To this well-equipped backcountry mobile retreat that has many of the comforts of a small RV, including a stove, 12-volt electrical system for lights and fans, built-in water tank and fold out sink, and many other available options:
It's a 4 x 4 Tent Trailer from OverlandTrailers.com. Designed to be rugged enough to go anywhere your vehicle can pull it, this trailer can provide extra gear carrying capacity and comfortable camping accommodations in places ordinary pop-up campers could never go. This was brought to my attention just as I was wrapping up the chapters on Mobile Retreats in my book, Bug Out Vehicles and Shelters
. I thought it would be of interest both to readers of the book and this site as an option to consider for those wanting something simpler than a traditional RV, yet with more comforts than an ordinary tent. Here's the description of the 4x4 Tent Trailer by the company owner and builder: "This model is our "4x4 Tent Trailer", they are built to handle extreme off road abuse. The axles are heavy duty and have a 3000 pound rating. With 33-35-37 inch tires, with a dry weight of less than 900 pounds, and a storage capacity of over 43 cubic feet, it will transport all of your gear with ease to your off road destination."
That is a pretty cool rig alright, you could take that puppy way out there and not hang it up like many other trailers. That picture above shows a profile much like the Apollo lunar lander. :^)
ReplyDeleteI could do without the stove and sink, but electricity out there is pretty nice to have at times.
I've seen and priced these before... Fully loaded with all the bells & whistles, I was looking at about $6,000... A little expensive for me at the moment. I do suppose if I had the disposable income, I might buy one, as this seems to be a better option for me than an RV with regard to normal use for camping or in an emergency...
ReplyDeletePacked up, it's quite a small footprint - easy to stash/cache or keep a low profile. Light weight not only helps in off-highway situations, but minimizes the fuel consumption of the towing vehicle... quite important when fuel is hard to come by (if it even *CAN* be purchased).
ReplyDeleteThats a good point Dustin Tarditi, if you didn't have room at home or apartment, you can keep this in a small storage room, ready to go at a moments notice.
ReplyDeleteAlso notice the tow eye - this goes into a military-style pintle, which gives great freedom of movement not just right and left, but also up and down...
ReplyDeleteIIRC, tow pintles and eyes are not road and/or highway legal in all states and provinces.
Here in Kansas and Missouri the pintle hooks are street legal, a lot of construction equipment have them. I'm not sure about other places.
DeleteScott, I have been looking into these types of trailers. I think I am going to build my own though because most of them just don't fit my needs as well as one that I put together myself. I have been on the look-out for the base trailer to start the build with. Great information though.
ReplyDeleteGreat information. I would like to have one of these; fully loaded would be nice. Would have to save for a long while to be able to afford one though.
ReplyDeleteAmazing how when it's opened the whole landscape changes!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, Indeed it is! Converts a hostile desert wilderness to a green suburban backyard with all the comforts of home!
ReplyDeleteThe link does not work nor does typing in overlandtrailers.com ,,,how do I get information on how to acquire one?
ReplyDelete