New Modular Camper for Utility Trailers and Pickups

[Francesca Knowles]

Very interesting, especially with regards to pricing/ordering: Results for 4x8 Tail Feather Camper Kit

Think many folks will go for the $3800.00 " why bother with a roof ?!?!" option?

Francesca

[Cathy P.]

I followed this pretty much from the beginning and thought it was a neat idea. I don't think most people realize how expensive and time consuming it is to get a new product into production. I could see a real market for these if they get them right. Few people see beyond their own needs so figure if they would not buy one, neither would anyone else.

[Bobbie Mayer]

I only see a molded plastic roof, no canvas.

But I agree with Cathy, I think there could be a market. If you could store this in your garage on a small utility trailer you wouldn't need much space. Put it together when you want to use it, store it again later. Even if all you had to do to park it was take the roof off, that would help some folks. Not to mention that there ARE parts of the country where no roof would be fine 99% of the camping season. walls to keep out the critters and put a screen over the top for bugs, and sleep under the stars.

[rabbit]

Dreams beyond one's means are painful. Dreams half-realized within one's means frequently even more so. I learned that lesson the hard way and am thus an expert on the bare minimum that meets one's needs after momentarily satisfying one's dreams. If the concept of a modular home on a landscape trailer thrills you and the actual product will serve your ends, more power to you.

jack

[Byron Kinnaman]

Interesting concept. I'll have to watch this one to see where it goes. After figuring out the price, I have my doubts this this will go very far. I come up with around $8.000 without wheels.

[rabbit]

Wow, 60"X89" inside! Gonna be all things to all midgets with 8K in their jeans. All you have to do is offload the zero turn, winch on the box, and call Ray Bradbury to perform the "bigger on the inside than the out" ritual. If you don't have the zero turn then just possibly you also need to buy the landscape trailer so there's a few more bucks. I'd buy the oldest, leakiest teardrop with a bed and a dry sink in the back before I'd seriously consider trying to pretzel my weary bones into this "concept."

jack

[Mike Magee]

The 5x10 isn't much different size from a Lite House or Little Joe, is it?

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by rabbit

Wow, 60"X89" inside! Gonna be all things to all midgets with 8K in their jeans. All you have to do is offload the zero turn, winch on the box, and call Ray Bradbury to perform the "bigger on the inside than the out" ritual. If you don't have the zero turn then just possibly you also need to buy the landscape trailer so there's a few more bucks. I'd buy the oldest, leakiest teardrop with a bed and a dry sink in the back before I'd seriously consider trying to pretzel my weary bones into this "concept."

jack

Yea, but do you like it?

[rabbit]

Yea, but do you like it?

No.

Pros thus far: modules conserve shipping space; somehow beneficial for use in 3rd world countries[?], may fit under the lintel of average garage; a neat, interesting, [your adjective here] concept.

Cons: modules and furniture subject to damage at disassembly, gasket degradation likely on repeated disassembly; "nesting" of modules and level of knockdown of sink cab and wardrobe probably not adequate to produce a KD kit of significantly less volume than the assembled version; inviting owners of landscape trailers to believe that no outlay for "already got" is synonymous with economy and good value.



jack

[cpaharley2008]

I'm not sure you will be disassembling it that often, once together and watertight you will probably keep it that way. For under $4k it is a good start for a rv.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I'm not sure you will be disassembling it that often, once together and watertight you will probably keep it that way. For under $4k it is a good start for a rv.

Jim, I believe that $4K gets you just the walls, no roof, windows, bed, etc. When I totaled it I came up with around $8K, close to a Scamp price.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

Interesting concept. I'll have to watch this one to see where it goes. After figuring out the price, I have my doubts this this will go very far. I come up with around $8,000 without wheels.

Camper Shell Kit________________________________________________$3,846.00

• 8 side panels
• 1 wide front panel with (stationary) window
• 2 corner panels
• 1 door assembly

Dome Roof for 4' Wide Tail Feather Camper________________________$1,239.00

• comes in two sections that clip together
• Each section has two 8"x8" roof vents/skylights
• A 12 volt dome light is installed in each section
• A chord with switch plugs into either a battery or the wall outlet

Operating Windows_______________________________________________$360.00

• 4 operating windows @ $90.00 each
• Upgrade a basic side panel to include an operating window.
• This window kit is installed in the panel at the factory.

Dinette/Double Bed Set_________________________________________$1,385.00

• two bench seat lockers and a folding table
• converts to a double bed 76" long and 52" wide
• 3" thick cushions - Select color option

Side Cabinet with sink____________________________________________$314.00

• 32" high soft side cabinet with sink
• made from a rugged woven polyester fabric with a tube frame for support
• countertop 21" wide by 20" deep
• includes a sink, single spigot, and 2 gallon hand pressurized reservoir

Hanging Wall Cabinet____________________________________________$106.00

• made from heavy duty woven polyester fabric
• contains three zippered compartments

Floor Liner__________________________________________________ ___$132.00

• Camper uses the floor of your trailer as the floor of the camper
• The Floor Liner Kit is a heavy duty PVC sheet
• It lays down over the floor and extends up the walls approximately 2"
• A grey lightweight indoor/outdoor carpet, cut to size, is glued to the liner

Harbor Freight Super Duty Utility Trailer, 48" x 96"__________________$290.00

• Folds for easy storage
• 3-leaf spring suspension
• DOT-approved lighting (tail/side running lights)
• 4.80 x 12" wheels & tires

