Cricket Camper Trailers

[Hilldweller]

A dealer near me said that Cricket will have a larger version of their trailer available soon.
At 6'5", I found the 6'4" ceiling height and 75" bed a little confining. It will be interesting to see one that's built for normal-sized people and not Hobbits...

 

[Victorian]

I personaly love the look and simplicity of the crickets. People complain about the price..... Well, go and compair that build quality with other travel trailers out there. I bet a "normal" camper wouldn't survive 1 year of gravel road driving, the cricket I bet will never let you down.

 

[Munchmeister]

A dealer near me said that Cricket will have a larger version of their trailer available soon.
At 6'5", I found the 6'4" ceiling height and 75" bed a little confining. It will be interesting to see one that's built for normal-sized people and not Hobbits...

Who you callin a hobbit? :wings:

I'm 6 foot even and when looking at the Cricket, the ceiling height was very ample for the area of the trailer one would be working in, standing. That is the front, where their cabinetry is built in. In the higher end models that is where you find the sink and countertop. These models come with a Primus 2 burner stove that just sits on top of the countertop, not a built in. These models have a small hot water heater so washing up (you or your dishes) would also be done where the height is ample (for anyone 6'4" and under, that is... you know, us "normal" people). The low end is at the tailgate end. Here, you would be standing outside, loading stuff into the trailer or sitting on the edge, under the tailgate.

YMMV. Different strokes, etc. The Cricket is one of only two trailers of any kind that I can pull with a four cylinder Subaru Forester and that I can use as a toy hauler to bring along my little Yamaha TW200 (the other is the Car-Go LIte Extreme, also a very nice rig. Basically a big box, but ceiling height is even lower on the CGLE). So that kinda seals the deal for me.

As for build quality, it looks to be well made although there are some areas where stressors could cause problems. If you are going to be going off road, twisting and turning it over Jeep/crawler roads, it ain't gonna last. Washboard, too, is notoriously hard on trailers unless you have some really beefy, off road style suspension built into the trailer as well as your tow vehicle. A Forester is not a Rubicon Jeep, so for me, it'll be fine on maintained dirt roads etc. The fact that it serves as a toy hauler, for me, means that I'll use my TW200 for the rough stuff, day trips as well as my vehicle to get around campsites, rally sites, etc. Cricket will be home base, set up for comfort, bed roll out and lawn chairs set up. I wish it was cheaper. The Car-Go-Lite Extreme I think is somewhat cheaper, comes with more built ins. But at the counter, the height is 66" according to one dealer (haven't been in one). 72" at the tailgate, But it is at the countertop area where you'd be spending the most time standing. So I'd have to stoop over a little. Gettin' too old for that.

I'm really just talking myself into buying one. Merry Christmas to me.

 

[Waygoner]

So can you load a bike inside? I have a TW200 too.

 

[Munchmeister]

I don't own one yet. The stripped down version, without the V berth frame, is basically an open trailer with a lift tailgate, so no reason you could not load a bike. Might be a two person job but I contemplate building a rail for the floor so you could run the bike up a ramp, into the rail system, then push the T Dub on into the trailer. Put your gear around the bike, ultimately build a frame or fold down bed similar to the V berth. Could be a fun project.

 

[Munchmeister]

Their new product

https://youtu.be/sjGq3LqRKv4

TigerMoth, 900 lbs. Their take on a teardrop.

 

[Hilldweller]

I gotta have a bed that's at least 80" long...
I can live with the Hobbit roof ----- the Gobal Conspiracy Against The Tall has gotten me used to that already.
But the bed in the Cricket won't cut it. If I was camping alone with my dog maybe. But now with my Sweetie.

They were severely discounting these things at the RV show we went to in anticipation of the new model, btw.

 

[OCD Overland]

In many ways, I prefer the Tiger Moth to the Cricket. It seems like less of a design exercise and also like they could really get the price of it down to something extremely affordable.

