Trailer and RTT or an enclosed camper?
- Thread starter VirginiaDoug
- Start date
VirginiaDoug
New member
Thanks for your responses, everyone. Lots of good stuff to mull over. It may come down to what deals I can find when I'm ready to go.
I like the idea of the trailer, largely because I can keep the Pathfinder pretty light and tame and keep all my gear in the trailer. When it's time to go out, my truck isn't any more capable but I lash an awning on, hook up the trailer and go. I could always put a rack on a pop-up and throw kayaks on there though too. Decisions, decisions. I'd go teardrop in a heartbeat if I could afford one; hence the enclosed trailer idea. The pop-up is probably the best compromise, frankly. But billiebob is right. I know my son would be pumped to climb that ladder into a RTT. If I play my cards right, I could probably sell the expedition trailer as a package without losing too much money - unless I go hard and throw some timbrens and nice wheels on there, which I'm thinking I might have to to get it in and out of my driveway. Hell, the approach angle on my driveway is so fierce, most anything is going to require some lifting to keep from scraping.
Thanks again, and please keep the discussion going.
I like the idea of the trailer, largely because I can keep the Pathfinder pretty light and tame and keep all my gear in the trailer. When it's time to go out, my truck isn't any more capable but I lash an awning on, hook up the trailer and go. I could always put a rack on a pop-up and throw kayaks on there though too. Decisions, decisions. I'd go teardrop in a heartbeat if I could afford one; hence the enclosed trailer idea. The pop-up is probably the best compromise, frankly. But billiebob is right. I know my son would be pumped to climb that ladder into a RTT. If I play my cards right, I could probably sell the expedition trailer as a package without losing too much money - unless I go hard and throw some timbrens and nice wheels on there, which I'm thinking I might have to to get it in and out of my driveway. Hell, the approach angle on my driveway is so fierce, most anything is going to require some lifting to keep from scraping.
Thanks again, and please keep the discussion going.
VirginiaDoug
New member
Damn. Got a line on an 83 step side chevy for next to nothing. Cut the frame behind the cab, weld up a tongue and roll pan for it, build a frame for a roof top tent, paint it to match the Pathfinder. That would be a sexy camper that I could take just about anywhere!
old_CWO
Well-known member
Don't cut up a short bed square nose Chevy. That generation of trucks is starting to become the new "hotness," and the short boxes always fetch the most money. If it isn't a total basket case there is value in it to someone. Resell it to fund a trailer.
VirginiaDoug
New member
It needs a cab badly. All rusted out. Haven’t seen the frame yet. I agree that it would be a shame to cut it up but if the cab is scrap and, being a 3-speed 6 cylinder, it would take a crazy amount of work to get it decent. It would however make a cool trailer for really cheap. Pull the diff and leave the carrier. I don’t think timbrens would be light enough to justify the marginal weight savings and expense. Lower it with some blocks to get it below my hitch. Gears are churning...
old_CWO
Well-known member
Well that's different I guess; just hate seeing good vintage stuff getting destroyed if it's not beyond help.
I have built a couple of trailers using step side beds and they came out top notch. They sold for a lot more money than I had in them. My technique is to build a simple square tube chassis and use a trailer axle underneath. I set the axles at the 60/40 point for better balance than it would be with the truck wheelbase and use trailer fenders instead of the original giant truck fenders. Most people won't realize it's a truck bed trailer if you do that. I think leaving the original axle and frame is a little too "farm trailer" and they are usually heavy for size.
You absolutely gain some positives using a truck bed: there are campers, covers and racks to fit, it's got a sturdy tailgate, and in the case of that Chevy it will carry 4x8 sheet goods flat on the floor with the tailgate down. I sort of like the stake pockets and wide flat bed side rails on that style box. Since it's a popular truck there are plenty of restoration parts from places like LMC truck.
Sounds like a fun build either way, please post photos if you do it.
billiebob
Well-known member
as CWO says, if the box is good enough for your trailer it might be worth $5K to the guy building a truck.
I'd pull the box, fix any rust, prime, paint which it likely needs anyway and list it from ebay thru Bring A Trailer and see if it catches enough to build that Expo Trailer. There are a lot of $30K Chevies with flat decks only because the guy who restored it could not find a decent box.
Last edited:
gatorgrizz27
Well-known member
The two (or three) things I’d consider are how much off roading/trail work you plan to do, and what weather conditions you plan to use it in. Cost is going to be bout the same, looking at $1,000 for a utility trailer and $1,000 for a tent vs $2,000 for an enclosed. I assume fuel economy will be a wash, the enclosed has more surface area but is likely more aerodynamic.
The more “off the beaten path” places you want to be able to take it, the worse the cargo trailer looks from a length/width/turning around/clearance/visibility standpoint. I have a 6x12 and to me that’s the minimum comfortable size for two people to be able to sleep inside it with room to stand up and dress, make a sandwich, store clothes, use a cassette toilet, and carry things like bikes and kayaks. If you go smaller it’s really just a sleeping pod.
However, one of the main reasons I wanted enclosed was the ability to camp when it’s hot out. It’s not a big deal to hike, bike, or fish when it’s 80-90 degrees out, but sleeping at 80 degrees is miserable, so I wanted to have AC. I also wanted to be able to pack up and leave it’s pouring rain without everything getting ruined or having to be set up again and dried out. The same could be said for camping in the snow.
The last (smaller) consideration is storage and alternative uses. Parking a RTT out in the yard here is likely to have mice, roaches, mildew, etc set in during periods of non use. It’s a toss up whether an open trailer or enclosed is more useful for stuff like moving furniture, hauling firewood, mowers, boats, and all that. Depends on what you’re doing.
The more “off the beaten path” places you want to be able to take it, the worse the cargo trailer looks from a length/width/turning around/clearance/visibility standpoint. I have a 6x12 and to me that’s the minimum comfortable size for two people to be able to sleep inside it with room to stand up and dress, make a sandwich, store clothes, use a cassette toilet, and carry things like bikes and kayaks. If you go smaller it’s really just a sleeping pod.
However, one of the main reasons I wanted enclosed was the ability to camp when it’s hot out. It’s not a big deal to hike, bike, or fish when it’s 80-90 degrees out, but sleeping at 80 degrees is miserable, so I wanted to have AC. I also wanted to be able to pack up and leave it’s pouring rain without everything getting ruined or having to be set up again and dried out. The same could be said for camping in the snow.
The last (smaller) consideration is storage and alternative uses. Parking a RTT out in the yard here is likely to have mice, roaches, mildew, etc set in during periods of non use. It’s a toss up whether an open trailer or enclosed is more useful for stuff like moving furniture, hauling firewood, mowers, boats, and all that. Depends on what you’re doing.