In general, does anyone have any opinions on different brands and the plusses/minuses of each?
Thanks!
Steven, you know what they say about opinions. I have some pretty strong opinions on this topic and a fair bit of experience.
Personally, the last thing I want to do off-road is drag around a small trailer; I did enough of that in the Army to last a lifetime. I could write an essay on all the ways that can make your life harder off-road. If you have never backed a small trailer down a tight, winding, rocky, tree-lined trail with a larger vehicle, try that before you buy one of the cool little off-road trailers! It can be done, it's just not so fun.
Unless you are really old or too used to luxury, sleep on the ground, in a tent, or in your rig. If you need it to carry your shit, you have too much shit! Real overlanders, not the weekend warriors many of us probably are, carry everything they need in their vehicle, and stay out for months or even years, some with families!
That said, I went to the Overland Expo last spring, and of all the trailers there, the standout was the Tribe Trailers, Expedition 500. My buddy and I agreed nothing else was even close. IMHO, this is a bit too big for technical off-roading; a smaller trailer is better for that, but still sucks compared to no trailer. The tribe trailer appeared to be very well made. The design is similar to the old Hi-Low trailers with hard sides and a top that slides down over the bottom like a fruit box. It had a tiny kitchen, an outdoor stove, and even a bathroom complete with a shower. It had solid off-road suspension and big tires. I think these are about $55-60k these days and twice the deals as some others, costing almost as much. The deal breaker for me is that the queen-sized bed sits sideways, so the person on the front has to crawl over the person nearest the rest of the trailer. My wife found that to be no bueno in the 4-wheel camper I used to own. Otherwise, I would own one.
I am casually shopping for a slightly larger trailer with some limited off-road capability. I like to camp away from the crowded campgrounds and camp for free on BLM land. Having a more capable rig helps you get past the crowds. I'm looking at Forest River's No Boundaries line; they have some off-road capability, and are spacious and comfortable. These are in the $30k range. They are not "Trail Rated" like your Jeep! I'd say they are "Dirt Road Rated".
This was in 2013, and yes, I went down that trail because I couldn't back out the way I'd come!
gofastcampers.com
hawkesoutdoors.com
