Travel trailers come in all shapes and sizes. More often than not you’ll find looking at the weight to see if your particular vehicle can tow your chosen camper. A good rule of thumb is to choose a travel trailer that is under 5,000 pounds GVWR. Note the emphasis on GVWR. Many travel trailers that are sub-5000 pounds but that weight is considered as dry weight. This means that after adding cargo, fuel, water and the people the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) goes beyond 5,000 pounds. With that in mind, we’ve put up a list of our top 5 best travel trailers that are under 5,000 pounds in GVWR!
What puts an RV on the list: Apart from making sure that a travel trailer is light enough to be towed by any half ton vehicle or SUV, there are many other factors taken into consideration. The ones that made the list offer enough room despite being lightweight, have good ratings, and are the newest models available.
The Top 5 Travel Trailers Under 5,000 Pounds:
- KZ Sportsmen Classic Travel Trailer
- Forest River R-Pod Travel Trailer
- Coachmen Clipper Ultra Lite Travel Trailer
- Keystone Passport Travel Trailer
- Gulf Stream Vista Cruiser Travel Trailer
#1. KZ Sportsmen Classic Travel Trailer
Keeping It Simple!
View All KZ Sportsmen Classic Travel Trailer Floorplans!
| No. of Floorplans | Unloaded Weight | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 2126-2840 lbs | 3-5 | 15-21 feet |
Why we recommend the KZ Sportsmen travel trailer: The lightweight floorplans of the KZ Sportsmen such as the Sportsmen 130RB and the Sportsmen 150BH, when accompanied with the simplistic design, makes it a fun travel trailer that you can tow easily. Of course, it still has enough features to make it worth the money you pay for it. You also get the flexibility of 7 floorplans which range from 2126 to 2840 dry weight, which when converted to GVWR is still under 5,000 pounds!
It doesn’t compromise despite having a shorter length than usual RVs (which is common in sub-5000 lbs travel trailers). For example, it still features a power awning, an 8,000 BTU air conditioner, a 20,000 BTU furnace as well as two 6.5-inch interior speakers. You can also expand it later down the line with more good stuff, which definitely makes it a top choice for a sub-5000 pound travel trailer.
Key Features:
- 7 different floor plans available
- Alum-a-tough® roofing with a 12-year limited warranty
- Power awning with LED light strip
- 8,000 BTU air conditioner
- Exterior speakers
- Solar prep
Video Overview:
#2. Forest River R-Pod Travel Trailer
Your Featherlight Weekend Camper!
View All Forest River R-Pod Travel Trailer Floorplans!
| No. of Floorplans | Unloaded Weight | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 2342-2836 lbs | 2-4 | 18-20 feet |
Why we recommend Forest River R-Pod travel trailer: One of the more well-known travel trailers is the Forest River R-Pod which became quite popular among RVers for its extremely lightweight build. All of its floorplans are well under 5,000 pounds GVWR, which means you have 9 different layouts which span from 18 to 20 feet in length, providing plenty of room for 4 people, which is its maximum sleeping capacity. Take a look at the R-Pod RP190 and the R-Pod RP-182G!
Of course, as we saw with the Sportsmen Classic, lighter and smaller build doesn’t translate to less features. You’ll find the standard run-of-the-mill as well as some Forest River exclusive features in the R-pod. It also has a lot of options to upgrade it, but we particularly liked the upgraded 13,500 BTU air conditioner, the convection microwave oven and the R-dome awning as those upgrades brings it very close to a premium-grade travel trailer!
Key Features:
- 9 different floor plans available!
- Self-adjusting electric brakes
- LP, CO and smoke detectors
- Hardwood drawer fronts w/ full extension ball bearing drawer guides
- Outside speakers
- Custom tinted safety glass windows
Virtual Tour:
#3. Coachmen Clipper Ultra-Lite Travel Trailer
Cozy But Feature-Rich!
View All Coachmen Clipper Ultra-Lite Travel Trailer Floorplans!
| No. of Floorplans | Unloaded Weight | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 2509-4608 lbs | 2-5 | 16-21 feet |
Why we recommend the Coachmen Clipper Ultra-Lite travel trailer: Coachmen’s Clipper series has already made a name for itself as one of the top travel trailers, but if you’re looking for something that can be towed more easily, the Clipper Ultra-Lite is the one for you. While not all of its floorplans have the sub-5000 pounds GVWR rating, a lot of them do, and provide lots of space to keep it roomy despite being lightweight. We recommend checking out the Clipper Ultra-Lite 14R and the Clipper Ultra-Lite 16FB.
