Off road-ability and survivability of $20k teardrops

[Sparksalot]

I'm definitely seeing prices on used ones come down, and they're sitting unsold on the market. I don't know how much of this is due to it being winter though.

I built my teardrop 15 years ago. Despite the increasing popularity over that time, spring has always been the best time to sell one. People are gearing up for summer adventures.

 

[AggieOE]

One of my buddies has a Hiker Trailer and their family of FOUR loves it. I think they spent somewhere around $15k for it brand new.



Also I just saw this trailer posted in the manufactured trailer section.

Zion Off-Road - The Only Fully Modular Off-Road/Adventure Trailer

Zion Off-Road trailers are the only fully modular off-road trailer on the market. Start with the base model and using our bolt-on accessories; Build YOUR trailer, YOUR way, on YOUR budget, and on YOUR timeline

zionoffroad.com

 

[JJbyrd]

We are in the market for an off-road teardrop. We prefer a hard-sided, sleep inside vs a RTT.

Our primary 3 requirements are:

1) Price. I'm not spending $35,000 on a mattress with wheels. We're looking for <$25,000
2) Height. Our garage height is 81"
3) Off-road-ability.

I know you get what you pay for but I just can't justify spending more than 25k. But that being said, I don't want something that isn't going to last because it's built to a low price point. I've read about exposed wood and other things that concern me since we have pretty significant water crossings, not to mention regular rain and snow. Coming from a boating background I am super paranoid of leaks and wood-rot.

We only camp in remote, disbursed, camping areas and have to push it further than everyone else in order to find great sites. I don't rock-crawl on purpose but many of the trails are at least "moderate" rated, this means rock fields with boulders that bang up my Tacoma's under armor, significant ruts and off-camber sections, and generally pretty rough terrain. Most of the reviews I read are from people who generally consider gravel forest roads to be off-roading. I definitely need something that stands up to much more than that.

In this price range, I've basically been looking at Hiker Extreme Off Road, Vintage Trailer Works XTR, Oregon Terradrop Alpha, and Escapade Backcountry.

I found a few YouTube videos with people that seem to put there's through the paces but most have much pricier campers. Does anyone have experience with any trailers in my price range and can speak to a) their off-road performance and b) long-term survivability?

Any other manufacturers I should be looking at?

Have you made a purchase yet? If so what did you go with? I want one but can’t afford what i really want. That being said I’ve seen (pictures) of several different ones made in china/ Asia that with shipping 13-15k that I’m leaning towards.light weight with most Amenities I want.

 

[JimmyTheT]

Have you made a purchase yet? If so what did you go with? I want one but can’t afford what i really want. That being said I’ve seen (pictures) of several different ones made in china/ Asia that with shipping 13-15k that I’m leaning towards.light weight with most Amenities I want.

No, we're not sold on them yet. We rented a Vintage Trailer Works XTR and really were not impressed. It did well on the trails but the overall quality wasn't great. I understand you get what you pay for but we're still spending $20+k.

We also aren't sure we want the form factor of a tear drop. They're really cool, but it's hard to see what more we're really getting (for 20+ grand) over what we have with our really nice tent. I can spend a couple grand getting some nice storage drawers and a slide out kitchen for my truck. With the teardrop we rented, we realized really quicky that it was way too small to hang out in, and crowded to sleep with our dog. Our tent has significantly more room, I can easily stand in it, and it has a nice annex for the rain or shade.

I've considered some of the off-road tent trailers (Opus 2, Black Series Dominator) for more room. But now we're dealing with set up and tear down. And if we pack up in the rain, we have to set up somewhere at home to dry out. The whole purpose of getting a camper was to make it more convenient to grab the camper and head out on the weekends, not add more complexity.

So, for now, I keep looking but we'll probably hold off. I'm just having a hard time justifying spending so much money on a queen mattress with wheels. I might invest a bit in better storage options for the truck to make packing and set-up simpler in the meantime.

Regarding the Chinese ones, be prepared for a bunch of maintenance issues. Black Series, MDC, etc, all sell really cool trailers that are made in China, but the owner's groups are filled with complaints about really crappy quality.

