As we share this episode, we’re on the other side of Florida looking at an Aliner Scout pop-up trailer. If it checks out, we’ll likely come home with it. We’ll update you on that next week.
This week, we’ll give you a quick rundown of the trailers we considered and why we ultimately selected the Aliner Scout.
To start, we focused our attention initially on a great article we found on RV Owner HQ featuring ten small pop-up trailers.
Opus Op Lite
The heaviest of the bunch was the Opus Op Lite. Ruggedized for off-roading, the trailer weighs in at 2,380 pounds dry. We never considered this one because we recognized even before getting serious about a trailer, that towing more than 2,000 pounds wouldn’t work for us towing with our Chevrolet Bolt EV.
Coachmen Clipper 12.0TD XL
The next lighter trailer was the Coachmen Clipper 12.0TD XL. Weighing in at 2,147 pounds, we wrote this one off before seriously considering it.
Having eliminated the over 2,000-pound trailers, we began to scrutinize the candidates a bit more closely.
Coachmen Clipper LS 806XLS
The Coachmen Clipper LS 806XLS weighs in at a paltry 1,642 pounds. A traditional tent trailer, opened fully it is large and spacious inside. This is a great little trailer for folks like us. Ultimately, however, as we scrutinized the towing capacity of our Chevy Bolt EV more closely, we concluded we needed to go even smaller.
Forest River Flagstaff 176LTD and Forest River Rockwood 1640LTD
This pair of virtually identical pop-ups were real contenders. These were favorites for a while. Weighing in at 1,465 pounds the Forest River Flagstaff 176LTD and the Forest River Rockwood 1640LTD are weight and space-efficient options for towing with smaller vehicles. The only difference between them appears to be the color.
Coachmen Viking Express 9.0TD
Weighing just 1,418 pounds, the Coachmen Viking Express 9.0TD is a great little trailer, that is a bit of a cross between a teardrop camper and a popup. With a little pop-up wing in the rear, the trailer is bigger inside than some tiny teardrops, but we decided against it because it is so small inside.
Taxa Outdoor Tiger Moth
The 1310-pound Taxa Outdoor Tiger Moth is a ruggedized trailer with an extra bedroom in the form of a tent up on top. We’re past the point of wanting to climb up and down into a bedroom. This one was never a contender for us, although it must appeal to lots of folks.
Aliner Scout Lite
Respecting the order we chose for this article, we have landed on the 1,174-pound Aliner Scout Lite, the trailer we hope to buy. At that weight, we’re confident our Chevy Bolt can tow it. For such a small seeming trailer, it feels spacious with room to work, cook, eat and relax by day and for two people to sleep at night.
Turtleback Trailers Getaway
The 1160-pound Turtleback Trailers Getaway is designed for the most rugged trails. Lacking an appetite for extreme camping, this trailer wasn’t a contender for us. It is great for towing behind a Jeep.
Sylvansport Go Trailer
The tiny, sub 1,000-pound Sylvansport Go Trailer was tantalizing to us because of its 840-pound dry weight. That is so small! There is even a Youtuber with a Chevy Bolt who tows one, proving it would work for us. We were looking for something more finished. The Sylvansport Go Trailer is pretty much just a tent atop a utility trailer. It would not have given us a place to install any solar panels, so we passed.
In addition to the trailers on the RV Owner HQ article, we identified two manufacturers of trailers for motorcycles (and small cars) that we also considered.
Kamparoo
The Kamparoo really had us thinking. This 725-pound trailer would have been easy to tow, but lacks some of the feeling of furniture that we found in the larger pop-up trailers. Critically, the top of the trailer when folded up for towing ends up face down when open for camping. That means that it wouldn’t work well for solar panels.
TimeOut Trailers
TimeOut Trailers also makes a motorcycle towable trailer that would have worked for us. The EasyCamper model is smaller than the Kamparoo with the same design problem for our solar panels plan. We dropped it from consideration quickly after learning about it.
In this report, we’ve focused on our personal needs. We recognize that what works best for you will be different. Every trailer here is a perfect match for some people.
Remember, next week, we’ll have a report on our trip across Florida to check out an Aliner Scout.
The 12 Tiny Pop-Up Campers We Considered Before Choosing Ours