Outdoors

Teal shrinks its modular camper into a barebones $2500 car/motorcycle trailer

Teal shrinks its modular camper into a barebones $2500 car/motorcycle trailer
The Tail Feather MINI camper is available now for $2,500
The Tail Feather MINI camper is available now for $2,500
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The Tail Feather MINI is ready for sleeping after a couple minutes of set-up at camp
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The Tail Feather MINI is ready for sleeping after a couple minutes of set-up at camp
The Tail Feather with optional bed platform and under-bed storage
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The Tail Feather with optional bed platform and under-bed storage
The optional bed platform transforms into a seat
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The optional bed platform transforms into a seat
The walls and roof compact down during travel
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The walls and roof compact down during travel
The Tail Feather MINI camper is available now for $2,500
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The Tail Feather MINI camper is available now for $2,500
The MINI provides a simple, affordable, customizable camping trailer option
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The MINI provides a simple, affordable, customizable camping trailer option
The Tail Feather MINI is ready for sleeping after a couple minutes of set-up at camp
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The Tail Feather MINI is ready for sleeping after a couple minutes of set-up at camp
The Tail Feather MINI's walls and roof swing up to create a two-person interior
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The Tail Feather MINI's walls and roof swing up to create a two-person interior
The Tail Feather MINI kit's pieces nest together for easy storage
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The Tail Feather MINI kit's pieces nest together for easy storage
A look at Tail Feather MINI components
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A look at Tail Feather MINI components
View gallery - 10 images

The Teal Tail Feather camper offers a mix of versatility and affordability that few competitors can match. Still, Teal hasn't stopped innovating and dropping prices just yet. The company has just launched a small, pop-top camper kit with a price of US$2,500. Like the original Tail Feather, the Tail Feather MINI 8.4 is a modular camper that assembles inside a standard utility trailer.

Teal originally wanted to offer a simple, modular camper for under US$5,000. However, after finalizing its design and taking care of all logistics, it ended up raising the price of its Tail Feather to around $7,500. With affordability still at the forefront of its mind, it's launching the Tail Feather MINI 8.4 at half its original pricing goal.

The Tail Feather MINI features a modular, assemble-yourself design like the original Tail Feather, but in a slimmed-down package. In place of a full-height body, the MINI has a compact body that pops open at camp to sleep two. It's designed to fit inside a 4 x 8-ft (1.2 x 2.4-m) utility trailer and weighs 175 lb (79 kg).

The kit features several wood wall panels and an ABS roof that screw together and secure to the utility trailer's side rails to create the camping trailer. A heavy duty vinyl liner covers the trailer floor to keep the elements out.

The MINI kit only has about a dozen pieces, so it should be quite simple to assemble and break down. Each piece weighs no more than 35 lbs (16 kg) so it's not super heavy or awkward during the assembly/disassembly process. After being taken apart, the pieces nest together to make for easier storage.

The Tail Feather MINI is ready for sleeping after a couple minutes of set-up at camp
The Tail Feather MINI is ready for sleeping after a couple minutes of set-up at camp

The MINI keeps a low, compact profile during towing and increases in height at camp in a few minutes. It uses a clamshell roof and hinged wall panels to expand into camper mode, offering about 4.5 ft (1.4 m) or a little less of headroom, depending upon the height of the trailer rails it's mounted to. After the roof is raised up, the upper door panel slides onto its hinges and closes off the interior.

The wood walls are covered in a textured coating outside and left bare inside. The interior can be stained, painted, paneled, insulated or left as is. A door screen and two 8-in (20.3-cm) roof vents provide interior ventilation. Teal offers an optional convertible lounge seat/bed platform, but campers can also just slide an air mattress and/or sleeping bags directly onto the floor.

The Tail Feather MINI looks like a cozy sleeper, but its compact size cuts out some features of the original, including the dinette set and sink. It's more similar to a clamshell roof tent than a fully outfitted camping trailer, providing you a cozy nook to overnight in, but your cooking, cleaning and other camping gear is sold and used separately. The MINI can be used to haul gear, but its shorter profile will limit exactly what you haul with it when compared to the full-sized Tail Feather.

Teal revealed the Tail Feather MINI design to customers last month. After receiving some feedback, it built a prototype of the design and fast-tracked it to market. It plans on hand-building each $2,500 (plus freight) MINI kit to order up until it gets enough orders for a full production run. Delivery will take about 30 to 45 days.

The kit does not include the utility trailer, which Teal estimates will cost between $250 and $700 to start. The company says that the combination of camper and trailer typically weighs under 500 lb (227 kg), allowing it to be towed by virtually any vehicle, including some motorcycles.

Source: Teal International

View gallery - 10 images
6 comments
6 comments
Dax Wagner
I'm one of the original owners of a Teal Camper and can't speak highly enough for the company. Made in America. