I can't imagine the cost of that trailer. All RVs have gone through the roof in terms of cost. I'm glad I bought mine when I did back in 2013 before all this crazy inflation occurred.
I agree I bought a new 2018 18tf toy hauler MSRP 30k on the showroom for 20k but online for 18 so I had to jump on it And the other thing I can’t stand is all new full size travel trailers and toy hauler are just white and black They look so boring Mine is grey with blue and black and red stripes with really nice wheels so it looks amazing Every time I see the prices of mini trailers it makes me happy at how much I paid for mine
Drew, we truly feel inspired every time you do a video. More importantly your heart inspires us. Never really thought about the toilet part inside but you are right. Don’t mind a tiny shower inside. So I’m 66 hubby just turned 60. He grew up on a farm and lived in tents most of his life. He didn’t like a house. We like dining outside and just having a sleep inside area. We just want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for inspiring us what is most important about this life.
I really got hooked on your channel for your no nonsense product reviews. Amazi g to see how some of these off road trailers are evolving. Great job Drew.
Thank you so much Carrie. It is really neat to see. At the moment it kind of hurts with the prices, but at some point these prices will come down and then we’ll have all these new innovative designs out there. Well that’s my glass half full way of looking at it. 😆
I agree with the overkill bathroom. If you're buying an off road camper, it means boondocking lots, so outside facilities are a no brainer. Composting toilet, outside shower, etc. So many other options. That space can definitely be re-purposed. Even a mud room. The galley is awesome. Great ideas overall.
Thanks Drew! I am so much on the same page as you on what I like and don't like about this trailer. 70 gallon of water!! That's a load! They have some really innovative features that will appeal to many!
THANKS BRAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was thinking for those who already own the truck and they are an offroad enthusiast with the need for a bath this trailer really makes sense. Definitely a niche market. But I see it being a homerun within that market.
10 years ago I gave a guy in Eugene, OR $4,000 and three months later he gave me a modified Benroy 5x8 trailer. Where they have come from seems to be forgotten and so many folks seem willing to pay the off road tax/premium for stuff that they will hardly use. Anyway, this is Thursday, one more appointment and on Wednesday of next week we are off from Vancouver Island to the Arctic...right up to Tuk. Dip our toes in the Arctic Ocean. Wish us good luck, eh? And I'm with you Drew, bathroom outside, we want enhanced camping, not miniature RV-ing.
Pretty trusting for someone that’s from Eugene.😂🤣 Even two years ago when you made this comment it was a bad place. Guess it could be worse like Portland.
Late watching this one, but a fair review. I’m 53 and have been camping my entire life and have never used a trailer, let alone had a toilet, but I know from comment sections that it is the deal maker-or-breaker for a lot of people. I do foresee a small off-road able trailer in our not so distant future which is why I watch this channel (the best resource out there on the category IMO). My wife likes the idea of a toilet/shower being available, but when she sees it attempted in small trailers, realizes it’s limitations.
I think if this trailer would have had additional head height for the cabin area (some sort of pop-up or tilt up systemk) I think most people wouldn't have complained. I think in terms of toilets for small campers this is probably one of the best designs I have seen. It is placed away from the cooking and sleeping area. It has plenty of standing height and width. But yet the trailer maintains a low overall height. Like you said I think this design will be appreciated by folks in the future. I think someone in the future will figure out how to make a nice small camper/toilet combo that really makes sense.
We bought a used teardrop from Rustic Trails Teardrop Campers (new-to-us). It’s pretty bare bones (no bathroom or tanks). Love the simplicity of it. We liked it because you can stand up (it’s about 5ft inside). It can be in bed mode or dining mode. Comes with a/c. We installed a mini frig that runs off our solar. It’s perfect! Even pull it with our Outback.
They are in our top trailers to own. Multiple times we have almost picked up a Kodiak Stealth or the standy. I can't remember the name one larger than the Mama Bear. Polar Bear? Haha. We just saw one on the road here in the Black Hills yesterday. I must admit I had a little trailer envy as we are currently towing a cargo trailer. Fun on the inside, but quite boy on the outside (says May).
RKS is a Cool Camper! Lotsa unique features. That much wt. coulda used tandem axles. Indoor potty is handy in the winter! Voyager 1 slide-outs are great! External heat would help an awning room too. Taxa Mantis, Sniper, Opus, Meerkat all went so fast, I'll have to watch your links, Thanks!
Sorry John I tried to keep them quick. Basically just to let you know there’s others out there to be further researched. Good point on the bathroom in the winter.
There’s some really nice features with this rig. I love the T-channel and rear galley design. I’m with you 100% on the TW, it’s going to be pretty limiting on what vehicle you can drive and how much “off roading” you’ll actually be able to do. Thanks for the great content!
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this Brian. It’s always great hearing from a teardrop enthusiast, their take on these less traditional builds.
Indoor bathroom is super important for me, but I'm willing to use a folding toilet + biobags, enclosed by shower curtain inset into plastic rectangle to catch shower water from a "solar heater" gravity-drain nozzle.
Heck no. There are many people who can’t or hate to use the bathroom outside or in public campground restrooms so having a full bath in such a small camper is great.
LOVE your channel! As a small trailer enthusiast I'm on my sixth small camper in about 8 years and think I've found the best for me for now...a Runaway Cool Camp (just room enough for one and extremely lightweight and versatile). However, I so enjoyed your walk through vid of the Meerkat--if I had the funds I'd grab that one for sure. You are on the mark with your likes and dislikes about the one featured here. Thanks for your continued effort to provide useful information to small trailer folks like me. 🙂 PS...With this one I love the roof top deck and most other features but do not like the bathroom "in your face" at the front door! This would def be a cool trailer for some.
I read a stat last month that says the average camper will own five different trailers within their lifetime. I like to think that makes you and I above average! 😂
I’m with you both 💯. Bathrooms in houses are gross enough, I even find kitchens in houses to be unsanitary. ( I’m a maid ). Hope to purchase just one tiny trailer in my life, so thank you for Playing with Sticks.
actually re-watching that. there are only a few small changes i'd make with that bathroom but otherwise its perfect. Drew... think of that as a MUD ROOM. you come in grab the shower head and spray off your boots, waders, gear... use the head to "power blast" the dirt out the door, shut off the shower, take off your clothing in the mud room, then step into the trailer proper. In winter, again, enter the mudroom, get the snow off and such in there, get undressed in there standing up at full height, then move inside. this allows the inside proper to stay cleaner and dryer. this option is great for small camper when you are in areas where dirt, snow, sand and such could be brought in. giving you a sheltered place to change and such which is designed to be able to be "sprayed down" and cleaned with the shower hose right there to do it.
Thanks guys! I could see this trailer sneaking up to one of your fishing or hunting areas. With the size of the truck needed to pull it though there wouldn’t be a whole lot of sneaking. First day back East caught himself six fish. We call him our fish whisperer. Grandma always wants to take him out because he brings all the good luck. Feels really good to be back in the Midwest again.
@@PlayingwithSticks welcome back guys, good going East, sound like he’s got the touch. I could easily haul this one with my half ton GMC Truck but I must say I am missing my Jeep Cherokee and the additional 5-7 mpg it got better than the Sierra. The moving it around once it’s unhooked is what would worry me. How long will you guys be Stateside ?
Hey mate. A few thoughts if you don't mind. That ceramic flush toilet is a waste of space and water. Each flush takes a gallon of water so imagine hauling all that flush water. Unless you reuse the flush water 🤣 lol Also they need to walk through the bathroom to get inside the bedroom... Hmmm Skydeck is awesome Also opus does not set up in 90seconds, I looked at it at Brisbane camping show and it is a 20min job. Yes, you run pumps for 90s to "pop the top" but the amount of work to get to that stage takes a long time. That was also why we went with a forward fold camper trailer - very popular in Australia but haven't seen them in the US or Canada except for the black series (stay clear of that company) trying to push it into the market. My 33c. ;) Love the content
I really appreciate you taking time to share your knowledge. These are the type of comments that make this channel what it is. Most of us learn more from the comment section than we do from the videos themselves. Thank you!
Have enjoyed your comments on trailers and camping equipment! How about considering an episode on how you would design/build a camper out of a small to mid-sized enclosed cargo trailer?
Consider it done. I only say this because we’ve been using our cargo trailer for two years now and I filmed the video I just have never edited it. I will do my best to get it out this season. My wife and the boys have been living in it the past two weeks.
I want a bed, small sink, toilet, shower, maybe a small refrigerator. Basically a motel room. Would be nice to bag the bed, hooks for hammock hanging but tough I guess to get walls strong enough to hang them. Improperly hung you can put some major forces on the hanging point.
I think the Taxa mantis has all of this. Including the ability to hang the hammock. But the bathroom would be lacking it’s more like a squat toilet and hand shower inside.
