Outdoors

AntiShanty camping trailer morphs from gear box into high-roofed wilderness cabin

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No indication on pricing, but it should be well cheaper than the other dual-personality gear-hauler/camper trailer we covered recently, the $50,000 SylvanSport Vast
AntiShanty
Designed for those that like to move around in the morning, play all afternoon and camp at night, the AntiShanty offers a simple toy-hauling and overnighting solution
AntiShanty
The side beams can accommodate various mounts and carriers for gear that won't fit inside
AntiShanty
The latest road shower brings fresh water and showering capabilities
AntiShanty
The interior is designed primarily for storage and basic shelter, no fancy amenities to drag on your wallet or tow vehicle
AntiShanty
It looks like a battery will be standard or optional equipment
AntiShanty
AntiShanty encourages people to try something new
AntiShanty
As a gear-hauler, the AntiShanty can hold motorbikes, mountain bikes, camping gear and other cargo
AntiShanty
Loaded up for a weekend of motored and non-motored off-road fun
AntiShanty
AntiShanty was at Overland Expo West last month, but rather than a full-size booth, it exhibited at a desk in a multi-exhibitor tent, leaving its actual trailer out in the parking area
AntiShanty
AntiShanty + Jeep Wrangler = unlimited fun to be had
AntiShanty
With its modular construction, the AntiShanty can quickly convert from empty cargo box, to cafeteria, to motel room
AntiShanty
Pitching the roof leaves a large opening that's filled by custom-fit panels
AntiShanty
Up on the high bed, campers can remove the panel for an elevated view and slide it in for weather protection
AntiShanty
On the road with the AntiShanty camping trailer
AntiShanty
The all-aluminum construction will help keep base weight down around 1,500 lb
AntiShanty
Setting up the AntiShanty for camping 
AntiShanty
Setting up the AntiShanty for camping 
AntiShanty
The AntiShanty boasts up to 9 feet of headroom and a modular interior good for hauling large equipment and spending the night in
AntiShanty
Stagger the aluminum beams and you have a functional dining set
AntiShanty
No indication on pricing, but it should be well cheaper than the other dual-personality gear-hauler/camper trailer we covered recently, the $50,000 SylvanSport Vast
AntiShanty
Breaking the AntiShanty back down
AntiShanty
We're curious to see exactly how the roof meets the sidewall as to keep rain from gushing down and inside the crease
AntiShanty
View gallery - 23 images

It's not quite a basic cargo trailer, not quite a rolling A-frame. The AntiShanty trailer is more than meets the eye, part-time cargo box and part-time tiny aluminum cabin in the woods. It's a mobile mountain hut for surf bums and dirtbag climbers, carrying everything from an ATV, to dirt bikes, to boards, to a mess of camping gear before converting over to a mini-lodge with 9-foot (2.7-m) peaked ceiling and modular bunk beds. It's the latest in a camper market that's quickly shifting to meet the needs of a younger, faster, more active breed of adventure traveler.

In case it's not already apparent, AntiShanty's social media footprint makes clear that its trailer was closely inspired by the Thoreau-like wilderness cabin, the lonely-but-picturesque, steep-roofed cabin standing alone amidst snow-capped peaks or autumn-tinged forest, the type of cabin brushed on artwork filling galleries across the American Mountain West.

AntiShanty's design was also heavily guided by the masses of young adventurers escaping to mountains, forests and coasts every weekend, many of whom don't have interest in a fancy Airstream or huge triple-axle toy hauler but still want something more comfortable than a tent. Those types also often need to reconcile loads of volume-filling gear with compact vehicles.

Designed for those that like to move around in the morning, play all afternoon and camp at night, the AntiShanty offers a simple toy-hauling and overnighting solution
AntiShanty

So the Northern Utah crew behind the AntiShanty combined those themes into one, creating a simple but cozy wilderness cabin that tows behind the bumper. To do so, they left the usual trailer shapes and styles in the rear-view and created something different.

The 17.4-foot (5.3-m) AntiShanty isn't the first steeply pitched, A-frame-like camping trailer out there, following others like Rockwood Hard Side Pop-Up Campers and Aliners. However, it is very different from those, a cargo box that converts over into a basic but spacious living/sleeping module to be slept in overnight and left behind during the day for the enticing adventure and scenery waiting beyond campsite boundaries.

Loaded up for a weekend of motored and non-motored off-road fun
AntiShanty

The AntiShanty starts life at the hitch as a basic aluminum-clad cargo box, ready to swallow up bikes, boards, camping supplies and other gear. It has a full-size lift-gate that swings up for easy loading and tie-downs inside to secure everything in place. The company shows the trailer independently loaded up with motorbikes, bicycles, an ATV and other gear. A roof rack doesn't appear practical or possible because of the moving roof, but gear racks and carriers can secure to the vertical beams along the sides, and a hitch receiver is there to hold hitch racks in back.

At camp, the toys and gear roll out and the AntiShanty becomes a spacious shelter. The roof pops and slides into place manually, offering loads of headroom. Triangular end panels fill out the spaces left at the front and rear of the roof. The trailer can also be occupied with the roof down.

Stagger the aluminum beams and you have a functional dining set
AntiShanty

AntiShanty leaves inbuilt furniture to other trailer-makers and instead relies on a modular system of aluminum beams that secure to sidewall mounting tracks. These beams configure into a picnic-style table and bench and also into a queen-size sleeping platform. An optional second sleeping platform up under the high roof gives the trailer the capability to sleep four adults.

Beyond that, the AntiShanty is pretty much a blank canvas. It saves space for gear-hauling by not creating a full-on mini-apartment inside, packing only a front countertop, where campers can prepare food and store things. No built-in stove, no water tank, no cabinetry ... it's really an empty shell for people and gear, and owners can pack coolers, water jugs and other camping equipment to use in the wild.

With its modular construction, the AntiShanty can quickly convert from empty cargo box, to cafeteria, to motel room
AntiShanty

Outside, the no-step fenders double as added workspace, and the long steps can hold other gear, including a RoadShower 4 water tank/sprayer system for washing dishes and dirty flesh.

AntiShanty describes the trailer as something of an all-terrainer meant to get to trailheads and distant waters over bumpy, dusty tracks, but not meant for all-out 4x4ing behind a lifted Wrangler SEMA project. The hard-sided design is meant to give it a leg up on keeping out wind, bears, critters and other dangers and discomforts of the wild, compared to a tent or soft-sided pop-up. AntiShanty's wood-free, all-aluminum construction aims to fully eliminate headaches like water damage and decay.

We're curious to see exactly how the roof meets the sidewall as to keep rain from gushing down and inside the crease
AntiShanty

AntiShanty is still out testing and touring with its prototype and working on the finalized production model. It has not released pricing just yet, but it tells us that it will be releasing more information in the coming days and weeks. It has several different packages planned, with the most basic weighing in around 1,500 lb (680 kg).

We hope to check the AntiShanty out in person, as the devil of this design is in the details. We're interested to look at how AntiShanty seals the moving roof to ensure it doesn't leak, how the triangular panels secure and seal, and how much of the cargo space gets eaten up by components like the aluminum beams and mattresses.

AntiShanty's been previewing the trailer through a series of videos, and the latest gives a better look at the beds.

Source: AntiShanty

View gallery - 23 images
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2 comments
Username
With the name Anti-Shanti I was expecting more luxury.
toyhouse
I looked at pics here and videos online - no videos of the roof going up. It doesn't go up the same way as an a-liner brand trailer. I think I understand the folding method but it looks to be possibly,...awkward? I could be wrong. And yes, it still appears to be a bit of a shanty.