2.0l Capable RV Campers

[jimmy fitzwell]

The 4k tow package bumps it up to 40 ft frontal area. Good aerodynamics of the trailer let you have bigger dimensions inside.
Toilets, even a porta potty, are a must for me. Especially if I'm in an urban setting for the night.
I think the Casita would be very well suited for the Mav. The Deluxe versions have the bathroom. And they now have indoor and outdoor shower. Outdoor showers are very useful.
I've got three tips from my years of camping:
1: Trailer brakes are very important.
2: Don't tow full capacity. (that's probably open to debate)
3: Only take as much water as you need or top the tank when you get near your destination.

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[oljackfrost]

I prefer the Simple Shower. The key difference is that the Simple Shower has a vent straw, which allows air to replace the water that's being dispensed. That way, you don't have to squeeze/crush the bottle or keep flipping it upright to get water out.

https://www.simple-shower.com/



I've tried just about every combination and owned a couple different ones. RinseKit, DIY bug sprayer conversion, 12v pump with a water tank, Flo Pro, Road Shower, etc. My favorite, by far, is the Simple Shower as I mentioned.

My issue with pressurized systems is that, well, you have to have a way to pressurize it, and they are prone to leaking the pressure out through any number of ways. O-rings, bladder tears, valve stem leaks, etc.

The bug sprayer conversion was probably my least favorite. 2 minutes of pumping for 30 seconds or so of low-volume, lackluster spray. I could fill ten one-liter bottles from a pot with a funnel and screw on 10 Simple Showers in less total time than pumping and spraying for a shower.

The Solar Shower is a good alternate, but then you need something sturdy to hang 40lbs from, whereas five or ten 1-liter bottles can sit on the ground or a table.

Of course it also depends on how often you're going to go camping/use it. If you plan on full-time RV'ing, I'd look at something like the Joolca Hottap.

But for the weekend camper, boiling water in a pot, mixing in some cold water, and pouring it into 1- or 2-liter bottles with Simple Showers should be fine. And you'll need less money for equipment, less stuff to go wrong (would suck if your Rinse Kit broke or your 12v pump died), and less maintenance.

Simple Shower looks like a nice unit.

 

[theek]

This would do just fine for a 4k equipped Maverick.

https://safaricondo.com/en/travel-trailers-alto-serie-r-1713/

 

[medgar]

This would do just fine for a 4k equipped Maverick.

https://safaricondo.com/en/travel-trailers-alto-serie-r-1713/

The alto and a maverick would be a very nice combo and it would be priced less than the suburbia pavement princesses trucks that rule the road. The Maverick and you would have big smiles on your faces for being used for what they are engineered.

 

[notfast]

that doesn't make sense here. Look at the Ford promo picture of Red Maverick with a bumper pull smallish travel trailer behind it. Most travel trailers have been built 8' wide until recently some 7' have popped up for better vision. Majority of travel trailers (excluding tear drops, little guy, etc here) are at least 6' tall inside to stand up in comfortably and that 1 in the promo picture roughly fits these dimensions. So assuming 8'w X 6'h you would get 48' of frontal area and exceeding the max 40 sq ft? Would Ford deliberately violate a max limit in their literature, or is something off in the calculations somewhere?

The way I understand it (and someone correct me if I'm wrong), frontal area is typically different than front surface area. It takes into account the angles at which that surface area interacts with air that is parallel to the ground plane.

For example, if you take a 4x8 sheet of plywood and position it so it's 4 feet high, 8 feet wide, and 90 degrees to the ground, you have 32 square feet of frontal area.

Tilt that plywood at a 45-degree angle to the ground and you now have 22.6 square feet of frontal area.

I say "typically different" because some trailers are perfect cubes, or close enough that their practical frontal area is equal to their front surface area. The Carson Racer series is one.

The RV that the red Maverick is towing has a curve that decreases in radius closer to the ground, which will require more than basic geometry to calculate frontal area.

 

[Wire4money]

The way I understand it (and someone correct me if I'm wrong), frontal area is typically different than front surface area. It takes into account the angles at which that surface area interacts with air that is parallel to the ground plane.

For example, if you take a 4x8 sheet of plywood and position it so it's 4 feet high, 8 feet wide, and 90 degrees to the ground, you have 32 square feet of frontal area.

Tilt that plywood at a 45-degree angle to the ground and you now have 22.6 square feet of frontal area.

I say "typically different" because some trailers are perfect cubes, or close enough that their practical frontal area is equal to their front surface area. The Carson Racer series is one.

The RV that the red Maverick is towing has a curve that decreases in radius closer to the ground, which will require more than basic geometry to calculate frontal area.

It’s still widthxheight. A 4x8 sheet of plywood at a 45 degree angle is not as tall as it is if it was upright.

 

[medgar]

The way I understand it (and someone correct me if I'm wrong), frontal area is typically different than front surface area. It takes into account the angles at which that surface area interacts with air that is parallel to the ground plane.