Drew thanks for showing me more and more little campers I currently own a cricket and I know it’s not the end of all end I’m still searching for the perfect affordable light weight towable camper. It’s out there somewhere maybe in our future!
I have seen this I’ve been calling it the modern off-road Hi-Lo camper. I’ve been wondering when somebody was going to bring the hi-lo design back. One of these days I’m going to have to go and do a little more research on this one.
@@PlayingwithSticks just like my cricket I bought (with my “cricket “ fund , I’m starting a Kimberly karavan savings ( although I admit it’s to dear) but my first name is Kara !! TBA … Kimberly is now solidly in the USA!
Thanks Drew. We bought a Patriot camper X3 imported from Australia and I agree..."One camper away from a great life" definitely changed our lives and we are loving it. If you ever get around Oregon/Washington maybe we can join you guys sometime...keep on doing what your doing it's great stuff for sure.
@@PlayingwithSticks That's awesome...we live in the Boring area between gresham and Sandy. Hit me up if you want to check out the trailer. You can come to my place or I could meet you somewhere. I'd love to pick your brain for some good ideas on boondocking areas.
Too funny, when watching the video, I was thinking wow that looks like Drew, he also sounds like Drew, too bad he no longer works with us at rcap to show he has a twin--just to find out it was you all the long....lol! great to see you again and have a successful youtube channel...
How cool is this!!!! I’m having trouble figuring out who you are from your username. May and I are so homesick for Alaska right now. We just spent a year in Thailand working in an orphanage. We just need a little Alaska for our souls. I definitely miss Rural Cap!
I just ran into Rozelle on here about a month ago. I don’t know if you ever worked with her. She was a health coordinator from central office. Small world!
@@PlayingwithSticks, what an amazing adventure you and your family are having. Started to share your videos with other cappers if they didn't know you had this channel. I am Darrel, and really enjoying your content.
I would love to see a small trailer with a pop up slide, just like in a class A rv, but only it goes up. That could be the bedroom/bed and then you could have full open layout in the trailer. This could change the standards and become a big thing if they do it right, not just a pop up tent.
Always a great video. It's nice, a bit expensive, rooftop cocktails at Sunset would be cool. Water diversion kind of gadgety. Although, I plan on putting a diverter to pump antifreeze in my water system, especially my on demand hot water system. For those Ultra cold weeks. Outdoor tent for shower and a potty when it is bad weather is more my speed if not a shovel. The tongue weight of that trailer is quite something. I was quite fortunate to get my trailer when I did before the whole trailer craze! Prices are nuts! And besides, who would put a 3000 watt inverter and 600 W of solar in a teardrop? Okay, I did. But I got plans! Hahaha! I assume you got your feet up on your back deck and airing the house out. Planning your next adventure. Glad you and your family made it home safe.
I like the idea with the antifreeze. I never really thought about coming up with solutions for winter. I’m always just keeping it simple. Where’s the fun in that? This post reminds me I need to keep my mind open. We were planning on experimenting with larger electrical systems this summer and solar. Our future trailer is going to be really light, so we thought it would be fun to add a little extra weight and test things out. Unfortunately everything isn’t coming together as planned. Maybe the electrical experiments will have to wait for next summer. We have been spending the week organizing the cargo trailer. It’s been kind of rough living in it unorganized and lacking good systems, but it’s all starting to come together. This was the first night where it truly felt like a home. We even added a little bunk for east, which not only is a blast for him but I think we’ll really make our bedding situation better. I said this last summer, but I’m gonna try again really hard this summer to film this cargo trailer one of these days. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s still one of my favorite trailers. I bet when you first purchased that trailer it felt almost ludicrous in terms of pricing. Now looking back I bet you’re seeing it as a screaming deal! Edit: sorry I accidentally combined responses from two different comments into yours. I just deleted the second half. I’ve been having a bit of trouble with our comment section today. More human error than anything.
Actually it was more than I could afford when I bought it. But it is going to be my retirement situation for as long as I can. Many travels planned. I would like to do away with all propane, and no generators as well. Charging from the vehicle while driving and utilizing the Sun as much as possible. Large battery Bank, lots of solar. Alaska, canada, lower USA and Mexico. Not too sure how far south from that. I figured that'll take me a few years. I bet your cargo trailer is going to be super functional. And a sleeping spot for the boy during these years is almost mandatory. Can't wait to see the glimpses. What about the 90 other trailers you have? Hopefully you kept your family's old pop up.
Your retirement plan sounds like the dream. There’s so much to discover in North America you would almost have to force yourself to move on south of Mexico. But what an adventure that would be! We actually went back-and-forth pop up camper or cargo trailer this month? We decided the cargo trailer, because Our dream trailer, which we should be picking up in about a month is very pop-up-esque. Well, we will see if it turns out to be the dream trailer. The dream trailer in my head if I was to build one.
Haha. I don’t know about epic. My brain is not built for epic unfortunately. But functional, I am hoping so. I keep asking myself why has nobody made a trailer like this. I figure if I put it out for the world to see I’ll probably figure out why in the comment section. 😂
I find it entertaining how obsessed people are with having a bathroom when “camping”. I totally get it if it’s an RV you are living out of, but for most trips into the wilderness it just seems like another source of problems and systems to maintain.
Drew - Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this video. This RKS is, to me, very nice. As you know, mobility and frequency issues mean we have to be self-contained in some fashion, and this solution is really great. For us, though, it would mean investing in a suitable tow vehicle, thus raising the cost of entry exponentially. The NuCamp Tab 320 remains for me the gold standard, so if you ever get a chance to do a walkthrough on that model, please take it. Thanks for pointing out RVBlogger as well - they do a good job.
You are most welcome Tom! That is how I saw it as well. If you already own the truck, then this is a great fit for you. But the weight of the offroad features plus the 70 gallons will push many people into needing a different tow vehicle. Back in the day I wasn't a fan of the Tab 320. But they have really improved that trailer over the last 5 years or so. Some of the issues that plagued the earlier models seem to be non-issues today. I will do my best to hunt one down Tom. I wanted to film one in San Diego, but I ran out of time.
IMHO the Tab and the RKS are totally different beasts. Tabs are very cool and a step above the standard mass produced Elhart built rigs but by no means off road capable. The 6" I beam aluminum frame on the RKS probably costs 3-4 times more then the Tabs steel chassis. Then from there on the components and quality continue be far superior. That said you do pay for all of this. What is your current tow vehicle? Remember the RKS is rated to 5,000 lbs gvw but typically loaded weight would be 4,200 ish. So any suv rated to 5,000 pound towing capacity would work.
@@bartman1857 I absolutely agree with you. The Tab is not an off-road teardrop, but serious off-roading is not our style. We usually camp in places no more rugged than a National Forest campground with no hookups or utilities (pit toilets). There is a "boondock package" for this model, but it's still not overly rugged. Our tow vehicle is a Kia Sorrento EX (6 cyl) with a 3500# weight limit. The Tab 320 is self-contained, and that's what we really need. Being seniors, we need the bathroom to avoid 3AM trips outside, and something light that I can easily maneuver and tow. So for us, the Tab gets the job done. If I were ever to get the RKS, I'd actually use it as a tiny home on a piece of land rather than towing it from place to place.
@@twloughlin to state the obvious I would find your published GCWR of your Kia in your owners manual. It is possible all loaded up in the Tab you may be pushing towing that Tab with your kia. Watch the tounge weight.
Agreed with the “mass produced” trailers and the build quality. I have seen this trailer before. The layout is a little weird to me where you enter in the bathroom. There can be benefits to the interior bathroom. You need one if you are traveling and want to stay at a Harvest host of Boondockers Welcome spot. Otherwise, you don’t need one like you said.
I would add, it’s highly convenient to have an indoor toilet for when little kids get up in the middle of the night. And like Garret pointed out, very nice to have when driving to a destination.
I like the functionality of the trailer. As a mom, not a fan of the use of the roof top. Im also not a fan of an indoor toilet in my trailer. Overall great video and information.
Thanks for sharing Maykou. All I see is an amazing rooftop fort. But I get you. Thanks for ruining EVERYTHING. Just kidding. You know I love seeing you on here.
Love the channel. Always look forward to what you've decided to share. Roof top decks as opposed to extra storage or better yet solar arrays have always been bizarre to me. Don't get the need to get on top of trailers. Are we goats? Never needed to or been obsessed with getting on top of things. A 6' high postage stamp of a balcony? Truly strange for the need to reside on a roof like at a nascar race. To each their own I suppose.
I must have a little goat in me. Haha . I always love getting up on things. As a kid I was always climbing up on the baseball dugout or viewing things from up in the tree. Camper trailers always bring out the kid in me. They feel like a treehouse or a fort.
