Many families want to go camping without spending a lot of money on a heavy-duty truck and a heavy travel trailer to make that happen. That’s where the best family travel trailers under 4500 pounds come into play.

Family Travel Trailers Under 4500 Pounds

These lightweight travel trailers are perfect for families needing a trailer that’s easier to tow. Let’s take a look at some of the best family travel trailers.

Use Camping World’s Towing Guide to calculate how much your vehicle can tow safely before buying a new or used travel trailer.

Coleman Lantern LT 17B

Trailer Specs

• Dry Weight: 3,078 pounds
• Length: 21’5″
• Sleeping Capacity: Up to 5

Featuring rear bunks for the kids and a queen bed for the parents, the Coleman Lantern LT 17B is one of the most affordable travel trailers out there. This lightweight travel trailer is easy to tow and can be towed by various vehicles.

It features an electric fireplace, an air conditioning unit, a full-size dinette, and a fully equipped kitchen. There’s also a dry bathroom in the rear, abundant storage under the bottom bunk, and a high-rise faucet over the single-basin kitchen sink.

Check out Lantern LT 17B models at your local Camping World.

Coleman Lantern LT 202RD

Trailer Specs

• Dry Weight: 4,444 pounds
• Hitch Weight: 594 pounds
• Length: 24’11”
• Height (w/ AC): 10’10”
• Sleeping Capacity: Up to 4

The Coleman Lantern LT 202RD is a great family travel trailer because it features a queen bed in the master suite, located at the front of the floorplan. At the back of the trailer, it offers a convertible dinette and a reclining sofa for the kids or guests to sleep on.

The center kitchen features a 10 cubic foot refrigerator, a two-burner cooktop with an oven below, and a microwave. This travel trailer also features power stabilizing jacks and a power tongue jack that make it easy to level and stabilize your RV when you arrive at a campground.

Shop Camping World’s Lantern LT 202RD inventory.

Forest River Wolf Pup 16BHS

Trailer Specs

• Dry Weight: 3,367 pounds
• Hitch Weight: 460 pounds
• Length: 21’9″
• Height (w/ AC): 10’6″
• Sleeping Capacity: Up to 5

The Forest River Wolf Pup 16BHS is a bunkhouse travel trailer with a family-friendly floorplan. The kids have rear bunks to rest in, and you’ll enjoy a queen-sized bed at the front of the trailer with an overhead shelf for your phone, books, and other small items.

There’s a TV mount above the convertible dinette and a second mounting location on the RV’s exterior. If you mount a TV out there, you won’t miss a second of the action as you lounge underneath the 12-foot power awning. As a bonus, you’ll have a mini fridge accessible in an exterior compartment, so you don’t have to go inside to restock your favorite beverages.

Check out Forest River Wolf Pup models at your local Camping World.

Heartland Mallard Tailwind T180BH

Trailer Specs

• Dry Weight: 3,949 pounds
• Hitch Weight: 490 pounds
• Length: 22’5.5″
• Height (w/ AC): 10’4″
• Sleeping Capacity: 5-6

Heartland’s Mallard Tailwind T180BH is another bunkhouse model with a modified Murphy bed system to maximize the interior space during the day. It also features a great outdoor kitchen that allows you to split meal prep, so it doesn’t feel cramped inside when cooking.

The double bunks feature queen-sized RV mattresses, the Murphy bed is a queen, and the dinette converts for added sleeping space. Although that would make for a crowded RV with only one bathroom, there is a privacy curtain that allows you to section off the “master suite” from the rest of your trailer.

Discover Camping World’s Heartland Mallard Tailwind selection.

Coleman Light 1905BH

Trailer Specs

• Dry Weight: 4,486 pounds
• Hitch Weight: 602 pounds
• Length: 23’11”
• Height (w/ AC): 10’8″
• Sleeping Capacity: 3-6

Featuring aluminum framed construction and loaded with amenities, the Coleman Light 1905BH might be lightweight, but it’s heavy on durability. This is the heaviest of the RVs on this list, but it’s full of features that make it perfect for camping with a large family.

We’re talking power stabilizer jacks, a power awning, a slide-out dinette, a queen-size Murphy bed, and pass-through storage for all your recreation equipment and camping gear. Plus, folding up the bed gives you plenty of living area when you all need to be inside on rainy days.

In other words, it’s large enough for the whole family and all the memories you’ll make along the way. Consider it the mama bear of RVs. It’s not too big, but it’s not too small either. It’s just right.

Shop Coleman Light 1905BH RVs.

Forest River Salem FSX 178BHSKX

Trailer Specs

• Dry Weight: 3,749 pounds
• Hitch Weight: 430 pounds
• Length: 22’11”
• Height (w/ AC): 10’4″
• Sleeping Capacity: Up to 7

The lightweight Forest River Salem FSX 178BHSKX offers a unique layout that transforms seating space by day into sleeping space at night by incorporating a fold-down, queen-size Murphy bed at the front.

When that bed is folded up, it offers plenty of living space with an open, carpet-free floorplan. At the back, two double bunk beds are perfect for the kids or for extra storage space when traveling as a couple.

The kitchen with a slide-out for the U-shape dinette features a panoramic window, so you’re never without a good view of your surroundings. Or you can ignore the indoor kitchen and cook all your meals in the outdoor kitchen instead. I’m sure no one will complain.

Shop Forest River Salem FSX 178BHSKX RVs.

