Thinking about the dark side...what are my lightest hybrid choices?

They make a single fold out hybrid that would fill the bill for you.
Do some online searches and I bet that you will one that the DW would like.
It is easy to find TT that weigh 3000lbs or less.

 

My 2011 StarCraft AR-One 15RB is listed for an unloaded weight of 2600 lbs. Mine has aluminum siding but the newer ones use fiberglass siding which makes them a couple of hundred lbs. heavier. The 13" tires on mine were near the GVW so I upgraded to 14" wheels and tires to increase the limit and slow down the bearing speed a bit.
See floorplan & specs at https://photos.app.goo.gl/G6LkXxclff8wI3k12

 

First I want to say is not to fall for the dry weight as real weight as it is usually heavier then you may think. If you think you are going to be towing in the mountains I don't think this will be a safe combination. Sure you may be able to tow it but will your vehicle be able to control it if something was to happen. You will probably need to look into a single axle camper, perhaps an ultra lite. I know clippers and Vikings have a small hybrid with a gross weight under 3500. I don't think I've seen any with a gross under 3000 though. A big limiting factor I think is tongue weight. Again don't fall for the dry tongue weight that you will find on a lot of campers.

 

i agree with jmkay. Dry weight on my Jayco 18F 2900 real world iis 32 or 33. I don't haul water. Now the 7 wide Jake EXP's might be a little lighter but you can forget about anything with a slide.

 

Towing a hybrid or TT is more difficult than a pup because of the surface area. There's a lot more wind resistance. Make sure your tow vehicle doesn't have a limit for the surface area of the trailer. I don't think that a Venza would be able to tow one very well.

 

Interested in following this thread

 

Is 3000 pounds the towing limit of your vehicle, or what you prefer to stay under? 3000 pounds is right at the limit of a light HTT, and you'll most likely go over once you're loaded up.

 

I looked at several earlier in the year. There are some light weight HTTs out there, but once loaded they are going to be very close, if not over your max tow capacity. I don't think I saw many that had a lounge and a dinette, usually just a dinette. I also found that most of the small HTT felt very cramped until you went to a slide model. For me the benefits of a HTT or TT were storage capacity, big bathroom, big galley and more seating. The smaller ones were only marginally better than a pup, and the bathrooms were so cramped that I would hesitate to use them. The larger slide ones usually had the bigger shower which would make a big difference for me.

 

Okay, so I'll use mine as an example. My HTT is 4500 lbs loaded, about 550-600 lbs tongue weight.
I normally tow it with my 2014 Toyota Tundra, which has a towing capacity of 9500 lbs.
I have towed it with my 2014 Dodge Durango (V6 model) with a towing capacity of 6000 lbs.

While the Durango can tow my HTT, the difference between it and the Tundra is noticeable. It is not nearly as stable and is more susceptible to crosswinds and swaying. I think the shorter wheelbase and lower weight of the Durango is to blame here. Also, the towing power is not nearly as good. It has to work really hard to pull the brick wall behind it.

While you can tow a small HTT with a Highlander, you will likely experience the same thing. Looks like you are a Toyota fan. When we replace our Durango (we plan to keep the Tundra for a long time) I'll likely look for a late model Sequoia or maybe a new 4Runner. The Sequoia has the same 8 cylinder engine as the Tundra but just a little less towing capability. However, they are very confident cruisers on the road.

 

As far as I know, the standard GVWR for the smallest hybrids, is 3500lbs.
And they all have extremely poor CCC numbers.
Unless you go find some pre-2004 R-Vision smallest hybrids, like the Bantam, you probably won't find any that have lower GVWRs.

 

Ok, I feel better about this knowing you have another TV other than the van you referenced in your earlier post. Most any hybrid 20' or less will have what your looking for, however finding a floorplan you like will be a problem. Most of the ones I looked at had the dinnette sitting in front of the bunkend and the couch was just an extension to the dinnette seat. Just not what I was looking for for my family, but could work if it's just you and the wife.

 

Not sure what's available in your area, but you can try and find a popup with a slideout. Mine even comes with a built in potty. However obviously you will still have the setup and the slideout does add one extra step. When My my old Jayco died I first started looking at TT or hybrids, and highwalls. Ended up going for a large popup not quite a highwall. Like you I really didnt want to lose the space and openness I feel with the popup. Sadly all the units I could tow seemed dark And adding 3 other people plus 2 dogs would have made it very tight. I have a Fleetwood Utah, I have the couch dinnette and toilet, AC and furnace. Everything I was looking for, and the slideout gave me the space for everyone plus the dogs. Like you mentioned go to some RV shows walk in many, try out things like the bed, shower and toilet to see how you would like it. See if you can find a dealer with a popup with a slideout and walk into those. Then make yourself a pros and cons list. Think of things such as storage etc as well as comfort. Will you have city or HOA issues if you store your hybrid/TT at home or would you be stuck having to find storage. It might be a while before you find something you like, but I'm sure something is out there for you.

 

I found the foam mattress on my 1996 PUP to be more comfortable than the "spring" mattress on my 2017 HTT. I guess they just don't make them like the use to. I added a foam topper to the HTT and sleep great now.

 

There is a website I haunt called smalltrailerenthusiast that reports on just that. I dont know how many are hybrids though.
The main problem I found with the small trailers is still tongue weight.
There seems to be a lot of new models coming on the market now.

 

Forgot about that page, thanks for reminding me. Helpful as that site is always on the look out for lighter designs. Unfortunately couples trailers is the way most manufacturers lean for small ight trailers.

 

If I recall correctly, my Bantam B21B HTT weighed around 3k empty and around 4k loaded - however I felt it was still too much for our fairly new 4runner. Stability was more of an issue than power.

I talked my wife into trading her minivan for a Suburban. It was MUCH more comfortable towing it with a Suburban than the 4runner. (would not have even considered it with the minivan) Longer wheelbase made it much more stable and comfortable ride. We towed that thing all around the country, over the rockies, etc...