They call it a rooftop deck basically it's a flat roof that you can use as a deck brilliant marketing because you can charge more for a rooftop deck rather than just a roof
Interior bathroom - while I agree with Drew, in general terms, to have a separated bathroom, but in thinking about about my 75+ year old parents, or even my wife, as they would prefer to not have to shamble around in the dark for a night pee. But, the "Wrapon" would be preferable where its all completed and sealed, vs having to deal with wastewater tanks.
I just checked it out. You may want to look into a Trelino out of Germany. Similar outcome, but follows the science behind composting toilets. The issue with going into a bag is that you are mixing solids and liquids, which is where those smells come from. Crazy enough, separate them out and the smells are very minimal. The Trelino has a bag for the solids, but a separate compartment for the liquids. It is also sealed like the wrapon and much less expensive. I just ordered one for the summer. So I will let you know how it works. Charles, who is working on my trailer found it. He has his own home built version that he uses in his shop. He swears by it. My wife is a big fan of the composting toilets as well, so I thought it was time to give it a chance. Especially beings it is 1/3 the cost of most composting toilets and small enough for our needs. I will be using it both inside the trailer and outside for the tests.
These trailer companies have gotten ridiculous with their “off road” trailers. I guess adding an “off road” sticker adds $20,000 to the price. I’ll stick to my roof top tent on my Ford Ranger for now. I agree with you on the location of the bathroom. Give me an exterior option and I’m happy.
Like the RKS PURPOSE camper. Curious where the black and gray water dump valves are. Is there a black water flush? What’s the inside height of the sleeping dining area?
If you're sitting on the bed, there's about 34" to 35" to the ceiling. I'm 5' 7" and I barely fit underneath as my hair / head are touching the ceiling without slouching forward or leaning back.
@@patrickio8084 If you watch at the 4:00 minute mark the owner is sitting on the bench and you can see how much room he has above his head, not much, not sure how tall he is.
ok my mind just went into a strange place. for some reason... i just saw a "ultra lite" micro tear drop, based on something like the widepath bike camper, built... onto a sleigh... for snowshowing. 2m light insulation base, but with the ability to put velcro insulation over things like the windows and doors. maybe some kind of heater, a tiny 1kw diesel or battery pack with 300 watt electric and heating pad. if you could keep the weight around 75 pounds... it would be a great little thing for outdoor adventurers doing long trails, where you can't easily set up tents.
Thanks for the review. I always enjoy your content. If you get a chance can you do a review of a hyk outdoors trailrunner teardrop? I'm curious what your take is.
Really cool… until I looked up the price tag. Maybe create a smaller version that is just the bedroom space and get rid of the bathroom for those that don’t need it. It would be cheaper, lighter and shorter. Most off-road enthusiasts would prefer those traits in my opinion.
Welcome to the club. About 2 years ago offroad small camper trailer prices blew up. The market is still pretty hot. The beauty of a hot market is that we are getting a lot of new innovation in the industry. The downfall is that we have to wait for them to be sold used or for the bubble to burst.
its the frame, that going to be high cost aircraft grade aluminum in i-beam rather then tube construction. Made to be both light weight but very very strong, and durable. If they are using 6061 for that you are looking at about 28-30 dollars per foot of material, then the specialized training and equipment to weld aluminum. that adds up QUICK.
So do you kick everyone outside in the rain if you need a dump ?. Then Put up with the stink inside. Nah bugger that I agree with you. That's just gross. Get a toilet/shower tent. And move that thing at least twenty metres from camp. Back in the day we used use a 20l/5gallon bucket. Dig a hole. And if it we were feeling posh it would get a proper toilet seat. If not a seat it would a pool noodle type thing around the rim.
That departure angle...like towing a brick. Manufacturers like to label their trailers "off road". Maybe "off pavement" should be a new category. Gonna be dragging that overhang on any little elevation change.
Yes it’s in line but not for the trailers we typically show on the channel. A trailer like this pushes you up into a full-size SUV or a truck. We typically try to aim towards midsize SUVs and smaller if possible on this channel. But you’re absolutely correct in terms of off-road trailers of this size it’s actually lighter than most in the industry because of the aluminum frame.
Move the toilet into a outside pull out that drops down and has a fold out canvas surround, and put shoe storage where the toilet is so you can remove shoes before stepping into the clean part of the camper.
Please share your ideas for outdoor toilets. You mentioned several times that inside toilets are less than ideal. Just curious on what alternatives you like?
$50K is out of the question. But, I've got a 2wd truck that'll pull 11,000lbs. That's my daily driver. I'm not looking to do heavy off-road, just get places like National Parks, and not have to check into hotels. Should I get a trailer, or just do a camper shell conversion in the truck bed? How bad to these trailers hit MPG? (Like a Bean)
Huge fan! We have two videos one about the negatives and one about why they are the best camper for growing familys. My father owns a pop-up trailer that we have had for over 40 years. We use it as the backdrop of the video to say if you take care of the canvas it will last.
You may be quite surprised Lynne. That is actually why you don’t see pop-ups very often on our channel. They are actually heavier than many of the small camper trailers we show on here. Finding a pop-up that fits nicely into your towing capacity may be a little harder than you think. They make a few, but it’s not the norm. For your capacity we typically look at small fiberglass trailers or teardrop trailers. There’s a company right now in Canada I can’t remember the name they’re making a really lightweight pop-up, which definitely caught our attention
@@PlayingwithSticks I would love a scamp or meerkat, but it just doesn't fit my budget. Camping now out of my suv and a tent that hook on the back. Thanks for answering my questions. Your kids are so cute.
I'd rather have the entire roof lift up to give the same height over the bed area. Smaller water tanks would definitely be better in my opinion, 25 gallons would be fine, I've seen diesel pushers with 70 gallon tanks! Also, rather than making a walk on roof how about cover it with solar panels? Lastly, not a fan of walking into the bathroom when getting into the trailer, maybe have the bath at the rear or turned sideways? I did like some of the details but the water valving seemed a little weird and the base price...wow, what is it with manufacturers making "off-road" trailers so damn expensive? I thought $20K for a Turtleback was high...$50K is just over the top.
Sorry. I actually edited it out. There was a feature I thought the trailer didn’t have when I made the video. Once I did a deeper dive I found the feature existed, but the salesman didn’t pointed out. Again sorry for that.
I could be completely misunderstanding you and if so I apologize but when you say 5th wheel I’m picturing the trailers that hook up in the bed of a truck.
Quite a few trailers in Australia are Chinese produced im in small country town and have made MANY repairs too chinese and local chassis from failed (cracked chassis and suspension components)
I take great interest in ur pages im semi retired and have plenty interested in producing custom square drop style campers with lifetime warranty steel/alloy frames.I will send u pics for ur honest opinion if u have time?
That overcomplicated water valve system seems very unnecessary. In even my cheap RV fill port box and pump, two check valves allow me to use the pump or city water simultaneously and automatically without having to think or care whether the pump is powered, or connected to the system. Adding an inlet for a river water pickup would just require a 3 way valve on the feed to the pump.
I think it’s all part of the space race as I call this. Everybody’s trying to compete with everyone right now. Anywhere they can add a little sizzle, they typically do.
@@PlayingwithSticks yeah it just seemed like a bit of ooh and ahh that dazzles friends but doesn't need to take up space and be "manual". I don't mean to knock it too hard, but for that price I hope my water works automatically.
I'm not a fan of the grey water flush system. I wouldn't mind if it had a selector, to flush with grey or fresh. The reason being, you are unlikely to have enough grey water to flush on arrival... BUT how likely are you to have kids... who have to go on arrival? I know your take on indoor toilets drew, but at the same time, there is a "safety level" for having them. If you have an extreme cold or extreme weather system, it can be dangerous to go outside. in cases like that i can see actually "dropping" the popup to reduce wind cross section, reduce risk of damage/protect the canvas, or improve insulation. while using the bathroom at crouch height. Course, i'm stubborn, if i plan a trip for 2 weeks to a location. and mid trip, we get weather alerts for blizzard or such... my response is to dig in and prepare to ride it out, not try and get home. often safer to ride out bad weather, just move to a spot where you are "closer" to a rescue point if need be. IE closer to a main road or such.
I thought the same thing during my edit. I am wondering if he just didn't elaborate. Like you said I can't imagine how you would go to the bathroom on a roadside pullout or just when you get to camp. In person this camper really was well put together, so I can't imagine them having that sort of oversight. If anyone is reading this and knows more than we do please chime in!
good point on the safety Jennifer. And sometimes the smells, cleaning, and dumping can be worth it. We have been on trips with our family's (parents) 5th wheel. It was with the intention of a reunion type feel. More like bringing the home to nature. I will admit we enjoyed the toilet on those outings. Good point on riding out the weather. That is typically us as well. Every time we try to outrun it, especially in Alaska we end up putting ourselves in a more dangerous situation.
