They are big, hard to store, terrible for fuel mileage... So why did I go with a camping trailer? Quite simply, it made sense! Really, it has to make sense to incur such a great expense. Let's look into why it made sense to me.
Gear Hauling
If there is one thing my trip to Rocky Mountain National Park taught me, it's that I have a lot of gear... Almost too much for one truck. Oh, wait, but that's just the gear for me, one person. If I were to bring anyone else along, well, I don't see that happening easily. So the extra storage that comes with a trailer was a big selling point! Would I drag the trailer thousands of miles out to the Rockies? Probably not. But for the more localized trips where I still manage to bring a lot of gear? Absolutely! The trailer is basically double storage for me with my truck.
Weather
In an effort to double my storage, I purchased the Yakima Megawarrior and Rain-X softshell cargo carrier. This system works well but it's not perfect. When sitting still, water can accumulate and seep through the Rain-X carrier and soak your gear. Not what you want when you're expecting to camp and your sleeping back has turned into a sponge.
Security
Although I would probably have all my gear strung out all over the campsite anyway, a trailer makes it easier to keep things, particularly food, safely stored without needing to lock them in the truck all the time. Given my backseat area is generally available for storage, should I have extra passengers, I would not be able to carry secured items with me while I'm away from camp or, it would certainly be harder to do or less comfortable for those in the already cramped back seat.
It Looks AWESOME!
I would never advocate for a trailer because it looks cool. I mean, it does look cool and I get a ton of compliments wherever I take it but it is a massive weight to bare and one that devastates my already poor fuel economy. That said, there is something to be said for a simple yet rugged offroad-capable trailer especially when paired behind a beast of a vehicle. It's the complete go anywhere, do anything look for sure!
Given the usually steep expense of a trailer, I have little doubt you will strongly consider all your options before diving straight into trailer life. They do provide a lot of flexibility but it does come at a cost, usually storage, ownership, and maintenance, the initial investment price, and of course the added fuel consumption towing a heavy weight such as a trailer. If you decide it's worth it, you'll definitely enjoy it as much as I have!
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