What brand?

wrottdog · 04-30-2013, 01:28 PM

I'm just starting to look at a-frames. The Rockwood seems a little big to tow with my Honda Odyssey. Anyone have experience with Chalet or Aliner which seem to be smaller/lighter?

Pooneil · 04-30-2013, 01:43 PM

Welcome to the forum, wrottdog.

What year is your Odyssey and how is it equipped? It can be a very good tow vehicle.

No personal experience with the other brands, and you are right that they can be very light. From my reading they are also well made, so if one fits your towing and financial budget, it should serve you well. Just remember that part of the weight comes from shaving 6 inches off the trailer width, thus the bed length and interior space.

If you can sleep comfortably on a full sized mattress that has a foot and head board, then it should be no problem for you. I have a Cal King at home so 76 inches is not enough for me.

wrottdog · 04-30-2013, 02:01 PM

Thanks, Tom
My Odyssey is a 2013 EXL. I think I'll put a transmission cooler on it.
Good info about the bed. I'll stretch out on it. I'm used to a queen that I share with a 50 pound dog. LOL
I read some horrible reviews on the Chalet, but they were just on one website so I wasn't sure what to think. It looks really good. Just wondering if it will hold up. It is more expensive and I wonder why. Better made? Only one that small? I like the fridge better than the one in the Rockwood.

Pooneil · 04-30-2013, 02:25 PM

The longer Aliners and Chalets have the wider beds. So there is always an option, but they also approach the weight of a Forest River trailer.

Edmonds says, "Properly equipped, the Honda Odyssey can tow up to 3,500 pounds." So you are wise to watch your weight. But you should find the specific rating for how your vehicle is equipped and make sure it has that tranny cooler.

There are long discussions about how to interpret tow ratings. On new vehicles like this the ratings are supposed to be realistic and more standardized than in the past. My thinking to always stay under the GCVWR but others disagree. You should be able to pull a nice trailer and have a great time camping with that vehicle.

arlee453 · 04-30-2013, 02:39 PM

We towed with our popup with an Odyssey. You will need a weight distributing hitch for best handling, especially with the front wheel drive if you are anywhere close to the 3500lb weight limit. Also be sure to get a tranny cooler and brake cooler installed. The 3500 towing capacity assumes you have both those. Also in most states you have to have a brake controller if you are towing more than around 1000 lbs.

If you are new to towing, I would highly recommend you let your dealer install your hitch. From what I remember, just installing the brake controller and electrical connection for the hitch took them quite a while as the Odyssey is not pre-wired for a 7pin connector.

Also, the van sits quite low to the ground, so you need to make sure to have your setup checked by someone experienced, to make sure it will ride level.

Our popup towed just fine with the van - it was at the upper limit of the tow capacity, but the engine never really strained at all. I think the biggest thing is that the popup (and an A-Frame) is so low when folded down that helps it to tow easier with the smaller capacity vehicles like vans and small SUV.

Pooneil · 04-30-2013, 05:32 PM

Recommending a professional install is a good idea, Arlee.

I found a professional trailer shop near my home (Master Hitch) and made them my friends. They've had a world of good advice for me as a newby tower and set up the WDH just right for several TVs. Because they are nearby, it has been much easier to have trailer service done there.

It is not that UHaul cannot instal a hitch on your vehicle, it is that they are not towing experts nor are they likely to have diverse sources for getting hitches. A relationship with a pro can be worth far more than a few dollars saved on an install.

handbuilder · 04-30-2013, 06:50 PM

Brand is relative to what appeals to your personal preference in interior fabrics/upholstery and exterior decals as well as options and cost. I think Chalet is the most expensive brand, followed by Aliner and then Forest River being the least expensive with nearly all the options included as standard, as opposed to Chalet and Aliner.

Low tongue weight is the selling point of Aliner brand and the fact that the two companies (Chalet and ALiner) have been producing this style of trailer for many more years than Forest River. It is easy for the average Chalet or Aliner salesman to attempt to downgrade the Forest River product...however, keep in mind that Forest River has been making pop up trailers for a much longer time so their floors and frames do have a long track record.

So far the Forest River product (which produces Rockwood and Flagstaff A-Frame brands) seems to be holding their ground and giving the other 2 companies a run for the money.

I love my Flagstaff Hardside! I was tipped to buy an Aliner until my spouse urged me to look at the Forest River product....from there, it really was a no-brainer (for us) to make the purchase.The weight of the A-frame was never a main consideration since my tow vehicles are more than capable of towing one down the road.

