Blakeas - The size is up to you. I'd get the biggest deck the car can handle and you are comfortable pulling. Maybe a 5 or 6'X8' would suit you well. Personally, I like to see the tires on the trailer in my sideviews. Doubtful you'd be able to see them on a 4 foot wide trailer. Look in the yellow pages under "trailers" for a local dealer. Get the best quality you can afford, which means avoid big box store trailers unless you're really tight with the budget and don't plan for a LOT of use. Masiman had a lot of good advice. If you can, get one with stake pockets for sides. If not, no big deal. You can buy them at any hardware store and bolt or weld 'em on. Unless you kinda know what to look for, I'd stay away from used ones. Lots of trailers out there have been badly abused and don't cost much less than new. If you find a used one for a song, look real hard under the deck at the frame. Any cracks or repairs should send you away. Look at the tires and, if possible, jack up the trailer and wiggle the wheel. If it's loose, the bearings should be repacked and tightened ot replaced. Not a big job if you know what you're doing but could get expensive if you have someone else do it. Machiem - I don't know. Maybe. I was told that by a trailer dealer when I went out trailer hunting. I was looking for about 3500 and he told me to get below 3000 and save a lot of hassle. I ended up buying a used 6000 GVW 6X10 Ditchwitch tilt deck that used to haul trenchers and had to title it anyway. It's pulled behind an F150 and is sometimes a bit big and mostly way too small. I hauled a John Deere B on it once. ONCE! :-)

Canguy is right on the money as to fines for unsecured load. Here in the States, the federal standards for securing transported cargo require that the securing point on the transported object, the securing devices (chains, ropes, straps, etc.), and the securing points on the transporting vehicle, be substantial enough to withstand impact generated forces "a MINIMUM of 6 Gs" (G-forces). This means that (for example) a tractor weighing 600 pounds must be secured with a system that will withstand 3,600 pounds of force in order to be "legal" by U.S. DOT standards. To determine the "minimum" rating needed, multiply the weight of object by 6. That will give the minimum rating needed. It is recommended that you use a system rated for 10 times the weight of object in actual practice. It is doubtful that a private individual hauling a GT or LT on a small trailer would be stopped and have the securing system evaluated for compliance by the local constabulary, but encountering one of the State DOT compliance units (who inspect transport loads as their primary function) could lead to a citation if you have not prepared a good "tie down" system. These folks also have portable scales to weigh the transporting vehicles to see if the gross weight (vehicle & load) is in compliance. If one of these guys inspects your "rig" you can bet he will look at things you never dreamed of. My point with this is: Why invite an inspection by having no visible tie down system. And if you were to be involved in some kind of collision or other highway accident where your (transported object) was released therein, a "thorough investigation" would follow. Don't forget that in the event the example 600 pound tractor is released at sufficient speed in a collision, it could exert the destructive force of a 3,600 pound (or greater) object when it strikes another object (mini-van filled with a kid's soccer team for example). I don't think hauling anything unsecured in an open truck bed or trailer is something to boast about, considering the potential consequences and/or fines/lawsuites. JMHO plus some facts.

I bought our used tent trailer last June (2008) and we love it. We found it on craigslist, and for us it was a good experience. We wanted a camping trailer that would fit in our garage, so a big travel trailer was not an option. Here's what I learned: - A good used tent trailer is clean, free of mold, and the wood around the sink area is not swollen with water damage. No smoke/dog/food odors whatsoever. Very clean and in good working order. - Have a trailer repair/service shop check out your trailer before you buy - they'll be able to tell you if everything works as it should. Worth the money. They'll also be able to show you how everything works. - It takes a few camping trips before you really get the hang of it. I was nervous about the propane furnace, how the 3-way (gas-elec-battery) fridge worked, and the leveling of the unit. But now that I have it figured out, I'm good to go! - The guy we bought it from kept it in a large clean shop/garage, so it was dry all winter. No mice. I wouldn't buy one that's been kept outside. - No toilet/potty in ours. We only camp in parks with showers and restrooms. I did buy an outdoor shower, though, for use at the campsite for private quick cleanups. - Be careful about the weight - the trailers with the extra storage are typically bigger and weigh more, especially by the time you add the rest of your camping gear (chairs, bikes, rafts, food, etc.). - I wish our camper had a bike rack on top; it's a difficult trick carrying bikes on the racks that go between truck and trailer. - Bear Country: check with the park to see what they say about tents and tent trailers. Food lockers are common in those areas. We survived a severe lightning storm in our tent trailer last summer at Lost Lake in Oregon (and my teenage boys thought it was awesome). - We don't have a generator. Just a good battery. Extended camping trips of 3 days or more might benefit from having a generator, but you'll add weight with that. An extra battery might be easier. - Find a good rv forum like TrailerLife to get a lot of your questions answered. - We have two large propane tanks, and that is more than adequate. The water tank under the trailer holds something like 30 gallons, and you shouldn't fill it until you get to the campground (weight, see?). - There is a bluebook for RV's. Check before you buy. - Our brand is a 10-year-old Jayco, and it's very good. - I bought one of those cabela outdoor kitchens to use since I like space and convenience when I'm cooking. The indoor sink is just used for quick cleanups. - The gas hot water and furnace is awesome; I wouldn't go camping without it again (think cleaning pots/pans, warm water for showering, etc.). - My husband is not mechanically inclined, so it's up to me to make sure it's set up properly and running right, and I do just fine thankyouverymuch. - Getting it level at the sight is SOOO important. There's a lot to learn about using one, but once you figure it out, you're ready to go camping any time. My greatest helper was the trailerlife forum. Really found the experts there extremely knowledgeable and eager to help. Hope this helps. Good luck, and happy camping!! (I can send you pictures of the trailer and the setup if you'd like.)

Hello again Tinmantu, and thanks again. I found the safety bulletin extremely interesting, and even though it is concerned with models manufactured after my friend's it brings up several possibilities. One possibility is that her furnace is similar, or installed similarly to, the models in the bulletin; that would be worth her time to follow up on. It's also possible that her serviceman looked at that unit, thought "Hmm, 90's vintage Coleman, probably ought to replace that heat exchanger- a lot of those were fire hazards and that's what I'd do if it were mine; better safe than sorry" or even may have felt the need to cover himself liability-wise. Or maybe he's just looking for the buck, who knows? Anyhow, now, thanks to you, she has some idea of what to ask people, and what to look for. Thanks again for all your help. I've printed out the bulletin and all the responses and will take them to her tomorrow. Best regards, Mark