Holiday Road - 5300 miles and 16 states
Reviewing the mini-camper after an epic cross-country adventure
Looking back, I've thought about what could have gone wrong. And the short answer is a lot. But thankfully, all went well. As a whole, the mini camper was a great success. But there is one main thing I would have done differently. And, unrelated to this, I am making a significant addition to improve the ride. Read on to hear how it went - and where the build goes from here. ~JRC
After 5300 miles and 16 states, I am pleased to report the mini camper performed admirably. The trip took us east out of California, into Nevada, briefly through a corner of Arizona before passing into Utah. From there, we went through Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky before finally arriving at my parent’s place in Ohio. After a good long visit there, we packed up again, this time with the family in their RVs, and headed back west, taking the more northern route this time.
From Ohio, we crossed back into Indiana, passed through Illinois, on to Iowa, and then across the southern part of South Dakota visiting Badlands National Park and the Black Hills. From there we crossed Wyoming, and then stayed in Yellowstone National Park for several days. Finally, after a last night all together outside of West Yellowstone, Montana, my son and I parted ways with the fam and headed back home.
Just the two of us again, we passed through Idaho on the back side of the Tetons before dropping down through Utah, across that small stretch of Arizona again, once again into Nevada (this time marveling at Las Vegas as we passed through - while I had to delicately explain why it’s called “Sin City” to my ten-year-old son), before once again returning to sunny Southern California.
Through it all, the mini camper towed incredibly well behind the Golf, being surprisingly efficient overall. With an excellent power-to-weight ratio between car and trailer, the mountains were more manageable than I expected. And the long, flat sections were a breeze. Speaking of breezes - cross winds were barely an issue for our small but mighty tow-behind.
And it is mighty. As in solid. We hit several major bumps and potholes, many at highway speeds, without any noticeable wear and tear. At one point on eastbound I-70 near Denver, a huge buckle in the road was sending cars swerving. A few vehicles pulled off the highway after sustaining wheel damage because of it. Thankfully for us, I avoided the worst of it, moving to the side just in time, but we bounced quite hard along the edge of the damaged road. Despite this, and considering the many other highway-related bangs along the way, I’m surprised that not so much as a screw came loose.
The camper is watertight, too. It rained quite a bit in the Midwest, and on our journey from Ohio heading northwest outside of Indianapolis, we passed through a massive front with sheets of rain pelting us for minutes. Driving hard into this blinding waterfall from the sky, I wondered if things would be dry inside the camper. Thankfully all that effort to seal and protect the build paid off, and not so much as a drop came in.
Aesthetically, I am also pleased. It looks sleek with the aluminum exterior, and I like the gently sloping roof and clean lines. It’s says “minimalist” to me, and that’s precisely what I was going for.
As minimal as it is - in all respects - the little camper somehow stands out traveling the "holiday road" here in the US, where large RVs dominate highways, parks, and campgrounds. One doesn't often see a super tiny little camper behind a small car, so people frequently stared, and a few even stopped us to ask about it.
Some curious folks inquired about the design and wanted to know if they were for sale. After sharing that it was home-built, one asker looked somewhat incredulously at me (which I took as a compliment). Most others simply shared kudos for the nice build (for which I was grateful and flattered).
Despite mostly positive reactions, a couple of individuals were openly critical, saying it was too small and looked inconvenient. To this, I responded, "Each to their own," with a smile. It’s deffinitely not for everyone, and that’s perfectly okay.
As for living in it, the mini camper was all I expected - in both cozy and problematic ways.
on the cozy side, there is plenty of room to stretch out, and the custom cushions are comfortable to sleep on. Plus, it is well insulated and was easy to keep cool on warm nights and heated up nicely on cool ones. The lighting was pleasant, and it was fun to crawl in and relax, reading under the soft warm glow before calling it a night. Surrounded by the soothing maple interior and the aluminum trim's clean lines, it was rewarding to quietly sit inside and take in the positive vibes the design gives off.
As you can imagine, moving around to do things like cooking, getting in and out to wash up, and answering the call of nature plus other such necessities, was challenging. Especially in RV campgrounds where most campers were in those completely self-contained rigs, we stood out as we climbed out to do what needed to be done.
That said, I imagine using the mini camper far more often "off the grid," secluded in the desert or mountains. In these instances, doing stuff outside the camper will be easier without all those watchful eyes. Out there, it'll feel like a luxury compared to car and tent camping (which I still enjoy, however).
I would change a few things if I had it to do all over again. But just a few.
For one, I wouldn't put the door on the driver's side. Most campers have the door on the passenger side (like buses and vans). While this doesn't matter when boondocking or wilderness camping, it does at RV campgrounds.
Many campground sites are set up for the standard door configuration, with the picnic table and open space on the passenger side and the electric and water hookups on the other. This is a relatively minor issue given the size of the mini camper, and in most sites we visited, it was easy enough to pull or back in the other way to make it all work (but not all). Sure, we're parked backward at the site. But that's the least of the reasons why we stood out.
Most other changes are relatively minor. Given a do-over, I'd put the interior 110 V AC outlet in a better location, for example. The bunk blocks it and makes it hard to plug and unplug devices.
I'd also change how the interior panels all fit together.
They look great, but if and when I have to modify any wiring or add additional fixtures or devices, I’ll have to take everything apart, including the back galley. It's akin to working on a car's interior this way. The various panels are kind of "Tetris packed," with the walls going all the way to the floor, the floor panels installed next, all the trim second to last, and the rear galley finally on top of that. To work on wiring behind the walls, I have to reverse almost everything, which will be very frustrating.
As for future modifications and additions, a number are forthcoming, and I'll share these when I do them. But I got to one immediately after the trip: shock absorbers.
The soft-ride leaf springs are well-suited for the weight and design of the camper trailer and soak up most obstacles, particularly at highway speeds. But without shocks, the rig tends to sway and bounce, more so than I would like, especially at slower speeds while crossing uneven ground.
Potholes and storm gutters between the road and parking lots are the worst, causing the camper to sway. I had to take these obstacles at far slower speeds than I preferred in order to keep everything under control. Rough gravel roads would be even worse, I imagine. Luckily, shocks will fix the problem. But how to install them on a low-ride trailer that doesn’t have existing shock mounts?
Once I got home, I immediately started researching my options. After much internet sleuthing and several rounds of deep thought (in my maker daydreaming space), I came up with a nice solution. It's a rather fun build, so I will share how I did it in more detail in an upcoming post. But for now, I'll simply show the final result.
I went for a test drive around my neighborhood, and the result was dramatic - no more sway. Dare I say it now handles almost as well as the car.
Well, that’s it for now. I’m so happy with this build and look forward to years of fun adventures with it in tow. It’s humbling in a way; I know I am fortunate to have the tools and experience to make my very own mini camper.
Looking back on my life, now was indeed the right time to make it happen.
Sure, it's small. And somewhat quirky. And definitely not for everyone. But it is for me, and I love that about it. And as I’ve shared before, my son loves it too, so I’ll cherish our time together in it for as long as that lasts.
Thank you for indulging me, allowing me to share and brag a bit about this thing. It means a great deal to know you are interested enough to follow along on this adventure.
Until next time.
JRC
BONUS! Since you’ve come this far, I thought I’d share a little audio treat from 1983’s National Lampoon’s Vacation: “Holiday Road” by Lindsey Buckingham.
Enjoy!
Great to get this post trip rundown John. BTW, somewhat off subject, but I particularly liked the pic with the bike on the roof rack 😀