The Nomadic Life

[AngryScientist]

RWD only which would be a complete nonstarter for a daily driver.

??

why would that be? i prefer RWD any day of the week and twice on Sunday? Just curious why you think that's a deal breaker?

[robin3mj]

??

why would that be? i prefer RWD any day of the week and twice on Sunday? Just curious why you think that's a deal breaker?

For a commuter or second car I think RWD would be fine but for a family van, I have enough experience driving RWD vs FWD in the snow to consider the former a dealbreaker.

Our Sienna has no problems in deepish snow, and truth be told I’d prefer my old Golf in six inches of snow over my brother’s old Tacoma.

[NYCfixie]

kinda cool off the rack camper van coming from the house of benz. stealthy and maneuverable, probably pretty well designed. likely out of my price range now, but in 10 years, i could see myself in a used one!


Mercedes-Benz unveiled a new camper van with a pop-up roof that'''s coming to the US — see inside the '''Weekender'''

Two viewpoint videos.

[summilux]

We are going to check out a vintage Trillium camper this weekend (Kijiji ad below). Wife and I have been camping for many years but decided not to sleep on the ground anymore unless we are on a hike. Last year we looked an a slew of camper vans (vintage VW, Ford Transit conversions and MB). While the idea of a VW sounded romantic we were too worried about reliability. MB is way too expensive. Ford is still something we are considering.

For those with campers, how long does it take to set up if you are not hooking up to service? No knowing anything about trailers, is it as simple as unhitch and set the jacks and chocks? 15 minutes? And how horrible does a light trailer make driving? A Trillium is 13ft long with 1500lb weight.

[PaMtbRider]

That's a neat little trailer. 10-15 minutes sounds about right to back in and unhook. Make sure you place your wheel chocks on the trailer before you unhook. I don't know what you plan to use for a tow vehicle, but with most any modern vehicle will never know it's back there. The only challenge with a trailer that short will be backing up. The shorter they are the quicker they react and might take a little practice. Good luck and let us know how it works out.

[summilux]

That's a neat little trailer. 10-15 minutes sounds about right to back in and unhook. Make sure you place your wheel chocks on the trailer before you unhook. I don't know what you plan to use for a tow vehicle, but with most any modern vehicle will never know it's back there. The only challenge with a trailer that short will be backing up. The shorter they are the quicker they react and might take a little practice. Good luck and let us know how it works out.

We don't see a need for a trailer bigger than that. We're not interested in having an indoor toilet/shower and it's just two adults and a dog.

The driving and parking are what are scaring me. Our tow vehicle has plenty of torque/hp with 14" brake rotors all round so we are good on that front. But I've seen too many people screw up a boat launch to be cavalier.

[Too Tall]

We don't see a need for a trailer bigger than that. We're not interested in having an indoor toilet/shower and it's just two adults and a dog.

The driving and parking are what are scaring me. Our tow vehicle has plenty of torque/hp with 14" brake rotors all round so we are good on that front. But I've seen too many people screw up a boat launch to be cavalier.

It's way less effort than you think. Spend some quality time in a abandoned parking lot backing up and making tight turns. That's a really small trailer, pulling it is no issue.

When I have no help to spot me for backing up I toss down some soccer cones as targets.

Remember, if you are backing up and looking at your sideview mirrors turn the steering wheel in the direction of the trailers side that is turning twords THAT mirror to straighten the trailer. Alot of folks make the mistake of looking backwards over the rear bumper at the trailer. Try not to.

[AngryScientist]

cool trailer.

it's a small learning curve, and (at least for me), since i tow reasonably infrequently, it's not a skill i have mastered. problem with a short wheelbase trailer is that backing it up is a little tricky as the inputs are magnified. best advice is to go slow, dont worry about whos watching you and go slow.

the other thing is that a trailer forces you to plan your moves a little more, and be a little less spontaneous. you cant just pull into any parking space and make K-turns at will. generally not a big deal, but when you tow, you have to be mindful of that at all times.

for a trailer that small, as long as your vehicle isnt wildly underpowered, the actual driving will be a breeze.

probably goes without saying, but if you pick it up, a trailer that old would probably be well served with new tires and re-pack of the bearings.

[glepore]

Or steer from the bottom of the wheel-to move the trailer left, turn the wheel towards the left with your hand at 6 oclock (this effectively reverses the steering, which is what you do when backing). Also, once the trailer is aimed where you want it, straighten the wheel - most problems happen from continuing the turn too long.

[al415]

Welp. My daydreaming didn’t last thru the weekend! The Metris is RWD only which would be a complete nonstarter for a daily driver.

Sienna plus a six man car camping tent and some chairs will have to suffice. 🏕

I’ve driven my Sprinter all through New England, the Rockies and the Smoky Mountains in Winter. I only ever engaged the 4X4 when off road and trying to reach an out of the way camping spot. The rest of the time, it was in RWD. I’ve never had any traction issues or safety concerns. There is a lot to be said for knowing when to brake, when to turn and the limits of adhesion on ones tires. I wouldn’t be put off by RWD at all.

[summilux]

And we bought it! You are not supposed to buy the first one you look at but this was unmolested inside, had a rust-free trailer, brand new rubber and the interior was in very nice shape with no evidence of water leakage. A newish looking cover was included too. At $7,500 Cdn (~5,500 USD), it wasn't a screaming deal but reasonable enough to make us happy.

[Too Tall]

That's a good buy my friend. I think those designs are very solid and almost never leak. Does it have a powered roof vent, can't see one?

[AngryScientist]

That's cool Johathan. Definitely what can be considered a low risk investment.

Where is the first trip to??

[summilux]

Where is the first trip to??

First trip is going to be an overnight at Walmart (3km away). Really. Second trip either Algonquin Park or into the Adirondack High Peaks. Either 4 hours north or 4 hours south. If things go well, then some time this fall we'll head into the Blue/Smoky Mountains and/or find a boondocking beach in Virginia.

@TT. No power at all in the trailer. There is a small (~4x4") manual vent in the roof. The nice thing about Trillium is that all four windows open so I hope we don't need to get a fan.

[ides1056]

My wife just rented a Ford Transit 4x4 high roof van for a week, driving it from the Berkshires to New York City twice down the Taconic. Great vehicle. Handled like a car.

[AngryScientist]

Do you guys remember when we could Nomad??

RIP: Fun

[Too Tall]

I'll be back.

[AngryScientist]

I'll be back.

yea i know. i just checked my trickle charger. we're still on life support:)

[guido]

My wife just rented a Ford Transit 4x4 high roof van for a week, driving it from the Berkshires to New York City twice down the Taconic. Great vehicle. Handled like a car.

How much ground clearance did it have?

[guido]

I'll be back.

I have campsite reservations starting mid May. I'm wondering if things will be open...