@@PlayingwithSticks yep, so, we add things together - having the ability to move to say, a parking lot, where you can get ploughed out, still have access to a toilet, stay buttoned down for 24 hours, and wait out a travel warning advisory, by cooking inside, and limiting outside exposure to extreme cold/wind/etc... for the duration, before... returning to the campsite proper. Or heading home... Simply put in some places you can't use or don't have access to outdoor toilets, facilitiy toilets or such... so having an option is good. That being said, now why am i picturing a "slide out" outdoor toilet option, where you set up an awning area, and have both external shower, and toilet with a blow heater?
I started thinking about something similar after I saw the expedition trailer with the exterior heat port. That really got the gears in my head turning.
@@PlayingwithSticks yep, the only downside being again, its "situtational location" you need to be in a place where you can set up the awning, or at least slide out the toilet in a private area... you couldnt use it on the road side, in a parking lot, or other such locations. but again, for country camping, boon docking, etc. being able to open a door, slide out a caset toilet. Pull out from under the trailer a "grated floor" wrap around an awning covering it, and one of the side doors. and poof. you now have a stand up shower, thats raised off the ground, draining down, to keep you out of the mud. and a heated casset toilet. all sheltered where you dont really have to go outside to access them. but they are still "outside" of the body of the camper, so no interior oder or humidiity.
By current industry standards it would be small. I used that definition because of the toilet. Basically any off-road trailer that has a toilet and shower of this size comes from the larger RV industry. And in reality they’re never truly off-road. This is actually built with off-road specs. Height and width small enough to get through the trails. It’s pretty on par with trailers you’re seeing coming out of Australia and South Africa that are solely used for off-roading and over landing. That is in terms of size and weight.
You sound like the perfect travel companion. Nobody in our family will touch the bathroom or anything remotely near the black water dumpsite. We just need one person to travel with us who’s willing to do it. Then I will change my tune! 😂
@@PlayingwithSticks AND as i get older i think about mobility issues. HOWEVER, maybe i need to do something about that.. Plus i really think about you say as i too nitpick at quality/design as i was younger and car camped, backpacked, motorcycle camped and now back to car camping. I want something thats going to last me into my retirement years...
@@PlayingwithSticks Hey Drew,quick question.. How fo you and Mei like your Skottle and are you still using it?? And are you still using the Camp Chef Stove? Why does the owner of the company sound like Donald Suthernland? LOL..
@@PlayingwithSticks As always, these are wonderful, informational, and genuine videos. Btw: my avatar image now is from Navajo Bridge at Marble Canyon, AZ. I had hoped to do some dispersed camping there, but the blm road was too rocky for my car. The ‘vo said no.
@@zackdemundo Sometimes I like those challenges. We had a few locations in Alaska that kept getting the best of us. We attempted time after time. By the time we finally made it, it usually was worth all the effort. Sometimes the planning and getting creative was just as fun as the destination in itself. That destination by the way looks incredible!
@@PlayingwithSticks I’ll blm-it when I get something with higher clearance. Definitely returning to marble canyon. My priority is clearance and to sleep inside steel in grizzly country.
Stop bagging vans with toilets and bathrooms in them. Some people have health and mobility issues. Having a toilet that is set up and ready to use is a life saver for a lot of people! You don’t like them, fine, but do not harp on about that. Just give the facts with no bias or prejudice and people will decide for themselves!
Sorry Karen. That is how we do it. I realize I will offend people with some of my comments, but I tell it as I see it. I also know I need to keep these videos short and with so many videos I’m not going to explain who it’s for and who it’s not for. The Community at large knows I’m all about making the least comfortable person comfortable. Many times that means getting a trailer with a toilet. I like to share my toilet narrative because many people buy campers with toilets to find out they not only use them but they regret the decision. This is me just watching out for people. I realize it comes across as snooty and judgmental, but I’m not here to make everyone happy I’m here to share my thoughts and help people make informed decisions.
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Update: During the "5 Similar Trailers Portion" I accidentally said gray water when I meant to say black water. Sorry for the confusion.
Hey drew I know you have links but adding the base msrp of each trailer on the screen would definitely be welcomed
I can't imagine the cost of that trailer. All RVs have gone through the roof in terms of cost. I'm glad I bought mine when I did back in 2013 before all this crazy inflation occurred.
Yes, I think folks who got in early are feeling really good about right now. 💰
I agree
I bought a new 2018 18tf toy hauler
MSRP 30k on the showroom for 20k but online for 18 so I had to jump on it
And the other thing I can’t stand is all new full size travel trailers and toy hauler are just white and black
They look so boring
Mine is grey with blue and black and red stripes with really nice wheels so it looks amazing
Every time I see the prices of mini trailers it makes me happy at how much I paid for mine
Costs have truly gotten out of hand.
Drew, we truly feel inspired every time you do a video. More importantly your heart inspires us. Never really thought about the toilet part inside but you are right. Don’t mind a tiny shower inside. So I’m 66 hubby just turned 60. He grew up on a farm and lived in tents most of his life. He didn’t like a house. We like dining outside and just having a sleep inside area. We just want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for inspiring us what is most important about this life.
I really got hooked on your channel for your no nonsense product reviews. Amazi g to see how some of these off road trailers are evolving. Great job Drew.
Thank you so much Carrie. It is really neat to see. At the moment it kind of hurts with the prices, but at some point these prices will come down and then we’ll have all these new innovative designs out there. Well that’s my glass half full way of looking at it. 😆
I agree with the overkill bathroom. If you're buying an off road camper, it means boondocking lots, so outside facilities are a no brainer. Composting toilet, outside shower, etc. So many other options. That space can definitely be re-purposed. Even a mud room. The galley is awesome. Great ideas overall.
Thanks Drew! I am so much on the same page as you on what I like and don't like about this trailer. 70 gallon of water!! That's a load! They have some really innovative features that will appeal to many!
THANKS BRAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was thinking for those who already own the truck and they are an offroad enthusiast with the need for a bath this trailer really makes sense. Definitely a niche market. But I see it being a homerun within that market.
@@PlayingwithSticks I totally agree!!
So if the tank is small it's not good. But when it's large. It's not good either? Just don't fill it up to full.
10 years ago I gave a guy in Eugene, OR $4,000 and three months later he gave me a modified Benroy 5x8 trailer. Where they have come from seems to be forgotten and so many folks seem willing to pay the off road tax/premium for stuff that they will hardly use. Anyway, this is Thursday, one more appointment and on Wednesday of next week we are off from Vancouver Island to the Arctic...right up to Tuk. Dip our toes in the Arctic Ocean. Wish us good luck, eh?
And I'm with you Drew, bathroom outside, we want enhanced camping, not miniature RV-ing.
Super jealous of your trip! How many times now will that make? I know you guys have made your way north quite a few times.
Pretty trusting for someone that’s from Eugene.😂🤣 Even two years ago when you made this comment it was a bad place. Guess it could be worse like Portland.
Late watching this one, but a fair review. I’m 53 and have been camping my entire life and have never used a trailer, let alone had a toilet, but I know from comment sections that it is the deal maker-or-breaker for a lot of people. I do foresee a small off-road able trailer in our not so distant future which is why I watch this channel (the best resource out there on the category IMO). My wife likes the idea of a toilet/shower being available, but when she sees it attempted in small trailers, realizes it’s limitations.
I think if this trailer would have had additional head height for the cabin area (some sort of pop-up or tilt up systemk) I think most people wouldn't have complained. I think in terms of toilets for small campers this is probably one of the best designs I have seen. It is placed away from the cooking and sleeping area. It has plenty of standing height and width. But yet the trailer maintains a low overall height. Like you said I think this design will be appreciated by folks in the future. I think someone in the future will figure out how to make a nice small camper/toilet combo that really makes sense.
We bought a used teardrop from Rustic Trails Teardrop Campers (new-to-us). It’s pretty bare bones (no bathroom or tanks). Love the simplicity of it. We liked it because you can stand up (it’s about 5ft inside). It can be in bed mode or dining mode. Comes with a/c. We installed a mini frig that runs off our solar. It’s perfect! Even pull it with our Outback.
They are in our top trailers to own. Multiple times we have almost picked up a Kodiak Stealth or the standy. I can't remember the name one larger than the Mama Bear. Polar Bear? Haha. We just saw one on the road here in the Black Hills yesterday. I must admit I had a little trailer envy as we are currently towing a cargo trailer. Fun on the inside, but quite boy on the outside (says May).
Yes! Polar is the standy. We have the Grizzly. Very well built! Maybe you could do a video on them!
