What camping trailer?

[Artie]

Regarding the Kimberlys...it appears that the entrance is on the driver’s side and perhaps the awning too. Correct?

If it is then how do you handle campsites that are oriented so that you really need to have them on the passenger side? I'm talking about campsites where you have to back in on a paved area and your picnic table, grill (if you'd even use it), fire ring etc... are all oriented on the left as you face it? You simply can't reverse the layout as you'll back into the stuff placed there. If you do back in you might be faced with vegetation or other obstructions. In any event you'd be staring at your neighbor's front door. Perhaps you're counting on having VERY friendly neighbors?

I realize it's not an issue in the wide open spaces but many many campsites we've seen and been to would pretty much dictate the entrance/awning on the passenger side. Perhaps I'm missing something.

Our Conqueror layout is drivers side as well and when we stay at the more civilized campsites it can be annoying. At 17 feet we are short so we can get into the sites at about any angle so that helps. So far, most of the picnic tables are movable, that also helps. Fire rings can’t be moved so that can be an issue. There are always work around and we knew this going in. I’d assume most buyers of the Kimberly’s and Conquerors are buying for the dispersed sites but can make it work in the others.

But yeah, if your strictly going to established sites you should factor these drawbacks into your pro/con list.

 

[NoClue]

So far we love our boreas XT. Cruisermaster d035 hitch and suspension are absolutely superb.

 

[dcs111]

Pics?

No muddy/ rock crawling pictures to offer here, but… We just parked for the night at a harvest host site. After leaving Yooper land… This trip is a bit more urban as we are making a lap around Lake Michigan, as foodies and having fun with common kid adventures… looking forward to swimming at Torch lake, a cherry pie festival and on down to South Higgins Lake this weekend!

 

[Tex68w]

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So far we love our boreas XT. Cruisermaster d035 hitch and suspension are absolutely superb.

Had one for a hot minute, woke up two nights in a row to the CO2 alarm screaming with an "End Of Life" level alert, good times. Very good build quality and nicely appointed but we realized that style of trailer just wasn't for us, we simply need the ability to stand up in a camper.

 

[TeCKis300]

No muddy/ rock crawling pictures to offer here, but… We just parked for the night at a harvest host site. After leaving Yooper land… This trip is a bit more urban as we are making a lap around Lake Michigan, as foodies and having fun with common kid adventures… looking forward to swimming at Torch lake, a cherry pie festival and on down to South Higgins Lake this weekend!

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Thanks for sharing and you've got an awesome setup there. I really like the Cricket for the balance it walks. Keeping weight low while keeping superb functionality. I'm still considering the trades for a future off-road trailer that I might build and I'm liking several of the elements it has.

I gotta try the Harvest Host sites one of these days. Tried a couple hipcamp options and I'm liking the variety of destinations.

Enjoy the rest of your road trip!

Doing the BLM car camping thing this weekend again. Will enjoy the amenities of my buddies trailers until I have my own.

 

[fireball]

Our setup works awesome for our family and our situation.

One piece of advice is to involve your wife in the decision. My wife set the rules pre-purchase: something she can stand up in, something with a proper bed, and no more than two nights without finding her a proper hot shower. Based on that criteria we’ve spent 20-30 nights per year outside since buying our setup.

 

[Artie]

Our setup works awesome for our family and our situation.

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One piece of advice is to involve your wife in the decision. My wife set the rules pre-purchase: something she can stand up in, something with a proper bed, and no more than two nights without finding her a proper hot shower. Based on that criteria we’ve spent 20-30 nights per year outside since buying our setup.

That’s a cool build! Is that a truck bed camper on a hand built trailer?

 

[eatSleepWoof]

That’s a cool build! Is that a truck bed camper on a hand built trailer?

Four Wheel Campers - Pop Up Truck Camper Leader Since 1972

For custom pop-up truck campers you design yourself, Four Wheel Campers, Inc. has toppers, flatbeds, and slide-ins.

fourwheelcampers.com

 

[Killacaviar]

It’s also important to add your location and geography should have an impact on the decision. East coast, west coast, dessert, mountains, dry or wet landscapes. I mentioned earlier we have had a few campers in the past. Jayco Baja, opus 4 and a Moby1 (similar to Vorsheer).

The opus was lacking in quality and incredibly frustrating to set up with two kids under 5. The Baja was a pin to tow and again really lacking in build quality.

We spent the last 6months looking at Boreas, off grid, vorsheer, Kimberly, xoc, Colorado teardrops and conquerors. We have not spent a night in everyone, but we’re able to see them in person and play with them for a bit.

Out of all of them. Vorsheer, Kimberly and Conqueror were on another level in regards to construction quality.

For us… Kimberly was out of budget, conqueror had canvas and was bit too large. We put a deposit on a Vorsheer XOC and then quickly found an unused fully loaded Moby1 (the precursor to Vorsheer). It has depreciated, had everything we needed and I know I can sell it in a few years for what I paid for it.

