How to Reduce the Weight of Your RV

Save gas and improve the tow!

Whether you have an overlanding truck, a cute travel trailer, or a huge fifth wheel, weight is the enemy. It puts extra stress on the frame, axles, engine, and transmission. If you tow into headwinds, you’ll feel the drag more than other times. Going up mountain roads? Eh, good luck!

Because of this, I’ve taken steps to keep my travel trailer as light as possible. My mom once joked that it’s a wonder I haven’t mailed my cat back home to save 12 lbs!

Jazzie put on a few pounds.

In the spring of 2022, I moved to a remote desert town to build a tiny dome home. While there, I bought a few “house things” that I never intended to travel with. My hot tub and the 70 lb. e-bike are perfect examples.

Since July 2022, I’ve made pretty good progress with getting rid of the extra things I bought. My friends outside Albuquerque cleared out the building material for their adobe home, and I sold the hot tub to my friend in Baja.

Here’s how I cut the trailer weight

When I’m parked for long periods — as I have been in Mexico — weight doesn’t matter as much. But now that it’s time to head back to California, I have to cut a few things loose.