 

[JJbyrd]

Have you made a purchase yet? If so what did you go with? I want one but can’t afford what i really want. That being said I’ve seen (pictures) of several different ones made in china/ Asia that with shipping 13-15k that I’m leaning towards.light weight with most Amenities I want.

No, we're not sold on them yet. We rented a Vintage Trailer Works XTR and really were not impressed. It did well on the trails but the overall quality wasn't great. I understand you get what you pay for but we're still spending $20+k.

We also aren't sure we want the form factor of a tear drop. They're really cool, but it's hard to see what more we're really getting (for 20+ grand) over what we have with our really nice tent. I can spend a couple grand getting some nice storage drawers and a slide out kitchen for my truck. With the teardrop we rented, we realized really quicky that it was way too small to hang out in, and crowded to sleep with our dog. Our tent has significantly more room, I can easily stand in it, and it has a nice annex for the rain or shade.

I've considered some of the off-road tent trailers (Opus 2, Black Series Dominator) for more room. But now we're dealing with set up and tear down. And if we pack up in the rain, we have to set up somewhere at home to dry out. The whole purpose of getting a camper was to make it more convenient to grab the camper and head out on the weekends, not add more complexity.

So, for now, I keep looking but we'll probably hold off. I'm just having a hard time justifying spending so much money on a queen mattress with wheels. I might invest a bit in better storage options for the truck to make packing and set-up simpler in the meantime.

Regarding the Chinese ones, be prepared for a bunch of maintenance issues. Black Series, MDC, etc, all sell really cool trailers that are made in China, but the owner's groups are filled with complaints about really crappy quality.

Thanks, it’s all about the little issues or potential problems with the Asia ones . And when you do have a issue who do you turn to. I could sleep in he seat and be happy not the same response from my loving wife. If she is going to let me have this adventure she what’s some creature comforts that are out of reach with the domestic units which in my mind no experience to justify my answer are just over priced.

 

[AggieOE]

No, we're not sold on them yet. We rented a Vintage Trailer Works XTR and really were not impressed. It did well on the trails but the overall quality wasn't great. I understand you get what you pay for but we're still spending $20+k.

We also aren't sure we want the form factor of a tear drop. They're really cool, but it's hard to see what more we're really getting (for 20+ grand) over what we have with our really nice tent. I can spend a couple grand getting some nice storage drawers and a slide out kitchen for my truck. With the teardrop we rented, we realized really quicky that it was way too small to hang out in, and crowded to sleep with our dog. Our tent has significantly more room, I can easily stand in it, and it has a nice annex for the rain or shade.

I've considered some of the off-road tent trailers (Opus 2, Black Series Dominator) for more room. But now we're dealing with set up and tear down. And if we pack up in the rain, we have to set up somewhere at home to dry out. The whole purpose of getting a camper was to make it more convenient to grab the camper and head out on the weekends, not add more complexity.

So, for now, I keep looking but we'll probably hold off. I'm just having a hard time justifying spending so much money on a queen mattress with wheels. I might invest a bit in better storage options for the truck to make packing and set-up simpler in the meantime.

Regarding the Chinese ones, be prepared for a bunch of maintenance issues. Black Series, MDC, etc, all sell really cool trailers that are made in China, but the owner's groups are filled with complaints about really crappy quality.

This is exactly why I won't buy one.
What I don't have between my RTT trailer or my 10x10x10 easy-up ground tent are hard sides, easy wet teardown, and interior hangout space for the family in non-ideal weather conditions. So, I know what we need is a small trailer in the range of 16 foot. Similar to what you said, the idea is something that already is packed and ready to hook-up and go. Small bunk beds for kids and a dinite conversion for me and my wife would be sufficient. That way, even in wind and rain, you can all sit inside and play cards or games together. Unfortunately, you do compromise off-road capabilitiy. I imagine with some additional bracing, storage modifications, and suspension support, it would be able to traverse a mild forest road.

 

[ZombieCat]

Therein lies the problem: It’s always a trade off in balancing comfort, interior space/options, easy set up and off-road capability with cost. Nothing hits all the marks. Scamp, Casita, NuCamp, Black, Opus - you can spend anywhere from $15-$200K. I recommend using the RV Trader app to shop (how I found my trailer), along with Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. If the economy continues to suck, there may be some deals in the next year or so.
As a tent camper of many years and all kinds of weather, being in a hard-sided trailer is absolute luxury. My set up takes all of 10 minutes, although my backing up skills are still a bit lacking, lol!

