Aerolite is a product brand of Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc. Dutchmen Manufacturing is owned by Thor Industries Inc. Thor, founded in 1980, is the world's largest manufacturer of recreational vehicles, as well as buses for commercial use and ambulances. The earliest models called Aerolite date to the mid-1990s and were pioneers in the concept of the ultralight travel trailer.
Under the Aerolite brand, you can find several types of camping trailers. One is the standard travel trailer. A travel trailer is hard sided and has a tongue hitch. Another Aerolite camping trailer variety is a fifth wheel. A fifth wheel, also hard sided, hitches onto the bed of a truck. A third type of Aerolite camping trailer is a tent trailer. A tent trailer combines the towing mechanism and some of the hard sided aspects of a standard travel trailer with soft-sided tent expansions.
Aerolite offers a variety of sizes of camping trailers. Widths are available in seven and eight feet and expandable versions.
The unloaded weights of the trailers range from 2,900 pounds to just under 5,100 pounds. Their length range is from 17 feet to just under 31 feet. Exterior heights on Aerolite camping trailers create a relatively low profile, from 9 feet 9 3/4 inches to 10 feet 5 1/2 inches. Cargo carrying capacity goes as high as 2,400 pounds.
The relatively light weight of the Aerolite helps define it as an ultra-light camping trailer. For the seven-foot wide trailers and expandable models, the laminated roof is framed with aluminum. The unit's frame is aluminum. The furniture in the interior of the trailer is also aluminum framed, making it lighter than wood construction. Bed bases and the pass-through compartments for storage are also welded, aluminum framed. The weight of the unit is documented before it leaves the factory, including any options the purchaser has added. In each Aerolite unit a decal is posted with the real weight of the unit.
With an Aerolite, people who want to pull a camping trailer with a minivan, a sport utility vehicle (SUV), half-ton truck or cros-over vehicle have the opportunity. The Aerolite concept opened opportunities for luxury-appointed travel-trailer towing to people who do not own a heavy duty truck. Many of these trailers have amenities that are usually included in heavier RVs, such as a separate bedroom with a door that closes, a bathroom with shower and tub combination, a refrigerator and freezer unit, double kitchen sink, a stove with oven, built-in microwave, built-in bed, closets, drawers, cabinets, air conditioner and sofas, dinettes and outside storage compartments. The fresh water and holding tanks are comparable to trailers of more conventional weight.
