Towing a nice little camper trailer - Sun Lite 18RD

[My Maverick and Me]

Thanks David for all the added info. One follow up question. I notice you have the 19RD Classic model. Did you have to get a hitch with a rise or drop to meet the trailer hitch at a level position. If yes, how many inches was the drop or rise? I was thinking of getting the RD18 Sport model that has a 6" lift for more ground clearance and getting a 1" leveling kit and 1" taller tires for the Maverick. just wondering how the standard height trailer matches up with the Maverick receiver height.

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[ddhill]

Thanks David for all the added info. One follow up question. I notice you have the 19RD Classic model. Did you have to get a hitch with a rise or drop to meet the trailer hitch at a level position. If yes, how many inches was the drop or rise? I was thinking of getting the RD18 Sport model that has a 6" lift for more ground clearance and getting a 1" leveling kit and 1" taller tires for the Maverick. just wondering how the standard height trailer matches up with the Maverick receiver height.

My hitch is currently at a 6" drop with stock Maverick and sunlite. That results in a close to ideal level pull.

 

[bluesteel]

I bought a Sunray 149 Classic (16' long, curved front and back walls) in November and it's been in storage all winter - looking forward to getting it out next month! I am glad to hear the OP's experiences align with what I've been hoping for (foremost an assumed/target mpg of 15).

This Sunray (same company as Sunlite) is 2,220 lbs dry with hitch weight of 280. My main concern has been the latter, after filling up the trailer and adding two filled propane tanks and a battery to the tongue, which should put it borderline around 400. Eventually I will weigh it to be sure. Used a bathroom scale for a previous trailer, but 400 lbs will be pushing it! I also will be using a LiFePO4 battery, which will knock off 25-30 lbs and have more capacity.

I plan to add a friction sway control. It might not be necessary, but I would rather have the extra insurance. I highly doubt the electronic sway control is as effective as a mechanical add-on; apparently the electronic control stops/reduces sway after it starts rather than preventing it from happening in the first place. That said, I never experienced the electronic feature kicking in on my Escape, but with that I was towing a fold-down A-frame.

There seems to be a misconception in this thread that a friction sway control and weight distribution hitch are the same thing. They are not, and either can be used on its own. The two devices exert different types of forces, and I have never seen a warning against using a sway control on a Maverick or other unibody vehicle. If anybody has seen much a warning, I would like to be made aware of it!

Final notes:

Six inches is a lot more hitch drop than I was expecting, so I'm glad to have that info. (My trailer is far away, so I have not had the opportunity to line it up with the Maverick yet.)

My A-frame had chronic exterior leak issues and they are known for that. The more exterior seals on movable panels, the more opportunity for leaks. I did think the Alto looked cool, though. Wonder if OP will really be able to go back to a smaller folding trailer after experiencing full height traditional style. I am glad to be moving in the other direction!

 

[Nw_adventure]

I bought a Sunray 149 Classic (16' long, curved front and back walls) in November and it's been in storage all winter - looking forward to getting it out next month! I am glad to hear the OP's experiences align with what I've been hoping for (foremost an assumed/target mpg of 15).

This Sunray (same company as Sunlite) is 2,220 lbs dry with hitch weight of 280. My main concern has been the latter, after filling up the trailer and adding two filled propane tanks and a battery to the tongue, which should put it borderline around 400. Eventually I will weigh it to be sure. Used a bathroom scale for a previous trailer, but 400 lbs will be pushing it! I also will be using a LiFePO4 battery, which will knock off 25-30 lbs and have more capacity.

I plan to add a friction sway control. It might not be necessary, but I would rather have the extra insurance. I highly doubt the electronic sway control is as effective as a mechanical add-on; apparently the electronic control stops/reduces sway after it starts rather than preventing it from happening in the first place. That said, I never experienced the electronic feature kicking in on my Escape, but with that I was towing a fold-down A-frame.

There seems to be a misconception in this thread that a friction sway control and weight distribution hitch are the same thing. They are not, and either can be used on its own. The two devices exert different types of forces, and I have never seen a warning against using a sway control on a Maverick or other unibody vehicle. If anybody has seen much a warning, I would like to be made aware of it!

