Ultralight trailer that is essentially just a queen or king bed?

[RVncp]

We're looking for something that will replace the need to pitch a tent, improve how this goes on non-level surfaces, and would like to not need to pump up an air bed. We will keep all our other camping gear in the car such as stove and so forth, and will use camping ground services for showers, bathroom, etc. No need to anything else inside the trailer, just a nice comfy bed ;o)

 

Thanks in advance for any leads

[RV_]

Welcome to the forums RVncp!

 

Are you looking that way just for price or for the minimalist urge. The reason I ask is you have mentioned one bed but not if you are a single, a couple, or also are bringing kids along. When I was doing minimalist I had a series of VW Westphalia Pop up campers that all had different things added. But the main thing was the back seat folded down into a reasonably comfortable bed. They got decent fuel economy, I restored them for fun and use so never kept one more than a few months before I had new ideas for the next one. They come with or without: a five gallon water tank and 12 volt spigot, and/or an icebox, others with a fridge tiny but worked. I had one with a two gallon or so Propane tank and had an actual furnace in it. The nice thing about them is that in rain you had a table and seats to read or eat on until it stopped raining. The pop up and have a hard roof but just canvas for the sides. They had rollup cot for some and others had one over the driver and passenger seats.

 

Then if a used vehicle as camper is not to your liking you can look at the pop ups and teardrop campers. I prefer the fiberglass egg types in those sizes like the Scamps and several others. here is what a tear drop is: http://www.bing.com/search?q=teardrop+trailer&src=IE-TopResult&FORM=IETR02&conversationid= and that is about all you can tow with a car.

[RVncp]

Thank you for that. This will be for a couple, close to retirement, and have a late model Subaru Forester w/ it's CVT toes up to 1,500 only. I'd like to stay way under that so we can also easily carry two bicycles. I've looked am some like Scamp and SylvanGo and these don't meet what I'm looking for, which is just as stated: a queen or larger bed already up, so could be a mattress or good air bed that holds its air overall, room to at least sit fully upright in bed so can get in and out of the trailer with relative ease, the ability to set if generally level, and really not too much else: no table, no stove, no water, etc. Just simple, light, well made, in a phrase, a portable waterproof & comfortable bed with the ability to adjust to a relatively level platform.

 

Anything out there like that? I thought the Scamp looked nice and we could still consider it but I'd love to find what I'm looking for first.

[NJTroy]

Basically you're describing a teardrop to me. Car towable as well in some models. Or even an rpod, maybe. Rpods shown on the website seem larger than the ones I've seen at shows, I think they are showing the top of the line ones.

 

Teardrop manufacturer (there are others, I just grabbed one)

http://www.golittleguy.com

 

Rpods

http://forestriverinc.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=173&Image=5054&ShowParent=1

[Guest Caseyj]

Check out one of these - https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVjJPEKdVEt8AqicnnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=Teardrop+Trailers&fr=yhs-mozilla-002&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-002

[Kirk W]

You should probably consider something on the line of the Viking trailers or perhaps the Jay Sport series. A lot will depend upon what hitch weight your Forester is rated to handle as well as the maximum weight to tow. The Starcraft Starflyer is a possible if the 190# hitch weight is not too much. The company Palomino RV line has one that has only 170# hitch weight. There are also several other manufacturers but most are much more than just a sleeping area and hitch weights start to approach or exceed 300#.

[RVncp]

Basically you're describing a teardrop to me. Car towable as well in some models. Or even an rpod, maybe. Rpods shown on the website seem larger than the ones I've seen at shows, I think they are showing the top of the line ones.

 

Teardrop manufacturer (there are others, I just grabbed one)

http://www.golittleguy.com

 

Rpods

http://forestriverinc.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=173&Image=5054&ShowParent=1

 

Yes I think you've got it, teardrop style is what we were looking for. I found this one that looks pretty good and not too pricey, plus can put our bikes on the back and yaks on top and quite light weight at 860 lbs: http://www.signatourcamper.com/matrix/

 

Thanks all!

[Biker56]

I had one similar to this Leesurelite for years. Very fast set up and tear down. Bed 52"X81"

Under 300 lb

 

Bunkhouse trailer

 

Time Out

 

Teal Mini

[Kevin H]

Welcome to the forum - Rigs in the tiny category are fascinating to me. Here is a great forum "Teardrops and Tiny Trailers". Don't hesitate to come here and ask any question whatever rig you are interested in. We have folks experienced with just about anything out there.

 

BUT. watch out for those HDT guys. Next thing you will be asking is if a Volvo is enough truck to stop your teardrop

 

-- Kevin

[RVncp]

Welcome to the forum - Rigs in the tiny category are fascinating to me.

-- Kevin

Thanks Kevin. On 2nd thought the 44" internal height of the Signatour Matrix would be a little like slipping in for an MRI each night and I do have a bit of the claustrophobia It's a pretty cool product though but I think that might be hard to cope with. I'd have to see one and climb in to see how it felt.

[Vladimir]

If you just want a bed. I used my Datsun pickup for ten years in this mode.

 

I built a frame over the wheel wells. Stuck in a sheet of plywood that covered the entire frame. Stuck a mattress on top.

 

Used the storage underneath the bed for camping and other gear. Bicycles, canoes, rocket box and other gear went on the Yakima rack on the top of the canopy.

 

You might be able to do something similar in your Subaru and store stuff in the Rocket box on top of it.

 

In the long run, your better off getting a larger vehicle that can tow a Scamp or Casita. RV'ing is a slippery slope, trust me, the bed is only the beginning.

[RVncp]

Good thoughts Vladimr, but we won't be trading the car in since we just bought it less than a month ago. Had we been thinking about RVing when we bought it we may have picked up Outback which I think has a 6 speed automatic transmission and can do more towing weight, whereas Forester has a CVT which limits towing limit to 1,500 lbs and 200lb tow weight I think. We may just stick w/ tents unless I can find what amounts to a Scamp type body with less acouterments to keep the weight down. A Scamp 13' standard basic comes in around 1200lbs so that could be a possibility but I'd rather stay lesser weight if I can. Perhaps they can work with me on a custom job.

[Guest Caseyj]

If you decided on the egg style then you may find this site to your interest -

 

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/

[scouserl41]

_{We towed a Time Out behind our motorcycle for 12 years and loved it. It was the size of a picnic table when folded but when set up it was 15' long and 8' high with a queen size bed and enough room for 6 folding chairs inside on a rainy day.}

_{There are several versions of the same basic setup. Bunkhouse is the one that springs to mind.}

_BnB

[Kirk W]

Nobody seems to be making the tiny pop-up like once existed. Our first one was one outboard bed with t hinged up top to form an inverter V top and a very narrow table down the center with a bench seat on each side. It was just large enough for us to eat at if it was raining and our 3 boys bunked on the benches. At one time there were several manufacturers who built those but the only really small ones now are quite old. The trailer we had first was light enough that I never did back it, just unhitched and pushed it where I wanted it. Hitch weight had to have been under 100#.