4' x 8' Plywood from Home Depot for floor___________________________$30.00

• 1/2 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft.
• 4 Ply BC Sanded Fir Plywood

Total Price of itemized components______________________________$7702.00

• Camper Kit weight = approximately 450 pounds
• Harbor Freight Trailer weight = 263 pounds
• {Plywood floor weight is unknown}
• Total dry weight = less than 750 pounds

[rabbit]

The side and front walls and rear doors for 3800+. The other a la carte items including the mat to cover the expanded perfmetal floor of your trailer do add up. And no trailer priced in. The cheapest 4X8 I've seen was 8C$. And 30 minute disassembly is the inventor/vendor's gimmick rather than mine. I wonder if he's aware that his big selling point doesn't matter?

jack

I hope no one would let their underfunded "dream" persuade them to put this shell on a Harbor Fake trailer. I trust I don't have to explain why not.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson

Total Price of itemized components______________________________$7702.00

• Camper Kit weight = approximately 450 pounds
• Harbor Freight Trailer weight = 263 pounds
• {Plywood floor weight is unknown}
• Total dry weight = less than 750 pounds

Do the same thing for the largest one.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

Do the same thing for the largest one.

Camper Shell Kit________________________________________________$4,136.00

• 12 side panels
• 2 corner panels
• 1 door assembly

Dome Roof for 5' Wide Tail Feather Camper________________________$1,239.00

• comes in two sections that clip together
• Each section has two 8"x8" roof vents/skylights
• A 12 volt dome light is installed in each section
• A chord with switch plugs into either a battery or the wall outlet

Dome Roof Center Section for 5' Wide Camper________________________$219.00

• This 21" wide center section for a 5' wide dome roof extends the roof to 10' long

Operating Windows_______________________________________________$540.00

• 6 operating windows @ $90.00 each
• Upgrade a basic side panel to include an operating window.
• This window kit is installed in the panel at the factory.

Dinette/Double Bed Set_________________________________________$1,385.00

• two bench seat lockers and a folding table
• converts to a double bed 72" long and 50" wide
• 3" thick cushions - Select color option

Side Cabinet with sink____________________________________________$314.00

• 32" high soft side cabinet with sink
• made from a rugged woven polyester fabric with a tube frame for support
• countertop 21" wide by 20" deep
• includes a sink, single spigot, and 2 gallon hand pressurized reservoir

Side Cabinet with counter top_______________________________________$169.00

• 32" high soft side cabinet with counter top
• made from a rugged woven polyester fabric with a tube frame for support
• countertop 21" wide by 20" deep

2 Hanging Wall Cabinets____________________________________________$212.00

• $106.00 each
• made from heavy duty woven polyester fabric
• contains three zippered compartments each

Floor Liner for 5' x 10' camper______________________________________$142.00

• Camper uses the floor of your trailer as the floor of the camper
• The Floor Liner Kit is a heavy duty PVC sheet
• It lays down over the floor and extends up the walls approximately 2"
• A grey lightweight indoor/outdoor carpet, cut to size, is glued to the liner

Home Depot 5' x 10' Utility Trailer_________________________________$1,049.00

• high strength heavy-gauge welded steel frame
• 2 in. x 6 in. wood plank flooring
• 2245 lb. Payload capacity
• ST205/75D15 Tire

Total Price of itemized components______________________________$9405.00

• Camper Kit weight = approximately 540 pounds
• Home Depot Trailer Weight = 750 pounds
• Total dry weight = 1290 pounds

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson

Camper Shell Total Price of itemized components______________________________$9405.00

• Camper Kit weight = approximately 540 pounds
• Home Depot Trailer Weight = 750 pounds
• Total dry weight = 1290 pounds

Thanks Fredrick for taking the time to put this together.

That's pretty close to a bare bones Scamp in both weight and cost. However with Scamp it's all put together for you, and get a stove, 12 gallon fresh water tank, and an ice box that you don't get with assemble it yourself trailer.

I wish them luck.

[Thomas G.]

I think I'd be more interested in a kit like some of the FG manufacturers used to sell. I'm not sure what problem this trailer is attempting to solve - cost, storage, weight?

[rabbit]

I believe Mr. Drake represents the kit as an inexpensive alternative, a representation which we aid and abet by finding the cheapest piece of Chinese folding junk (Harbor Freight) upon which to place it. The disassembly fire drill suggests that the potential buyer will see a storage solution in knock down components. Again some help from us when we spitball the possibility of garage storage. Winch on and off is a recapitulation of the double-duty truck camper idea with empty landscape trailer substituted for an empty truck bed. This one apparently couldn't be improved upon.

No veil of tact here buddy. I wouldn't buy it. I wouldn't encourage anyone to buy it.

jack

[Francesca Knowles]

Do my eyes deceive me, or is the only means of attachment four nylon tiedowns hooked to the sides of the utility trailer???

(Pic is from the opening post in this thread)

[rabbit]

Step #10 of assembly states:

10. Anchor the camper to the trailer or pickup bed with the side panel D-rings using tiedown straps or other anchoring devices.

The first picture at top of site indicates chain. Hard to tell if there is a takeup mechanism involved. Attachment is from D-rings mounted to the ABS side panels to cargo rings in trailer floor or eyebolts thru the weldments of the trailer sides, also hard to tell. Presumably some thought would have been given to spreading the load of the D rings on the plastic panels given the wind load involved.

jack