I have the Kodiak. Drew, your welcome to tour and video it if you’re even near Dallas. I love its simplicity and quality.
I may take you up on that someday. Thank you!
We haven’t had the chance to make our way east yet, but if we ever do it’s our top destination.
RKS is a Cool Camper! Lotsa unique features. That much wt. coulda used tandem axles. Indoor potty is handy in the winter!
Voyager 1 slide-outs are great! External heat would help an awning room too.
Taxa Mantis, Sniper, Opus, Meerkat all went so fast, I'll have to watch your links, Thanks!
Sorry John I tried to keep them quick. Basically just to let you know there’s others out there to be further researched. Good point on the bathroom in the winter.
That's the smartest camper build I have ever seen! Kudos!
I agree, I think this was a very well thought out trailer. Especially for the end user they designed it for.
There’s some really nice features with this rig. I love the T-channel and rear galley design. I’m with you 100% on the TW, it’s going to be pretty limiting on what vehicle you can drive and how much “off roading” you’ll actually be able to do.
Thanks for the great content!
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this Brian. It’s always great hearing from a teardrop enthusiast, their take on these less traditional builds.
Reading the comments and feedback - so valuable. Drew you are like a moderator thar brings in people's experiences. Just great content. Thanks!!
Thank you Carrie! Great to see you on here.
Indoor bathroom is super important for me, but I'm willing to use a folding toilet + biobags, enclosed by shower curtain inset into plastic rectangle to catch shower water from a "solar heater" gravity-drain nozzle.
I love my pop ups. I have seen many small campers but the price has been outrageous.
Yes, prices are what I will call "outrageous" right now.
Heck no. There are many people who can’t or hate to use the bathroom outside or in public campground restrooms so having a full bath in such a small camper is great.
LOVE your channel! As a small trailer enthusiast I'm on my sixth small camper in about 8 years and think I've found the best for me for now...a Runaway Cool Camp (just room enough for one and extremely lightweight and versatile). However, I so enjoyed your walk through vid of the Meerkat--if I had the funds I'd grab that one for sure. You are on the mark with your likes and dislikes about the one featured here. Thanks for your continued effort to provide useful information to small trailer folks like me. 🙂 PS...With this one I love the roof top deck and most other features but do not like the bathroom "in your face" at the front door! This would def be a cool trailer for some.
I read a stat last month that says the average camper will own five different trailers within their lifetime. I like to think that makes you and I above average! 😂
I’m with you both 💯. Bathrooms in houses are gross enough, I even find kitchens in houses to be unsanitary. ( I’m a maid ).
Hope to purchase just one tiny trailer in my life, so thank you for Playing with Sticks.
actually re-watching that. there are only a few small changes i'd make with that bathroom but otherwise its perfect. Drew... think of that as a MUD ROOM. you come in grab the shower head and spray off your boots, waders, gear... use the head to "power blast" the dirt out the door, shut off the shower, take off your clothing in the mud room, then step into the trailer proper.
In winter, again, enter the mudroom, get the snow off and such in there, get undressed in there standing up at full height, then move inside. this allows the inside proper to stay cleaner and dryer. this option is great for small camper when you are in areas where dirt, snow, sand and such could be brought in. giving you a sheltered place to change and such which is designed to be able to be "sprayed down" and cleaned with the shower hose right there to do it.
Definitely a unique design but also definitely heavy. Good walk thru as always. I like your 5 comparable trailers , good job ! Thanks Drew !
Thanks guys! I could see this trailer sneaking up to one of your fishing or hunting areas. With the size of the truck needed to pull it though there wouldn’t be a whole lot of sneaking. First day back East caught himself six fish. We call him our fish whisperer. Grandma always wants to take him out because he brings all the good luck. Feels really good to be back in the Midwest again.
@@PlayingwithSticks welcome back guys, good going East, sound like he’s got the touch. I could easily haul this one with my half ton GMC Truck but I must say I am missing my Jeep Cherokee and the additional 5-7 mpg it got better than the Sierra. The moving it around once it’s unhooked is what would worry me. How long will you guys be Stateside ?
Especially today that gas mileage is pretty important. We will be over here for three months. It’s already feeling too short!
Is 2700lbs considered heavy? You can tow it with a small truck or SUV.
Full bath. Yes! My wife can support.
Hey mate. A few thoughts if you don't mind.
That ceramic flush toilet is a waste of space and water. Each flush takes a gallon of water so imagine hauling all that flush water. Unless you reuse the flush water 🤣 lol
Also they need to walk through the bathroom to get inside the bedroom... Hmmm
Skydeck is awesome
Also opus does not set up in 90seconds, I looked at it at Brisbane camping show and it is a 20min job. Yes, you run pumps for 90s to "pop the top" but the amount of work to get to that stage takes a long time. That was also why we went with a forward fold camper trailer - very popular in Australia but haven't seen them in the US or Canada except for the black series (stay clear of that company) trying to push it into the market.
My 33c. ;)
Love the content
I really appreciate you taking time to share your knowledge. These are the type of comments that make this channel what it is. Most of us learn more from the comment section than we do from the videos themselves. Thank you!
Have enjoyed your comments on trailers and camping equipment! How about considering an episode on how you would design/build a camper out of a small to mid-sized enclosed cargo trailer?
Consider it done. I only say this because we’ve been using our cargo trailer for two years now and I filmed the video I just have never edited it. I will do my best to get it out this season. My wife and the boys have been living in it the past two weeks.
I want a bed, small sink, toilet, shower, maybe a small refrigerator. Basically a motel room.
Would be nice to bag the bed, hooks for hammock hanging but tough I guess to get walls strong enough to hang them. Improperly hung you can put some major forces on the hanging point.
I think the Taxa mantis has all of this. Including the ability to hang the hammock. But the bathroom would be lacking it’s more like a squat toilet and hand shower inside.
Thanks for the information Drew! Nice video, as always. 😊
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the kind comment.
Hands down the best small towable off-road camper although expensive Kimberly karavan!!
Drew thanks for showing me more and more little campers I currently own a cricket and I know it’s not the end of all end I’m still searching for the perfect affordable light weight towable camper. It’s out there somewhere maybe in our future!
You got my attention!
I have seen this I’ve been calling it the modern off-road Hi-Lo camper. I’ve been wondering when somebody was going to bring the hi-lo design back. One of these days I’m going to have to go and do a little more research on this one.
I’m a huge fan of the cricket. If you ever see a trailer of ours that you like maybe we could swap! Haha
@@PlayingwithSticks just like my cricket I bought (with my “cricket “ fund , I’m starting a Kimberly karavan savings ( although I admit it’s to dear) but my first name is Kara !! TBA … Kimberly is now solidly in the USA!
Thanks Drew. We bought a Patriot camper X3 imported from Australia and I agree..."One camper away from a great life" definitely changed our lives and we are loving it. If you ever get around Oregon/Washington maybe we can join you guys sometime...keep on doing what your doing it's great stuff for sure.
I will actually be there on Sunday. Doing a bit of a loop around Oregon and Southern Washington.
I’ve heard nothing but good things about the patriot campers. I’ve yet to see one in person.
@@PlayingwithSticks That's awesome...we live in the Boring area between gresham and Sandy. Hit me up if you want to check out the trailer. You can come to my place or I could meet you somewhere. I'd love to pick your brain for some good ideas on boondocking areas.
@@pat9125 I have an extremely tight schedule, but I will see if I can make it happen.
@@PlayingwithSticks sounds good...i'll leave you my number at your youtube business email
Too funny, when watching the video, I was thinking wow that looks like Drew, he also sounds like Drew, too bad he no longer works with us at rcap to show he has a twin--just to find out it was you all the long....lol! great to see you again and have a successful youtube channel...
How cool is this!!!! I’m having trouble figuring out who you are from your username. May and I are so homesick for Alaska right now. We just spent a year in Thailand working in an orphanage. We just need a little Alaska for our souls. I definitely miss Rural Cap!
I just ran into Rozelle on here about a month ago. I don’t know if you ever worked with her. She was a health coordinator from central office. Small world!
@@PlayingwithSticks, what an amazing adventure you and your family are having. Started to share your videos with other cappers if they didn't know you had this channel. I am Darrel, and really enjoying your content.
I would love to see a small trailer with a pop up slide, just like in a class A rv, but only it goes up. That could be the bedroom/bed and then you could have full open layout in the trailer. This could change the standards and become a big thing if they do it right, not just a pop up tent.
