The new 2019 RVX show may have been formed with the goal of attracting new, adventurous buyers (the crossover utility vehicle set)! But it was a vast array of huge, large and not the small teardrops and mobile homes, that will be able to move without a big, diesel-gulping truck at the helm.
Still, if you squeezed between the city-block-long motorhomes and triple-axle fifth-wheels, there were some small, affordable trailers that could actually appeal to those bright-eyed youths still interested in enjoying a little fresh-air camping. The ones not just parking outdoors in a rolling McMansion.
And though they were smaller in size and number, those lightweight, compact towables packed a punch above their weight, in terms of innovation, unique styling and cool features. Worth a look.
Coachmen Clipper Express 9.0TD
Coachmen is a Forest River, Inc. brand better known for some of those huge RVs mentioned above, but it also had an interesting little semi-teardrop on show. The Clipper Express 9.0TD (teardrop) blends the worlds of pop-up and teardrop trailers into one, towing along as a sharply angled teardrop but popping into a roomier hybrid at camp. That design does leave some fabric fluttering in the wind, but the hard sides effectively surround the bed, boosting weather resistance.
US RV manufacturers like to leave pricing to the dealers, so there was no pricing sheet slapped on this one, but a quick online search shows new 2019 model listings typically falling between US$6,000 and $7,500.
Taxa Outdoors Cricket Overland Edition
Taxa Outdoors used RVX to release refreshed versions of its three largest trailers – the Mantis, the Cricket and the Tigermoth. The Mantis got the most significant updates, but the Cricket received the meanest addition. The Overland Edition package equips the trailer for more serious, long-term off-road travel, bolting on a Tepui awning, wrenching in a 4-in (10-cm) lift kit for a total of 19 in (48 cm) of ground clearance, and cushioning the wheels with a Timbren Axle-Less suspension. Buyers can drop on rugged tires up to 33 inches and take the long way to camp.
Taxa’s updated trailers were billed as “near-future concepts,” so no pricing information accompanied them, but searching for the current 2019 Cricket yields listings between $27,000 and $38,500 – expect the Overland Edition to rock-crawl its way upmarket.
Little Guy Micro Max
Little Guy sizes its Max teardrop down again, and after last year’s launch of the Mini Max, it has to go “Micro.” The new Micro Max teardrop leaves a little more size and weight behind at the shop, with preliminary specs having it at 16.5 feet (5 m) long with 1,700 lb (770 kg) of dry weight. To accommodate that loss, Little Guy cuts out the wet bath and relies on a counter-side portable toilet cubby – not the most ideal place to go, but it should work out better than no toilet at all.
The Micro Max is still a prototype, so no MSRP or dealer listings are available yet. For reference, online listings for the larger 2019 Mini Max tend to hover between $22K and $25K.
You can see the rest of the RVX 2019 small-trailer army in the pictures below.
A tiny trailer means cooking outside(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
This pop-up A-frame-style camper from Flagstaff (another Forest River brand) combines the low-riding advantages of a pop-up tent trailer with the hard-sided advantages of a taller small trailer(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
This Geo Pro includes a convertible dinette bed(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
Inside the Rockwood Geo Pro, another kitchen block complete with microwave(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
The Rockwood Geo Pro is another extensive family of Forest River small trailers, ranging between 11 and 20 feet (3.4 and 6 m) in length. The line even includes a compact toy hauler with flip-away furniture and loading ramp door(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
Tall fridge/freezer just inside the doorway of the Forest River R-Pod(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
A relatively roomy dry bath for the compact Forest River R-Pod(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
Inside the Forest River R-Pod(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
Inside the Forest River R-Pod(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
Another seemingly unnecessary amenity common on even the smallest trailers: the microwave(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
Stepping up the Forest River small trailer lineup to the R-Pod, which comes in many different floor plans, including those with slide-out expansion modules(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
The Coachmen Clipper Express 9.0TD weighs 1,080 lb (490 kg)(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
It doesn’t have a complete indoor kitchen block, but the Coachmen Clipper Express 9.0TD does include a small fridge next to the furnace(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
One thing we found truly odd when walking around the RVX show was that no matter how small and simple the vehicle, it had equipment like an air conditioner. The Clipper Express 9.0TD comes with both an air conditioner and furnace, which seems particularly strange in a design that’s half pop-up tent room(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
The Clipper Express 9.0TD’s pop-up roof means it has a higher, standing interior while still packing down like a small teardrop(Credit: C.C. Weiss/New Atlas)
