Lightweight Travel Trailers - The Ultimate Guide

Gone are the days of needing a half-ton truck to enjoy the outdoors with a comfortable travel trailer waiting back at camp. Thanks to advanced materials and improved designs, lightweight travel trailers can provide everything you need to camp in style. But before you plunk down your hard-earned cash, we’ve outlined the must-have info to digest before you decide which trailer is right for you. So if you want to stay light and travel easy, keep reading - here’s your guide to lightweight travel trailers. 

First, let’s paint a picture of what the term “lightweight travel trailer” includes, since the category covers a wide range of makes and models. For our purposes, we’ll include any travel trailer weighing up to 5000 lbs dry weight. With a lower dry weight than larger trailers (some less than 2000 lbs), you can often use a car or small SUV for towing and forego the heavy-duty truck. This encompasses small teardrop campers, various pop-up trailers, and larger trailers made with space-age materials to reduce weight. Additionally, there are many brands, such as Forest River, Scamp, and Travel Lite. You can find everything from a barebones model with only the necessities to trailers with full bathrooms and clever storage. 

Pros and Cons 

Lightweight travel trailers were made for adventure and trouble-free towing. You’ll get better gas mileage and less wear and tear on your vehicle, unlike a heavy travel trailer that strains your engine, transmission, and other key components. Aerodynamic, lightweight travel trailers are also ideal for anyone with a long list of remote destinations in mind. With superior gas mileage, you’ll save money on travel and stay mobile since lightweight trailers are fast to set up and takedown. Plus, light travel trailers are easy to maneuver and tow into campsites with less space. This is great for camping on public lands, such as national forests, where spacious, well-developed sites are sometimes hard to find. Back at home, these travel trailers are more manageable and often cheaper to store due to their smaller footprint - yet another financial benefit.

As versatile as lightweight travel trailers are nowadays, they’re not without fault. First and foremost, space is at a premium and you may give up certain luxuries frequently found in larger trailers. Sleeping space often takes up a significant amount of room, which can reduce storage or common areas. And even though every square inch is utilized to include key amenities, the spacious feel of larger travel trailers is tough to replicate. This may not be a big deal for one or two people, but it can be problematic with larger families or groups of friends. 

Additionally, smaller travel trailers sometimes allow more noise to penetrate due to having less insulation. When it comes to towing, heavier trailers sometimes have an advantage with the axle system - lightweight travel trailers often have a single axle, which is inferior in load distribution and stability. 

To recap, here are the primary pros and cons of lightweight travel trailers:

Pros

• Improved gas mileage 
• Easier on tow vehicle
• Better maneuverability
• More places to camp
• Lower storage and maintenance costs

Cons

• Less space and storage
• Fewer amenities
• More noise penetration
• Not ideal for larger groups
• Weight distribution and load stability

Making the Right Decision

The idea of a lightweight travel trailer is tempting for many reasons, and at this point, you’ve probably got an idea of what’s right for you. For example, if you enjoy all the luxuries of home and tend to camp in the same spot close to town, it might not make sense to go lightweight. Or perhaps you’ve got four kids, two dogs, and demanding storage needs - you probably want as much living space as possible. But if it’s only you and one other person, a smaller tow vehicle, and you bounce around from place to place, then a lightweight travel trailer could be the ticket. Most important is to be honest about what you truly demand from a trailer, without getting caught up in what others are doing. After all, making choices that satisfy your wants and needs while staying within budget makes for less stressful experiences and the desire to continue enjoying the RV lifestyle.