molanginaeda
SILVER Star
I know several manufacturer actually using that design template. That's a recent adapted design which increased living space sq ft that tear drop lacking.
What camping trailer?
- Thread starter 1Maverick
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Our Opus lite fits our needs.
We are a gang of 3 sometimes 4.
Best of luck in your search!
- Thread starter
- #23
All thoughts are useful and your suggestion of renting first is really smart. I may talk to my wife about that and rent a couple for some 3 day trips to get a good feel for it. Believe me, I’d much rather buy nice tent and camping equipment from REi and Moose Jaw but my wife didn’t grow up camping multiple weeks of 4wheelin’ and fishing in the mountains of Northern Cali. as a kid. So, I gotta spend the dough to get them in the woods and off grid. I don’t even want a tv in the camper. Just board games and books for nighttime entertainment.So much depends on how you plan to use it and what level of creature comfort you want. Then factor in budget and availability.
We prefer small indoor space primary for sleeping, with good awning coverage, outdoor cooking, and electric fridge. Aluminum, not wood frame. Offroad clearance ideally with an offroad suspension.
A lot of people wouldn't even consider something that spartan.
We currently have a small camper (Forest River NoBo 10.6) that works pretty well, but like a lot of the us made, mass manufactured campers has pretty shoddy build quality overall.
For us the TetonX hybrid is what we think will hit the sweet spot. We have a deposit, but they're a 24 month lead time. They're made to order, so we have some flexibility in the build options, but that's a long wait.
One thing I'd suggest is to rent a few campers to see what you like and don't like before spending a pile of money on something that might miss the mark. Kind of like living in apartments before you build your dream house.
Edit: you are in a different space than I am, with your $75k budget. My thoughts are probably not that useful.
- Thread starter
- #24
Opus are really nice! Well done. We are a gang of 4 but one is headed to college this fall.
Slow Paddler
SILVER Star
A quick off-topic question for you. David Bates showed us the Wrappon toilets he is putting in the Kimberley trailers. Looking recently, they are not available on the consumer market, nor are the 500 "flush" refills. I'm assuming this is a temporary material flow problem like with everything else. I have no problem buying into a proprietary system as long as I can get (and stock up on) refills. It's not like you can substitute a bag like in my Cleanwaste toilet. Same goes for the Laveo, but those bags are only 15-17 "flushes" per huge cartridge.
Thanks!
Thanks man.
I read further and realized you had a budget for something quite a bit larger/better.
When doing my research for our needs it came down to Black series vs Opus.
Quality isn't there with the Black series...
Slow Paddler
SILVER Star
Please don't take this wrong, but do not cater to your 15 year old daughter's wishes. Having raised two, I know that 1) they'll get over whatever is pissing them off today, and 2) won't be travelling with you for more than a few short years, if that with all of her other activities.
At a recent teardrop get together, I met an older couple (he was 75ish, she was mid-60s) who have only been married a year. Last fall they went tent camping for the first time since she was a teenager, and remembered it as being fun. They bought nice quality stuff, went camping, and she hated it. So they ordered a brand new $60k teardrop, and when we met them was the first time they used it. I expect it to be for sale very soon, and they'll stay at luxury hotels from now on...
Renting to avoid this sort of situation might help. We are looking to move up from our 5X8 squaredrop to an Oliver Elite II. We visit the factory in a few weeks, and if everything goes well, we'll leave with one less check in our checkbook. Not good for much more than mild forest roads, but that or campgrounds is 90% of what we do. Deb is still too attached to flush toilets and unlimited water for more than a few days at a time.
