Under 20 ft. – Under 4000 lb – Under $25,000
Here are 6 affordable small travel trailers with bathroom. Plenty of headroom, RV queen or full beds and inside kitchen areas. Great for self-contained boondocking and off-grid camping.
2021 Jayco Jay Flight SLX 7 195RB
2021 Coachmen Viking Saga 16SFB
2021 Gulf Stream Ameri-Lite 16RE
2021 Palomino Puma XLE Ultra Lite 12FBX
2021 KZ Sportsman Classic 130RB
2021 Forest River Cherokee Wolf Pup 14CC
Things to know before you buy
These travel trailers are towable with most half ton pickups or mid-sized SUV’s and are short enough to be under the length limits of most BLM and forest service campgrounds. They are all under 4000 lb. GVWR. Look at the end of the post where I explain a bit about weight ratings.
No popups are included here. If you travel and camp in grizzly country, the majority of campgrounds don’t allow soft-sided trailers, so keep that in mind.
I’ve left out teardrop trailers also. You can stand up in these trailers and they all have bathroom, RV queen or full sized bed and inside cooking area. They are best suited for couples or the solo traveler, although a bunkhouse model may be available if you have young ones.
For this comparison I have chosen models with no slide outs. You can add about $2,500 for a slide. I’ve listed these models by price, with the most affordable first. Prices below are for new models, and show both the MSRP and RVTrader end of season clearance pricing. There are some good deals to be had, if you put some research in.
If you wait until September to buy, you may be able to get a $24,000 MSRP travel trailer for 17 to $18,000, as the dealers try to make room for next years models. A gently used 2 or 3 year old model can also save you quite a bit of money.
NADA guides is a good place to research used travel trailers. It’s like the Kelly Blue Book, for used RV prices.
| Make/Model | MSRP | Year End Price | Length | GVWR | CCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 Jayco Jay Flight SLX 7 195RB
MSRP $17,771
RVTrader $15,995 (Sept. clearance price)
GVWR 3,750 lbs
Jayco makes the most popular travel trailers and have for years. Known for quality, affordability and ease of towing, the Jay Flight is no exception. It’s the least expensive of the four models in our comparison.
Interior features
The Jay Flight has a well thought out floor plan. Comes with queen bed and a dinette that converts to another bed. Plenty of headroom with a 6′-6″ ceiling.
The bathroom includes a shower/tub combo. Freshwater tank is on the small side at 20 gallons, as are the grey and blackwater tanks at 19.9 gallons each. It has a 6 gallon water heater which is standard in RV’s of this size.
Comes with a 15,000 BTU furnace, AC is an option. Fridge size is 7 cubic feet. A two burner cooktop and a microwave round off the basic interior features.
Exterior features
The Jay Flight comes with wood body and aluminum sidewall construction. A nice feature is side to side pass-through storage. It also has a 10 ft electric awning with LED backlight. Rolls on 14 in tires and has a hitch weight of only 270 lbs. A nice, lightweight maneuverable travel trailer for self-contained camping.
2021 Coachmen Viking Saga 16SFB
MSRP $20,240
RVTrader $14,988 (Sept. clearance price)
GVWR 3,863 lbs.
The Coachmen name has been known for small affordable travel trailers and pop-up campers for years. There have been some issues with interior finishing recently, probably due to their expansion and focus in the class A and luxury fifth-wheel lines. From what I’ve seen though, the Saga SFB is a nicely fitted, affordable travel trailer.
Interior Features
Good floor plan and quite a bit of storage for a small travel trailer. Full sized bed and a second bed at the dinette. 6′-6″ ceiling.
Toilet and shower with a bathroom skylight. 27 gallon freshwater tank, grey and blackwater tanks at 25 gallons each. 6 gallon water heater and 20 lb. propane tank.
Comes with a good sized roof mounted AC unit at 13,500 BTU and a 20,000 BTU furnace. Fridge is small at 3 cubic feet. Includes a two burner cooktop and microwave.
Exterior Features
Large pass-through storage up front. Wood body with aluminum siding. 10 ft. awning, 14 inch tires, with a hitch weight of 363 lbs. Another nice light travel trailer.
2021 Gulf Stream Ameri-Lite 16RE
MSRP: $20,374
RVTrader $15,995 (Sept. clearance price)
GVWR 3,680 lbs.
The Gulf Stream Ameri-Lite line of travel trailers are well built affordable campers. As with others in our comparison they have had some fit and finish issues though. Keep in mind that all the travel trailers in this comparison have lighter and thinner components to keep the weight down. The 16RE is a rear-entry model, and the base model even includes a few extra features at no additional cost.
Interior Features
Nice layout, full size bed with a dinette bed too. Extra headroom with 6′-8″ ceiling.
Bathroom with toilet and shower. Freshwater tank is small at 17 gallons, although blackwater tank is good sized at 30 gallons and greywater even better at 36 gallons. 6 gallon water heater and 20lb. propane tank.
13,500 BTU AC unit and 16,000 BTU furnace. Decent sized fridge at 6 cubic feet. Two burner cooktop and microwave. Comes with TV antennae and multiple USB ports.
