Troop Trailer

[eagle90]

We are in the midst of shopping for a new troop trailer. We have outgrown the one we now own. For those who have troop trailers, what kind do you have, what size and features, and what was the price. Thanks in advance for a little market research!

 

Dale

[Gold Winger]

My son's troop started off with a small trailer which has grown larger thanks to an adult who keeps buying bigger trailers for himself.

 

Our current trailer is pretty big, big enough to have two axles.

 

The back door is a double door. There is also a door on the side near the front. We have shelves in the front for stoves, and small propane bottles. There are also hooks for hanging shovels, rakes, rope, etc. which are held in place with bungees. PVC pipe on the roof holds flagpoles and tent poles for the flies. There was talk but I don't know if it happened of putting a rack over the tongue for the large propane tanks.

 

Cost was nothing since it was donated.

 

 

[CA_Scouter]

Hey... let's discuss the other side.....

 

 

[resqman]

We built a false floor in the troop trailer. The gap between the trailer floor and the false floor is the same diminsion at the tarp poles. The space is divided into 4 sections. The poles have been color coded with pieces of tape. All the poles of a certain length and color go into one section. You can pull out the poles for tarp A or tarp B.

 

That way all the tarp poles are accessbile without unloading the entire trailer.

[scoutmomma]

I'm interested in knowing this as well. Our troop is considering acquiring a trailer. Most of our trips now have 25-30 Scouts and 6-8 adults participating, and with each Scout year usually including at least one bike trip, one multi-sport trip (biking, hiking & canoeing), an annual family ski trip, as well as a week of summer camp, we find we need to rent a trailer several times a year, and collecting one the night before an early-morning departure or having to return one on a Sunday afternoon after a weekend trip can be a bit of a hassle. Our Scoutmaster has asked if the Troop Committee will consider funding the purchase of a troop trailer, and I suspect we very likely will be acquiring one by the end of the Scout year, but what to look for in terms of cost and features is a bit of an open question!

 

Scoutmomma

[Gold Winger]

"Our philosphy is that if you want to go car camping, go with your family. The troop does backpacking, Leave No Trace, minimal impact on the environment, etc...."

 

BP was of the opinion that your campsite should be as comfortable as your home. Chairs, tables, etc. For hiking trips we usually hire ten or fifteen locals to carry our gear.

 

 

[Gunny2862]

One thing you need to consider for the future with the purchase of a trailer is how it will be pulled!

If the current SM/ASM/CC has an appropriate vehicle then great. But how will your successors pull it. Our previous SM obtained a large trailer(5,000lb. GVWR), and it is great(It holds everything ((too much of everything))- really, with room left over). With a Suburban we can pull it and carry seven passengers +Driver to the "basecamp". But we are currently borrowing the CC's suburban anytime we pull the trailer. Which is fine now but what if it becomes a problem for him to loan the Suburban out? Especially if you are or become trailer dependent.

 

I like what we are doing, but also enjoy our "backpack version" of camping also when the trailer stays home. Just because you have the trailer doesn't mean you need to use it for every outing.

 

Current trailer is a twin axle, interior lighted by battery, twin rear doors and front side door. A previous CC welded a storage shelf system along the front and one entire side of the trailer opposite the side door. Shelves hold Tents, Stoves, Med kits, Wood tools box, Tarp and frame kit, Cook kits slide underneath along with fuels storage. Tables are strapped to the short wall across from rack leaving almost the entire floor space open for Coolers and packs, and footlockers if used for summer camp. Its a great set up but truly and easily could be seen as overkill. Cost? donated to the CO.

[Ohio_Scouter]

Ditto what Gunny says. Our Troop has about 35 scouts, so make sure you have an appropriately sized vehicle for hauling the trailer you acquire.

 

We have a single axle, single locking rear door, 9'-10' long trailer that we haul with our 15-passenger Ford Econoline 350 Troop van. One of our ASMs built some removable shelves for various and sundry items. I also like resqman's idea of building a false floor to accommodate tent/canopy poles and tarps without having to unload the rest of the trailer.

 

We decided to stick with a smaller sized trailer because we know that if we buy a larger one, we'll fill it with additional gear whether we need it or not. Not sure what the price was since the trailer was acquired before my son entered the Troop.

 

We use the trailer to haul all our backpacks on hiking, backpacking, and high adventure trips for our older scouts which sometimes include travel to Yellowstone, Northern Tier, Seabase, and Philmont, among other places. For the younger scouts, we use it each year at summer camp to haul all of their camping gear and for normal monthly Troop campouts as well. It works out well for our needs.

[Gunny2862]

The top rack of the shelf system holds our poles and tarp (approx 15x24 possibly larger,when assembled ((custom kit))) . We can and do get to it first, it is the first item of set-up when used as a dining fly for a car camp - which is obviously what we are doing when the trailer goes along.

 

The false floor idea is a good one but in a trailer of our size would either deform under load or require a prohibitively costly and weighty flooring or bracing.

[eolesen]

We're in the no-trailer crowd as well. CO won't allow one on property, so it's a no-brainer. After coming from a unit with two single axle trailers, I don't miss them at all.

 

If we need a trailer for hauling gear to camp, we rent from U-Haul or borrow one. Enclosed trailers are nice, but I find that flat trailers work best for footlockers & gear that can be safely tied down.

 

 

[SSScout]

Our Troop got it's trailer after the conjunction of several lines...

(1) Troop had accumulated alot of gear. Over flowed the Scout Closet in the CO. Spread around in several Scouter garages: 2 burner gas stoves, water coolers, Troop tents, Tarps, cook sets, etc.

(2) Patrols (once 5) all made Patrol boxes and Camporee type tables.

(3) Troop got smaller (1 Patrol), dads left too.

(4) Eagle Scout graduated, gave his Scout Acount to Troop to purchase trailer, spent project converting empty trailer into storage and carrying racks.

(5) Another Eagle project built a storage shelter for the trailer and more shelving on the corner of the CO property. Troop still small.

Now, the Troop is again a larger more active size. And so we got a trailer that sits mostly, and we draw things out of it as we need for camping trips. If it's a real expedition, a camporee or big family trip to the beach park, we haul the trailer. Otherwise, it is a big closet.

 

 

[Eagle69]

Even when backpacking a trailer is nice. Unless you have a bunch of cargo vans getting 20+ people and backpacks to the starting point is a logistics problem. If your unit is one that stores equipment in the trailer when it is not in use, make sure it is as secure as possible. Where I live units have lost everything when someone steals the trailer from where it is stored.

[ASM857]

We sold our 6x12 and purchased used a 7x16 trailer total cost was $850 after we recieved the check on the original trailer. Adult leaders donated wood & time to make racking on both sides and a propane cabinet. The only problem is you do need a vehicle with a V-8 to pull, the old trailer I could pull with my Mini Van. If you are looking check local business we got ours from a carpet company.

Hope my rant helps

YIS

Doug Buth