 

[TSL]

This is exactly why I won't buy one.
What I don't have between my RTT trailer or my 10x10x10 easy-up ground tent are hard sides, easy wet teardown, and interior hangout space for the family in non-ideal weather conditions. So, I know what we need is a small trailer in the range of 16 foot. Similar to what you said, the idea is something that already is packed and ready to hook-up and go. Small bunk beds for kids and a dinite conversion for me and my wife would be sufficient. That way, even in wind and rain, you can all sit inside and play cards or games together. Unfortunately, you do compromise off-road capabilitiy. I imagine with some additional bracing, storage modifications, and suspension support, it would be able to traverse a mild forest road.

This perfectly captures my dilemma with the TearDrop formfactor as well. My wife loves the galley kitchen in the tear drop, finds it just fantastic. If we're en-route to a camping spot that's a longer drive away, or on a roadtrip for that matter, we can just pull over, pop open the galley door, and there's the kitchen ! Making a quick road-side picnic is so simple.
But there's nowhere to hang out in inclement weather. Maybe a nice 270 degree awning with sides... but then you're zipping the sides onto the awning and what does packing it up look like, especially when it's wet ?
I'm also drawn to the RPOD layout. Those trailers are not too big, they do have one or two models with bunk bed layouts. But then they are made by the "big box manufacturers" and I'm sure they are thrown together with staples and light materials. If the frame and axle are good enough, or upgradable, maybe they would work. I saw one on Steens Mountain in South East Oregon, a pretty remote spot. They'd done about 17 miles on gravel, with some pretty wicked wash-board in places to get to the campground. They were taking it pretty slow mind you ( I overtook them on my way to the same campground ).
As another poster mentioned, there's no perfect solution !

 

[AggieOE]

@TSL, this is what we keep coming back to too. My friend's family loves their Hiker tear-drop style trailer but there are limitations. It's no taller than their Bronco's roof line and is within its width as well. He says he doesn't even notice it while towing. Just another trade-off between the different types.

 

[zgfiredude]

That is the universal truth, that there is NO PERFECT SOLUTION.

We have a Nucamp Tag as well and it works for us. We also have a 180 awning (no walls yet) and that works for the hang out space in all but the worst of weather. We love to be outdoors and used to have a Class C RV.....that wouldn't go where we wanted to go! So, in order to get farther off the beaten path, the RV turned into a Jeep and a Teardrop. It works for us. If we choose to take a more rugged trip, then we just take a tent and the Jeep. Or, we "base camp" with the teardrop and then go out from there in the Jeep. The next thing will likely be walls for the awning for added privacy and foul weather protection, but it's not risen to a NEED just yet. The awning is good with being stowed quickly and wet if it has to, we just get it opened up to dry at the earliest opportunity. Get a higher quality awning and you'll be happier. We chose an Overland Vehicle Systems (OVS) 180 and are super happy with it.

The other thing to remember, is that towing a trailer in really rough conditions isn't that fun, so to some extent we choose wisely the routes we take. I can also see maybe upgrading the Tag's axle to the Timbren axle-less set up at some point.......maybe.

 

[smritte]

I just gave repair instructions to someone with a BRX trailer. His roof was done poorly and rotted. This is something I've seen over the years with poorly built trailers. I didn't say cheap, poorly built. Unfortunately, its impossible to tell if its sealed properly. If its not, you need to reseal the roof every so often. I really hope the OP of the other thread owned this and stored it outdoors for over a decade to have this happen. I seriously doubt it.

 

[Mattr1381]

Have you looked at Escapade Campers? They are made in Minnesota and have 3 different models of off-road worthiness. They look to be very well made.

