This is the second of four postings on the trend toward ‘Small Towable RVs.
‘Easy’ is a term used over and over by many small towable recreation vehicle owners.
As a refresher, for this series of posts, we are defining ‘small trailers’ as being between 16 and 19 feet, with a dry-weight of less than 4,000 pounds. These shorter rigs are easy to handle, very maneuverable and extremely towable.
Upon retiring after more than 25 years in the U.S. Army, and another 20-plus years in law enforcement, Bonnie Evans, Jr., and his wife, Dedra, were ready for an RV that was “to just hook up and go.”
The San Antonio couple love fishing and have camped at dozens of the Texas State Parks in their 2010 Fleetwood 18-foot Pioneer Spirit.
“We have traveled as far East as Washington, D.C., stopping in some places with pretty small sites and have never encountered any problems maneuvering and parking our trailer,” said Bonnie Evans.
For safety, all RV owners need to know three figures: their tow vehicle’s maximum hauling/load capacity; their RV’s dry weight and gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) with all cargo onboard.
Driving their 2000 Toyota Tundra equipped with the 4.7-liter V-8 engine, Kevin and Jane Justis of Susanville, Calif., have crisscrossed America for 10 years, logging in more than 700 nights camping and 60,000 miles easily towing their 17-foot 1995 Casita.
“While small, the Casita is not super light at 1,700 pounds dry-weight and our small V-8 is a good match,” said Kevin Justis. “With its egg-like shape, winds are no issue while towing.”
To read part 1 of ‘Small towable RVs,’ click on — “Economical to pull”
To read part 3, click on — “Watch your weight”
To read part 4, click on — “One man’s search for the perfect sized RV for his active retirement ”
— Julianne G. Crane
Photos: (Top) Bonnie and Dedra Evans of San Antonio, Tex., use their 18-foot Pioneer Spirit travel trailer for camping where the fish are jumping. (Bottom) Avid bicyclists Jane and Kevin Justis of Susanville, California, travel almost half time in their 17-feet Freedom Deluxe Casita travel trailer. (Photos by Julianne G. Crane)
