Trailers come in all shapes and sizes from tiny teardrops to absolute gargantuan destination trailers, but choices dwindle if your tow vehicle can’t even pull a thousand pounds. What if you drive something like a Smart Fortwo or an Indian Challenger? One choice you have is this, the Bontrager Outdoors 7ROD, also sold as the Skinny Guy Campers Armor. This little guy weighs all of 500 pounds, but it comes with an unfortunate catch.
One of the more frustrating parts about the RV shows around America is just how much of a focus there is on gigantic, shockingly expensive travel trailers, fifth wheels, destination trailers, and motorhomes. The 2024 Thor Dealer Open House was no different, with most of the trailers in the large display requiring an equally hefty truck for pulling power. But what if you don’t want to drive a pickup? What if you like sedans, wagons, or city cars? These cars often have pitiful tow ratings, if they have official ratings at all.
While you can find a lot of campers in the 1,500-pound range and even some just a bit under 1,000 pounds, the list of trailers around 500 pounds or under is a tiny one. One popular choice is the Time Out camper, which weighs just 385 pounds, but it’s also pretty much just a towable tent. What if you want hard walls? Bontrager Outdoors thinks you’ll want this, the 7ROD.
Bontrager Outdoors hasn’t been around for a while, but its short history is an interesting one. Bontrager Outdoors started life in 2017 as Braxton Creek RV, a teardrop builder that marketed itself as an independent manufacturer that didn’t sell out to the big guys:
Braxton Creek RV began when our founders recognized that something was missing after the whirlwind of mergers and acquisitions in the industry. As RV manufacturer after RV manufacturer had been swallowed up by public companies, they were now focused on quarter-by-quarter profits and answering to Wall Street investors.
We saw this as an opportunity to build a new type of trusted company that we were certain was—and still is—valued by many dealers and customers. Guided by faith-based principles, sound business practices, and deep experience with some of the biggest RV brands in the world, Braxton Creek’s leadership moved on their convictions and established their principles as the driving force behind their company.
In 2023, Braxton Creek was acquired by Austin and Jason Bontrager, members of the same Bontrager family that founded Jayco in 1968. Bontrager Outdoors was founded in 2019 as the parent company of Skinny Guy Campers (SGC), a manufacturer that makes what it says is the world’s lightest and most aerodynamic all-metal truck camper. At first, the Bontragers said Braxton Creek and Skinny Guy Campers would operate as separate brands under the Bontrager Outdoors umbrella, but in July, Bontrager Outdoors announced that Braxton Creek would rebrand as Bontrager Outdoors.
If that’s not confusing enough, Bontrager Outdoors and Skinny Guy Campers are selling the same teardrop trailers, but Skinny Guy goes for that butch overland chic.
The company has unveiled its latest trailer, and this one is claimed to be the lightest trailer on the market right now with a certification from the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, which is a pretty big deal.
Just 500 Pounds
The Bontrager 7ROD is so fresh on the market it was only recently published to the Bontrager Outdoors website. Its Skinny Guy Campers’ equivalent is so new that there’s exactly no information about it online. However, a Bontrager representative at the 2024 Thor Dealer Open House told me both trailers are the same with differences in aesthetics.
Both trailers start off as a steel frame with a basic suspension, diamond plate fenders, and a swivel hitch on the tongue. The swivel function exists because Bontrager Outdoors is targeting motorcyclists with this trailer and the swivel will allow the bike to lean without upsetting the whole setup.
On top of the frame sits a box with welded aluminum framing, Azdel composite for walls, and aluminum sheeting for exterior siding. Features drop sharply off from here. These trailers feature some lights, a 30-Amp converter, and some sockets to plug in your electronics, and a ceiling fan.
You do get a hatch that opens up to reveal a kitchen, but there’s nothing in it. You also get a cassette toilet, but there’s no real place to store it but next to the bed inside of the teardrop. One neat addition is a small table, but that’s it for features. These trailers do not feature an HVAC system of any kind, they do not feature water storage of any kind, and there isn’t even an apparatus to hook up any propane for any propane accessories you might bring along for the ride.
The Bontrager Outdoors 7ROD and its SGC counterpart are basically just hard walls to sleep inside. If you want more than that, you’ll have to add the bits yourself.
