12 Best Travel Trailers Under 3000 Pounds

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When it comes to towing a camping trailer, you may not want to need a heavy duty truck. Fortunately, with the advent of so many great lightweight travel trailers, you don’t need one.

For these 12 travel trailers, all of which are under 3000 pounds, a lightweight truck or SUV should suffice. For some of the lighter options, a car may even work.

And while none of these travel trailers are huge, neither does their size or lightweight mean you have to give up features, as each of them are loaded with the amenities you might be looking for in your next travel trailer.

Let’s jump in, shall we? We’ll work through the list in reverse order by weight, going from the lightest of the lightweight travel trailers to the heaviest on this list, which is still only 3000 pounds. We’ll use dry weight as our measure for each RV.

Happier Camper HC1: 1,100 pounds dry weight

Like other ultra-mini travel trailers, the HC1 doesn’t come with much. In fact, in order to get a bathroom, you need to order it with a couple of add-ons: the dry flush toilet and road shower, to be precise. But, and this is a big but: For travelers looking for something incredibly portable that can go nearly anywhere and who don’t need a ton of space because they’re minimalists to begin with? The Happier Camper HC1 is pretty much perfect.

Officially, it sleeps up to 5. Unofficially, you’d have to really, really, really like each other in order to sleep 5 in it; we think it’s best for a couple or a small family. Additionally, because it is only 11 feet long and only 1100 pounds dry weight, and comes with off-road friendly tires, it’s great for beach camping, dirt roads, and other backcountry expeditions, which is not something that can be said of very many travel trailers.

So is it ideal that you have to order the bathroom as an add-on? No. But if portability and minimalism are your goals, the HC1 is one of the best bets available. Simply order a dry flush toilet and road shower (and you’ll probably want a privacy/bathroom tent, too) and add on to what the HC1 already offers, which is substantial.

Among those features:

  • At only 1100 lbs dry weight, even many small cars can easily tow it;
  • The 100% double-hull insulated fiberglass shell is incredibly sturdy and, well, insulated;
  • The large rear hatch door makes it easy to load and unload supplies, as do the ample storage spaces scattered throughout the trailer;
  • Panoramic Jalousie windows are great for night skies and views;
  • Solar power is readily available, courtesy the contoured roof panel; and
  • It fits in a single parking space and in most garages.

A few more details:

Scamp 13’ Standard Trailer: 1,200 pounds dry weight

Like the HC1, Scamp’s 13’ Standard Trailer is a brilliant little travel trailer, making the most of the space available. Coming in two layouts, only one of which includes a bathroom, the 13-foot travel trailer shows some real Minnesotan ingenuity, as the 13-foot bathroom-included version also includes a shower, beds that convert into tables, storage space in the seats, a gas stove with sink, multiple closets, and all sorts of proof that it uses space incredibly well. For instance, the 12-gallon water tank is designed for use with the bathroom (including the shower) and kitchen. Similarly, the Sani Potti toilet can be hooked up to gray water so there’s no risk of contaminating your other water. And other perks of the 13-foot Scamp Trailer include a stove cover, a microwave oven, a front porch light, vinyl flooring and fiberglass cabinets for easy cleaning, a substantially higher number of outlets and lights than many comparably-sized trailers, as well as roof-mounted air conditioning and heating.

 

Taxa Cricket Camper: 1,500 pounds dry weight

We love this ultra-mini travel trailer. Only 15 feet and with a width of 6’11” it’s about the size of a full-size truck, and it’s dry weight of 1500 pounds means it’s easily towed. Like a few of the other smallest travel trailers on this list, it doesn’t come with a bathroom, but you can add-on an external shower and portable toilet. (If you choose to do so, we recommend this toilet and this bathroom tent.)

Unlike some of the other ultra-mini travel trailers we love, though, the Cricket Camper is expandable, with a pop-up tent that makes it much roomier when you set up camp. Additionally, it might be the most rugged and badass of all the ultra-mini travel trailers we’ve looked, designed to literally go anywhere you can pull it. And there is an add-on option for an external shower that can come with the camper if you opt to go that route.

Other fantastic features include the exterior storage. Not only are their bumper steps to which you can strap gear externally, there’s also a roof rack system and tongue mounted toolbox so you can take your outdoor playthings with you and make any necessary repairs easily and quickly. As durable as the Cricket Camper is, however, odds are you won’t need that toolbox. Still, having it so easily accessible is plenty nice. Like the Happy Camper HC1, the rear hatch makes loading easy, too.