Exterior Features
Pass through storage. Wood body and aluminum siding. Has a one piece synthetic vinyl roof and a 10 ft. power awning. Sits on 14 inch radial tires with two scissor jack stabilizers. Hitch weight at 300 pounds. A nice, easy to tow, good looking travel trailer.
2021 Palomino Puma XLE Ultra Lite 12FBX
MSRP $21,288
RvTrader $17,885 (Sept. clearance price)
GVWR 3,910 lbs.
The Palomino Puma 12 FBX is another lightweight, easy towing travel trailer. It has had it’s share of negative reviews though. I’m not an RV dealer nor am I an expert by any means. It seems to me that any entry level small travel trailers are going to have some issues. That being said, this post is meant to be a start to your research. I like the Puma 12 FBX. It’s another basic, affordable travel trailer that tows easy and I think, looks pretty good.
Interior Features
Good floor plan, RV queen bed and dinette bed. 6′-6″ ceilings.
Has a tub/shower combo. Good sized 34 gallon freshwater tank. Decent grey and blackwater tank capacities at 30 gallons each. 6 gallon water heater and 30 pound LP tank.
Comes with 13,500 BTU air conditioner and 20,000 BTU furnace A nice feature is the 11 cubic foot, 12 volt fridge. Microwave and two burner stove. Comes with prep for back-up camera, solar and wi-fi. Also comes with USB ports, 55 amp converter and AM/FM/ Bluetooth stereo. Nice clean looking interior too.
Exterior Features
Has pass-through storage. Wood construction/aluminum siding. Alpha Super-Flex roof. Electric awning. Rolls on 14 inch tires, two scissor jack stabilizers. Hitch weight is a bit heavy at 410 pounds. Also comes with rain gutters, outside shower and two exterior speakers.
2021 KZ Sportsmen Classic 130RB
MSRP $22,120
RVTrader $14,999 (Sept. clearance price)
GVWR 2800 lbs.
The KZ Sportsmen Classic 130 RB is a popular travel trailer with very few bad reviews. It seems the 130 RB owners really like their campers. It’s the lightest in our comparison too, with a GVWR of just 2,800 pounds, although cargo capacity is only 610 pounds.
Interior Features
A compact floor plan, the 130 RB has a dinette that converts to a full sized bed and jackknife sofa makes into another. Good headroom at 6′-6″.
Bathroom with shower. 20 gallon freshwater, but only 15 gallons each for the grey and blackwater tanks. 6 gallon water heater and 20 lb. propane tank.
Comes standard with a 20,000 BTU furnace, although AC is an extra. Has a small 3 cubic foot fridge, which can be upgraded to 6 CF as an option. Complete with microwave and two burner cooktop. Has a 12 volt converter/charger and a tank monitor panel. Pre-wired for back-up cam, solar and wifi.
Exterior Features
Wood construction with metal siding. 9 ft. awning, 14 inch tires and 4 stabilizer jacks. 30 amp hook-up. Hitch weight is 290 pounds. There is an optional off-road package which includes 15 inch aluminum wheels and mud tires, with additional ground clearance. Nice lightweight boondocking setup.
2021 Forest River Cherokee Wolf Pup 14CC
MSRP $25,310
RVTrader $15,495 (Sept. clearance price)
GVWR 3,900 lbs.
The Wolf Pup 14CC is a great looking travel trailer it missed the $25,000 price limit in our comparison but only by $310 so I put it in, as Forest River should have a place on our list.
Also notice that the year-end clearance price is almost $10,000 less than the MSRP.
The R-Pod is a nice model too, but it’s more of a modified teardrop trailer.
Reviews are mixed on the 14CC, but there seems to be more positive than negative out there.
Interior Features
The 14CC is another rear-entry model, it has an efficient layout, although with the shower across the hallway from the toilet, storage areas are reduced. Holding tanks are a bit small with freshwater at 26 gallons, black and grey at 23 each. Standard 6 gallon water heater and 20 lb. LP tank.
Forest River’s website is quite vague as to what else comes standard and what is an option. There may be an option package that is mandatory, but not labeled as such, and yes, I know, a mandatory option is an oxymoron.
All in all though, a nice, easy towing travel trailer for the price.
Travel Trailer Weights Explained
GVWR – Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
This is the factory trailer weight, plus the maximum weight of all your cargo and the weight of all holding tank fluids combined. And your water heater tank, propane tank, beer cooler, etc.
UVW – Unloaded Vehicle Weight
Also referred to as unladen vehicle weight or factory trailer weight.
CCC – Cargo Carrying Capacity
Subtract the UVW from the GVWR to arrive at your CCC. Keep in mind that if you are traveling with full holding tanks, you may be exceeding your CCC.
Lets say your CCC is 750 lbs. You’re not going to be able to carry 750 pounds of stuff… here’s why
Lets say you have the following tank capacities:
Fresh water – 25 gal. = 208 lbs.
Grey water – 25 gal. = 208 lbs.
Black water – 25 gal. = 208 lbs.
Water heater – 6 gal. = 50 lbs.
Propane – 20 lbs.
That’s 694 pounds, leaving only 56 pounds before you’re at the cargo limit. With a full fresh water and empty black and grey water tanks, your CCC is more like 470 pounds. Just something to be aware of.