A couple of design decisions I question, though - why doesn't the rear hatch hinge at the top to create an awning like the other door? Seems like you'd want an awning over the kitchen. And even if not, I don't understand why they hinged it on the side they did. If you hinged it on the other side, it would be more structurally sound, would provide a wind break for the kitchen, and would really open up the other corner visually. You could also secure the door to the pull out so it doesn't move. As it is you can't fold the door up against anything or secure it in any way. It just flops around out there in the wind. Plus it's going to be a dusty or muddy mess when you get into camp, so having it right there where you'd constantly be brushing up against it is a bad idea. I mean, I think they've done it the way they did merely to create a cool graphic on the back with the three "panels". ******** that. Let the door cover the entire rear. Then you only have one seal to worry about and you could use the space where that red panel is over the kitchen for a shallow pantry cabinet, and use the inside of the door for storage also. Hooks or a shelf or whatnot.

It doesn't look like the step at the tongue is deep enough to mount a propane tank - that would be a great option, with a line run to the back and maybe another inside to hook to a buddy heater. I'd have put a rack on top of the tool box, also. Getting that cooler off the top rack won't be fun. And there's plenty of storage space for batteries, so I'd offer an attached solar panel. I see the portable one he set up, but why not make one that stores flat against the front and hinges up when you set up camp? You'd have to protect it from debris while driving, but maybe the cover becomes a table or something in camp. Then with the extra battery and the solar you could do a fridge on the tongue instead of a cooler.

I guess the idea of a kitchen box is cool, but it really isn't doing anything for them other than providing a slot for the cutting board, and adding weight. Just provide a shelf for the stove and a way to attach the board. I'd also add some sort of basin for the water - one that you could add a hose too. Store it inside but provide a way to attach it to keep the ground from becoming a mud hole by the door. The spot for the 4 gallon jug is cool, but 4 gallons isn't much. I guess the 7 gallon version of the same jug would work - just tip it on it's side for transport.

He said it was a queen size length bed in the Tiger Moth, so I assume it's 80".

 

[Munchmeister]

Personally, I don't get any of the rolling bed concepts from the teardrop to this TigerMoth type of trailer. There is no way to get comfortable or do anything when the weather is wet, other than sit and wait out a storm. As much as we all like being outdoors, there are always times where you will be cooking or cleaning or washing up. Even reading, whether on electronic devices or checking out a map, it would be nice to have a place away from wind, weather and bright sun to do these kinds of things. For that reason some kind of trailer with the possibility of standing or sitting comfortably at a table is what I would look for. That is the appeal of the Cricket trailer to me. Trailer-like, comfortable standing room. A place to sit at a table with a map or tablet or guidebook, or on your lap and yes, a place to go do your business with a cassette commode, which can be tucked out of the way after use. An 80" length queen bed is a personal thing, depending on your height, yes, and your traveling partner. There seem to be plenty of those sizes with the roof top tents, but for me, those have too many other limitations.

The design seems amenable to frequent design changes so maybe there will be larger ones, but don't expect cheaper. For a mfg, it is all about sales. I suspect he had a number of requests for customized versions, so he's selling the gear model, with nothing but the front cabinet in it. Customize it yourself (my plan). The flurry of late winter, early spring RV shows may tell what sells & the TigerMoth appears to be the only thing in the Taxa pipeline. I'm ready to buy, to do some traveling, camping in 2016. Might be a big year for Taxa... Or not.

 

[Hilldweller]

Personally, I don't get any of the rolling bed concepts from the teardrop to this TigerMoth type of trailer. There is no way to get comfortable or do anything when the weather is wet, other than sit and wait out a storm. As much as we all like being outdoors, there are always times where you will be cooking or cleaning or washing up. Even reading, whether on electronic devices or checking out a map, it would be nice to have a place away from wind, weather and bright sun to do these kinds of things. For that reason some kind of trailer with the possibility of standing or sitting comfortably at a table is what I would look for. That is the appeal of the Cricket trailer to me. Trailer-like, comfortable standing room. A place to sit at a table with a map or tablet or guidebook, or on your lap and yes, a place to go do your business with a cassette commode, which can be tucked out of the way after use. An 80" length queen bed is a personal thing, depending on your height, yes, and your traveling partner. There seem to be plenty of those sizes with the roof top tents, but for me, those have too many other limitations. ....