Step inside and you’ll find that the Clipper Ultra-Lite also has a lot going on in terms of features. The walnut cabinetry gives it a nice look while the residential countertops are laminated for spill resistance and adding longevity. You also have a 13,500 BTU air conditioner and a 20,000 BTU furnace, thus making you comfortable whether its cold or hot outdoors. Couple that with the variety of upgrades available and we have a full-fledged yet feather light travel trailer in our hands.
Key Features:
- 13 different floor plans available
- 100% adhesion residential grade linoleum
- 20,000 BTU furnace
- Tinted safety glass windows
- Bathroom skylight
- Diamond plate front and rear wall protection
Virtual Tour:
#4. Keystone Passport Travel Trailer
A Floorplan For Every Taste!
View All Keystone Passport Travel Trailer Floorplans!
| No. of Floorplans | Unloaded Weight | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 3160-6926 lbs | 4-10 | 20-37 feet |
Why we recommend the Keystone Passport travel trailer: Keystone’s Passport travel trailer has been featured in our other lists before, and due to the fact that it has 6 floorplans which are under 5,000 pounds GVWR, it became an obvious choice for our top 5 list. This is because apart from those floorplans (of which we recommend the Passport 153ML Express and the Passport 175BH Express), it also has a lot to boast about in terms of features.
Some of its features include but are not limited to the dual exterior speakers, 30K BTU furnace, interior lighting, USB ports, 6 feet double door refrigerator and 4 wheel electric brakes. Of course, the list doesn’t end there. You can either add new features or give an ‘oomph’ to the existing ones since the Passport also has over a dozen different expansions. This makes it obvious that the Keystone Passport is one of the best travel trailers under 5,000 pounds!
Key Features:
- 31 different floor plans
- Lighted exterior pass thru storage compartment
- Exterior speakers
- Solid wood custom built medicine cabinet with mirror in the bathroom
- Residential light fixtures in slide room
- Oversized 60/40 residential sink with sink covers
Virtual Tour:
#5. Gulf Stream Vista Cruiser Travel Trailer
Lightweight Cruising On A Budget!
View All Gulf Stream Vista Cruiser Travel Trailer Floorplans!
| No. of Floorplans | Unloaded Weight | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 2567-4253 lbs | 3-6 | 20-26 feet |
Why we recommend Gulf Stream Vista Cruiser travel trailer: If you need something with the best possible weight-to-length ratio, then the Vista Cruiser should be the one as it can span up to 26 feet and still keep the GVWR under 5,000 pounds. There are only two floorplans that offer this: the Vista Cruiser 23CSK and the Vista Cruiser 23RSS. However, the other floorplans also offer 20 or more feet of room to walk on, which is still pretty spacious!
Feature-wise, you’ll find the Vista Cruiser to be well constructed and well equipped. The oyster fiberglass one-piece exterior construction can tank a lot of punishment, and keep the 20,000 BTU, the hardwood cabinetry and all of the other interior parts safe. You can also take it up a notch later on with expansions such as an LED awning, exterior TV mounting bracket, home theater studio and a 3-burner range with oven.
Key Features:
- 10 different floor plans available
- Black radius tinted safety glass windows
- High-performance laminated countertops with continuous molding edge
- Deluxe wood medicine cabinet with mirror
- Power awning
- LED step light with switch at entry door
Video Overview:
Check out these similar RV reviews!
Top 5 Best Luxury Travel Trailers
Top 5 Best Travel Trailers For Large Families
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Towing an RV requires lots of calculation about the final weight and if your vehicle can do it. However, these travel trailers should be light enough that they are easily towed using any vehicle and can even be parked in any campground across the country as they are under 27 feet!
BEFORE you head to a dealer to see these trailers, download your FREE RV Buyers Worksheet for help keeping track of:
- The feature must-haves that are important to you and your family
- Which brands or manufacturers you like
- Budgeting tools including a payment calculator resource
- Multiple well spaced pages with room for lots of your notes
- BONUS Resources: Trade-in values, tow vehicle ratings, and finance options
Share with us your favorite travel trailers under 5,000 pounds in the comments below!