Alloy
Well-known member
Certainly not with the brads and staples that hold the production line trailers together.
We had cupboards pop open the drawer bottoms falling out so I converted our trailer to Timbren STI air ride.
Wife needs indoor accommodations....what is worth buying?
- Thread starter PaxG56
- Start date
Certainly not with the brads and staples that hold the production line trailers together.
We had cupboards pop open the drawer bottoms falling out so I converted our trailer to Timbren STI air ride.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
Trailmanor.com
Check these out. You'd need to tweak it a bit for fs roads but they're pretty neat. Got a tour in one recently and I fit in it fine. Impressive trailer.
Check these out. You'd need to tweak it a bit for fs roads but they're pretty neat. Got a tour in one recently and I fit in it fine. Impressive trailer.
Pacific Northwest yetti
Expedition Medic
Does it have to be a tow behind? Or would a truck camper suffice?
My outfitter Apex has two beds and a bunk, w/ a bathroom. I have done trips with a 110ib great Pyrenees as well.
My outfitter Apex has two beds and a bunk, w/ a bathroom. I have done trips with a 110ib great Pyrenees as well.
calicamper
Expedition Leader
Just learned something campers with no indoor cooking accommodations are not Harvest Host compatible. Just a FYI given Harvest host is a great alternative to boondocking and avoiding the Rv/camp grounds.
Romer
Adventurer
Kimberley Karavan - They just delivered several in the US and standing up a US rep who will handle the delivery
The Karavan has indoor toilet, shower, Hot/Cold water, indoor and outdoor kitchen and is built for offroad. They are built for the Australian Outback so built tough as the Ozzie's goo out for weeks at a time nadwont put up with cheap crap breaking. Built in Australia near Brisbane
They come with solar and lithium batteries so you can be off grid for a while
Click the link in my signature for my Karavan which I have had for 4 years and look for the thread "Birth of my Kimberley Karavan" as Brad Garland has had his for 9 years
https://www.kimberleykampers.com.au/karavans/
A friend of mine just received his several weeks ago and another ordered his and is awaiting delivery
I had a Kimberley Kamper before that, also a great setup, and there is a zip on bathroom, but you need to bring your own toilet.
second picture is my Karavan next to a Kamper.
If the Kamper works for you my old Kamper is for sale again in the classifieds. Its a 2002 and when I sold it in 2015, it still looked new.
The Karavan has indoor toilet, shower, Hot/Cold water, indoor and outdoor kitchen and is built for offroad. They are built for the Australian Outback so built tough as the Ozzie's goo out for weeks at a time nadwont put up with cheap crap breaking. Built in Australia near Brisbane
They come with solar and lithium batteries so you can be off grid for a while
Click the link in my signature for my Karavan which I have had for 4 years and look for the thread "Birth of my Kimberley Karavan" as Brad Garland has had his for 9 years
https://www.kimberleykampers.com.au/karavans/
A friend of mine just received his several weeks ago and another ordered his and is awaiting delivery
I had a Kimberley Kamper before that, also a great setup, and there is a zip on bathroom, but you need to bring your own toilet.
second picture is my Karavan next to a Kamper.
If the Kamper works for you my old Kamper is for sale again in the classifieds. Its a 2002 and when I sold it in 2015, it still looked new.
TroySmith80
Adventurer
I'm glad to hear that. I wish i knew how many of us there are. I just turned 40, i have a 1.5 and 6 year old and we have no interest in a conventional american camper but can't find anything that will work for us. I've been toying with the idea of building something and trying to start a company selling them but that's an enormous life altering decision/gamble and i'm not sure i'm up for it.
Some of the small hybrid campers would be pretty good if they were built better and if they ditched the bathrooms and had outdoor kitchens. A couple of the NOBO type models come close but still aren't quite hitting the mark.
Overkill Campers is a local company here that is making some pretty neat trailers. I've stopped by the shop several times and the build quality on those is very impressive. A little too small for my family's preferences but really cool trailers.
calicamper
Expedition Leader
I was involved in building a racing sailboat one design. There is a saying in boat building business. Fastest way to make your first million is to start with 2 million?. RV business is 20x worse. Don’t do it?.
19ft end to end and ideally can fit under a standard 7 ft garage door header is getting there. I’m fine with a pop top on a hard side it gives you towing performance a full travel trailer can’t. And those of us with school kids and can afford a 30+k 19ft camper are typically working all winter but have shoulder months and summers we can get away for a trip so 4 season isn’t needed.
Oh Harvest Host pretty much all require indoor cooking and plumbing so the Opus 15 fore example wouldn’t work plus too tall for a standard garage.
The Mantis has some flaws but honestly the more I look the more I think with some custom tweaks it would work well for my needs. My kids need their own bunks. 11 and 8. The Life Time tent trailer works well going on 8 yrs with it. But a hard wall for wind and bear country would be nice. Oh the Expedition is running this trip average at 20-21mpg?. Better than our Subaru typically did on this type of trip.
I am 39 with a 3 year old and 1 year old.
Also in the boat where a lot of the mainstream models out there don’t seem ideal for us. But we did find, after lots of research, lots of options from smaller shops.
I ended up ordering a Taxa Woolly Bear.
Someday when I get a larger tow vehicle we will likely upgrade to an off road tear drop like Tiger Moth or Escapod or Boreas.