 

[snowtaco]

The opus was lacking in quality and incredibly frustrating to set up with two kids under 5

I find that interesting - we have 3 (not that young though) and it's been a relief vs setting up a tent. We leave the beds setup with sheets/blankets, however. From unhitching to leveling, inflating and setting up the 3rd bed it's 30 mins top, and most of that is assembling the 3rd bed followed by leveling.

 

[Killacaviar]

double post

 

[Killacaviar]

I find that interesting - we have 3 (not that young though) and it's been a relief vs setting up a tent. We leave the beds setup with sheets/blankets, however. From unhitching to leveling, inflating and setting up the 3rd bed it's 30 mins top, and most of that is assembling the 3rd bed followed by leveling.

When they get older and can help is another story.

My wife wrangles the little ones while I set everything up. 30-45 min to do it properly.

With a hard side. I don’t have to stress about finding a spot at night. We can throw them in bed immediately wherever we decide to post up, no melt downs.

Also, no canvas mold to worry about, drying it out etc. I don’t have to open the whole thing up everytime we clean and pack out at home.

lastly, if your moving every night set up and breakdown is pretty annoying. If you keep a clean, tidy camp you can be in and out quickly with something hard sided.

For one or two nighters every weekend in BLM we found the perfect fit…for now.

 

[fireball]

That’s a cool build! Is that a truck bed camper on a hand built trailer?

Hi Artie,
It is a FWC Hawk shell model, made for a 6.5' truck bed (Tundra), that we put on an AT Overland flatbed trailer. The trailer was originally built to haul motorcycles. It has a front storage box and water tank and airbag suspension. Quickly and easily level the trailer when it's parked using the airbags, pop the top to the camper and inside we have two queen beds. I built a pull out kitchen that is mounted to the front of the trailer. Setup in under 5 minutes!

 

[Artie]

Hi Artie,
It is a FWC Hawk shell model, made for a 6.5' truck bed (Tundra), that we put on an AT Overland flatbed trailer. The trailer was originally built to haul motorcycles. It has a front storage box and water tank and airbag suspension. Quickly and easily level the trailer when it's parked using the airbags, pop the top to the camper and inside we have two queen beds. I built a pull out kitchen that is mounted to the front of the trailer. Setup in under 5 minutes!

That’s really cool. I totally dig seeing unique “out of the box thinking” build like this.

 

[Tex68w]

I love a FWC, some of the best camping gear I've ever owned and a very useful design. One of my favorite home brew FWC setups I've seen was a service body/utility bed turned into a trailer with a FWC mounted on top.

 

[El Skywalker]

I find that interesting - we have 3 (not that young though) and it's been a relief vs setting up a tent. We leave the beds setup with sheets/blankets, however. From unhitching to leveling, inflating and setting up the 3rd bed it's 30 mins top, and most of that is assembling the 3rd bed followed by leveling.

I agree with this sentiment.
No issues with neither quality or set up with ours.

I have two young kids as well.
To each his own.

 

[linuxgod]

Your experience with Jayco is not unusual for Jayco or the host of camper brands build in or near Elkhart, IN.

I suspect your Kimberly as well as some other higher quality US-built trailers (like airstream) will last a long time sitting outside provided you take proper care of them (cover with a good quality cover in the winter, for instance). But if you have the garage space, that’s even better.

That is a good point. One of the reasons I bought my Kimberley is that it fits in my garage. My first Camper was a Jayco Baja which sat outside and after a few years wasnt in great shape. Then I bought an Adventure Trailer with an RTT and that just wasn't for me. I bought my Kimberley Kamper and called it my Goldilocks Kamper being just right. That is a great lightweight kamper with lots of features. It was 15 years old when I sold it and still looked new. The only reason I sold it and upgraded to the Karavan is the Australian $$ was tanking compared to the USD. I bought it directly from the factory for $35K less than others had paid just two years below. If that hadn't happened I would still have the Kamper.

At the time I bought it I was in my mid 50's and looking to get something that would be great in retirement and outlive me. The quality and durability in my Kamper sold me on it

The reason I didn't get one of their bigger more comfortable Kruisers is my rule was it had to fit in my garage so it didn't age when not in use. Sun, Snow and temp extremes really weigh on the life of campers, or maybe my experience with my Jayco was unusual. So Garage was key item #1, also the Karavan would be better off road.

6.5 years after I got my Karavan it still looks new and with no issues.
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[OregonLC]

I was pretty surprised when Scott Brady [Overland Journal] was hosting the podcast at Expo West out of a Black Series. OJ has a dogmatic bend toward quality and the Black Series didn't seem to align with those values. Perhaps it was a 'any port in a storm' situation with the weather.

Sorry but Black Series has been discontinued!

Unfortunately the product started to decline until the quality was not acceptable anymore.​

 

[Tex68w]

I guess they have to review subpar products too, how else would they know if they are subpar or not?!

 

[LCPOWCREW]

Off Grid Expedition 2.0 is what I went with…it can go anywhere my 200 can go and tows really well. Incredibly solid and well built with no wood.