Always a great video. It's nice, a bit expensive, rooftop cocktails at Sunset would be cool. Water diversion kind of gadgety. Although, I plan on putting a diverter to pump antifreeze in my water system, especially my on demand hot water system. For those Ultra cold weeks. Outdoor tent for shower and a potty when it is bad weather is more my speed if not a shovel. The tongue weight of that trailer is quite something. I was quite fortunate to get my trailer when I did before the whole trailer craze! Prices are nuts! And besides, who would put a 3000 watt inverter and 600 W of solar in a teardrop? Okay, I did. But I got plans! Hahaha! I assume you got your feet up on your back deck and airing the house out. Planning your next adventure. Glad you and your family made it home safe.
I like the idea with the antifreeze. I never really thought about coming up with solutions for winter. I’m always just keeping it simple. Where’s the fun in that? This post reminds me I need to keep my mind open. We were planning on experimenting with larger electrical systems this summer and solar. Our future trailer is going to be really light, so we thought it would be fun to add a little extra weight and test things out. Unfortunately everything isn’t coming together as planned. Maybe the electrical experiments will have to wait for next summer. We have been spending the week organizing the cargo trailer. It’s been kind of rough living in it unorganized and lacking good systems, but it’s all starting to come together. This was the first night where it truly felt like a home. We even added a little bunk for east, which not only is a blast for him but I think we’ll really make our bedding situation better. I said this last summer, but I’m gonna try again really hard this summer to film this cargo trailer one of these days. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s still one of my favorite trailers. I bet when you first purchased that trailer it felt almost ludicrous in terms of pricing. Now looking back I bet you’re seeing it as a screaming deal! Edit: sorry I accidentally combined responses from two different comments into yours. I just deleted the second half. I’ve been having a bit of trouble with our comment section today. More human error than anything.
Actually it was more than I could afford when I bought it. But it is going to be my retirement situation for as long as I can. Many travels planned. I would like to do away with all propane, and no generators as well. Charging from the vehicle while driving and utilizing the Sun as much as possible. Large battery Bank, lots of solar. Alaska, canada, lower USA and Mexico. Not too sure how far south from that. I figured that'll take me a few years. I bet your cargo trailer is going to be super functional. And a sleeping spot for the boy during these years is almost mandatory. Can't wait to see the glimpses. What about the 90 other trailers you have? Hopefully you kept your family's old pop up.
Your retirement plan sounds like the dream. There’s so much to discover in North America you would almost have to force yourself to move on south of Mexico. But what an adventure that would be! We actually went back-and-forth pop up camper or cargo trailer this month? We decided the cargo trailer, because Our dream trailer, which we should be picking up in about a month is very pop-up-esque. Well, we will see if it turns out to be the dream trailer. The dream trailer in my head if I was to build one.
Awesome!!!
I bet it will be epic!
Haha. I don’t know about epic. My brain is not built for epic unfortunately. But functional, I am hoping so. I keep asking myself why has nobody made a trailer like this. I figure if I put it out for the world to see I’ll probably figure out why in the comment section. 😂
RKS would be my favorite
Love hearing that! It makes out day to find a good fit for someone. They make a very innovative little trailer.
I find it entertaining how obsessed people are with having a bathroom when “camping”. I totally get it if it’s an RV you are living out of, but for most trips into the wilderness it just seems like another source of problems and systems to maintain.
Drew - Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this video. This RKS is, to me, very nice. As you know, mobility and frequency issues mean we have to be self-contained in some fashion, and this solution is really great. For us, though, it would mean investing in a suitable tow vehicle, thus raising the cost of entry exponentially. The NuCamp Tab 320 remains for me the gold standard, so if you ever get a chance to do a walkthrough on that model, please take it. Thanks for pointing out RVBlogger as well - they do a good job.
You are most welcome Tom! That is how I saw it as well. If you already own the truck, then this is a great fit for you. But the weight of the offroad features plus the 70 gallons will push many people into needing a different tow vehicle. Back in the day I wasn't a fan of the Tab 320. But they have really improved that trailer over the last 5 years or so. Some of the issues that plagued the earlier models seem to be non-issues today. I will do my best to hunt one down Tom. I wanted to film one in San Diego, but I ran out of time.
IMHO the Tab and the RKS are totally different beasts. Tabs are very cool and a step above the standard mass produced Elhart built rigs but by no means off road capable. The 6" I beam aluminum frame on the RKS probably costs 3-4 times more then the Tabs steel chassis. Then from there on the components and quality continue be far superior. That said you do pay for all of this. What is your current tow vehicle? Remember the RKS is rated to 5,000 lbs gvw but typically loaded weight would be 4,200 ish. So any suv rated to 5,000 pound towing capacity would work.
@@bartman1857 I absolutely agree with you. The Tab is not an off-road teardrop, but serious off-roading is not our style. We usually camp in places no more rugged than a National Forest campground with no hookups or utilities (pit toilets). There is a "boondock package" for this model, but it's still not overly rugged. Our tow vehicle is a Kia Sorrento EX (6 cyl) with a 3500# weight limit. The Tab 320 is self-contained, and that's what we really need. Being seniors, we need the bathroom to avoid 3AM trips outside, and something light that I can easily maneuver and tow. So for us, the Tab gets the job done. If I were ever to get the RKS, I'd actually use it as a tiny home on a piece of land rather than towing it from place to place.
@@twloughlin to state the obvious I would find your published GCWR of your Kia in your owners manual. It is possible all loaded up in the Tab you may be pushing towing that Tab with your kia. Watch the tounge weight.
@@bartman1857 Thanks for the tip!
I hope your trip back to the US went well.
We had some delays, and picked up some sort of weird international bug, but two weeks later we’re back on our feet. Thank you for the well wishes.
2:30 I like how the indicator light on the water control panel is labeled "light".
Haha. I never noticed that.
My house, bought in 2012 just north of Tampa 1700sq feet 3 br 2 baths was 40,000! Price for that trailer no damn way! Good luck selling it.
Well when you put it that way! Haha. Love it!
Agreed with the “mass produced” trailers and the build quality. I have seen this trailer before. The layout is a little weird to me where you enter in the bathroom. There can be benefits to the interior bathroom. You need one if you are traveling and want to stay at a Harvest host of Boondockers Welcome spot. Otherwise, you don’t need one like you said.
I would add, it’s highly convenient to have an indoor toilet for when little kids get up in the middle of the night. And like Garret pointed out, very nice to have when driving to a destination.
Great points!
Also for Wal-Mart or on-street situations. Offroad campsites are preferred, but sometimes we have long distances to cover in a short time.
Good point
@@questioner1596 Ageed.
Good review and comparisons 👍
Cheers
Thanks Patrick! Good seeing you.
I like the functionality of the trailer. As a mom, not a fan of the use of the roof top. Im also not a fan of an indoor toilet in my trailer. Overall great video and information.
Thanks for sharing Maykou. All I see is an amazing rooftop fort. But I get you. Thanks for ruining EVERYTHING. Just kidding. You know I love seeing you on here.
A lot of new camper sites require indoor kitchen and bathrooms!
Really? Boo!
What a shame to make that a requirement.
You nice having sower as come door way is kid and sand dirt and shower drag it in place wash up before kitchen out doer actives i like.For Trailer.
Love the channel. Always look forward to what you've decided to share. Roof top decks as opposed to extra storage or better yet solar arrays have always been bizarre to me. Don't get the need to get on top of trailers. Are we goats? Never needed to or been obsessed with getting on top of things. A 6' high postage stamp of a balcony? Truly strange for the need to reside on a roof like at a nascar race. To each their own I suppose.
I must have a little goat in me. Haha . I always love getting up on things. As a kid I was always climbing up on the baseball dugout or viewing things from up in the tree. Camper trailers always bring out the kid in me. They feel like a treehouse or a fort.
A lot of money for a standup bathroom. The roof deck is nice, but without railings a safety hazard
That is what my wife said about the deck. 1980s no issues. 2020's liability bells ringing in your head!
That might make it difficult / impossible for a rooftop tent
They call it a rooftop deck basically it's a flat roof that you can use as a deck brilliant marketing because you can charge more for a rooftop deck rather than just a roof
Ty for the info hon.
Glad you enjoyed it Jodie.
Don't forget the Intech Flyer series as an option
Yes good suggestion. We have a video on that I forgot to mention it in this video.
Interior bathroom - while I agree with Drew, in general terms, to have a separated bathroom, but in thinking about about my 75+ year old parents, or even my wife, as they would prefer to not have to shamble around in the dark for a night pee. But, the "Wrapon" would be preferable where its all completed and sealed, vs having to deal with wastewater tanks.
This Wrapon is new to me. I am going to have to check it out.