My Woolly Bear should be here mid August if it’s not delayed due to COVID. We have a RTT from FSR that fits the 4 of us, the high country 63. Hoping my wife and I will take an extended break from work before the kids start school and we can hit the road for a few months full time, when the youngest is more self sufficient.
I do see a Class A in our future when we finally decide to execute on building a dream house.
We could live in the Class A while it’s built.
That’s the dream! YOLO!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Also in the boat where a lot of the mainstream models out there don’t seem ideal for us. But we did find, after lots of research, lots of options from smaller shops.
I ended up ordering a Taxa Woolly Bear.
Someday when I get a larger tow vehicle we will likely upgrade to an off road tear drop like Tiger Moth or Escapod or Boreas.
My Woolly Bear should be here mid August if it’s not delayed due to COVID. We have a RTT from FSR that fits the 4 of us, the high country 63. Hoping my wife and I will take an extended break from work before the kids start school and we can hit the road for a few months full time, when the youngest is more self sufficient.
I do see a Class A in our future when we finally decide to execute on building a dream house.
We could live in the Class A while it’s built.
That’s the dream! YOLO!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
dreadlocks
Well-known member
I rented a Taxa Cricket for the Eclipse and a couple weeks in Yellowstone area, concluded it was too much money for what it was.. perhaps if it had a nice aluminum chassis under it to match the body but the leaf suspension on the flimsy steel frame that was already rusting all over just noped me outta that path.. also trust me, try to avoid any sleeping arrangements that involves the kiddos above you.. unless you wanna get water to the face at 2am, or worse vomit.
billiebob
Well-known member
I think you have impossible goals. Leave the Dodge at home, fly and rent a JLU, stay in Motels and relax. Listen to the Missus, make it a vacation, not an expedition, unless you have already done the overland thing near home, expecting a magical answer is expecting disaster. An 8 week vacation will be hell unless you have many weekend and 2 week vacations to build from.
I stopped posting to this thread because I came to a similar conclusion and was going to let it die a slow death. I'll report back with my solution for the search archives if I figure it out.
I've done many weekend and week + trips in the past but for those of us on the east coast to explore the west we really need the extra week just for the 3 days travel each way. I've flown to AK and rented an RV for 11 days but wanted to do this trip a little differently. I'm still going to do at least a 3 week trip but the details are fuzzy at this point.
calicamper
Expedition Leader
Even living in CA it was a 2-3 day long mile days to reach Moab. We did Zion late evening arrival after 9hr drive from home. Spent a full day did 16miles of hiking in Zion. Next morning we were semi relaxed slow exit after showers and good breakfast drove to Bryce spent 3 hours hiking then drove to a spot just outside Capitol Reef crashed for the night. Next day we hit Capitol Reef 2-3 hours, had lunch in the car then dinner stop somewhere on the way to Moab late arrival. Spent 3 full days in Moab doing parks and hiking (Moab city pool is amazing especially at 4:30-5pm till 7pm After hiking parks all day) 4th day we headed to North Rim. Two days in North Rim (I loved North Rim totally going back!) Then as a group we decided to make it a long ******** haul all the way home day 3 with early am departure. Very long haul, but we were totally ready to be home. That was with a Tent on a trailer, think giant RTT only 3x the setup time ?. Moab winds vs tent rigs NoBueno! Just fyi.
Our Yellowstone trip was two very long Highway days in the car to West Yellowstone. Stayed in Twin falls ID on the way, Spent 6 days same camp site hiked Yellowstone and some areas of Grand Teton. Trip back we really ran hard long highway day stayed at a very nice new Hotel west end of Reno NV then a few hours home next day. Ideally that trip is more of 3 days each way but BFE Nevada has very little regarding attractive place to visit. Making Twin falls ID the best stop when headed East.
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Boreas Campers
Supporting Sponsor / Approved Vendor
Might check out the Boreas XT12 that will be coming out this Fall. 3,500 pounds dry, cruise master suspension, Garmin Fusion 1 control panel, optional A/C, optional air suspension with onboard air, 6'6 tall inside when up, 8 feet tall when down, no wood construction, fiberglass panels instead of aluminum, inside wet bath with fixed cassette toilet, 50 gallons of fresh water, 25 gallons grey. Outside kitchen and will sleep 4-5. Inside and outside shower. Built in Colorado.
Link: https://boreascampers.com/campers/xt12-camper-trailer/
Email me with questions!
adam@boreascampers.com
Link: https://boreascampers.com/campers/xt12-camper-trailer/
Email me with questions!
adam@boreascampers.com
Trixxx
Well-known member
Have you considered modifying a Casita or similar? Mine is about 17’ in total length, lifted, and reinforced. It has AC, stove, microwave, bathroom, indoor and outdoor shower, etc. Basically all the accommodations of a large trailer RV, just really compact.
Is your 5’7 child a boy or girl? If it’s a boy that’s going to be 6’4, it might be a struggle.. He could probably sleep on the floor just fine? If it’s a girl who isn‘t going to be much taller, the side dinette turns into a bed.
There’s a build thread with more details and pictures on this page.
Is your 5’7 child a boy or girl? If it’s a boy that’s going to be 6’4, it might be a struggle.. He could probably sleep on the floor just fine? If it’s a girl who isn‘t going to be much taller, the side dinette turns into a bed.
There’s a build thread with more details and pictures on this page.
