Thoughts on towing a 17’ Casita?

[805BaseSquatch]

I have a 4dr base Sas, 2.7. Installed the curt hitch, and will add a brake controller as well.

I’m looking into buying a 17’ Casita spirit trailer, dry weight is 2480lbs. I don’t plan to carry much in it, and not filling the water tank. So it should stay under 3k total trailer weight.
Family of 3, maybe 4 some day, and gear in the bronco.

Would this put it too close to limits to be comfortable towing? I know it has the power to pull more weight, but obviously lots of other factors at play here.
Currently I tow a 1,500lb off road trailer with no issue. Had my boat (probably close to 3.5k lbs with trailer and fuel etc) with no issue but only short mostly flat distances on that.

thanks for sharing your experiences/ thoughts.

one thing I just noticed is their tongue weight is published at 365lbs too.

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[MyATV]

You might find this interesting:

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...rs-ideal-for-bronco.3162/page-28#post-1433286

 

[zuke]

Something that is often overlooked with towing is frontal area...

Your Bronco is rated for 3,500lb, and 40 SqFt of frontal area... The Casita Spirt, at 7ftx9ft, has a frontal area of 63 SqFt... A typical overland trailer tends to have a much smaller frontal area.

Basically it's like pulling a great big sail behind you, because the Bronco doesn't provide enough of a vacuum tunnel for it.

I've towed loads like that behind my Gladiator, that are way over the frontal area, but below the weight limit. You will feel the drag from it in the best of conditions, in a head wind you will really feel it, in a cross wind, it can be down right dangerous.

If you're going to do it, I would strongly recommend an additional sway control system, and making sure to travel when winds are calm... (I haven't used the sway control system linked! Just including it as an example.)

If you do a search of this site, there are a number of threads about trailer sway control that may help as well...

*I would strongly consider some sort of pop up instead

 

[DriveAllNight]

It's not just the trailer weight - you have weight, your family has weight, everything you put inside the Bronco has weight, this all matters. It's not just about trailer weight, it's also combined weight and remember the tongue weight is effected by payload weight.
And it's so easy to quickly add weight in the trailer with 'just essentials'

Remember all that mass has to not only be pulled, and controlled on the highway, you have to be able to stop it. Do the math first.

Plus what the other posters said ...

 

[805BaseSquatch]

It's not just the trailer weight - you have weight, your family has weight, everything you put inside the Bronco has weight, this all matters. It's not just about trailer weight, it's also combined weight and remember the tongue weight is effected by payload weight.
And it's so easy to quickly add weight in the trailer with 'just essentials'

Remember all that mass has to not only be pulled, and controlled on the highway, you have to be able to stop it. Do the math first.

Plus what the other posters said ...

Yep completely understand that, and alluded to that in my post.
That’s why I’m here asking if it’s too much, and seems like it is.

 

[805BaseSquatch]

Something that is often overlooked with towing is frontal area...

Your Bronco is rated for 3,500lb, and 40 SqFt of frontal area... The Casita Spirt, at 7ftx9ft, has a frontal area of 63 SqFt... A typical overland trailer tends to have a much smaller frontal area.

Basically it's like pulling a great big sail behind you, because the Bronco doesn't provide enough of a vacuum tunnel for it.

I've towed loads like that behind my Gladiator, that are way over the frontal area, but below the weight limit. You will feel the drag from it in the best of conditions, in a head wind you will really feel it, in a cross wind, it can be down right dangerous.

If you're going to do it, I would strongly recommend an additional sway control system, and making sure to travel when winds are calm... (I haven't used the sway control system linked! Just including it as an example.)

If you do a search of this site, there are a number of threads about trailer sway control that may help as well...

*I would strongly consider some sort of pop up instead

Definitely would do sway control / wdh. Seems like it’s too much trailer.

 

[805BaseSquatch]

Now that I’m finding real world tongue weights on the 17’ Casita at 500lbs, it is way too much.
Bummer!

 

[zuke]

Now that I’m finding real world tongue weights on the 17’ Casita at 500lbs, it is way too much.
Bummer!

Yeah, Definitely too much there!

 

[Tdub0527]

Not an expert on trailers and don't know the specs on these, but have you checked out Scamp trailers? They are a fiberglass trailer known for being lightweight (not sure how light weight).

https://www.scamptrailers.com/showroom/16-trailers

 

[805BaseSquatch]

Not an expert on trailers and don't know the specs on these, but have you checked out Scamp trailers? They are a fiberglass trailer known for being lightweight (not sure how light weight).

https://www.scamptrailers.com/showroom/16-trailers

I have looked at the Scamp, but something about them just doesn't do it for me. Friend had one of them, and they are definitely light weight.

 

[805BaseSquatch]

Yeah, Definitely too much there!

Found a Casita 16' and apparently they are 800lbs lighter, and tongue weight is 245lbs

 

[DriveAllNight]

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

 

[805BaseSquatch]

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

Cool but out of price range

 

[zuke]

Found a Casita 16' and apparently they are 800lbs lighter, and tongue weight is 245lbs

Cool, Yep, definitely a big weight difference there. Also, the 16ft is a foot shorter in height, so less frontal area to worry about.

It gets that lower frontal area at the cost ceiling height too though, But If you looked at it, I'm guessing you already knew that..

 

[da_jokker]

Dry weight is easy to stay under $3,500 lb with one of these light trailers. But be careful of the tongue weight.

I went through an exhausting list of possibilities...targeted <2500 dry + < 250 tounge.

Ended up with a Sunlite 16Bh (You're probably going to want to stay right around the 16 size)… replaced my oem hitch with a better build one that won't bend so easily, and my WT pulls it with barely noticing it is back there.

No WD hitch so far. Just be aware of how much you add to the tongue...for example my water tank is in front so I don't fill it to the top just because...they typically have batteries, propane tanks..all add straight tongue weight.

You will definitely need the brake controller..adjusted right..again, barely feel the trailer back there.

Ah one thing to note as well...most normal trailers are probably going to require your spare tire removed+ and extension which also changes the tongue leverage.

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