Final notes:

Six inches is a lot more hitch drop than I was expecting, so I'm glad to have that info. (My trailer is far away, so I have not had the opportunity to line it up with the Maverick yet.)

My A-frame had chronic exterior leak issues and they are known for that. The more exterior seals on movable panels, the more opportunity for leaks. I did think the Alto looked cool, though. Wonder if OP will really be able to go back to a smaller folding trailer after experiencing full height traditional style. I am glad to be moving in the other direction!

Nice update- We are still in the market for a camper- The Aliner hard shell A/frames seem great until you start reading owner feedback- Any legit high-end teardrop is $28K+ - Not sure what to do anymore - lol

 

[bluesteel]

Nice update- We are still in the market for a camper- The Aliner hard shell A/frames seem great until you start reading owner feedback- Any legit high-end teardrop is $28K+ - Not sure what to do anymore - lol

Mine was a 2016 Flagstaff (Forest River company) and had a lot of the poor build quality issues you hear about with most manufacturers. I have heard that Aliners are better, or at least used to be, but they also cost more. I paid about $11K for my Flagstaff back in '16, and I think they cost about twice that now!

For comparison, my new Sunray, ('22, outgoing model year) was a bit under $18K, which I was happy with. But their lower-profile "teardrops" cost that much or more! Crazy times.

 

[Nw_adventure]

Mine was a 2016 Flagstaff (Forest River company) and had a lot of the poor build quality issues you hear about with most manufacturers. I have heard that Aliners are better, or at least used to be, but they also cost more. I paid about $11K for my Flagstaff back in '16, and I think they cost about twice that now!

For comparison, my new Sunray, ('22, outgoing model year) was a bit under $18K, which I was happy with. But their lower-profile "teardrops" cost that much or more! Crazy times.

I hear folks with the Aliners- Have gaps when not parked 100 percent level- For remote backcountry camping that might be a deal breaker-

 

[Packer Bill]

We just picked up our 16 foot deluxe Scamp. It has birch cabinets, furnace, AC unit, twin propane tanks and bathroom with a shower. Weight is only 2200 pounds! Towing it for 300 miles with a 19 mph crosswind and driving 65 mph was very easy. And we got 22 mpg!! Highly recommend Scamp trailers.

 

[bluesteel]

We just picked up our 16 foot deluxe Scamp. It has birch cabinets, furnace, AC unit, twin propane tanks and bathroom with a shower. Weight is only 2200 pounds! Towing it for 300 miles with a 19 mph crosswind and driving 65 mph was very easy. And we got 22 mpg!! Highly recommend Scamp trailers.

I had one of those on order for awhile but decided I couldn't wait until fall of this season or spring of next for it to be built. Glad you're enjoying it - great numbers!

 

[JimParker256]

I hear folks with the Aliners- Have gaps when not parked 100 percent level- For remote backcountry camping that might be a deal breaker-

Why would needing to level the camper be a deal-breaker? Even the "paved" RV parks are un-level enough that you often would want to level before using... It takes only a few minutes to get your RV dead-on level. For a little trailer like you'd be using with the Maverick, it's really easy... First you do the side-to-side (with leveling blocks) and then front-to-back (with the tongue jack). Once you put the stabilizers down, you're done for the night...

And if you really want to make it easy, you can use something like the LevelMate, which will tell you exactly how much "off-level" you are before you even "final park" the rig for the night. Choose the most level spot you can find, then look at the LevelMate to see how much each wheel needs to be raised, and how much to raise or lower the tongue jack to get absolutely level. With that established, you just roll forward 2 feet, set your blocks up as directed by the LevelMate, then roll back 2 feet to center the wheels over the block(s), and you're done.

Sleeping on a slant - especially on a smaller-sized RV bed - really sucks for both you and your partner. My wife can't stand having her head lower than her feet, or rolling slowly downhill all night.

