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Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 7:42 pm
by Rich B
How many of you are going?
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 7:46 pm
by Mito Man
Edit:
@dinny_g
Why is it €13000 for something which looks like it can be knocked up in a shed over a couple of weekends?
I was looking for an old trailer to do a tiny house build but looking for inspiration online and I think maybe I should just make a business out of it
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/26521144781 ... B53226155&
£15k for a shed on a trailer

Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 8:08 pm
by Carlos
Why not pick up a trailer tent or folding camper of eBay for a try. They seem easy enough to move on when your done ?
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 8:39 pm
by JonMad
Loads of comments, thanks.
There'd be 4 of us. We looked at tents today. This one looked a decent size - big enough so the kids can be in separate 'rooms' so might sleep a bit better than sharing, leading to us getting more sleep too.
I expect the pack inside this box to be the size of the box!

- 2022-05-30 15.11.51 copy.jpg (281.81 KiB) Viewed 831 times
It might be able to go on end on one side of the boot, but I don't think everything else will fit in there and a roof box, even completely removing the middle rear seat and packing up to the roof.
Top evonomics with those Roam trailers! Trailer tent.... my parents had one of those years ago, then a caravan.
Steve, thanks for the trailer offer. I remembered a chap across the road from has one - not sure I've ever seen him use it and his current car - a new MG ZS EV - doesn't have a towbar.
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 8:41 pm
by JonMad
I'll have a look at the trailer tents, thanks.
Tow bars - swan neck? flange? Any reason to get one that's detachable apart from cosmetics?
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 8:45 pm
by mik
Only really cosmetics and avoiding having something solid hanging out the back - not really an issue if you have a rear camera and/or sensors.
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 8:49 pm
by JonMad
ta, yep, have rear sensors.
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 9:21 pm
by Rich B
You could get one decent size tent for you and two smaller ones for the kids! That box looked HUGE!

Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 9:26 pm
by Mito Man
I’m imagining that Too Gear episode where Hammond constructs a tent the size of a house

Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 9:30 pm
by DeskJockey
What Vango tent is it? We've got a Taiga 600xl Airbeam and it takes up nearly a quarter of the boot in the Galaxy. Maybe SJ could do a sideline in renting out the Vito...
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 9:33 pm
by Sundayjumper
JonMad wrote: Mon May 30, 2022 8:41 pm
Tow bars - swan neck? flange? Any reason to get one that's detachable apart from cosmetics?
Do you have shins ? Shins are a reason to get a detachable tow bar.
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 9:49 pm
by JonMad
DeskJockey wrote: Mon May 30, 2022 9:30 pm
What Vango tent is it? We've got a Taiga 600xl Airbeam and it takes up nearly a quarter of the boot in the Galaxy. Maybe SJ could do a sideline in renting out the Vito...
It’s a Ventanas Air 650XL.
A Vito would do the trick, for sure
Shins, fair point. Maybe knee height on Mrs. Mad.
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 9:52 pm
by JonMad
Rich B wrote: Mon May 30, 2022 9:21 pm
You could get one decent size tent for you and two smaller ones for the kids! That box looked HUGE!
Did think about that. Will ask the kids what they think to the idea, or just the older one on her own maybe.
That does also mean two (or three) tents to put up and down rather than one air one.
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 9:53 pm
by JonMad
DeskJockey wrote: Mon May 30, 2022 9:30 pm
What Vango tent is it? We've got a Taiga 600xl Airbeam
Do you like it?
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 10:16 pm
by simon_g
We easily fill the Stepwgn and a roof box when we go away, and now the kids are asking to take bikes too. Modern air tents are great but the pack size is big and you can’t just split out the poles and stuff them somewhere else.
Trailers are ace if you have somewhere secure and preferably dry to keep them - leave 90% of your kit in there, when you go away just hitch up, chuck some clothes/food in the boot and go. A mate does that now as three kids and a dog in an SMax doesn’t work even with a roof box and slimming down what they take.
I’ve been eyeing up Anssems but not cheap.
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 10:17 pm
by Zonda_
Don't forget you'll need airbeds if you want to stand a chance of sleeping.
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Tue May 31, 2022 6:23 am
by DeskJockey
JonMad wrote: Mon May 30, 2022 9:53 pm
DeskJockey wrote: Mon May 30, 2022 9:30 pm
What Vango tent is it? We've got a Taiga 600xl Airbeam
Do you like it?
Yes, it was a massive improvement over what we had and made camping less complicated. For me the key feature is how easily and quickly it goes up. It has made a big difference. Downside is how much space it takes up.
Yours looks like it has most of what ours is missing in space and features.
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Tue May 31, 2022 8:50 am
by John
If you buy a used trailer check the tyres. I saw one shred a tyre on the M1 on Sunday, no hard shoulder on that section either.
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Tue May 31, 2022 10:04 am
by dinny_g
Both lovely Vango tents…
But I really don’t like the design on just about ALL large tents these days. The “half internal, half external” covered space
Just run the internal space all the way to the front. The large front door can have side panels so you can still sit in the dry on rainy days with plenty of fresh air coming in.
Oh and to both of you, get a carpet for the interior space, if you haven’t already. Transform the space
Re: Camping trailers and towing them
Posted: Tue May 31, 2022 10:16 am
by Rich B
dinny_g wrote: Tue May 31, 2022 10:04 am
Both lovely Vango tents…
But I really don’t like the design on just about ALL large tents these days. The “half internal, half external” covered space
Just run the internal space all the way to the front. The large front door can have side panels so you can still sit in the dry on rainy days with plenty of fresh air coming in.
Oh and to both of you, get a carpet for the interior space, if you haven’t already. Transform the space
our old tent had internal space (with built in groundsheet) all the way to the front - it was annoying because you couldn't sit inside with the doors open whilst it rained. Our latest one has a decent covered porch area with the internal area set back so you can sit in with the doors open and not have it fill with rain.