So, based on the lack of content, you’d think the price would be low to match. I have bad news. The cheapest 7ROD I’ve been able to find is listed for $9,000. Yet, another example I found with the same lack of features as the one at the show was listed for $14,900. Remember, just this week I wrote about a camper that has a furnace, an air-conditioner, a usable kitchen, and even an outdoor shower for just $10,000. So, at best, you’re paying about the same price for half of the trailer.
In Bontrager Outdoors’ defense, these trailers use better materials than the Sunray 109 Sport I wrote about earlier this week, Still, it seems like these trailers should cost maybe about 30 percent less than they do.
Bontrager Outdoors says the 7ROD exists so that everyone can enjoy the outdoors regardless of their tow vehicle. Sure enough, a first-generation Smart Fortwo, a car TUV approved to tow 716 pounds, can pull a 7ROD. Keep in mind that many of the motorcycles you might see towing a trailer aren’t officially approved by their manufacturers to tow, but people do it, anyway. For example, the Indian Challenger the show trailer was hitched up to doesn’t have an official tow rating. Please tow responsibly, you’re not the only one out there on the roads!
On the one hand, I do love to see more manufacturers making ever lighter trailers for less capable vehicles. Not every trailer needs to be as large as a studio apartment. I’d love to see more small vehicles towing things! I also enjoy seeing lower prices. On the other hand, this trailer seems like it should also be a little cheaper for what you’re getting (or, rather, not getting).
Camping out, or roughing it, in my book, is staying at a Motel 6 or Holiday Inn Express…
Why wouldn’t someone go for something these guys make – seems a lot to pay just to have walls. https://www.sylvansport.com/go-camping-trailer/
When I saw the name Bontrager I did some research and apparently the camper making family is unrelated to Keth Bontrager the bicycle and bicycle parts guy.
I question the value of any teardrop style trailer since they seem only slightly larger than an enlisted sailor’s berth on a submarine
A place near me sells 4×8 folding trailers for about $1000 Canadian. If your main concern is being off the ground I’d just pitch a tent on that.
I only say folding for easy of storage when not in use. I’m very tempted to grab one and fab up some easy to remove sides and bolt down boxes.
I’ve thought about doing similar. My idea is to build a storage platform that’s a couple feet tall, then pitch a tent on top of the platform.
That would work well, although not on a folding trailer. And probably for way less than the cost of this trailer. Easily removable sides would be key so you can easily access your supplies from both sides. Well I’m off to look at trailers although I’d never build something like this because I figure that we have invented hotels and motels for a good reason.
Wow, that is stunningly expensive for so little utility.
About 8 years ago I built something a lot like this. I started with a double-jetski trailer I found on CL for $150. All in I was around $1200. I never weighed it, but my 1.5 liter Scion xB pulled it like it wasn’t there.
In the first pic that tongue and coupler set up stood out as strange, but knowing it is intended for motorcycle use and it pivots makes sense. I do see a break-away battery and 7 pin connector which confirms that it is intended for use with a MC since you don’t legally need brakes on a trailer that light, when towed by a car. I wonder if anyone will come out with a brake controller designed for use on a motor cycle, or if something already exists.
I understand that hard sides are worth something, but that price is a bit much. I’ll take a tent trailer or just a tent every time with as few features as this has. I’d really like to see more budget-friendly campers come out. That one earlier this week seemed like a pretty reasonable option.
For what it’s worth, though, I can’t see myself buying a camper at all, and my parents would only consider something much larger, so I really just may not have the perspective of a prospective buyer for this.
That’s about where I landed. I always think about “What would I do with this at Road Atlanta” and the options always stop well short of compelling vs. a tent.
doesnt matter if its a tent with a motorcycle, travel trailer or big old RV camping can be expensive and some companies charge way too much.
What I would like to see is one of these without the kitchen and with a platform to store some stuff, like 4 wheels a jack and small toolbox. Basically, I need a track day trailer that I could sleep in that is super light so my car can pull it.
No hookups for propane and propane accessories? Hank Hill does not approve.
I’ve had related discussions with friends about adding a tow hitch to my Prius v (For the record, my main use would just be for a hitch auxiliary taillight/brake light/reverse light.):
“It’s not tow-rated!”
“In the U.S. In Europe, it’s rated for 2,000 pounds. Remember, that’s because the U.S. rates towing at 80 mph. I don’t even go that fast unladen.”
“What are you even gonna tow with that?”
“It can do the smallest U-Haul box trailer!”
“Yeah, empty!”
