Compact camp/gear trailers for RTT (alternates to the Taxa Woolly Bear)?

[DaveM]

Looking for suggestions on brands of smaller camp/gear hauler trailers that can support a RTT.

My ideal camping set up is the Taxa Woolly Bear trailer with a 4 person RTT (like the CVT Denali). But the Taxa is a little out of my budget at the moment so I'm looking for ideas on similar but less expensive options, including generic good base trailers to use as a shell for a custom-ish build (no HF trailers though!). Not interested in heavy off road trailers, we mostly stick to forest service roads. What I do need is a narrower track width as I have to be able to roll the trailer into the back yard along a path that's only about 4.5' - 5' wide on the ground (the trailer itself can be wider).

Any leads on other makes greatly appreciated. Or any links to good custom builds as well. Thanks!

- d

 

[DaveM]

As I'm looking around I'm realizing the Woolly Bear is actually a bargain compared to what else is out there. Can't seem to find anything that's not either way over built for my needs or is nothing more than an empty steel box on big wheels. Guess I need to start hoping for more used units to come on the market. Very hard to find right now.

If there are any smaller (especially narrow) budget alternatives I'm missing I'd love to hear about them.

 

[geneandsarastuff]

I am not familiar with the Taxa Woolly Bear but it looks amazing. Honestly, we are knew to expedition trailers so I am no expert.

I was looking for a canvas tent and a new trailer for our gear and came across the Tshabalala’s Savuti. It is a bit tight for our family of 4 but will do. We plan to use it as-is for our quick trips and road trips. For longer stays we might bring along a second tent. We will have to use it and see. The next size up was too heavy and out of our price range.

The Savuti was about $5,600 that includes the trailer and tent but not any extras like the power package. The company is based in the U.S. and was started by two South African friends. The trailers and tents are constructed in South Africa.

We are waiting for ours to be delivered so I can’t give any reviews yet. I am hoping to have it for a quick April trip. We think it will meet our needs well. But our needs and budget might not be someone else’s (We are a family of 4 plus a dog. We live in New England and typically only camp May-October. We enjoy being outdoors and tent camping but don’t do off-roading. Our current TV is a Subaru Outback which is sufficient for towing the Savuti. We are planning a cross country road trip for summer of 2020 and will likely rent a pickup truck for that trip.)


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[DaveM]

Thank you, that's a great find. I was about to give up hope that anybody made camping trailers under $10k!

The Savuti looks pretty bare bones but would certainly work as a camp gear and RTT base. And the price w/out tent is in my range. We're also a family of four and do mostly on hwy or graded dirt and gravel backroads travel. I'm not a fan of the lift top trailer set up with a tent. With out any side door it really limits access to the main compartment when the tent is set up, but a slide out tray or drawers could help with that. The Woolly Bear has the most convenient set up I've seen for a compact camp trailer of this kind, but the price difference means I could probably get the Savuti standard plus the Denali RTT for at $3k less than the WB with no tent.

This gives me something to think about, thanks. Feel free to hit the thread when you get your trailer, I'd love to get your opinion of the build quality. Do you know where in the US these guys are located?

 

[geneandsarastuff]

Surprisingly enough, you can access the interior of the the trailer using the top lid even when the the tent is set-up. Obviously this won’t work if someone is on the bed of the tent!

We were lucky enough to stumble upon Tshabala at our local Camping and RV show. I was interested in an expedition trailer but needed to see it in person to be sure it would fit our needs. I also needed something in a lower price range and I hadn’t seen much out there. We repeatedly opened the top of the trailer with the tent still set-up. Although not ideal, it worked fine. On road trips we will likely keep the cooler and “kitchen” in the back of the TV so we can easily access it for quick lunches etc. I will not need to unpack anything. I might be able to figure something out with the side door but I will just have to see. The Offroader has all the drawers and pull-outs I dream about plus I would love a larger tent. But it not only costs more than twice the Savuti, we would need a new TV so that is out.

We plan to sleep two up top and two on the ground in the tent. The two on the ground will be a bit tight but, on longer trips, during the day we will toss the lower bedding onto the bunk and have plenty of room to hang out if the weather is poor. I really like having a place for us to stand up and change. We have the advantages of high bunk and seating room. Although small, that type of set-up I think will work best for us.

Good luck on your search!


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[mep1811]

I'm looking at the Smitybuilt Scout trailer. Can't beat the price.

 

[DaveM]

The Smitybuilt looks great and is a decent value given the more versatile layout, but the track width is over my limit for being able to wheel it into my back yard for storage unfortunately.

 

[DaveM]

I'm still interested in hearing about other off brand alternatives to the WB or other mainstream 4x4 tent trailers. The Savuti is interesting find. But as I look around at the options, even the Savuti, it's obvious the WB is what I really "need". May be moving my focus to finding clearance or used models now. Feel free to send me any leads!