I'd suggest you first learn what your vehicle is capable of pulling and then study the various light weight trailers that fall into the tow category of your vehicle's capability. You'll know when you step inside the right trailer....it just "feels" right!

Prior to purchasing my A-Frame, I had bought a new 2005 JayFeather by Jayco - it was a fully loaded lightweight travel trailer that I pulled with my 1995 3.2 Isuzu Rodeo with a weight distributing hitch. It weighed 2800 lbs & my little SUV pulled it just fine....but I didnt like not seeing behind me when towing and didnt like the wind pushing us...so in 2011, I sold it and in 2012 I bought the A-Frame.

You can find light weight trailers by Tab or R-Pods by Forest River....dont rule out the light weight travel trailers....theres a few that weight less than or equivalent to the Forest River A-Frames.

Best of luck!

Yukon Don · 05-01-2013, 09:39 AM

Hello wrottdog and welcome to the forums.

I traded up from an A-Liner A-lite. You can pretty much pull one of those with a bicycle but all they consist of is a bench convertible to a bed.

I looked very seriously at the A-Liner scout; they're 15 feet long and have a convertible dinette at either end and weigh just over 1100 pounds dry. No fridge, stove, furnace, water system or anything else. If you're upgrading from tent camping and are used to hauling along a cooler, water jug, stove, etc, they might be just the ticket.

The one thing I noticed with the Scout as opposed to my Flagstaff T10 is that my T10 seems to have a more solid feel to it. Maybe it's just because it's considerably heavier (1750 dry) but the Scout seemed almost ...flimsy. It is perhaps unfair of me to make that judgement without doing some serious travelling in one and the A-lite I had seemed a good enough unit.

If weight's a major concern, A-Liner also makes two versions of their Ranger in 10 and 12 foot lengths. Both come with all the amenities and are quite a bit lighter (@1200 poundish) than my T10.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

Jsusluvsyou · 05-01-2013, 01:39 PM

We were in the same situation. We first looked at a liner, then heard of the others. Price was the deal breaker for the a liner. The a liners run 20,000. When we looked at them we were not impressed with the inside construction, I liked the rockwood. We bought the a122bh (bike hauler). We pick it up in a couple days. Happy with our purchase. Glad we went to a larger dealer. Shop near the end of the month, better price as they try to reach a monthly quota. Was leaning towards the a128 with 2 tables for added space but bought what they had on the lot, the price was right, and half the price of a liner. We have a 2013 Honda Odessey van. We bought it and added the hitch package with trani. Cooler. Never pulled a trailer and will update after picking it up this weekend.n

RenFaire Camper · 05-01-2013, 05:10 PM

We look at the different brands before deciding on the Flagstaff A-Frame. A couple of things that decide us was that the AC was under the rear bed and not next to the door as on the A-Liner. Having the AC sticking out the side of the camper made me nervious that it would be a damage magnet. Having both an heat pump and a funance was another plus because we spend half our camping at State parks hooked to shore power the heat pump is a good deal. The front cargo deck was another plus for the Flagstaff as was the over all construction and the fact that it pretty much came with all the options we wanted standard.

Pooneil · 05-01-2013, 05:29 PM

I was a bit shocked that the on some Aliners, the AC actually sticks out by the door. Meaning that when you are sitting under the canopy the AC will be blowing white hot noise on you. The service side is the only place for that monster.

**bikendan** · 05-01-2013, 09:36 PM

just remember, the Rockwood and Flagstaff A-frames are the same exact trailers.
the only differences are the outside graphics and interior fabric designs.

Pooneil · 05-02-2013, 06:26 AM

My local Rockwood dealer claimed Flagstaffs have lower resale value when he was doing the hard press to close the deal against a counter offer. Not that I believed that anyone on Craigslist would care in 15 years or so.

IndyRC · 05-03-2013, 07:46 AM

When we were looking last year, we lucked out and went to a dealer that sold both Aliner and the Rockwood. At the time we weren't even considering a popup, but my GF fell in love with them. The biggest selling point for us was the toy deck because we ride motorcycles. Disregarding the toy deck, the A/C on the Aliner was a deal breaker for us. I hate that is looks like a window unit. Also IIRC, it's rated at exactly half the output of the Rockwood. It just so happened that the day we went, they had an Aliner set up outside with the A/C running on a hot day. It just wasn't keeping up.

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