A 32-inch by 20-inch picture window gives great panoramic views directly from the lounge. Additional storage under the bed is a nice plus, and a pop-up table provides easy lounging space while keeping the cabin from feeling cluttered. The kitchen offers a large counter with a covered sink and 6 large cubbies for prepping, cooking, and storage. The electrical system is top notch, too, with interior LED lighting throughout (including task lighting over the kitchen), Zamp solar inlets (which are pre-wired), and 120V inlets for shore power connection, enough for 3+ days off-grid. Additionally, a tow vehicle connection allows you to recharge the battery while you haul the trailer to your next campsite.

More details:

Barefoot Caravans: 2,095 pounds dry weight

Barefoot Caravans is a special travel trailer because of the degree to which it can be customized. Designed in the United Kingdom, they will ship to the United States, and if customization is something you’re interested in, it may well be worth the extra fees. For instance, all of the following can be customized:

  • Bathroom walls
  • Kitchen walls
  • Curtains (which can be custom stitched based on your fabric preferences as well)
  • Seat upholstery (which comes in several different fabric or vinyl options)
  • The radio (a Roberts Revival DAB Mini Radio, for those interested in specifics)

Numerous colors are available for each of the above options; for most items, the colors available include duck egg blue, gray, lime green, navy blue, orange, and stone. Additionally, the curvy shape of the Barefoot Caravan makes it incredibly stylistic and modern, and this makes it additionally appealing for some buyers.

Additionally, the feature-laden design includes:

  • Eco-designed and environmentally friendly polycarbonate windows
  • Extra storage space in the form of cupboards and wardrobes
  • Roof lighting
  • Isotherm compressor fridge and a freezer
  • L-shaped seating that converts into a spacious bed

And then there’s the bathroom, which comes with a 30-liter onboard water tank and a Truma Combi hot water system that can run either via electric or gas hookups. Additionally the bathroom includes a Dometic cassette toilet, shower, wash basin, mirror, and cupboard space. Honestly, it’s a nice enough bathroom you may never want to leave!

Jayco Jay Sport Trailer: 2,270 pounds dry weight

 

Jayco is a great brand, and this Jay Sport Trailer is everything you could hope for from a small travel trailer. Updated in 2017, this camper trailer has all the amenities you could hope for in a larger camper, but without taking up so much space.

Compact and straightforward, with clean, simple lines, you’ll find it has everything you need, including:

  • 15-inch mud tires for if you desire off-roading
  • Stabilizer jacks, which especially come in handy when parking in soft or uneven areas
  • Double entry steps, which are also retractable should you so desire
  • Clean cabinets designed to maximize storage
  • Stainless steel stove which can be used indoors or out
  • An acrylic sink
  • Vinyl flooring
  • A vented roof (with mesh screening) for those hot summer nights or beautiful summer days
  • Bed mats that come with heating
  • Reversible cushions
  • Plush dinette
  • Propane lines
  • Stereo and TV capacity

And then there’s the bathroom itself, with a great six gallon water heater so you can even take hot showers. That’s definitely an exceptional feature for a trailer of this size!

Additionally, it’s set up so you can shower either inside or out (should you so choose) and includes a toilet and sink in the bathroom along with running water.

United Recreational Vehicles iCamp Elite: 2,366 pounds dry weight

 

The iCamp Elite is one of the smallest travel trailers on this list, and while it’s short on space, its diminutive size is not short on features. Heavy-duty aluminum tubing, industrial strength styrofoam, and high-gloss fiberglass construction makes this trailer incredibly hardy, and it is one of the few that handles just as well in terrible conditions. It’s also incredibly stylish and sporty.

About that size: If you’re a big person, or need a lot of space, this probably isn’t the travel trailer for you. Ceilings, for instance, top out at five feet eleven inches, and furniture is rounded to fit in tight spaces. If you’re claustrophobic, this isn’t the camper for you.

That lack of space, however, is accounted for by a feature-laden design, in addition to the obvious pluses of reducing your drag (and correspondingly, your fuel usage) compared to more traditionally-sized travel trailers.