I would suggest either the Kimberley Kamper or the Kimberley Karavan
Off Road Camper Trailers | Kimberley Kampers - https://kimberleykampersusa.com/campers/
Hybrid Off Road Caravans | Australian Made | Kimberley Kampers - https://kimberleykampersusa.com/hybrids/
I have owned both. The Karavan is a bit more comfortable all hardsided with an indoor toilet and shower. Also has an outdoor shower. In door and out door kitchens
Built in Australia to survive the outback. I also like that both allow you to stand. The floor in the Kamper is the same size as the Queen bed. You could put mats , cots and sleeping bags on it and fit 4. The Kamper has an option for Bunk Beds, which I got to sleep 4. I also as seen in the picture below Got a Jet tent and had it up to the awning as an extra bedroom for my daughter and her husband
My old Kamper -2002. Still looked like new when I sold it on 2015. Cruiserdan still has the exact same model
upgraded to a 2016 Karavan. Select the link in my signature for more photos of the interior and exterior
Off Road Camper Trailers | Kimberley Kampers - https://kimberleykampersusa.com/campers/
Hybrid Off Road Caravans | Australian Made | Kimberley Kampers - https://kimberleykampersusa.com/hybrids/
I have owned both. The Karavan is a bit more comfortable all hardsided with an indoor toilet and shower. Also has an outdoor shower. In door and out door kitchens
Built in Australia to survive the outback. I also like that both allow you to stand. The floor in the Kamper is the same size as the Queen bed. You could put mats , cots and sleeping bags on it and fit 4. The Kamper has an option for Bunk Beds, which I got to sleep 4. I also as seen in the picture below Got a Jet tent and had it up to the awning as an extra bedroom for my daughter and her husband
My old Kamper -2002. Still looked like new when I sold it on 2015. Cruiserdan still has the exact same model
upgraded to a 2016 Karavan. Select the link in my signature for more photos of the interior and exterior
Great recommendations all around! I especially like the thought to rent and try before you buy. It can really help to know what kind of camping one enjoys as every trip is potentially different, with different priorities for the trailer. Though some cross cutting features are water capacity, sleep accommodations, gear hauling, and a basecamp unit that can be setup and separate from the car so as not needing to tear down camp every time to use the car.
Having a full featured trailer is great for long road trips and where my 28' Airstream comes into play. I've been really getting into BLM and off-road trips as my group has evolved and gotten more into that, and the Airstream obviously can't join. Worthwhile to say that a trailer is not absolutely necessary and many in my group, including myself, have gotten along just fine with ground tents, RTT, and more grassroot approaches.
Having said that, I've been wanting an off-road trailer. Having several friends that have trailers, and having built an off-road trailer for a buddy from the ground up, I'm starting to refine what I'm ultimately looking for (but everyone's needs are different).
For an off-road camper, IMO, less is more. Lightweight and easy of setup the big ones. No indoor toilet or kitchen as those drive a minimum larger sizes that limit off-road adventure. I'll be building one later this summer and my bogey is similar in overall architecture to the Patriot Campers X1-H. Small but hybrid indoor space enabled by a pop-up style tent. Will sleep 2 in the off-road trailer, and 2 in the cruiser.
In regards to trailer suspensions, people go overkill here and a slinky suspension can potentially be a liability to roll-over. Trailers are governed by 3 points and don't need to articulate in the same way cars do. Even with smaller tires and beam axles, they generally have way more clearance than a car as there's no lower hanging pumpkin or large profile axles. Less suspension can be more as it minimizes overall height and has lower COG (again minimizing change of rollover), as it doesn't need to keep as much room for suspension compression. Airing down tires are key to off-road trailer performance.
Here's the trailer I built for a buddy. Simple, light, but delivers huge functionality and smiles.
Having a full featured trailer is great for long road trips and where my 28' Airstream comes into play. I've been really getting into BLM and off-road trips as my group has evolved and gotten more into that, and the Airstream obviously can't join. Worthwhile to say that a trailer is not absolutely necessary and many in my group, including myself, have gotten along just fine with ground tents, RTT, and more grassroot approaches.
Having said that, I've been wanting an off-road trailer. Having several friends that have trailers, and having built an off-road trailer for a buddy from the ground up, I'm starting to refine what I'm ultimately looking for (but everyone's needs are different).
For an off-road camper, IMO, less is more. Lightweight and easy of setup the big ones. No indoor toilet or kitchen as those drive a minimum larger sizes that limit off-road adventure. I'll be building one later this summer and my bogey is similar in overall architecture to the Patriot Campers X1-H. Small but hybrid indoor space enabled by a pop-up style tent. Will sleep 2 in the off-road trailer, and 2 in the cruiser.
In regards to trailer suspensions, people go overkill here and a slinky suspension can potentially be a liability to roll-over. Trailers are governed by 3 points and don't need to articulate in the same way cars do. Even with smaller tires and beam axles, they generally have way more clearance than a car as there's no lower hanging pumpkin or large profile axles. Less suspension can be more as it minimizes overall height and has lower COG (again minimizing change of rollover), as it doesn't need to keep as much room for suspension compression. Airing down tires are key to off-road trailer performance.
Here's the trailer I built for a buddy. Simple, light, but delivers huge functionality and smiles.
