If you’ve read or seen anything on the tiny home trend, then you know that small spaces can still be fun and functional.
When looking for a small travel trailer, you’ll also find lower costs, easier maintenance, simple towing, and plenty of places to park.
The average travel trailer weighs about 5,200 lbs unloaded, so once your tanks are filled and your gear is loaded, you may need to upgrade your vehicle to be able to take your travel trailer out for the weekend.
Having to upgrade your vehicle adds to your costs, and many tow vehicles get poor gas mileage, which can really cramp your outdoor plans, besides being unfriendly to the environment.
We’ve listed seven awesome small trailers that are well below the average weight, all skating in at under 3,000 pounds.
Read on to see our favorite picks.
1. KZ Escape E160RBT
Unloaded Vehicle Weight: 2,690
Net Carrying Capacity: 810
KZ RV’s Escape line of ultra-lightweight travel trailers uses fiberglass construction to ensure that these travel trailers are easy to tow and durable.
If you’d like a choice of floor plans, check out their Escape mini line. This line has four floor plans, all under 3,000 pounds, each with one queen bed and a slide out in the living area.
But for this list, we’re highlighting the model from the standard Escape line that weighs in under 3,000 lbs.
One of the most awesome aspects of this travel trailer is that the E160RBT doesn’t have a slide. Instead, this model has two 54 x 74 tent beds at either end of the trailer.
The tent beds are self-supporting and covered with the heat-resistant, waterproof Aqualon Edge tent material that Aqualon Edge supports with a 7-year warranty.
Each bed is rated at 1,100 lbs, so you won’t worry about exceeding its capacity. These beds are also super easy to set up. You only need one person to get these set up since the tent ends can be extended as easily as opening a door.
The box length of this model is 18’10” and the interior height is 6’6″, making it roomy enough for most adults and a great choice for weekending with kids. Since this model sleeps up to eight, its small size doesn’t prohibit its use as a family travel trailer.
The interior of the Escape E160RBT has a galley with a 6 cubic foot two-way fridge, convection microwave, and a two-burner cooktop.
The living space has a pantry/closet with hanging storage, a four-person dinette, and a jack-knife sofa. Both the sofa and dinette convert into sleeping space.
The bathroom is fairly small, as is expected in a travel trailer this size, but it is still packed with everything you need. Inside, you’ll find the toilet, sink with medicine cabinet and vanity, and a corner shower.
Outside, you’ll find storage, speakers, a 10′ power awning with LED light, and an aluminum solid step system.
2. Jayco Hummingbird 16MRB
Unloaded Vehicle Weight: 2,780
Net Carrying Capacity: 970
Another travel trailer from a well-known brand is the Jayco Hummingbird. This line has six floor plans to choose from, five of which are under 3,000 pounds.
For this list, we’ve chosen the 16MRB model for the convenience of its Murphy bed and rear bathroom.
The Hummingbird 16MRB has an exterior length of 19’10” and an interior height of 6’6″. Other awesome features of this model include the standard Goodyear radial tries, Dexter rubber-torsion axle, and the 10′ power awning with remote controlled multi-color LED lights.
Inside, this model has a generous 60 x 75 Murphy bed that opens out across the jack-knife sofa. There is no dedicated dinette, but the couch is roomy and can function as a dining area as well with a 2 x 4 folding stow-away table.
The kitchen includes a convection microwave, fridge, and two-burner range stove with both cabinet and drawer storage alongside a combination pantry/wardrobe.
The rear of the trailer is a bathroom with a large mirrored linen closet and a second storage closet as well as a standard toilet, sink, and corner shower.
On the exterior of the Hummingbird 16MRB is a pass-through storage area and a second, smaller storage area at the rear of the trailer.
Another awesome feature to any Jayco travel trailer is Jayco’s two-year limited warranty which covers you for two full camping seasons.
Jayco is also starting a three-year structural warranty to be applied to its 2020 models. This additional warranty comes standard, meaning there is no extra cost for you to have the trailer’s structural components (like the walls, roof, and floor) covered.
3. Aliner Ascape Great Ascape Plus
Unloaded Vehicle Weight: 1,850
Net Carrying Capacity: 650
Aliner calls itself the original A-frame. Designed in the early 1970s, the original A-frame pop-up camper was meant to be light enough to tow with almost any vehicle and was first hitched to a station wagon.
