Is anyone producing a camping trailer for families?

[The Adam Blaster]

Specifically a trailer with beds, a mini kitchen w/fridge + stove, a washroom etc. that wan't rattle apart on the average gravel road?
I've been looking for a while off and on for the past couple of years and really haven't come across much of anything that meets all of that criteria.
The closest thing I've found is a company in BC Canada called Escape. They make pretty decent units, but they still aren't designed to go offroad.
A bonus would be if I could tow it with my minivan's rather low max. tow rating of ~ 3300 lbs. If such a trailer fell below that weight limit I wouldn't have to buy another tow vehicle for a while.

So, any thoughts on this?

 

[dustboy]

I asked the same question when my family started growing. My solution was to convert a cargo trailer. I still won't take it on anything gnarly, but after I did some suspension tuning, it can handle the average fire road okay.

I like the fiberglass body of the Escape trailers, but it's the insides that won't hold up on a long washboard. All of that cabinetry will start disintegrating within the first 5 miles of Saline Valley Road.

There are a lot of pop-up tent trailers that appear to be more built for offroad, they have a lot of benefits if you don't need hard sides.

Check out this cargo conversion for something that's pretty off-road worthy.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/73403-Jeff-s-Cargo-Conversion

 

[gotink]

Sorry but you said in your minivan?I don't think he's going anywhere to far of road anyways.Why the need for a off-road trailer?

 

[rcharrette]

Right off the bat I see the weight and the tongue height as limiting factors. Why an off road trailer for a mini van? With the height of an off road trailer it will tow with the nose way low. My family had a Fleetwood Evolution E2 for a few years and we loved it. Not a hard core off road trailer but plenty of capability to get on the back dirt roads. I think the dry weight on it was over 3K LBS though.

 

[The Adam Blaster]

I will eventually be purchasing a more capable vehicle to take both my family and our trailer accommodations, but for now the van is a great transport vehicle for us.
I also have 2 XJ's, a stocker and my lifted one on 33's.
It's just that neither is that comfortable for the whole family to travel in for long distances. I know others do long trips with their families in a Cherokee, but it just doesn't work for us.
Although when my boys get a bit older i will hopefully steal them away from my wife for a night or a weekend to do some camping trips that aren't too far from home. I may well use either one of the XJ's at that point, but we'd be talking a few years from now.

My wife and I are hoping to purchase a trailer of some sort within the next 1-2 years and keep it for 4-5 years after that.

I know I'm being pretty specific, but that's where I'm at with my balancing the needs of my wife to be comfortable, with my desire to be a bit adventurous. I am very weary of purchasing the standard mass-produced trailers that are out there because they are designed for travelling on tarmac only.
And I've actually taken my van on some pretty nice forest service roads in BC already, and they had their fair share of washboard sections. I'd prefer not to travel a couple hours up the side of a mountain only to get to the top and find the cabinetry in my trailer has rattles right off the walls.

At this point the Escapes that I mentioned before are too heavy, but I found another company called Trailmanor and they make a popup camper that is hard-walled with zero canvas. And their smallest model the 2417 would be under my weight rating for the van. It isn't made for offload though, but it seems to be the best option for me/us right now.
I would probably change out the rear coils in the van to some HD ones and use a weight distributing hitch. I already have a brake controller in it, so with the heavier rear springs I would be pretty set. The WD hitch would also help with reducing rear sag.

 

[muchosdiaz]

several years ago we bought a lightweight travel trailer called a funfinder. It was 16 feet long and weighed 1800lb. It was hardsided, had a wet bath in the back and would sleep 6. It had a pair of bunk beds in the back as well as a dining table that made a queen sized bed and then a fold out bunk above that would sleep 2 more kids. Very light and easy to tow. Had a great time with it until a hail storm destroyed it.

 

[xkid]

I think there are some tent trailers that could be made more offroad friendly. I have a 07 Fleetwood " Cobalt" 8ft. off road version. It's a little higher than normal, but not a total off roader. With some higher leaf springs and bigger tires it would be pretty good.

 

[mvbeggs]

Fun Finder

several years ago we bought a lightweight travel trailer called a funfinder. It was 16 feet long and weighed 1800lb. It was hardsided, had a wet bath in the back and would sleep 6. It had a pair of bunk beds in the back as well as a dining table that made a queen sized bed and then a fold out bunk above that would sleep 2 more kids. Very light and easy to tow. Had a great time with it until a hail storm destroyed it.

Here's a picture of buddy of mine pulling his Funfinder into the North Rim. (last spring) He pulled it over 60 miles on rough gravel road, with the last couple miles quite a bit rougher than that. It made it in, and out, without any damage. He just had to take it slow. One note, he was pulling with a Ford 3/4 ton truck. On the highway that trailer is like pulling a bill board. He was getting about 9 mpg on the way out.

His wife has no complaints traveling in this. They were very comfortable after getting setup.

 

[Giovanni Ground]

several years ago we bought a lightweight travel trailer called a funfinder. It was 16 feet long and weighed 1800lb. It was hardsided, had a wet bath in the back and would sleep 6. It had a pair of bunk beds in the back as well as a dining table that made a queen sized bed and then a fold out bunk above that would sleep 2 more kids. Very light and easy to tow. Had a great time with it until a hail storm destroyed it.

It was probably a good trailer and its completely according to my own requirement.But its very sad that you lost it due to hail storm.
Are you interested to buy the same trailor in future for your family?