“HALF-FULL!”
Our tow ratings are intended to get people in large trucks.
It’s more “Our tow ratings are biased towards low-probability, high-demand towing situations in the US West.”
The full requirements for tow rating are here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_J2807
Some of these are fairly reasonable, but others, like the Davis Dam test, are conditions that are actually impossible to encounter east of the Mississippi.
Well, that sure seems to be overkill.
And what’s stupid about that test is why there are double standards based on whether you have single rear wheels and dual rear wheels.
If 35mph up the Davis dam is good enough for a vehicle with duallies, why shouldn’t it be good enough for a vehicle with single rear wheels?
And why is the braking test only done from 20mph?
Why isn’t a 60-0 downhill braking test done?
Well I have a sneaky suspicion that a lot of older commercial truck designs with drum brakes might fail the test. Same deal with the Davis dam speed test.
And for these reasons, I have always considered the J2807 standard a bit idiotic with double standards that are clearly the result of industry lobbying.
And as a side note… I just put on a hitch receiver on my C-Max. I plan on using it for bike racks as well as towing the odd utility trailer even though towing is “not recommended”
The way I see it is the C-Max is better in every way than many older vehicles I grew up with that had tow ratings as high as 5000lbs. As long as I take it easy, keep the speed down to 90km/h and stick to sub-1000lbs of trailer weight, it should be fine and well within the margin of safety given that the European C-max with the 1L ecoboost is rated to tow 695kg unbraked and 1200kg braked.
https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/Europe/documents/productReleases/C-Max/FordC-MAX_TechnicalSpecifications_EU.pdf
I have a somewhat heavily built (22″ full board sides) utility/kayak trailer that I pull with a GR86 and it barely knows it’s there except for drag on the highway or braking with a load of yard waste and branches in it and neither situation is bad. I don’t think it exceeds 2k lbs even with a decent load in it. It’s probably close, but the yard waste compost dump is only about 4 miles on back roads, anyway.
Vehicles in sold US with no tow rating versus same vehicle in Europe with tow rating has nothing to do with Trucks/SUVs.
It has everything to do with Lawyers.
I’d be the perfect customer for these, just not at those prices. I toured around the province in my CRV this summer and the only downside was setting up some crappy Coleman tent (they sure don’t make ’em like they used to) and then taking it down in the AM especially if it was wet or dirty. My towing and wallet are limited, so I’m looking at hardshell rooftop tents, or some used, light, pop-up trailers. Those type of trailers all seem to have the same poor build quality and canvas issues.
What’s a camper to do.
So this is essentially a $9,000, 500lb table.
You know what else comes with a table and a place to plug your phone in? A 1998 Honda CR-V
OR… a Pontiac Aztek if you’re not a coward
I’m curious how the braking, especially the emergency braking, would work with one of these behind even a heavy bike. Personally, I’d think it would be terrifying. Looking at the underbody shot, it doesn’t appear this thing has electric brakes and at 500lbs I doubt it does (maybe it does?). I know often times the usual response for bikers is avoid the emergency braking and use the bikes better maneuverability to swerve around the hazard, but you’re not doing that with this in tow. All I can picture is the rear of the bike being pushed out on an increasing angle as the weight of the bike transfers to the front wheel under heavy braking and the rear gets lighter, the momentum of the trailer shoving the rear off to one side or the other. It can happen even in a truck so I can’t see a motorcycle being any better.
Also, the price is kind of bonkers for what is basically composite box on wheels. And if lightness was key, why a steel frame and not aluminum?
On the one hooked up to a MC it does have a break-away battery and a 7 pin connector. Maybe electric brakes (and the swivel tongue) are options? Even with brakes it does seem like this could get real sketchy in a panic stop. Hey at least it has a swivel coupler so you can lay the bike down, ha ha.
I am 6’5″ – i just cant really imagine getting in this thing. And yes it does offer some advantages over a tent, i don’t think it offer 10,000 dollars of advantage over a decent tent.
At which point the cost accountant in me divided 10,000 by 200 per night nice hotel and find himself sleeping comfortably for 500 nights. That is before the petrol savings
Yeah that is what keeps me out of travel trailers/motorhomes/campers. You don’t save any money on lodging unless you are a full timer and it is a whole lot more work/stress.