Today, Aliner makes three lines of campers: the Aliner, the Ascape, and the Somerset. The Ascape camper isn’t an A-frame. This line of campers is closer to the teardrop models of other manufacturers.
Standard features on all the Ascape campers include LED running lights, Dexter 2,500 lb independent torsion axle, Shurflo electric water pump, and a dropped floor for increased interior height.
There are eight models of the Ascape camper, and we’re featuring the Great Ascape Plus on this list. This model is 75 inches long with an interior height of 6’4″.
The Great Ascape Plus has an outside shower and front mounted 100 Watt solar panel as well as a Thule 6′ awning.
The awning is at the rear of the trailer, shading the rear entry door. Inside, this model includes a Smev deep bowl Euro sink, cassette toilet, and a 26-inch flat screen TV.
This compact trailer is crazy functional inside. The dining area has a rotating table and seating for four as well as cabinet storage on either side of the TV. The kitchen has a microwave oven, two-burner range with a vent hood, cabinet and drawer storage, and a Dometic 3-way 3 cubic foot refrigerator.
While the cassette toilet may not be for everyone, this trailer also has an outdoor shower and makes up for its lack of more luxurious facilities with its convenience and ease of use.
When the dinette is converted to sleeping space, the bed is a roomy 77 x 72. However, the sleeping space can also be used as single beds on either side of the dinette.
This is an awesome trailer for those who want a convenient and comfy camper as a starting point for fun outdoor adventure.
4. Airstream Sport 16RB
Unloaded Vehicle Weight: 2,860
Net Carrying Capacity: 640
If you’re a fan of the classic look of the metallic Airstream trailers, you’re in luck. The Airstream Sport weighs in at under 3,000 lbs and has the sweet, streamlined look you’d expect from an Airstream travel trailer.
The Sport travel trailer is designed for weekends in the woods and has two compact, functional floorplans to meet your getaway needs.
Our pick is the 16RB model. This travel trailer is 16’4″ long and sleeps up to four with an interior height of 6’4.5″.
The best aspect of this awesome travel trailer is its clever design which is meant to be incredibly functional with a modern aesthetic.
The panoramic front windows made of tempered safety glass let in lots of light and come equipped with blackout shades so you can get a restful night’s sleep in the dinette that folds down into a spacious 40 x 91 sleeping area.
The kitchen includes beautiful cabinetry along with a two-burner cooktop, 3 cubic foot 2-way refrigerator, and standard microwave.
The bedroom includes overhead and under the bed storage that can also be accessed from outside. The master bed features a pillow-top memory foam mattress.
At the head of the bed are USB chargers and the furnace thermostat for easy access. There are also hidden storage lockers at the head and foot of the bed.
The bathroom in the unit is small but has a pass-through area for the shower head so that it functions as an outdoor shower.
You can also use this awesome feature to have easy access for rinsing off outdoor equipment before stowing or cleaning muddy or sandy feet before coming inside for the evening.
5. Safari Condo Alto R1713
Unloaded Vehicle Weight: 1,683
Net Carrying Capacity: 817
Safari Condo’s travel trailers are the definition of awesome. These distinctive travel trailers are inspired by aircraft design to be lightweight, aerodynamic, and durable.
The Alto line uses an independent Flexiride suspension and a low center of gravity to make it incredibly stable both while on the road and camping.
Safari Condo describes the roof and wall construction as being made of a sandwich-type material with a plastic honeycomb core.
One one side, this core is laminated with aluminum and on the other either Alufiber or aluminum for superior strength with the lightest possible weight.
We’ve chosen to feature the R-series because of its appealing retractable roof made of seamless aluminum. When the roof raises, it exposes a tinted tempered glass crescent that gives a distinctive exterior and a tree-house feel inside.
The interior has a height of 82 inches and the features are highly customizable. The rear of the trailer is a 72 x 76 king size bed that can also convert to two 27 x 76 singles.
The dining table can also be moved to this area to create a five-seat dinette if you’ve got a bigger group or just want to entertain.
The dinette in the front of the trailer converts to a 36 x 81 bed and when used as a dinette seats two. With all of the gorgeous windows, any seating area inside this trailer brings the outdoors inside.
The only drawback that we can find to this travel trailer is the bathroom. Instead of a traditional bathroom, the Alto has a fixed flush toilet in a toilet cabinet that includes a lot of storage.
