While there's nothing quite as cozy as a wood cabin, pulling one behind your car could be a bit … challenging. That's where the Glamper comes in, as it's a wood-cabin-style trailer that folds flat for transit, and goes up in about 10 minutes.
Designed and manufactured by Knotty Pine Cabins in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the Glamper consists of three main parts: the wooden walls, the canvas roof, and the trailer unit itself.
The walls are made of tongue-and-groove-joined pieces of 2 by 6-inch Douglas fir, treated with a water-repellent exterior finish. Each wall section is hinged to the trailer at the bottom, and simply gets swung up then latched to its neighbours during the setup process – no tools are required for any step of the setup or teardown.
There are multiple slide-open screened windows, along with a single door in the back. And for particularly cold and windy days, an included set of winter-seal metal strips can be added to the seams between the sections, to keep any frigid breezes from getting through.
The peaked roof consists of an aluminum frame, covered with a polyurethane-coated waterproof and fire-retardant canvas canopy. It's placed on top of the walls once they're up, then latched onto them.
When the walls are folded flat into the trailer for transit, the roof is placed onto them, covered with an additional protective canopy, then securely strapped down. As an added bonus, gear such as camping furniture can be stowed inside the roof cavity while the Glamper is being towed.
The trailer unit itself is made of powder-coated aluminum, with axles rated to 3,500 lb (1,588 kg), and 15-inch wheels. Once the trailer is parked, a jack in the front is utilized to level it laterally, while an optional set of side stabilizer jacks can be used to level it further. It should be noted that the walls are permanently joined to the trailer, so the cabin can't be removed from the trailer (at least, not easily) and used on its own.
The Glamper is actually available in two models, basically a Small and a Large.
The Small measures 10 ft long by 5 ft wide (3 by 1.5 m), reaching a maximum ceiling height of 9 ft (2.7 m). It's intended to house two adults (and perhaps a small child), and reportedly tips the scales at 1,100 lb (499 kg). Buyers throughout North America can purchase it via the Knotty Pine Cabins website for CAD$13,900 (about US$10,994).
The Large measures 12 ft long by 6 ft wide (3.7 by 1.8 m), and has a maximum ceiling height of 10 ft (3 m). It's made to house up to four adults, weighs in at 1,300 lb (590 kg) and is priced at CAD$16,900 (US$13,368).
Because both models are relatively lightweight, they can be towed by vehicles as small as a compact car. In fact, Knotty Pine president/Glamper inventor Andre Depelteau told us that his crew has already used a Toyota Matrix and a Chevrolet Spark, with no problems.
Really, though, the Glamper is aimed at anyone looking for wood-cabin-style accommodation, but who don't want to shell out for a full-on permanently located cabin.
"It's for people who love to camp, but want a little nicer place to stay in, and not cost them an arm and a leg," said Depelteau. "It's a Glamper, not a camper."
Product website: Glamper Insta Cabin
