The Perfect Addition to Our U-haul Camper

Santa brought me the perfect addition to our U-haul Camper for Christmas, a canoe! I'm super excited to dive into a new frontier of outdoor adventures. I like to fish and I've done a little from boats but most of my fishing has been from the bank of a lake/river.

A few years back before we had kids, I got the opportunity to get my hands on a small boat. It was a old 1970s Sears Craftsman 12ft fiberglass boat. It was nice because it wasn't heavy. I actually only put a trolling motor on it and it would take me upstream on the Oconee fairly easily. After we had kids, I didn't have as much time to take it out. I was trying to get our family outdoors and camping at the time. That's when we bought the U-haul CT-13. The camper was going to replace the tent for us.

That decision pretty much put the nail in the coffin of the boat. I couldn't tow the camper and the boat when we went somewhere. And I refuse to be one of those people who take multiple vehicles so they can haul every single toy they own camping. I enjoy having my family with me outdoors, and I enjoy sharing experiences with them. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy solo trips too to decompress. (It's easier to find time to read a book when you're not entertaining 5 and 7 year olds.) But getting my family outdoors and experiencing their excitement and wonder is something I genuinely enjoy. So I sold the boat.

The obvious option, if I wanted a boat I could take with the camper, was a canoe or kayak. Something I could strap to the roof of the SUV that wouldn't impact towing the camper. So the search was on to find one. I've been saving a little money and keeping the idea in the back of my mind for a couple years. I read reviews and listed out my requirements/wants. I weighed my list and prioritized features. In the end, I opted for a canoe for now. With the kids being young, I need something I can take them out in together. You just can't find a 3 person kayak.

I settled on the Old Town Saranac. It's 14.5 ft long and while it weighs 70-something pounds, it does have good reviews. It's not too expensive at ~$499 most places online. It will seat 3 people and handle over 700 pounds. I've had it strapped on the roof and it doesn't overhang too much. For now, I think this is the best option to get my kids on the water. When they get older, we may trade-up for some kayaks. Hopefully by that time, they'll have a desire within to explore on their own.

The sad thing about getting a canoe for Christmas is that it's too cold to really enjoy it right now. Can't wait for spring to break it out. Expect to see a few more posts, photos, and videos after we've broken it in and learn more about exploring on the water as a family.

U-haul Fiberglass Camper Tow Vehicles

So one of the great things about camping in a small fiberglass camper is that they're lightweight and you can tow them with much smaller vehicles as compared to their stick-built counterparts. I don't need a large F250 or 2500 to pull this thing. I've talked with many folks who pull campers and some of these folks get less than 10 mi/gal when towing their giant rigs. If it's going to cost me $1000 to tow my rig to the beach and camp, I might as well just save the trouble and get a nice house/cabin for the vacation. I should preface this by saying that we typically do not go camping for weeks at a time. While we did do a 10 day trip to South Dakota and back, we normally do about 3-4 days (long weekends).

I have not had the CT weighed yet on a trip, but I know it's well below the limits of the vehicles I've towed it with. Those include the following:

1. 2001 Mazda Tribute 3.0L V6 (3500lb towing capacity)
2. 2007 GMC Acadia SLT2 3.6L V6 (4500lb towing capacity)
3. 2011 Kia Sorento 3.5L V6 (3500lb towing capacity)

Of all of these, the Mazda probably had the biggest hit on gas mileage but some of that I think was due to other engine issues and it's age. It has well over 200k miles on it. The Acadia towed like a dream. (We got rid of it due to other quality issues that were common in the 2007-2009 model years; I can't recommend those years.) Of course it's a larger vehicle than the other two and has a longer wheelbase and 19" tires. We used it on our trip to South Dakota and enjoyed the space and you could barely tell you had a trailer back there. The Mazda probably has the worse stopping due to the rear drum brakes. I prefer 4 wheel discs for towing since the CT-13's do not have trailer brakes. I have not had a chance yet to pull in the mountains with the Kia. Though on our last trip to the beach in South Carolina, it towed fine without any issues.

2001 Mazda Tribute 3.0L V6 towing our U-haul (Uhaul) Fiberglass Camper (CT-13) 

2007 GMC Acadia SLT2 3.6L V6 towing our U-haul (Uhaul) Fiberglass Camper (CT-13) 

2011 Kia Sorento 3.5L V6 towing our U-haul (Uhaul) Fiberglass Camper (CT-13) 

For tips on towing check my previous post on towing.