 

[D&D]

We've had our Hiker Extreme Off Road for a year now, and it's seen about 5K miles of on- and off-roading ....did some rough remote trails in backcountry Colorado and Utah over large rocks, deep ruts, steep inclines, tight turns. We tow with a Rubicon 4dr with 2.5" lift & 33s....other than dismal mpg, the setup was a dream. The vehicles dealt with any road or obstacle like it was nothing, and the stuff in the trailer barely moved. We have an attached ARB awning room that makes the trailer seem so much more livable/spacious (just needs decent amount of square footage to set up). We were out for 3 weeks in various weather, and having come from backpacking or car camping with ground tent, this was the most comfortable I've ever been--slept better on our 6" queen size Milliard mattress than we do at home, even sharing the space with our 75 lb dog! The added convenience of a fridge, galley, 21 gal water tank etc made camping seem luxurious, while still spending most time outside. Our trailer as outfitted was $17.5, plus maybe $2-3K in accessories like roof platform, awning, fridge, extra batteries and solar panels. Prices have gone up about 10% on the Hikers since we bought. Airbag suspension is one of the only upgrades we didn't do (we don't really need it--the simple leaf spring suspension works great on anything we've driven and is easy to maintain and/or repair if needed) but would prob be worth it if you do a lot of challenging trails and allows you to lower the trailer to better fit your garage. We love being able to set up camp and take Jeep out during the day. Anyway--we're unbelievably happy with build, fit and finish and overall experience for the price (although a lot to go "camping"). Hope you find your perfect setup.

 

[UgotWheelz]

OK I’ll throw my hat in the ring on this one since I have recent experience with a trailer. As some of you that are following me here know, my mother passed away in early 2021 after a five-year battle with ALZ. Since then, I have been through multiple vehicles for full-time overlanding as I haven’t been able to afford to keep the property and needed to get it ready to sell. I have rented and purchased several trailers in that time. I did not want to tow and was trying actively to avoid it with larger and larger vehicles, but fuel consumption and usable interior space became an issue. My favorite was the TAB320 S, which has amazing, build quality and an excellent reputation for durability and bill quality. However, anything more than a groomed fire road it just bounces around behind the vehicle that wasn’t acceptable to me. I looked at many off-road oriented trailers, all of which started at 35 or $40,000 which was way out of my price range And I even rented a few off-road designated teardrops, they still had the same issue. Their suspensions were designed for onroad or groomed forest service road use I’m sorry to inform you but a Timbren suspension or a torsion beam suspension is not designed for off-road use on anything beyond groomed gravel roads. As a last ditch effort to find something before a major trip to Overland Expo. I popped into a local Oregon RV dealer, planning to look at some of the smaller, cargo trailers. The sales person immediately steered me towards 16-22 foot RVs when he found out that I was planning to be full-time on the road but I told him those things wouldn’t make it down the for service roads and the double tracks that I regularly Boondock at. Finally, he took me to the opposite end of their lot and showed me some small little cargo trailers produced by Forest River. Now I’ve heard all of the bad reviews about build quality issues with Forest River and Jayco and other similar manufacturers these trailers are all built to a price point. I was well aware that there would be build quality issues so I was looking for quality construction type, knowing that I would have to make changes upgrades or modifications. What I found was a new IBX 10 LHG trailer. This is made with the same construction techniques as the Nucamp series of TAB and TAG trailers. It’s a composite foam core construction on a steel frame chassis. It has a Minimal amount of components that can fail things that we is backpackers, hikers, Overlandrs don’t need. The real kicker for me was this is the first of the Forest River line of small trailers to receive the Curt beast mode Independent coil, sprung rear suspension, which is a total game changer. It makes this trailer well worth everything. I’ve had the trailer now for just over a month. I’ve posted several shorts on my YouTube and Instagram accounts about it and I have taken it through some very rough double track in Eastern Oregon and Southern Oregon as well as all over the Oregon coast. I’m currently on Southern Washington coast right now. Yes the trailer is not perfect pretty much anything that is stapled or screwed to the composite shell has come loose, but my plan was always to remove the factory installed cabinetry, which just serves as a cover for the slide out kitchen and gives you a little bit of a storage cubby And to bond carbon or carbon composite panels to the walls and then build out the inside as I needed using my bike packing, backpacking, and overlanding tent, camping gear. This trailer sales for $26, 999 here in Oregon. However, I have seen them cheaper one note is to confirm the equipment advertised is on your trailer. My trailer was advertised, invoiced, and the build sheet said it had equipment that it does not have. I am working with the manufacturer to remedy the situation. They seem willing to solve the problem, and do acknowledge that this is the newest of the IBEX line of small trailers and their marketing materials just hadn’t been updated yet so far I have no issues. I am planning to follow up further with additional posts and videos regarding my process with the ibex 10 LHG. This is exactly the same trailer as the NoBoundries 10.6 but with the new Curt suspension. I will note is the IBEX came with rhino rack, mounting bars, a 360° awning, and a free spirit recreation ROOF TOP tent, which is huge. It also does have a very large AC unit with a heat strip, but that is only usable if you’re plugged into shore power which I will never be. @whitezilla_ibex for more. I believe at the price this trailer is sold out and the fact it includes a true off-road suspension with coil springs and shock absorbers as well as the included 360 awning and rooftop tent as well as the rhino rack mounting rails and crossbars. It is a good value for the money. My trailer also included a Truma refrigerator/freezer which I’ve only used a couple of times but it seems to work as advertised, a inexpensive two burner gas grill but it’s set up on a quick connect propane so you could attach any grill or cooktop you want. This is mounted on a slide out on the curb side it also has a 30 gallon water tank and a spray port with a dump sink.

