Lightweight Travel Trailers

The new "Lightweight" Travel Trailers have seen their popularity and growth surge over the last couple years. Young families and newcomers to RVing, alike, have found that lightweight trailers are not only easy on their wallets, but also practical.

Usually, lightweight trailers weigh less than 4,000 pounds and are under 26' in length. They contain many of the features and conveniences of the larger and heavier travel trailers, but save on weight through new construction designs and reduced materials.

An important point to consider when researching lightweight trailers is the towing capacity of your car, truck, SUV or minivan. Lightweight has a different meaning for everyone, so make sure you do your homework.

Determine what your vehicle's towing capacity is. A good place to start is the manufactures towing guide, or the owner's manual.

Find out the trailer's gross dry weight (should be less than 4000 pounds to be considered a lightweight trailer), which is normally found on a sticker in a galley cabinet. Remember, everything you put in to the trailer adds to the total weight, so add in weight for food, clothing, equipment, and water (if you plan to carry any).

Compare the towing capacity of your vehicle to the total net weight of the trailer. Of course, the weight of the trailer should be less than what your vehicle can tow for a perfect match.

One of the hottest features of lightweights is the fold down ends (similar to that of a folding trailer) that can add up to 4 more to the sleeping capacity of the trailer. This feature adds quite a bit of elbowroom and saves converting the kitchen table into a bed every night. Lightweights may be a little lower in height and a little narrower, but are still roomy and comfortable.

Lightweight trailers are a new category of recreational vehicles among folding trailers and traditional travel trailers, providing RVers with more choices than ever before.

Some links to Lightweight Travel Trailer Manufacturers:

Happy Trails!

Aero Mfg. Inc.

Kodiak RV

Coachmen Industries, Inc.

Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc.

Forest River, Inc.

Gulf Stream Coach, Inc.

Jayco Inc.

Keystone RV Company

R-Vision, Inc.

Skyline Corporation

Starcraft RV