After peering in at the Freedom Camper (née Tusca Hitchhiker), we were wondering if we'd see more wheel-less camper pods hit the scene. Well, we now have an answer and an official Freedom competitor that hails from a brand that specializes in building tiny campers in various shapes and forms. The all-new Tiny Camper Co. Stubby slide-in camper gains a curvier teardrop-size shape while offering the same versatile truck-to-trailer functionality. And it does so for an even lower base price.
If you thought the teardrop trailer was about as simple as it gets for a camper, the wheel-less teardrop pod is rising up to prove you wrong. We're talking no wheels, no suspension and not much of anything beyond a tiny, hard-sided cabin to sleep inside.
Tiny Camper Co's (TCC's) take on the design features a composite construction with no wood in the build, meaning no worries about rot or corrosion. It measures 6.5 feet (198 cm) long by 4 feet (122 cm) wide, and while it's not the full-blown liquid drop shape teardrop camping purists demand, it does at least have a proper arch in the roofline, straying away from the all-angular shape of the Freedom Camper. We'd classify it a squaredrop, quite similar to the style of Hiker trailers.
At 46 in (117 cm) tall to the highest point of the roof, the Stubby is also significantly shorter than the 54-in (137-cm) Freedom Camper, making for a lower, stealthier profile that doesn't ride so high above the truck cab.
The Stubby weighs in a full 100 lb (45 kg) more than the EPS foam-based Freedom Camper for a listed base weight of 280 lb (127 kg). It'll therefore be a bigger lift that might demand an extra person, but TCC assists with the process by adding grab handles at each corner so that it's really just a matter of grab, lift, carry, set down.
A pair of aluminum rails on the Stubby base are designed to help slide the unit in and out of the vehicle and stabilize it during the journey. Once it's set aboard a truck or trailer bed, it's strapped down via a quartet of tie-down points on the sidewalls.
Inside, the Stubby is about as simple as you might expect. It includes an empty floor that invites owners to fit in their own mattress. Ventilation is provided by half-moon vents on each sidewall, as well as openable windows. The only real "techy" feature is an available Zero Breeze Mark 2 portable air conditioner meant to take the edge off sweltering mid-summer heat. A shore power hookup and 110-V inside electrical socket are included as standard.
We think the design would benefit from a full-on tailgate that encompasses the entire rear wall, whether lifting up or swinging out, making the pod a more capable gear hauler that's easier to load. However, TCC goes with a simpler 26 x 32-in (66 x 81-cm) lockable rear teardrop-style door.
The Stubby seems like a nice, versatile no-frills camper solution for those who want complete hard-wall construction as an upgrade from a tent but don't need anything expensive or complex. It's priced accordingly, starting at just $2,900, which is $500 cheaper than the base MSRP of a comparably sized Freedom Camper. As of right now, the Stubby is $200 cheaper than the currently advertised Freedom sale price of $3,099.
Source: Tiny Camper Co