 

[socal geek guy]

 

[UgotWheelz]

These are great and good options. There’s a couple others out there as well. The problem I found is it’s 3 to 6 month. Wait for most of these affordable options.  I was also looking for something that could follow my jeep anywhere. The jeep would go and having had three other trailers with torsion beam suspension or Timbren suspension. It was obvious that some of these solutions would not work for me personally another option that some people might look into it some of these vintage one please molded fiberglass trailers. I’ve survived this many years they should survive many more.

 

[bgenlvtex]

I would say you should familiarize yourself with materials and build techniques used commonly in teardrop/ squaredrop trailers and then project the service life of them based on that information and your projected use.

What percentage of construction is wood or other organic material that will rot is in it? Water intrusion regardless who builds it will almost certainly occur, that may be visible and it may not be. Undetected water intrusion on a glued and screwed plywood trailer will dramatically reduce the service life of the trailer as I'm sure you are aware.

Will you be ok with never being able to even come close to standing up in it? Ever? I thought I was, but my wife drew the line in the sand. That was a fortunate occurrence.

If I was looking for something on the more economical end of things, I would disregard the "economy" TD/SD trailers and look at A-Liner (style) trailers mostly because I value the ability to stand up inside highly. They do make them with "off road" packages which are about as "off roady" and an average TD/SD trailer is and are not built significantly better or worse than them.. I would think you could get into one that is nicely appointed under $30k. Because of a broader appeal resale should you decide to get out of it may be somewhat higher as well.

Like this as an example

I bought an Australian made trailer because it met the highest percentage of my requirements (which were extensive)and wants. It wasn't cheap and it wasn't a casual purchase but they are even higher now so......... I could write a cautionary tale however on doing business with a company halfway around the planet (no matter how long they have been in business), as well as availability of parts in the USA of proprietary Australian products.

 

[socal geek guy]

i'd say find out where there are trailer rentals near you and test out a couple of them to get a feel for what works and doesn't work for you.

something that i took into account after looking at trailers for a little over a year was having the ability to use the trailer for more than just sleeping in it. i ended up with a little 5x8 enclosed trailer and have been happy since i can use it for camping, hauling my motorcycle, help friends move, etc.

 

[JimmyTheT]

My problem with Hikers is they really don't have a galley. One of my reasons for wanting a teardrop is to avoid set up at the sight. I want to raise the back door and have a covered kitchen ready to go. My favorite galley is wibtechoutdoors.com.

If hiker had a nicer galley, I'd give them serious consideration. All we need is cabinets, slide out stove, place for a water jug, and cooler.

 

[MidOH]

I'd put an aluminum box on that, and build my own galley. I'd have to customize any trailer. Roof top AC, room for a Honda gen.

No way I'm hacking up a $30k trailer. I'd Basecamp an Outdoor RV toy hauler imstead.


I just use a Pepsi can stove though.