For example, if you take a 4x8 sheet of plywood and position it so it's 4 feet high, 8 feet wide, and 90 degrees to the ground, you have 32 square feet of frontal area.

Tilt that plywood at a 45-degree angle to the ground and you now have 22.6 square feet of frontal area.

I say "typically different" because some trailers are perfect cubes, or close enough that their practical frontal area is equal to their front surface area. The Carson Racer series is one.

The RV that the red Maverick is towing has a curve that decreases in radius closer to the ground, which will require more than basic geometry to calculate frontal area.

Notfast your thinking is my thinking. Its is the same concept as static weight and dynamic weight with a rooftop tent. If all 40sq ft are at a 90 degree angle it would not be a good experience with The maverick.
If part of the surface is at an angle the drag factor is less

with many years of experience i have learned:

1 dont come close to maximum tow rate. I would feel comfortable towing 3200 with maverick

2keep what your towing the most aerodynamic at the top as possible and narrow the better off you are

 

[theek]

I'd eke it to 3500 as the 4K tow rating might be underselling true capability to not undercut the Ranger.

 

[notfast]

It’s still widthxheight. A 4x8 sheet of plywood at a 45 degree angle is not as tall as it is if it was upright.

Correct. That's why in my example, the tilted plywood has reduced its frontal area by 9.4 square feet.

Notfast your thinking is my thinking. Its is the same concept as static weight and dynamic weight with a rooftop tent. If all 40sq ft are at a 90 degree angle it would not be a good experience with The maverick.
If part of the surface is at an angle the drag factor is less

with many years of experience i have learned:

1 dont come close to maximum tow rate. I would feel comfortable towing 3200 with maverick

2keep what your towing the most aerodynamic at the top as possible and narrow the better off you are

I follow the 80% rule. That is, don't tow more than 80% of the vehicle's weight-carrying hitch capacity. For example, if the Maverick can tow 4,000lbs weight-carrying, I'd top out at 3,200 like you said.

My Nissan Frontier can tow 6,100lbs weight-distributing and 5,000lbs weight-carrying, so I generally don't exceed 4,000lbs.

But this is just a rule-of-thumb. What and where your towing also factor in. I wouldn't mind towing the full weight-carrying capacity if what I was towing is reasonably aerodynamic. A Ford Mustang on an open trailer will be a lot easier for the vehicle to pull than a 25' RV trailer, even if they weigh the same.

 

[pxpaulx]

My wife and I had a larger travel trailer (25ft) that we sold last year - had it at a permanent camp ground, and decided that wasn't for us. We do think we'd like to get something smaller to go with the Maverick at some point - I am not going to jump the gun in this market though...I am going to wait for the aftermath. I think there will be a large amount of excellent condition used RVs hitting the market in 2-3 years as people realize they don't have the time or don't enjoy and don't want the added cost that will have the opposite effect to what we see now.

I do realize we may have to be patient!

 

[jimmy fitzwell]

My wife and I had a larger travel trailer (25ft) that we sold last year - had it at a permanent camp ground, and decided that wasn't for us. We do think we'd like to get something smaller to go with the Maverick at some point - I am not going to jump the gun in this market though...I am going to wait for the aftermath. I think there will be a large amount of excellent condition used RVs hitting the market in 2-3 years as people realize they don't have the time or don't enjoy and don't want the added cost that will have the opposite effect to what we see now.

I do realize we may have to be patient!

I'm with ya! The camper market up here is ridiculous lately. Used units are up like 40%. I think/hope in two years there will be a glut.

 

[Imabass]

Imo, you should likely be looking at a hybrid travel trailer or pop-up type. You are going to be limited to 4k pounds. There is much more than just 4k# that needs to be considered. As others pointed out, frontal area is important. How many passengers will you carry, and how much stuff will be in the bed and back seat. If you had a 3k trailer, 4 people and stuff in the bed, you will likely be over weight. The truck will likely struggle to tow hills and have issues during high winds if you are pushing the limits. I have 7 different trailers and do a fair amount of towing. At campgrounds I have seen plenty of people towing with undersized trucks and wishing they hade more truck. Watch out for the camper salesman. They will tell you whatever you want to hear to sell you more camper than you can safely tow. Unfortunately there is not a dealer that will let you take the camer for a test tow before you buy.

 

[Old Ranchero]

I'm with ya! The camper market up here is ridiculous lately. Used units are up like 40%. I think/hope in two years there will be a glut.

recently read an article on the RV market. THOR industries is now fully booked through 2022 with fully paid for customer orders. Similar story with many other big builders with multiple product lines under 1 corporation like Forest River. When US Gov't stops extending the eviction moratorium and renters hit the streets in large numbers, RVs will probably be even more scarce.

 

[HikerNW]

A quick google search brought up this web site...

https://campergrid.com/best-travel-trailers-under-1800-lbs-and-2000-lbs/

Lots to choose from in his list. All depends on how much you want to spend.

 

[oljackfrost]

Found this one made of composite materials, only 400 lbs.!
https://roadtoadcampers.com/

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