The bed in my trailer is 68"x80", it has an awning that I can slide across the top to cover the vent in very foul weather or deploy out fully for sunny weather, and we carry an ARS ez-up shelter on the roofrack.

Bad weather set-up

very bad weather set-up

wind-break for downright evil weather

Good weather

 

[spressomon]

Personally, I don't get any of the rolling bed concepts from the teardrop to this TigerMoth type of trailer. There is no way to get comfortable or do anything when the weather is wet, other than sit and wait out a storm. As much as we all like being outdoors, there are always times where you will be cooking or cleaning or washing up. Even reading, whether on electronic devices or checking out a map, it would be nice to have a place away from wind, weather and bright sun to do these kinds of things. For that reason some kind of trailer with the possibility of standing or sitting comfortably at a table is what I would look for. That is the appeal of the Cricket trailer to me. Trailer-like, comfortable standing room. A place to sit at a table with a map or tablet or guidebook, or on your lap and yes, a place to go do your business with a cassette commode, which can be tucked out of the way after use. An 80" length queen bed is a personal thing, depending on your height, yes, and your traveling partner. There seem to be plenty of those sizes with the roof top tents, but for me, those have too many other limitations.

The design seems amenable to frequent design changes so maybe there will be larger ones, but don't expect cheaper. For a mfg, it is all about sales. I suspect he had a number of requests for customized versions, so he's selling the gear model, with nothing but the front cabinet in it. Customize it yourself (my plan). The flurry of late winter, early spring RV shows may tell what sells & the TigerMoth appears to be the only thing in the Taxa pipeline. I'm ready to buy, to do some traveling, camping in 2016. Might be a big year for Taxa... Or not.

Ditto!

The Horizon left me wanting...the Kimberely Kamper left me wanting...and the Karavan is close but at 2 tons and north it would be a challenge for some of the places I go and ideally want something mechanically simpler...

I have been tempted, if not for starting another business that keeps me sidelined from such projects, of designing and fabbing my own trailer with the foam panels here: http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...-fiberglass-composite-panels-to-North-America

Very, very tempting!

 

[OCD Overland]

There's a place for these things. You have to think of teardrops as essentially hard-sided tents. Small, yes, but they hold your gear, offer better protection, are super easy to tow, and have near zero setup time if you don't start putting out awnings all over the place.

The problem is that they really need to be about $5k to make them worth their added value. As they are, they tend to start around $15k and by the time you've specced out your dream teardrop, you can be over $40k. And once you're there, you start looking around at other $30k-$40k options, like a VMI Canyon or Alpine. And then you start speccing those out, and your budget grows even more. Before you know it, you've convinced yourself that you really can't camp properly without an $80k off-road battle cruiser imported from Australia.

Not that I personally have fallen victim to that process or anything...

spressomon - if a teardrop isn't enough, but the Kimberley Karavan is too big, you should check out a VMI Canyon for sure.

 

[Munchmeister]

Not bad, not bad at all, hill dweller. Nice Kermit chairs, too (Beemer rider?). You need your 80" bed, I need standing room. Crawling in and out of a teardrop gives me a cramp just thinking about it. But I'm in the senior category now, spent many nights in my younger years getting dressed in the supine position, crawling out of a sleeping bag in the middle of the night to pee on a bush. Sadly, those days are over but I don't want to admit defeat just yet. And too cheap to spend too much on RV rigs. Wish I'd taken the small camping trailer my Dad wanted to get rid of eons ago when I was a dumb *** purist who only wanted to carry it all on my back. Oh well.

 

[spressomon]

OCD Overland, I was not previously familiar with VMI but their products look very appealing. Thanks for the link & head's up!

Dan

 

[tgreening]

Before you know it, you've convinced yourself that you really can't camp properly without an $80k off-road battle cruiser imported from Australia.

This. I am soon stealing this for my sig line.