I just looked and you are correct about the toilet itself not being available but I was able to buy 5 packs of refills and 5 packs of the desiccant stuff… not going to lie, you got me worried enough to add to my stash lol
The refills are 50 flushes, not 500. You bring up a very valid point, the availability of supplies for this unit. We’ve bought a few at a time for a while now and should be set should there be any market disruptions.
I’ll also mention that the repeated plugging and unplugging the power cord could be problematic over time so I spliced imagine a deutsch connector to alleviate stress on the stock connector.
I think the size of the camper is influenced by some forced perspective, it’s not as big as it seems.
Here is our toilet room:
Or if you want the entire bathroom tent:
here is my toilet. Just like at home. The cassette removes out the side for dumping
I do have a PETT setup for when I use my RTT. The Kamper had a zip on ensuite bathroom that I put the Pett toilet in. The Kamper has the option to use instead a zip on longer bedroom with two bunks in the same location
I do have a PETT setup for when I use my RTT. The Kamper had a zip on ensuite bathroom that I put the Pett toilet in. The Kamper has the option to use instead a zip on longer bedroom with two bunks in the same location
- Thread starter
- #33
That right there looks like a fun go anywhere trailer! That off camber pic is legitimate test of a trailer able to maneuver in hairy spots.
- Thread starter
- #34
You guys have some very impressive setups! It’s honestly a bit overwhelming but it really allows me take excellent notes from you all and utilize it to help make my decisions more precise or at least to not go overboard which is easy to do. I am seriously considering just renting for now this year and narrow down what I like and don’t like or need. Thank you all for posting pics of your setups, talk about a visual way of getting more excited. Outdoors are my life, even if it means hard shell camping to get the family outdoors. My oldest daughter is a backpacker, climbed many of the 14ers in CO who prefers sleeping under the stars or in her two person light climbing backpacking tent. My wife and youngest daughter are more into the finer creature comfort’s. 
So, a hard shell camper it is but doesn’t need to be the Ritz either. Just needs to have ac and heat. Slide out kitchen is great.
So, a hard shell camper it is but doesn’t need to be the Ritz either. Just needs to have ac and heat. Slide out kitchen is great.
FrazzledHunter
SILVER Star
We went to look at them at a dealer outside of Pittsburgh, PA and that was our conclusion as well.
I love how this entire thread started with the 2722 springs not riding well so the answer is a camper.
This is the the equivalent of finding a roll pin in the gun safe and that being the impetus for a new rifle build.
This site makes me feel better about my buying decisions.
This is the the equivalent of finding a roll pin in the gun safe and that being the impetus for a new rifle build.
This site makes me feel better about my buying decisions.
- Thread starter
- #37
Haha, so true! Damn you rabbit hole! When the wife says “jump” I say “what am I buying now?”
Funny, I’m actually ordering a liberty safe for my goodies this weekend. I will be swapping out my suspension at some point so I don’t have to crawl under my truck with limited room with two shock wrench’s trying to adjust the rears.
Are you in the Denver area? I am part of a Toyota Offroad club Rising Sun 4WD Club Forum - https://risingsun4x4club.org/xf/
We put on Cruise Moab. Runs are posted and anyone is welcome to our runs, events and meetings
Today is the Blow Off Work and Go wheeling Run. Friday a group is heading up to Red Cone.
We put on Cruise Moab. Runs are posted and anyone is welcome to our runs, events and meetings
Today is the Blow Off Work and Go wheeling Run. Friday a group is heading up to Red Cone.
I was recently mulling over how much we used to camp vs how little we camp now, and realized that the setup which was most favourable for a quick camping session was in fact the small off-road railer with a quick-setup RTT on it. It was a great setup, and at times I do miss it.
However, when it comes to off-road adventures with a trailer, I'd caution everyone considering the option to think about the kind of off-road adventures THEY do, and their specific terrain. We're in the pacific north-west, with a ton of forests, steep mountains, and tight, overgrown trails. I've come to the conclusion that it largely doesn't matter whether I have a tiny off-road unit, or a 20ft, 4500lb travel trailer behind me. The limiting factor is always the same: ability to turn around.
In other parts of the world you may have more open terrain where finding a place to turn around is a trivial task, and so other limitations will come in play.
Slow Paddler
SILVER Star
Thank you! I'm sure hoping that it is just market disruptions and not discontinuing the toilet. It sure looks like the best option compared to a cassette or composting toilet. Back when the Wrappon was created (for the tsunami or ***ushima, I forget which) they also had a fancy wood chair version for seniors. Those have since been discontinued. They looked great! Picture your green box's guts in an Ikea chair.