Other features include the simple easy of towing such a small trailer, the glossy painted furniture, sweet wallpaper, and an iPod connection for better tunes. And the bathroom itself is one of the larger parts of the trailer, replete with toilet and shower. So if you aren’t claustrophobic, and are looking for easy towing options, look no further. The iCamp Elite is one of the best truly small travel trailers we’ve seen that also includes a bathroom.

Casita Travel Trailers Spirit Deluxe Trailer: 2,520 pounds dry weight

A 17-foot trailer, the Casita Travel Trailers’ Spirit Deluxe Trailer comfortably fits three, making it a great fit for a small family. Not only can the dinette tables be converted into two sleeping areas, that versatility helps you make the most of the limited space. Built with Marine-grade fiberglass, this is the rare travel trailer you can use in any conditions or weather, including winter camping.

Additional nice touches include a 12-volt battery pack, 110-volt exterior outlet, exterior door light, connector hose so you can connect to city water (or campground water supplies), and even a freshwater tank you can lock for better hygiene.

And the bathroom is truly the star of this small travel trailer. Not only is it one of the largest areas of the camper, but the shower space and toilet are separated for optimum privacy, so you and a family member can use the bathroom at the same time. Just as nice, it comes with an industrial strength power fan roof vent and mesh screen windows so you can air out the bathroom as needed.

Storage space is also plentiful, with numerous overhead storage compartments, each of which are carpet-lined, available for stashing gear, equipment, or extra clothing.

Lance 1575 Travel Trailer: 2,680 pounds dry weight

 

Lance brand campers have a reputation befitting the fact that they’ve been building truck campers and travel trailers for more than 50 years now, and the 1575 more than lives up to that reputation. At less than 2,700 pounds, it’s hardly large, and yet it comes chock full of brilliant touches and features.

About those features? The 1575 includes all of the following and more:

  • An interior key hanger
  • Wall clock
  • Radius entry door
  • Wall backsplash accompanying the dinette
  • Roof vents
  • Spacious three-way double door refrigerator with space for up to 5 cubic feet of food
  • Wall thermostat temperature regulation
  • Shades and screens with all windows, which are Thermopane Euro with laminated fiberglass construction
  • Spare tire carrier
  • Three-burner range stainless steel stove
  • Lots of extra storage in compartment doors
  • Separate wastewater and freshwater systems

All those little touches add up to a trailer that feels homey, cozy, and comfortable from the very first moment you step inside. And that’s even before you get to the bathroom, which is one of the best for a trailer this size.

Not only does the bathroom have gorgeous dual pane skylights, making it a wonderful place to visit on a starry night, but the foot pedal-operated toilet’s heavy duty plastic construction makes it both easy to use and easy to clean, and the mirrored medicine cabinet makes it easy to store your toiletries as well.

KZ Spree Escape Mini: 2,850 pounds dry weight

An ultra lightweight travel trailer, the KZ Spree Escape Mini is highly customizable. For instance, it can be ordered in five different color schemes. (Check out their website for more details on each option.)

With that customization comes a range of bathroom options, from a very tight bathroom (in which the toilet and shower are pretty much right on top of each other) all the way up to a full bathroom in which the shower and toilet are much more partitioned.

Additionally, that range of custom options means you can find what works best for you. Some things are pretty consistent regardless of which option you go with, though: Upscale fiberglass exteriors, off-road package options, KZ’s exclusive Aqualon for EXP tent ends. You can expect power awnings, quality queen-sized beds, and a flip up entry step. Additionally, bunk ends are rated for up to 1,100 pounds, and the self-supporting cable system means no support poles with which to mess.

Other features worth considering:

  • Amish-crafted rustic maple cabinets
  • Cable hookup
  • Diamond plate rock guard
  • Digital TV antenna
  • LED interior lighting
  • Linoleum throughout
  • Microwave
  • Overhead cabinets for extra storage
  • Rear bumper w/sewer hose storage
  • R-7 insulation
  • Self-adjusting electric brakes
  • Tinted windows
  • 12V converter w/charger
  • 6-gallon water heater
  • 2-Burner cooktop
  • 4 or 7 cubic foot refrigerator (depending on the options)

Quick Stats for an example model:

  • Weight: ~2,850 lbs
  • Length: 20’9
  • Width: 96″
  • Slide outs: 1 (3 With tent bed models)

Click here for the full specs.

