers which can go where you vehicle goes. It just depends on the level of comfort and amenities you want to have. Everything is a trade-off.

 

[mylilpwny]

For us the answer was trailer. Now we ended up trading great off road for comfort, ease and space. We will end up having a basic build in the truck since there are places we want to go that our trailer just flat out can't do or fit. But for the majority we will take the trailer. With my bad shoulder, back and hip it becomes difficult to comfortably sleep in ground tent with out alot of effort. We have tested timing and with our tent set up (tent sucks btw but hey was a free replacement from a family member) it took us longer to set up/break down camp then to set up and break down the trailer. We also plan on having more than just the 2 of us go and my mom is largely the main one to come with us. As a cancer survivor we wanted to make sure she was as comfortable as possible to get her out. This led us to the path of the Fleetwood we bought. More info on it in my build thread for RamRod.

 

[Ben Cleveland]

We have an RTT on our 4runner. And we are considering a trailer seriously. Got a few bigger trips coming up next year, doing them with the current setup, and if we’re still wanting it we’re going to move to a RTT on trailer at that point.

RTT is annoying to mount/dismount. For simplicity and being able to get out of town fast, we leave it on the rig full time. It’s also annoying to drive around with it.

Nothing new to our experience, it’s what lots of people already have voiced. But we’re finding we feel the same way.