The trailer does have an exterior shower outlet and can be upgraded to a wet bath.
The galley holds a two-burner LPG flush mount stove, cabinets with sliding shelves, a 3 cubic foot fridge, and a microwave oven.
One of the best features in this awesome travel trailer is that it is designed to be environmentally conscious, so this trailer can be towed by a Subaru Outback rather than a large truck that has a bigger footprint.
6. TAXA Outdoors Cricket
Unloaded Vehicle Weight: 1,732
Net Carrying Capacity: 768
TAXA Outdoors says they make “mobile human habitats built for adventuring.” And while that may not be the verbiage you’ll find on most RV lots, TAXA was founded by a NASA architect who worked on the International Space Station.
The RVs from TAXA are specifically designed to make you feel like a part of nature rather than in a luxury vacation home. The design elements of their models are meant to be multi-purpose, functional, and foster interaction between campers and with the outdoors.
The Cricket is a 15-foot long trailer with an interior height that ranges from 4’2″ (when the pop-top is closed ) to 6’10” at its highest point.
Cricket has a pop-up roof which gives great ventilation through its five mesh windows, especially when combined with the four swing windows (that include shades and screens).
This model is designed to be towed by even four-cylinder engines and comfortably sleeps, two adults and two children.
The V-berth bed, lounge, and storage system make it possible for you to access under-bed storage and use the pop-up table while still using the 75 x 59 bed. This trailer also has a kids’ sleeping area that measures 60 x 22 and holds up to 130 lbs.
The kitchen has a significant counter with a covered sink and six large cubbies for prepping, cooking, and storage. The cooking surface is a Dometic combo two-burner stove and sink, and the kitchen is attractive birch plywood.
TAXA’s Cricket is designed to be insanely durable with a 1-inch plywood deck with ABS laminate, non-slip seamless nickel patterned flooring, a laser cut aluminum skeleton, and a powder-coated steel chassis.
The sides are Kynar-painted aluminum composite panels which increase the trailer’s strength and keep it lightweight.
Cricket also comes with 15″ steel wheels with all-terrain tires that carry a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty so that all your off-road dreams can finally come true.
You do have to upgrade the base Cricket model to get a portable toilet and the portable shower tent, but the outdoor shower comes standard.
This is definitely one awesome model you should check out if you want an out-of-this-world experience while staying close to the ground.
7. Forest River R-Pod RP-179
Unloaded Vehicle Weight: 2,756
Net Carrying Capacity: 1,036
The last awesome small travel trailer on this list may also be the cutest. Forest River’s R-Pod comes in 9-floor plans under 3,000 lbs, and in lengths ranging from 18’4″ to 20’4″.
This travel trailer has a signature rounded look and is designed by Forest River to offer affordable luxury at a low tow weight.
One of the most popular R-Pod models is the RP-179. This 20-foot long model has an awesome floor plan (and an interior height of 6’6″) with a 60 x 74 queen bed in the front of the trailer and a rear kitchen.
Built on a sturdy powder-coated steel frame, the R-Pod rides on an independent torsion axle with aluminum wheels, nitrogen filled tires, and EZ-lube hubs.
Inside, you’ll find plenty of counter space in the rear kitchen along with a 3-way 3.7 cubic foot refrigerator and a two-burner recessed cooktop with a flush mount glass cover as well as a stainless steel sink.
The bathroom, located between the kitchen pantry and bedroom wardrobe, holds a Thetford toilet inside the wet bath.
The single slide in this trailer makes room for the fridge as well as an incredibly large 75 x 45 u-shaped dinette. Another awesome feature of the dinette is that the table is free-standing so it’s easily moved outside as well.
Some of the R-Pod’s most popular features include the large 36-gallon holding tanks, LED interior lighting, tinted safety glass windows, and for those who travel with their furry companions, pet-friendly frame mounted utility hook and food/water bowls.
Other optional features include a convection microwave oven, 24″ LED flat screen TV, R-Dome awning with screen room, and the bike carrier that holds two bikes.
All of these awesome features come wrapped inside the welded aluminum sidewalls and floor with laminated sidewalls on the floor and roof, including a one-piece seamless fiberglass roof.
The R-Pod is a can’t miss for those who like easily towable travel trailers for a great value with a low price.