That is the logic I used on my wife. But then, she was looking at the big stuff. Then I asked if she was going to be driving it. Her response: “You are the truck driver.” But then I started adding up the figures and prices of a truck added in, and told her we would be replacing the camper every 5 years. (thanks Mercedes! Your quality review articles helped!) I trotted out our costs and then showed her how many hotel rooms, with a good shower and maid service that would buy. Now she doesn’t talk about campers. And I don’t have to drive the damn thing.
Your maths is out a bit, that would be 50 nights. Seven weeks worth is still a lot of nights.
Oooops
But wait, it gets worse! You haven’t accounted for the overnight site fees charged at most places you stay in your camper!
Back when I had an RV, the site fees were about 90% of the cost of a good hotel room if you wanted full hookups of water, electric, sewage and a modest cable/satellite TV channel package. Even a basic parking space with no hookups at all was about 40% of a room or more.
State and national park sites are seldom cheaper than commercially operated sites, and often cost more.
The only bargain in an RV was that Wal-Mart would let you overnight in their parking lots as long as you set up far from the store entrance and didn’t need any hookups. And only some of those would allow you to run a generator in the lot.
I understand why someone might rent an RV, or even build one. But buying one seems like a solution only good for someone who has a network of non-commercial sites to visit, like family members with empty land.
Yeah at 6ft2 I look at most of these and think my back would never survive them.
“So, based on the lack of content, you’d think the price would be low to match. I have bad news.”
Of course, the “tacticool” aesthetic always costs more.
“Armor”?? Oof…
There’s ALWAYS a catch. Sometimes, the catch is you’ve bought an RV…
Kinda like buying a boat
Very cool, but the price is whack. This is like selling performance intake manifolds for 2003 Chevy Cavaliers for $6,000.
adds 5 HP
If you want to go lighter, opt for one of the Earth Traveler trailers that use either carbon fiber (250 lbs) or fiberglass composite (chicken feathers!) construction (400 lbs). These are pretty fabulous setups that sleep four and can be optioned with just about anything. The downside: they start at $38,000 and $25,000, respectively. So, your trailer isn’t the only thing that will be much lighter.
If you aren’t set on having hard walls, the Kompakt Kamp is only 260 lb, and starts at under $4k. If I really wanted a motorcycle trailer, I think this is the way I would end up going due to price and weight. I am happy with setting up a regular tent for now, but I did just buy a cot because I can’t manage to sleep on the ground anymore.
I think this is the kind of camper that you pay extra for up front and recoup that expense over the years by not having it fall apart. If all you want is a hard-sided tent that you don’t have to repair every year it looks like a reasonable deal. Since it is wired up you can probably add accessories like a small AC unit or microwave.
What I’m reading is that it is only wired for 12v, so no easy add for those items.
These are sort of expensive for a teardrop, but hey, at least it’s not made of sawdust.
I’ve genuinely considered the idea of a camper in the future, but I’ve rarely looked at anything that’s large enough to fit the whole family of 4, instead opting for the premise that 2 of us would sleep in the van. But I think half the appeal of a camper is having, even the tiniest living space, to congregate when the weather goes to hell.
My family went that route… I built out a 5X8 cargo trailer into something that pretty much only has a bed for 2. Built a solar powered fridge box for the front, and added two awnings. The side awning turns into a tent room that will sleep 2-3. Everyone can fit into the awning room if the weather gets bad, which has came in clutch a few times. I hope to buy a used Go Fast Camper for my truck for when the kids get a bit older.
Lot’s of cool cargo trailer builds out there. That’s my plan, I just haven’t pulled the trigger on a trailer yet. Buddy of mine did a simple moto hauler build with a 5×10 his dad gave him. I borrowed it to make a MN > MO run to pick up a motorcycle earlier this year, and it was pretty awesome, if a little small. I’d like to do a 6×12 setup.
It’s a really nice thing having a cargo trailer AND a camper in one. It also fits in my garage, which helps with keeping the AZ sun off it.
Cargo trailer builds make a lot of sense. If you’re not going to get things like HVAC and tanks integrated into the design, you might as well start with something like that.
There are ways around that… Lots of room underneath for water tanks (probably no sink/toilet though). AC or a vent fan can easily be added to the top.
Oh I bet. I guess I meant for 10k if you’re not getting the advantage of not having to figure those things out, you’d be better off with the cargo trailer. I figure half the reason to have something already fitted out for camper duty is that the manufacturer already designed all of that. In this case, it’s really just a box to sleep in.