Airstream Sport: 2,860 pounds dry weight

 

Airstream is one of the oldest and most trusted recreational vehicle and camper brands with good reason, and the most recent versions of the Sport travel trailer demonstrate just why that is. Loaded with great features and name brand elegance, the Sport is one of our favorite small travel trailers.

Let’s start with the bathroom, which might be our favorite of all the bathrooms highlighted here. Not only does it have separate roof fan and venting, but the toilet is porcelain (unlike the heavy plastics more common in small travel trailers), the bathroom faucet genuine Moen, and the sink Lavy. The shower comes with a great showerhead, a retractable clothesline (so you can dry wet clothes items in the shower when you aren’t using it), and a towel bar. The blackwater tank is external to the trailer, too, so should your toilet water get smelly, it won’t be a problem inside the travel trailer.

And the rest of the travel trailer is loaded with similarly classy, high-end features, including great appliances (a convection oven or more standard microwave, refrigerator, and foldable two-burner cooktop), a cutting board sink cover, an Ultraleather dinette set, Moen faucet, LED HD TV and JVC stereo, blackout shades for the panoramic front windows, auxiliary heating and air conditioning, and a great fan for when you simply need air rotation. Additionally, those windows are tempered and tinted, the TV comes with cable hookups, the roof is a white aluminum that helps keep temperatures moderate, and a ZipDee patio awning gives extra outdoor shade when you want it. Similarly, there’s an exterior shower option with both cold and hot water. Loaded with such features, it’s no wonder this is one of our favorite small travel trailers!

iCamp Elite: 2,890 pounds dry weight

At only 14 feet in length and 6 feet 8 inches in height, the iCamp Elite is one of the very smallest travel trailers to include a built-in shower and toilet. In order to fit as much as it does in such a small space, some sacrifices had to be made, of course. For instance, the dinette converts into a bed, and vice-versa, so you can’t have the bed and dinette available to you at the same time. It does come with both an oven and a refrigerator, however, which is rare for such small trailers.

More quick info:

Taxa Mantis Trek Camper: 2,980 pounds dry weight

The Cricket’s larger brother, we love the Mantis Trek for its backcountry and off-grid capabilities. At 19 feet, it’s a bit larger than the Cricket, but still fits in a standard length and height garage, as it folds down to a height of only 6 feet 10 inches. At that size and weight (just under 3,000 pounds), it’s still quite easy to tow and store, and the NASA-inspired design, integrated electronics and plumbing, and off-grid capacities mean it’s ready for nearly any adventure you can dream up. Like the Cricket, it pops up when set up as your base camp, meaning you have far more room available to you than you might imagine.

The Mantis Trek is designed specifically with off-the-grid use in mind, and as such, is powered by 12-volt batteries and plumbed for propane. That propane allows for a two-burner stove and water heater, with an included Truma Combi furnace for year-round use. Freshwater tank capacity of 20 gallons and a graywater tank capacity of 22 gallons are both great for a travel trailer of this size, and a wet bath is included as a cassette toilet (4 gallon fresh water, 5 gallon waste).

The pop-up roof gives you both more room and increased ventilation, and the queen-sized bed comes with under bed storage. USB charging ports help you keep your gear charged, and the two 20-pound liquid propane tanks mean you can stay fueled up for cooking and hot water. Exterior features are designed with a rugged lifestyle in mind, including a powder-coated steel frame, front stabilizer jacks, powder-coated gravel guards, a spare wheel replete with all-terrain tire, 16 inches of clearance, torsion axle suspension, a solar pre-wired system, a crossbar-included roof rack system for strapping down your outdoor gear and toys, and a large 8 foot patio awning.

Inside the camper shell, nice touches include the birch wood kitchen, replete with plenty of extra storage, LED interior lights (including a reading light), a Dometic 12V 65-liter fridge and freezer combo, a mesh side screen door for increased ventilation, room divider curtains, and more—including the option to switch up your power sources.

The Mantis Trek is designed to run on multiple power schemes. Not only can it run off of two 12-volt deep cycle batteries, it can also run off shore power with a 110-volt converter or a solar system if set up in that way, and the additional propane plumbing is a nice touch, too, as are the electric brakes, single axle, and independent suspension system.

Fresh water capacity is 20 gallons, with a 22-gallon gray water tank and wet bath inside. Also included is a cassette toilet.

More details:

So have you found the travel trailer for you? Odds are good at least one of the 12 above is a great fit!