Forest River Grey Wolf 22MKSE

Trailer Specs

• Dry Weight: 4,341 pounds
• Hitch Weight: 585 pounds
• Length: 26’9″
• Height (w/ AC): 10’6″
• Sleeping Capacity: Up to 6

It’s a space-saving family bunkhouse that is easy to fall in love with — the Forest River Grey Wolf 22MKSE. The Grey Wolf has perfected the transition from night to day by featuring a Cherokee Sleep System queen-size bed that can quickly and conveniently fold up to provide a full-size sofa.

Full-size bunks in the rear keep children and guests comfortable and provide space between sleeping areas. There’s also a fold-down dinette if you need additional sleeping space and a shower with a tub, which is a feature you don’t find in many RVs.

There are indoor and outdoor entertainment center hookups, so you never have to worry about anyone missing out on the fun. The Grey Wolf saves space so you can focus on making the most of the quality time spent with your family on the road.

Shop Forest River Grey Wolf 22MKSE.

Jayco Jay Flight SLX 224BH

Trailer Specs

• Dry Weight: 4,480 pounds
• Hitch Weight: 460 pounds
• Length: 27’1″
• Height (w/ AC): 10’6″
• Sleeping Capacity: Up to 8

The Jayco Jay Flight SLX 224BH is a fantastic unit for a family thanks to ample sleeping space, a spacious bathroom, plenty of storage, a camp side kitchen, and a large dinette for having family meals.

A curtain divider pulls across to separate the master bedroom from the rest of the trailer. So everyone can enjoy a little more privacy with this floorplan compared to what you’ll find in many other small campers.

There’s also an outside kitchen that helps keep the kids outside, so you don’t constantly have to clean the RV floor daily. This is another travel trailer under 5000 lbs., meaning you should be able to tow it with various vehicles.

Shop Jayco Jay Flight SLX 224BH RVs.

Crossroads Zinger-Lite 18BH

Trailer Specs

• Dry Weight: 3,362 pounds
• Hitch Weight: 426 pounds
• Length: 21′
• Height (w/ AC): 9’7″
• Sleeping Capacity: Up to 8

Another good family camper under 5000 lbs. is the Crossroad Zinger 18BH. This high-quality trailer has a camp side kitchen, a dinette, bunk beds at the rear, and a queen bed at the front. It’s one of the more compact trailers on this list, but that makes it one of the lightest.

It’s prepped for a backup camera to make backing your trailer into a campsite easier. It’s also ready for a solar installation if you’re looking for a trailer that can handle extended boondocking stays.

The Zinger’s construction includes an aerodynamic front end and a rear bumper that’s perfect for securing one of the best bike racks for RVs. Plus, you’ll have the option of adding insulation if you’re interested in extending your camping season.

Shop Crossroads Zinger 18BH RVs.

Coleman Lantern LT 17FQ

Trailer Specs

• Dry Weight: 3,205 pounds
• Hitch Weight: 476 pounds
• Length: 21’5″
• Height (w/ AC): 9’8″
• Sleeping Capacity: Up to 6

If you’re into the outdoors, then you know Coleman makes some of the best products. A good example is this Lantern LT 17FQ. The model features sleeping space for the whole family, a compact camp side kitchen, a bathroom, and a dinette for meals.

It’s one of the most compact and light travel trailers under 5,000 pounds, but it’s also one of the most affordable. If you’re new to RVing and need something you can tow with a minivan, SUV, or small truck, it’s a great option to get started.

Plus, the sleeping space means there’s room for your family to grow. Or you’ll have the flexibility to bring a friend or two along and still make things work.

Shop Coleman Lantern LT 17FQ RVs.

Heartland Mallard M185

Trailer Specs

• Dry Weight: 3,575 pounds
• Hitch Weight: 484 pounds
• Length: 21’11”
• Height (w/ AC): 10’4″
• Sleeping Capacity: Up to 5

The Heartland Mallard M185 is one of the more compact options here, but it’s a fantastic addition to the list. It offers plenty of sleeping areas, a dinette for meals, and a camp side kitchen. There’s also a small bathroom. While it’s not as spacious as other units, it does offer all the essentials for family camping.

That includes a sink cover to maximize counterspace for meal prep, lots of overhead and under-the-dinette storage, a sizeable Dometic refrigerator and freezer combination, and a shower with a tub in the bathroom.

Shop Heartland Mallard M185 RVs.

How to Choose the Best Family Travel Trailer for You

These small trailers are all about maximizing sleeping space for family RVing. You won’t get a king-size bed or theater seating like you might find in some of the best luxury fifth wheels. But you will get a comfortable camper at a much more affordable price.

Here are a few more resources to guide you as you continue your search for the perfect family travel trailer:

• Understanding RV Weight Ratings
• Everything You Need to Hitch & Tow Your RV
• How to Properly Load Your Travel Trailer

We hope these trailers and resources help you find the right camper for your family. Regardless of which RV you decide to hit the road with (and at which price point), the memories you make with your family will undoubtedly be priceless.

Do you have any lightweight travel trailers you’d add to this list? Leave a comment below!

By: Wade Thiel
Title: Best Family Travel Trailers Under 4500 Pounds
Sourced From: blog.campingworld.com/rv-basics/finding-your-rv/travel-trailers-that-weigh-4500-pounds-or-less-that-are-perfect-for-families/
Published Date: Fri, 03 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000

---------------------------------------------