Anyone done a cross-country drive, roughing it?

[brewer12345]

Anyway, in surfing the Web, I have seen a couple full-timing in a big class A towing a class B or a small class C!

I am always amazed when I see stuff like a Class A towing a Hummer or a diesel pusher lugging a cargo trailer half again its size. You cannot possibly need to drag that much stuff with you...

 

[Rambler]

Brewer - what kind of gas mileage are you getting pulling the 16 footer with the minivan (Honda Odyssey, right?).

R

 

[brewer12345]

Brewer - what kind of gas mileage are you getting pulling the 16 footer with the minivan (Honda Odyssey, right?).

R

Yep, pull with a 2005 Odyssey. We usually get about 12MPG. I think the trailer is about 3000#, plus we have 2 adults, 2 kids, 2 dogs, and extra spare tire, gear, etc. in the van. IOW, we are not generally travelling light. From what I hear from other owners of the same model trailer (and teh next oen up), similar mileage is to be expected if you are pulling a slightly larger trailer and/or towing with a V8 powered pickup or SUV.

The big deal on mileage (to me) is that you get the full, normal gas mileage once you are roaming around in the area you drop the camper off. On our last trip, it rained cats and dogs for most of the trip, so it was a real boon to be able to take off and do other stuff with the kids and not burn a huge amount of gas (or have to set up again every day when we got back to the site).

 

[NW-Bound]

I have looked at the TrailManor travel trailers (TT), as owned and mentioned by RIT. They are light, roomy, and aerodynamic when folded for traveling. These are hard-wall designs, not pop-up campers.

The company says it only costs 1 additional gallon to tow their TT a distance of 100 mi. The following link describes a test showing that a Honda Odyssey gets 18MPG towing a 30-ft (when unfolded) TrailManor, but only 9MPG towing a conventional 19-ft TT. The only drawback of these TrailManors is their higher purchase cost. This is perhaps justifiable if one needs the roominess beyond what can be towed with a van or an SUV, and plans long-distance travels. A possible compromise is that instead of buying a new conventional light-weight TT, one can get a used TrailManor for the same purchase price.

TrailManor|Easy Towing|Lighweight Travel Trailer