The other trick I've seen used with A-Liners (and similar folding-wall camping trailers) is to set up a free-standing awning over the entire rig that keeps "stuff" off the top of the roof that might otherwise end up inside when you fold the camper up (snow or leaves or whatever...). One guy used appropriately sized PVC pipe to extend the legs of an "el-cheapo" WalMart awning. He just used a bolt through the PVC pipe (about 3-4 inches from the top of the PVC) to keep the awning leg supported inside the PVC. Then he tied the awning down as usual. Bonus points for buying an oversized one that gave him a bit of a "front porch" for his A-Liner.

 

[JimParker256]

I had one of those on order for awhile but decided I couldn't wait until fall of this season or spring of next for it to be built. Glad you're enjoying it - great numbers!

12-18 months wait time for an RV order to be fulfilled has been "industry standard" ever since Covid started.

My family of 5 rented a Scamp (the largest bumper pull they made at the time) for a family weekend outing when the kids were a lot smaller... My newborn daughter actually slept in her car-seat, with that sitting in the sink. It was tight for that many people, but nice to have a solid structure (and that air conditioner).

We towed it behind a Toyota Tercel 4WD (tiny little station wagon that made Car & Driver history with the slowest 0-60 and 1/4 mile times ever recorded for a vehicle sold in the US). We got the trailer hitch and wiring installed by U-Haul. I remember the 'empty weight' of that Scamp was barely legal for us to tow - even a couple of blankets in the trailer put us over that limit... Fortunately, it was a short drive, and we had no issues.

Soon after that, we "upgraded" to a mini-van because that short little trip convinced us that our family had definitely outgrown the mini-station-wagon...

 

[Nw_adventure]

Why would needing to level the camper be a deal-breaker? Even the "paved" RV parks are un-level enough that you often would want to level before using... It takes only a few minutes to get your RV dead-on level. For a little trailer like you'd be using with the Maverick, it's really easy... First you do the side-to-side (with leveling blocks) and then front-to-back (with the tongue jack). Once you put the stabilizers down, you're done for the night...

And if you really want to make it easy, you can use something like the LevelMate, which will tell you exactly how much "off-level" you are before you even "final park" the rig for the night. Choose the most level spot you can find, then look at the LevelMate to see how much each wheel needs to be raised, and how much to raise or lower the tongue jack to get absolutely level. With that established, you just roll forward 2 feet, set your blocks up as directed by the LevelMate, then roll back 2 feet to center the wheels over the block(s), and you're done.

Sleeping on a slant - especially on a smaller-sized RV bed - really sucks for both you and your partner. My wife can't stand having her head lower than her feet, or rolling slowly downhill all night.

The other trick I've seen used with A-Liners (and similar folding-wall camping trailers) is to set up a free-standing awning over the entire rig that keeps "stuff" off the top of the roof that might otherwise end up inside when you fold the camper up (snow or leaves or whatever...). One guy used appropriately sized PVC pipe to extend the legs of an "el-cheapo" WalMart awning. He just used a bolt through the PVC pipe (about 3-4 inches from the top of the PVC) to keep the awning leg supported inside the PVC. Then he tied the awning down as usual. Bonus points for buying an oversized one that gave him a bit of a "front porch" for his A-Liner.

Would be camping remotely almost always on dirt- If leveling a trailer isn't a big issue then cool- I dont know much about that technology but was looking for simple and having opening/closing/sealing issues in which mosquitoes and rain can seep in since it was not "perfectly" level would make me want a non/folding hard sided unit- I probably need to rent a couple first and see how things go.

 

[JimParker256]

Would be camping remotely almost always on dirt- If leveling a trailer isn't a big issue then cool- I dont know much about that technology but was looking for simple and having opening/closing/sealing issues in which mosquitoes and rain can seep in since it was not "perfectly" level would make me want a non/folding hard sided unit- I probably need to rent a couple first and see how things go.

I get it, and agree completely. But my post was really more about the need to level (and how simple that can be) with pretty much ANY trailer (or RV of any kind). We've rented a Scamp, owned a couple of others (a 21-foot bumper pull and a 36-foot 5th wheel), and now have a 25-foot motorhome on a C-4500 van cab chassis. All of them need to be leveled at the campsite to maximize your enjoyment, but the shorter they are, the more you seem to feel it if they're "off-level"...

