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).
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?
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.
“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…
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.
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.
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.