All we can say is WOW!!!!!!!!! We arrived at 9:30AM today and Jim Palmer- owner & prime force behind the Eggcamper- gave us a full tour of his "factory" starting with a brief history of the many different businesses he has started and
sold as well as the ones he still runs. Jim's an eclectic entrepreneur with a wide range of experience. A lot of the ideas for this project have drawn on his experience with the marine, aircraft, and auto repair industries. Add to that the fact that Jim is 6'4" tall and designed this baby to fit himself in comfort, it is well-built and roomy inside (Inside height is 6'7").
The shop is a first-class operation built for his primary businesses, with plenty of space for molding and assembling the prototypes. There are three prototypes in various stages of completion, and it was interesting to see how the design is evolving. While Jim was more than willing to answer any & all questions about the eggs, we decided that rather than take and post pictures ourselves, we should refer folks to HIS website
http://www.eggcamper.com/
where he will be posting pictures of his 2nd, 3rd and subsequent prototypes as time allows. He is hand-building each prototype in the back of his auto business, making modifications in design as he goes, so there is not anything set up yet for mass production. Jim has designed the
Eggcamper to satisfy his own needs; he'll work out floor plans and options after he's satisfied with the integrity of the design.
Someone was talking about the vertical seams leaking- ain't gonna happen! As well as the 2 halves being permanently glued / sealed together, there are 3 layers of
fiberglass over the inside of the seam, and a trim strip on the outside.
The
windows ALL open and provide for plenty of ventilation, especially with the full screen door that will be standard from now on, along with the ceiling fan. There is room for a rear window, but Jim has opted not to include one in the prototypes. Instead, the back wall serves as a backrest for the rear bench seat. That's right - the bench wraps around the dining table, providing plenty of storage space underneath.
The shower area is really nice, with the sink molded into a wall recess so that it is actually usable while standing up straight. The stool is also located in the shower, with plenty of room to stand up and even turn around while showering. The solid glass door is easier to clean and does a better job of keeping shower water IN the shower than a curtain, and won't warp like the wooden door we had on our
Casita. For the folks who object to the opaque glass being too see-through, he said you just hang your towel over the towel bar on the door..... The second prototype has a second ceiling fan installed near the shower - a nice feature.
There has been a lot of thought put into building an easy care,
light weight and durable trailer here, without building in added cost. It is designed to be pulled by one of the smaller SUV's over highways. Although it's very sturdily built, it is aimed at the rental and promotional markets, not for rugged
boondocking. Jim showed us how the trailer could be used as a mobile office, i.e. for insurance adjusters working in disaster areas.
If you are interested in one of these we would suggest contacting Jim for your own tour. Next week he'll have one of the rigs at the air show in Oshkosh, WI. He is one really nice guy!
Gramma Pat & Grampa Dale
P.S. It was close to noon before we left!