Trailer pros and cons...opinions??
- Thread starter Lil Bear
- Start date
Advocate I
I wouldn't say that as an absolute. What is your parking situation? That's another upside of a teardrop trailer like I found: everything (other than my firewood) is locked/secured. So if you do have to park it outside, or even stop along the way to a trip at a grocery store, restaurant, or whatever your stuff is secured.
-TJ
I meant from keeping it from getting hurt by the elements
parking situation is a driveway under large oaks
Member III
Heres my two.
Both have their plus and minus, both have been driven on moderate trails. The M-100 has been on Rubicon and Dusy.
Both have their plus and minus, both have been driven on moderate trails. The M-100 has been on Rubicon and Dusy.
Member III
Member III
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To me the nicest thing about your rig is that you have plenty of room to haul whatever you need when and where you might need it. Not to mention that it is just plain cool.
Member III
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Member III
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Swival mount might do the trick similar to @grubworm trailer. Mounting horizontal might do it too. I bought scissor jacks but decided not to install them for the same reason. Now I will just store them and use them when I set up camp as free standing jacks.
Member III
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Trailer security is always something we must consider. I wouldn't let it bother me there are too many different ways to solve that problem.
Member III
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This wheel base thing is a really good tip. I've always womdered why some trailers tow good and others are like swinging boat anchors. This really make sense ! Thanks for that tip @Road
Advocate I
How was the M-100 on the Rubi and Dusy? Any pics/write-ups on your experience towing on those trails?
-TJ
i keep mine outside in the driveway and i just keep it waxed once a year and use this really good protectant all over for any and all rubber seals and gaskets around doors, windows, lights, any plastic handles, etc and make sure to keep the roof clean and ever so often, wash the roof down really well with a mild soap. just be sure and check the roof sealant really well around any protrusions....rack mounts, tv antennae, a/c unit, etc.
since my camp trailer is 5X8, its really quick and easy to check the roof membrane for bubbles where it might delaminate from the plywood or if there are any scratches or holes that got poked in the membrane and need a repair.
i've had mine over 2 yrs sitting here in the hot louisiana sun and since i keep it waxed and that protectant on it, really not any problems from the elements
here is that protectant....WAY better than armorall. i got this off amazon
Member III
I'm sure if I dug through my photos I would find some. It followed my TJ track perfectly. It absolutely rocked. My last trip on Dusy was....11 years ago? I ran it without the RTT. Rubicon was ........ 6? Maybe? The M-100 wont fit my trailer with the TJ so I had to borrow a buddies and it was a squeeze. Only did it twice. All my other trips were just the jeep. It has also run all the black diamond trails around me, with and without the RTT.
I originally bought and modified it as my Adopt a Trail maintenance trailer. No lid or RTT, full of rock or chainsaw's and other implements of destruction, pulling down a black diamond trail.
The only reason i have the hard side trailer is, RTT sucks in high wind.
Advocate I
Great info, and what I wanted to hear. I don't intend to pull my trailer on the Rubicon, but probably on some moderately challenging trails. It's not as small as your M-100, but looks to have a bit more clearance than your hard-side.
-TJ
Member III
The biggest issue towing off road is tire diameter. The smaller the tire, the more it holds you back when it hits things. I really see that on my hard side. 30 inch vs 34 inch on my M-100. After my last trip out with the hard side, I may go to a 33 inch just to make it smoother over obstacles. I did the shorter tires for drivability and less drag on the highway.
Advocate I
Advocate III
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That's the best stuff out there, @grubworm . 303 products get my vote, too.
They make all sorts of great protectants for rubber & vinyl, clear vinyl, multi-surface cleaners and cleaner/degreasers, and fabric guards that restore water repellency, and more. I have five bottles of their stuff for different uses and swear by it. I wish they made a mildew cleaner.
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new topic, transporting firewood, there is an environmental risk to forests when transporting firewood across different watersheds. In most jurisdictions there is a regulation prohibiting it since a bug or disease can be transported with the firewood and affect the new area you are camping in. Thinking of tread lightly, it might be best to find firewood each night.
Advocate I
That is a good point, and certainly one to consider when I venture further out. However, the trips where I foresee bringing Firewood are all within the same general region, and the wood I'd be bringing has been kiln-dried, killing any potential critters.
-TJ
Track width is the width of the rear axles. Matching it to the tow vehicle can be convenient if it's an off road type trailer. With regular trailers it doesn't matter.
Wheelbase is the distance between your axles. Matching the trailer axle distance to the front ax,e distance, from the rear axle, can make the trailer tend to track in line with the tow vehicle in turns. But only to a certain extent. You'll get used to swinging wide and squaring off your turns, it's VMware no big deal.
The swinging boat anchors are because the rear of the trailer is too heavy. And the nose too light. This also causes the trailer to lift the tow vehicle when going over bumps on the highway. First clue is a noisy hitch. If your hitch rattles, you might be in trouble. This causes the most impressive flip over flying jacknife wrecks. A car or truck with suspension that's far too soft really accentuates this.
You always want to weigh down the nose of the trailer as much as possible, then pick a tow vehicle that can handle it. Since I can handle 3000# of tongue weight easy, I'll load my trailers abnormally heavy on the nose, for extra stability.
Just remember, if your tow vehicles nose is higher than it's tail, it won't be able to stop.
