Many camper trailers are small enough to be towed by subcompact cars such as the Smart Car and the Mini, and by larger motorcycles.
Many of these are pop-up campers (but best described as "fold-out" or "flip top" campers) where the top opens up and flips over to become the bed platform and/or floor of the dressing room or annexe. Such fold-outs generally sleep two, and provide gear storage under the bed. The larger ones have sufficient living area for one or two camp chairs and a small table.
An "integrated" camper is one which has the poles and tent permanently attached to the frame or body of the camper so that the tent is raised automatically as the roof unfolds. In a non-integrated unit, the tent and poles must be set up and taken down by the user.
Specifications are taken from the manufacturer web sites or calculated from floor plans.
Canadian Ultralight Trailers for Subcompacts
Lees-ur Lite of Osoyoos, British Columbia offers their "Excel" model, an integrated compact unit with a flip-back top that takes only a few seconds to set up, according to the manufacturer.
- Setup Time: 6.8 sec
- Weight: 255 lb (116 kg)
- Tongue weight: 17 lb
- Size packed: 54" x 66"
- Size opened: 54 x 132"
- Bed size: 54” x 81”
- Dressing Room: 54" x 51"
- Head room: 6’ 4”
- Wheel size: 8"
- Storage: 30 cu. ft.
A similar side-flip version, the "Li'l Diamond", is available for compact trucks.
Kamparoo Campers of Wetaskiwin, Alberta is the Canadian distributor of an Australian product (see below). In form it is similar to the Lees-ure Lite but is more heavily built with a welded galvanized steel body that was designed for off-roading in the Australian outback. An optional winder assists raising and lowering the top. Specs below are for the standard "Vacationer" model.
- Setup time: 10 sec (with "EZ-Wind" assist)
- Weight 700 lb
- Tongue Weight: 81 lb
- Size packed: 60" x 87"
- Size opened: 60" x 14' 3"
- Bed size: 60" x 84"
- Dressing room: Not given
- Head room: Not given
- Wheel size 13"
- Storage: 10" x 41" x 32" (7.6 cu ft) under bed
American Fold-Out Campers
Roadman Campers of Duluth MN offer a single non-integrated model that can double as a camper or a utility trailer. The light weight is achieved by using a flexible polyurethane floor.
- Setup time: "less than 5 minutes"
- Weight: 225 lb
- Tongue weight: 24 lb
- Size closed: 38" w x 62" l x 19" h
- Size open: 50" w x 118"
- Bed size: 50" x 76"
- Dressing room: 50" x 42"
- Storage: 15 cu ft (under bed)
- Wheel size: not given
Time Out Trailers of Elkhart, IN offers two versions, the Time Out Camper – according to distributor Open Road Outfitters, this is "The largest pop-up motorcycle camper on the market that sets up completely off the ground." – and a smaller minimalist version, the Easy Camper. Both units require the tent to be set up (non-integrated) and come standard with an air mattress.
Both share the following specs:
- Setup time: about 3 minutes
- Tongue weight: 20 lb
- Size packed: 43" x 65"
- Bed size: 54" x 6' 6"
- Storage capacity: 16 cu ft
- Head room: "Enough room to stand while dressing"
- Wheel: 8"
Easy Camper
- Weight: 320 lb
- Size opened: 104" long (width appears to vary)
- Dressing Room: 50" x 60" (estimated)
Time Out Camper
- Weight: 345 lbs.
- Size opened: 54" x 174"
- Dressing room 5'4" x 8'
Mini-Mate Camper from Kompact Kamp in Myerstown, PA, is one of the smallest and lightest of the integrated units that have tent and poles attached to base.
- Setup time: 2 minutes
- Weight: 260 lb
- Tongue Weight: 25 lb
- Size packed: 40" x 60"
- Size opened: 54" x 14' 6" (estimated)
- Bed size: 54" x 6.5 ft. long
- Dressing room 54" x 8'
- Head room: 6'4"
- Storage: 5 cu ft
- Wheel: Not given
ScarabRV of Camano Island, Washington is developing a trailer that opens automatically using pneumatic activators and then raises the tent. Setup time is about 30 seconds. Push the button on the Scarab and go do something else while the trailer sets itself up.
Australian Pop-Up Campers
Cub Campers of Pendle Hill, NSW offers nine fold-out caravan models, two of which are suitable for motorcycles and subcompact cars. One of the two, the Kamparoo, is described above under the Canadian distributor. The Australian versions are all larger and heavier for outback (off-road) travel compared to the aluminum or fiberglass units common in North America.
The Sprint is the lightest and most basic pop-up caravan from Cub Campers.
- Setup time: Not given
- Weight: 160kg (350 lb)
- Tongue weight: Not given
- Size folded: 1.9m x 1.22 m (77" x 48")
- Size opened: 3.75m x 1.22 m (148" x 48")
- Bed Size: 2m x 1.22 (78" x 48")
- Dressing room (Annexe): 1.75 m x 1.22 m (70" x 48") estimated
- Head room: Not given
- Storage: Not given
- Tyres: 8 inch
Options and Extras
Most of these little flip-top trailers come with optional awnings or extensions to add to the living space. Optional kitchens, water tanks, and other conveniences are common.
The trend towards ultralight campers – caravans as they are called outside North America – appears to be a strong market force. Eight of the top fifteen most popular articles at Suite101.com RV Recreation are about ultralight trailers.
Few campers are as light and easy to tow as these fold-out motorcycle campers.
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Thomas Alan Gray - Tom has been writing for over 30 years; curiosity leads him to dig into a wide variety of topics.
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