I just checked it out. You may want to look into a Trelino out of Germany. Similar outcome, but follows the science behind composting toilets. The issue with going into a bag is that you are mixing solids and liquids, which is where those smells come from. Crazy enough, separate them out and the smells are very minimal. The Trelino has a bag for the solids, but a separate compartment for the liquids. It is also sealed like the wrapon and much less expensive. I just ordered one for the summer. So I will let you know how it works. Charles, who is working on my trailer found it. He has his own home built version that he uses in his shop. He swears by it. My wife is a big fan of the composting toilets as well, so I thought it was time to give it a chance. Especially beings it is 1/3 the cost of most composting toilets and small enough for our needs. I will be using it both inside the trailer and outside for the tests.
but what trailer could I use as I am a heavy guy and my wife and I also use cpap machines.
All I am looking for is a trailer with a full bathroom with a shower that’s it . Basically a porta potty on wheels.
thanks for sharing God bless
God bless you too Dave! Great seeing you on here.
These trailer companies have gotten ridiculous with their “off road” trailers. I guess adding an “off road” sticker adds $20,000 to the price. I’ll stick to my roof top tent on my Ford Ranger for now. I agree with you on the location of the bathroom. Give me an exterior option and I’m happy.
Like the RKS PURPOSE camper. Curious where the black and gray water dump valves are. Is there a black water flush? What’s the inside height of the sleeping dining area?
If you're sitting on the bed, there's about 34" to 35" to the ceiling. I'm 5' 7" and I barely fit underneath as my hair / head are touching the ceiling without slouching forward or leaning back.
That is good information to know. I didn’t realize it was that low.
@@PlayingwithSticks When I was at Overland Expo West in Flagstaff in 2021, I took measurements!
@@patrickio8084 If you watch at the 4:00 minute mark the owner is sitting on the bench and you can see how much room he has above his head, not much, not sure how tall he is.
@@chrisbetts6194 I'm 34" tall when seated and like I mentioned, I both sat and measured this.
ok my mind just went into a strange place. for some reason... i just saw a "ultra lite" micro tear drop, based on something like the widepath bike camper, built... onto a sleigh... for snowshowing. 2m light insulation base, but with the ability to put velcro insulation over things like the windows and doors. maybe some kind of heater, a tiny 1kw diesel or battery pack with 300 watt electric and heating pad.
if you could keep the weight around 75 pounds... it would be a great little thing for outdoor adventurers doing long trails, where you can't easily set up tents.
Do you have a video showing the different toilet options you use, especially as a boondocker?
No, but we should. Great idea!
Thanks for the review. I always enjoy your content. If you get a chance can you do a review of a hyk outdoors trailrunner teardrop? I'm curious what your take is.
Thanks Matt. I will add them to the list. Where are they out of?
Really cool… until I looked up the price tag.
Maybe create a smaller version that is just the bedroom space and get rid of the bathroom for those that don’t need it. It would be cheaper, lighter and shorter. Most off-road enthusiasts would prefer those traits in my opinion.
Thank you for sharing. They now make a toy hauler version. I haven't had a chance to check it out yet.
I don’t understand the pricing. $50k is a lot
Welcome to the club. About 2 years ago offroad small camper trailer prices blew up. The market is still pretty hot. The beauty of a hot market is that we are getting a lot of new innovation in the industry. The downfall is that we have to wait for them to be sold used or for the bubble to burst.
its the frame, that going to be high cost aircraft grade aluminum in i-beam rather then tube construction. Made to be both light weight but very very strong, and durable. If they are using 6061 for that you are looking at about 28-30 dollars per foot of material, then the specialized training and equipment to weld aluminum. that adds up QUICK.
Leave it to Jennifer to have the answer. I so appreciate you!
@@PlayingwithSticks what? i just looked up the price of structural I-beam aluminum :) i knew that stuff was expensive.
But not everybody knows that. I’ve had multiple people in emails ask me what do you think Jennifer does for a living? 😆
The ceramic toilet??? I'm afraid of it cracking and braking due to the terrine...
I didn’t even think of that.
So do you kick everyone outside in the rain if you need a dump ?. Then Put up with the stink inside. Nah bugger that I agree with you. That's just gross. Get a toilet/shower tent. And move that thing at least twenty metres from camp. Back in the day we used use a 20l/5gallon bucket. Dig a hole. And if it we were feeling posh it would get a proper toilet seat. If not a seat it would a pool noodle type thing around the rim.
Sounds like the playing with stick style.
Keep it simple! Yeaup.
That departure angle...like towing a brick. Manufacturers like to label their trailers "off road". Maybe "off pavement" should be a new category. Gonna be dragging that overhang on any little elevation change.
The tongue and trailer weight was in line with other micro travel trailers... you said Firth Wheel
Yes it’s in line but not for the trailers we typically show on the channel. A trailer like this pushes you up into a full-size SUV or a truck. We typically try to aim towards midsize SUVs and smaller if possible on this channel. But you’re absolutely correct in terms of off-road trailers of this size it’s actually lighter than most in the industry because of the aluminum frame.
Move the toilet into a outside pull out that drops down and has a fold out canvas surround, and put shoe storage where the toilet is so you can remove shoes before stepping into the clean part of the camper.
Please share your ideas for outdoor toilets. You mentioned several times that inside toilets are less than ideal. Just curious on what alternatives you like?
It's an off road house , and the price proves it ! 🤣
Haha. Quite true. Almost as much as my first home.
$50K is out of the question. But, I've got a 2wd truck that'll pull 11,000lbs. That's my daily driver. I'm not looking to do heavy off-road, just get places like National Parks, and not have to check into hotels. Should I get a trailer, or just do a camper shell conversion in the truck bed? How bad to these trailers hit MPG? (Like a Bean)
What is your opinion of pop up trailers? Do you have any pop up trailer reviews?
Huge fan! We have two videos one about the negatives and one about why they are the best camper for growing familys. My father owns a pop-up trailer that we have had for over 40 years. We use it as the backdrop of the video to say if you take care of the canvas it will last.
In terms of new pop up trailers though we don’t have any review videos.
Thank you. My Tiguan can only tow 1500 pounds and this seems like the best option for me.
You may be quite surprised Lynne. That is actually why you don’t see pop-ups very often on our channel. They are actually heavier than many of the small camper trailers we show on here. Finding a pop-up that fits nicely into your towing capacity may be a little harder than you think. They make a few, but it’s not the norm. For your capacity we typically look at small fiberglass trailers or teardrop trailers. There’s a company right now in Canada I can’t remember the name they’re making a really lightweight pop-up, which definitely caught our attention
@@PlayingwithSticks I would love a scamp or meerkat, but it just doesn't fit my budget. Camping now out of my suv and a tent that hook on the back.
Thanks for answering my questions. Your kids are so cute.
I'd rather have the entire roof lift up to give the same height over the bed area. Smaller water tanks would definitely be better in my opinion, 25 gallons would be fine, I've seen diesel pushers with 70 gallon tanks! Also, rather than making a walk on roof how about cover it with solar panels? Lastly, not a fan of walking into the bathroom when getting into the trailer, maybe have the bath at the rear or turned sideways? I did like some of the details but the water valving seemed a little weird and the base price...wow, what is it with manufacturers making "off-road" trailers so damn expensive? I thought $20K for a Turtleback was high...$50K is just over the top.
Thank you Steve this is really good feedback. These are the type of posts I know people really enjoy reading. It’s good to get people thinking.
They went out of business 😔
Anything like this in the uk or scotland
What kind of top? A Bimeenee top?
Why not double hinge the kitchen area to alow a 4 wheeler or bikes inside?
I don’t catch the second thing you didn’t like about this trailer; weight and the bathroom but what was second? Thanks!
Sorry. I actually edited it out. There was a feature I thought the trailer didn’t have when I made the video. Once I did a deeper dive I found the feature existed, but the salesman didn’t pointed out. Again sorry for that.
I could be completely misunderstanding you and if so I apologize but when you say 5th wheel I’m picturing the trailers that hook up in the bed of a truck.
You are correct. That’s what a 5th wheel is.
Great review, do you know if they’re still in production? We’ve tried to contact them and left voicemails but no answers or return calls.
Did they ever respond?
Can't build jockey wheel in USA I be worried about the trailers.Many using aussie electronics im noticing.
Quite a few trailers in Australia are Chinese produced im in small country town and have made MANY repairs too chinese and local chassis from failed (cracked chassis and suspension components)
We have heard similar things on here. That is really sad. Thank you for sharing this.
I take great interest in ur pages im semi retired and have plenty interested in producing custom square drop style campers with lifetime warranty steel/alloy frames.I will send u pics for ur honest opinion if u have time?
@@garrylawless6758 I would love that. If you haven't noticed I geek out about that sort of stuff.
Seems like this brand may be defunct ??
I haven’t heard that yet? Did you hear something?
Tried the website and it doesn’t work. Google maps says permanently closed
@brohammer oh wow! Thanks for sharing this. That makes two new ones I learned just this week.
@@PlayingwithSticks bummer because it looked cool!
Zero solar package? If I’m standing on the rooftop where are the panel attachments?