But the complaints about "leaking" of air, dust, etc. around the top-to-side seals would make me hesitant about purchasing an A-Liner - though I think the concept is very cool. Owners seem to be split on whether or not it's an issue at all, and I suspect it's less of an issue for newer trailers than for old ones. Don't know if the seals can be replaced (you'd think that would be easy to do), or if the newer ones come with a better seal type, or what...

I'm tempted to get one to pull with the Mav Hybrid for "quickie" camping trips... But the $$ make that less and less attractive.

 

[Nw_adventure]

I get it, and agree completely. But my post was really more about the need to level (and how simple that can be) with pretty much ANY trailer (or RV of any kind). We've rented a Scamp, owned a couple of others (a 21-foot bumper pull and a 36-foot 5th wheel), and now have a 25-foot motorhome on a C-4500 van cab chassis. All of them need to be leveled at the campsite to maximize your enjoyment, but the shorter they are, the more you seem to feel it if they're "off-level"...

But the complaints about "leaking" of air, dust, etc. around the top-to-side seals would make me hesitant about purchasing an A-Liner - though I think the concept is very cool. Owners seem to be split on whether or not it's an issue at all, and I suspect it's less of an issue for newer trailers than for old ones. Don't know if the seals can be replaced (you'd think that would be easy to do), or if the newer ones come with a better seal type, or what...

I'm tempted to get one to pull with the Mav Hybrid for "quickie" camping trips... But the $$ make that less and less attractive.

Our friends have that 5th wheel large Scamp- Such an interesting old-school trailer- I think they will be selling soon- Legit off road tear drops are like $30k + these days- yowsa

 

[bluesteel]

I get it, and agree completely. But my post was really more about the need to level (and how simple that can be) with pretty much ANY trailer (or RV of any kind). We've rented a Scamp, owned a couple of others (a 21-foot bumper pull and a 36-foot 5th wheel), and now have a 25-foot motorhome on a C-4500 van cab chassis. All of them need to be leveled at the campsite to maximize your enjoyment, but the shorter they are, the more you seem to feel it if they're "off-level"...

I skipped over the topic earlier, but I agree, leveling is not much of an issue, especially with only a single axle. I've always leveled side to side by looking out the back of the vehicle at a stick-on level on the front of the trailer. (You have to have good eyesight!) The one thing that can be a bit problematic is trying to level the axle using blocks on a soft and/or uneven surface. Even if it starts out level, it might not stay level. I suspect this would be more of a problem with a heavy trailer, though.

But the complaints about "leaking" of air, dust, etc. around the top-to-side seals would make me hesitant about purchasing an A-Liner - though I think the concept is very cool. Owners seem to be split on whether or not it's an issue at all, and I suspect it's less of an issue for newer trailers than for old ones. Don't know if the seals can be replaced (you'd think that would be easy to do), or if the newer ones come with a better seal type, or what...

I forgot about the dust. That was a problem for me. You'd really need to get in with some spray foam or something and fill all openings, and even that wouldn't be a perfect solution.

My a-frame worked out well through pretty intensive use with over a year's worth of nights over seven seasons, but by the end of last year I was ready to throw in the towel and upgrade to a conventional type. Hope the built quality proves to be decent. I will know soon. The Sun Lite 18RD report was encouraging!

 

[Nw_adventure]

I skipped over the topic earlier, but I agree, leveling is not much of an issue, especially with only a single axle. I've always leveled side to side by looking out the back of the vehicle at a stick-on level on the front of the trailer. (You have to have good eyesight!) The one thing that can be a bit problematic is trying to level the axle using blocks on a soft and/or uneven surface. Even if it starts out level, it might not stay level. I suspect this would be more of a problem with a heavy trailer, though.


I forgot about the dust. That was a problem for me. You'd really need to get in with some spray foam or something and fill all openings, and even that wouldn't be a perfect solution.

My a-frame worked out well through pretty intensive use with over a year's worth of nights over seven seasons, but by the end of last year I was ready to throw in the towel and upgrade to a conventional type. Hope the built quality proves to be decent. I will know soon. The Sun Lite 18RD report was encouraging!

Are there any higher end A/Frames besides what Aliner builds ?

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