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We're thinking about getting a tent trailer and towing it with the XJ. I thought they where going to be light but the seem to be around 3500 lbs. Anyone have any expierence (good or bad) with these. I'm more concerned with the towing of them but any info would help.
It depends on the kind of Popup you get and the amount of accys included.
Many run in the 2000 to 2500 lb range for a basic 5 sleeper.
Mine didn't have brakes, and the XJ never had a problem moving it or stopping it ; mine weighed 2200 lb
I had one a few years back. I don't "Camp" per se and I only got it bacause I thought the Wife would be interested. After 1 trip She begged off further trips and I realized that I could have gotten a lot of top end camping gear for what I paid for that darn thing, so I sold it.
I never had a problem towing it, though my gas milage dropped a few points. Back then I had a 86' with a 2.8L and not one of these fancy 4.0s .
IIRC it was not hard to set up and in about 15 min or less, you have a house with fridge and a heater (depending on options). You also can leave all your crud in the camper, and only unpack what you need to wash. Remember to drain the water out and drain and blow out the water line. They also make anti-freeze, but I never bothered.
Ive towed one me and some friends share with my rig back when it was stock. They are very light weight, and perty easy to tow. Its older, but well worth having. Super easy to setup and quite roomy for how small they are. You can see the size of the trailer itself compaired to the Jeep.
I've got a 2001 Coleman Santa Fe, a bit bigger than the one shown above. Loaded, mine runs around 2,200 lbs, maybe a bit more. My 4.0l 5spd has no problem towing it, although I'd disagree about stopping it. IMHO, anything at a ton or over behind an XJ really should have brakes. I towed it from Chicago to Moab 3 times and several times into Michigan without any issues.
You can find lots of well equiped popups that are lighter than 2500lbs. The XJ will pull those great. We had a popup a couple years ago for a season. It was a smaller one at about 1100 but we pulled it fine with a TJ. It was more comfortable than tent camping. Getting off the ground and having real lights and table and floor was nice. The draw backs of a popup are, it sweats, it has to be set up, its a bummer to have to take it down if its been raining or after heavy dew, The cushions and everything inside gets wet because you have to shove all the wet canvas inside, you cant just pull off at a rest area and catch some zzzzz in it, they tend to leak with age. We ended up getting rid of the popup and getting a nice big tent that we can walk around in and set up a table and air mattress.
I did not know that Adventure Trailor was that spendy. Damn. The cheap one costs a bit under 4000 and that does not include the tent. It's another 2000. Those things are awesome though.
I did not know that Adventure Trailor was that spendy. Damn. The cheap one costs a bit under 4000 and that does not include the tent. It's another 2000. Those things are awesome though.
They are a bit spendy. Another option is an M416 or CDN M101 with hinged lid topped with a rooftop tent. ~$700 for the 1/4ton trailer, and pick up a RTT in CO for $1500. Thats the route i was planning eventually, but i may be changing that plan.
About 680lbs IIRC. Tad heavier than an American M416.
This is a Canadian 1/4 ton trailer, not to be confused with the American M101 which is a 3/4 ton. Heres an excellent thread on an M101 and RTT buildup.
About 680lbs IIRC. Tad heavier than an American M416.
This is a Canadian 1/4 ton trailer, not to be confused with the American M101 which is a 3/4 ton. Heres an excellent thread on an M101 and RTT buildup.
The teardrops are cool and lightweight, but for the most part are just a bed and a camp kitchen. I seriously thought about building one a few years back.
There are some light popups around but they are not the popular models so you have to look harder. I have a '96 Coleman Laredo (great name) that runs about 1800 Lbs loaded. The newer version is the Taos that was made up until a couple of years ago. All of the manufacturers have similar units. They are two beds, a sink/stove setup and a dining table that will convert into another bed. Very basic.
I suggest anyone thinking about one of these spend some time at www.popupexplorer.com. They are a great bunch of people and the message board has a wealth of info.
I just bought a Starcraft 2108,its the lightest I could find that was fully self contained.Its got a Shower,Toilet,Furnace,Cold water heater,stove,sink,and a refigerator.Minimun weight is 1850,max is 2850.It does have electric brakes and also came with a screen room.Hadit out to Woodpecker/Highway to Hell for the first time this past weekend.It tows good but you know its there!
Btw: theres no canvas so moisture/sweating isnt an issue!