Good question? Looks like somebody needs to make a solar panel Bimini top. 😂
Sorry I find smelling someone taking a dump outside while I eat is gross. Full bath for me.
Haha! Love it
That overcomplicated water valve system seems very unnecessary. In even my cheap RV fill port box and pump, two check valves allow me to use the pump or city water simultaneously and automatically without having to think or care whether the pump is powered, or connected to the system. Adding an inlet for a river water pickup would just require a 3 way valve on the feed to the pump.
I think it’s all part of the space race as I call this. Everybody’s trying to compete with everyone right now. Anywhere they can add a little sizzle, they typically do.
@@PlayingwithSticks yeah it just seemed like a bit of ooh and ahh that dazzles friends but doesn't need to take up space and be "manual". I don't mean to knock it too hard, but for that price I hope my water works automatically.
It’s always good to have feedback in here. Good for folks looking into the trailer and also I think good for the manufacturer to reflect on.
@@PlayingwithSticks Although now my wheels are turning on 3 way valves and for some reason I'm telling myself I need a river water pickup 😅
I'm not a fan of the grey water flush system. I wouldn't mind if it had a selector, to flush with grey or fresh. The reason being, you are unlikely to have enough grey water to flush on arrival... BUT how likely are you to have kids... who have to go on arrival?
I know your take on indoor toilets drew, but at the same time, there is a "safety level" for having them. If you have an extreme cold or extreme weather system, it can be dangerous to go outside. in cases like that i can see actually "dropping" the popup to reduce wind cross section, reduce risk of damage/protect the canvas, or improve insulation. while using the bathroom at crouch height.
Course, i'm stubborn, if i plan a trip for 2 weeks to a location. and mid trip, we get weather alerts for blizzard or such... my response is to dig in and prepare to ride it out, not try and get home. often safer to ride out bad weather, just move to a spot where you are "closer" to a rescue point if need be. IE closer to a main road or such.
I thought the same thing during my edit. I am wondering if he just didn't elaborate. Like you said I can't imagine how you would go to the bathroom on a roadside pullout or just when you get to camp. In person this camper really was well put together, so I can't imagine them having that sort of oversight. If anyone is reading this and knows more than we do please chime in!
good point on the safety Jennifer. And sometimes the smells, cleaning, and dumping can be worth it. We have been on trips with our family's (parents) 5th wheel. It was with the intention of a reunion type feel. More like bringing the home to nature. I will admit we enjoyed the toilet on those outings. Good point on riding out the weather. That is typically us as well. Every time we try to outrun it, especially in Alaska we end up putting ourselves in a more dangerous situation.
@@PlayingwithSticks yep, so, we add things together - having the ability to move to say, a parking lot, where you can get ploughed out, still have access to a toilet, stay buttoned down for 24 hours, and wait out a travel warning advisory, by cooking inside, and limiting outside exposure to extreme cold/wind/etc... for the duration, before... returning to the campsite proper. Or heading home...
Simply put in some places you can't use or don't have access to outdoor toilets, facilitiy toilets or such... so having an option is good.
That being said, now why am i picturing a "slide out" outdoor toilet option, where you set up an awning area, and have both external shower, and toilet with a blow heater?
I started thinking about something similar after I saw the expedition trailer with the exterior heat port. That really got the gears in my head turning.
@@PlayingwithSticks yep, the only downside being again, its "situtational location" you need to be in a place where you can set up the awning, or at least slide out the toilet in a private area...
you couldnt use it on the road side, in a parking lot, or other such locations.
but again, for country camping, boon docking, etc. being able to open a door, slide out a caset toilet. Pull out from under the trailer a "grated floor" wrap around an awning covering it, and one of the side doors. and poof. you now have a stand up shower, thats raised off the ground, draining down, to keep you out of the mud. and a heated casset toilet. all sheltered where you dont really have to go outside to access them. but they are still "outside" of the body of the camper, so no interior oder or humidiity.
Are they still in business? Website is down and they're not answering phone calls.
No provision for any air conditioning?
It's a portable AC sitting on the floor. I think they are 8000btu
$50K...YIKES...how many of you can afford to pay cash for that???
Yes, this is surely a niche market.
why do you call it small??? To me iot is a very big trailer (for Offroad...)
Nice solutions :)!
By current industry standards it would be small. I used that definition because of the toilet. Basically any off-road trailer that has a toilet and shower of this size comes from the larger RV industry. And in reality they’re never truly off-road. This is actually built with off-road specs. Height and width small enough to get through the trails. It’s pretty on par with trailers you’re seeing coming out of Australia and South Africa that are solely used for off-roading and over landing. That is in terms of size and weight.
I don't know about when you flush the toilet that be your gray water. I'd rather have fresh water when I flush
Yikes! Heavier than my T@B clamshell and I can stand in my not gross at all full bath.
You sound like the perfect travel companion. Nobody in our family will touch the bathroom or anything remotely near the black water dumpsite. We just need one person to travel with us who’s willing to do it. Then I will change my tune! 😂
If you saw the RKS Off-Road Purpose in person, you'd quickly realize how sturdy the build is. It's built like a tank.
@@patrickio8084 Very true.
Wow! Sorry..that price is insane, cool design tho. Lotsa options for that kind of cash
Yes, this is deathly priced for a very niche market
Yes, this is deathly priced for a very niche market
I bet this unit cost more than 5,000 dollars... whew!
There’s a good chance you’ll win that bet!
I like it, but i think your bean is the way to go with gas prices...
Yes, with the gas prices I have a feeling people are going to look at trailers a bit differently this season. Very good point!
@@PlayingwithSticks AND as i get older i think about mobility issues. HOWEVER, maybe i need to do something about that.. Plus i really think about you say as i too nitpick at quality/design as i was younger and car camped, backpacked, motorcycle camped and now back to car camping. I want something thats going to last me into my retirement years...
@@PlayingwithSticks Hey Drew,quick question.. How fo you and Mei like your Skottle and are you still using it?? And are you still using the Camp Chef Stove?
Why does the owner of the company sound like Donald Suthernland? LOL..
I’m all for bathrooms in the camper, I don’t want to go do my business outside which to me is not only gross but dangerous too.
I do a lot of moochdocking and going in their yard isn't an option even if it's an old horse pasture
Hahah he said duty 💩
😆
Why are you comparing this unit to a fifthwheel?
I compared the weight. Basically saying this is heavier than anything on our channel. This trailer is moving into the realm a fifth wheel weight.
Needs safety rail on roof in Australia
I'm surprised it doesn't need one in North America as well.
Walking into the shitter is definitely strange
Okay, I'm not the only one! Haha.
You really need to edit the RKS link - takes you to a weird slot scam website.
rounded edge cushions do not make a comfortable sleeping matrice
49K, ouch. Also, someone could fall off the roof.
These prices hurt don’t they? And yes you’re probably the third or fourth person who has mentioned the roof, including my wife.
Interesting design. But, assembling my bed every night? Fail.
We are right there with you. If you plan on eating inside it’s a dealbreaker if you plan on eating outdoors not really a big deal.
@@PlayingwithSticks As always, these are wonderful, informational, and genuine videos.
Btw: my avatar image now is from Navajo Bridge at Marble Canyon, AZ. I had hoped to do some dispersed camping there, but the blm road was too rocky for my car. The ‘vo said no.
@@zackdemundo Sometimes I like those challenges. We had a few locations in Alaska that kept getting the best of us. We attempted time after time. By the time we finally made it, it usually was worth all the effort. Sometimes the planning and getting creative was just as fun as the destination in itself. That destination by the way looks incredible!
@@PlayingwithSticks I’ll blm-it when I get something with higher clearance. Definitely returning to marble canyon. My priority is clearance and to sleep inside steel in grizzly country.
I think those are good priorities
Wrong if you have family with you, bath room is a must!!!
For small people (girls ) more like 2 bath room....
😂
I bet that thing is $60-$70K!!!
Stop bagging vans with toilets and bathrooms in them. Some people have health and mobility issues. Having a toilet that is set up and ready to use is a life saver for a lot of people! You don’t like them, fine, but do not harp on about that. Just give the facts with no bias or prejudice and people will decide for themselves!
Sorry Karen. That is how we do it. I realize I will offend people with some of my comments, but I tell it as I see it. I also know I need to keep these videos short and with so many videos I’m not going to explain who it’s for and who it’s not for. The Community at large knows I’m all about making the least comfortable person comfortable. Many times that means getting a trailer with a toilet. I like to share my toilet narrative because many people buy campers with toilets to find out they not only use them but they regret the decision. This is me just watching out for people. I realize it comes across as snooty and judgmental, but I’m not here to make everyone happy I’m here to share my thoughts and help people make informed decisions.
An answer for a question nobody asked.