What do you tow with? Would you recommend your tow vehicle to others? Leave a comment below and share your knowledge with others.

Update (May 22, 2016: After several trips with the Kia, we haven't had any problems. I still haven't had it in the steep mountains yet, but it's been without issues.

New Tow Vehicle: 2015 GMC Acadia SLT-2 AWD 3.6L V6

Update (Nov 2018: We took a 4k mile trip in with the Kia and never had an issue. Our Kia was totaled by another driver in June and we have replaced it with a 2015 GMC Acadia AWD with a 5200lb towing capacity. The newer Acadia has operated well in the trips we've been on since getting it and provides a bit more interior space than the Kia did. However, the gas mileage as a daily driver was better with the Sorento. In 2017, GMC made big changes to the Acadia and it's now smaller overall than the 2016 and previous years. Towing capacity is also at 4000lb currently on the newer models. 

Video: Hitching Up the U-Haul CT-13 Camper

So after my last post on towing, I decided to do a video of how I hitch up the camper just for folks who've never done it before and are thinking of buying one.

In the video, I mention a couple of things I use when I setup camp. Here's a list with links in case you are interested:

1. Stabilizer Jacks
2. Wheel Chocks
3. Front Jack Wheel Dock
4. Coupler Lock

Towing a Fiberglass Camper

Recently as I posted before, U-Haul bought a CT-13 camper back and did a roadtrip back to their headquarters in Phoenix, AZ this summer. It's pretty neat that they are taking a renewed interest in the old campers and their legacy. If there's one thing I can say about the Uhaul campers, it's that they were built to last and to handle the rough aspect of rental life.

U-Haul put up a recent post on their blog about towing a camper. It's a good brief post about things you need to be aware of when towing. They could definitely have gone into more detail on some of it. I wanted to highlight a few things to think about. Hooking up correctly is the first thing.

1. Make sure the trailer coupler is connected securely to the tow vehicle's hitch. A good test once you've connected it to the ball on the tow vehicle is to use the tongue jack on the trailer to crank the tongue back up. If it stays connected and doesn't pop off then you're secure (don't go too far with this, you don't want to damage anything). Your just testing that it's not going to pop off when you hit a bump; 
2. Connect your chains by crossing them. Yes, cross the chains. This should hold the tongue of the trailer if it does pop off allowing you time to stop.
3. Always make sure your trailer lights are connected and working. Test them before you leave! Test running lights, brakes, and each turn signal. It's a simple step but if you don't you could get a ticket or worse rear-ended. If something's not working, fix it before you leave. If you know you're going on a long trip, you may want to even hook up and test the lights a day or two before you leave to make sure there are no electrical issues or bulbs burned out. Still always check every time you hook up.
4. Brakes: If you have trailer brakes (there are two types surge and electric), then make sure they are hooked up correctly and that you know how to adjust them if necessary. It's always a good idea to test them too before you pull out. (The Uhaul CT-13's do not have trailer brakes; the VT-16's have surge brakes).

I usually check the tires for air pressure before loading the camper. Always look at the tires every time you hook up to tow. Check for wear and the air pressure. Also, remember to move any rocks, chocks or whatever you use to brace the wheels when parked before pulling out. It's a good idea to carry an air compressor in case you need to add air to the tires. Make sure that you have one with a long enough cord/hose to reach the trailer tires. My tow vehicle has a 12v power port in the rear cargo area. If your's doesn't, consider adding one. They really do help get your air compressor closer to the trailer tires. I use this air compressor. I've had it for years and I specifically bought it because the combination of the cord + coiled hose is long enough to reach the tires on either of my trailers. Better yet, some vehicles have a compressor built in. I do realize that you can get roadside assistance if you get a flat through various roadside service programs. However, sometimes you may just need to top off or you may find yourself with a slow leak that you want to add some air to get you to the next exit where you can find a safer place to pull off or get help.

This is by no means an exhaustive discussion on these topics. I just wanted to go into a little more depth.

Do you tow a camper regularly? Have any more suggestions? Feel free to leave them in the comments section below.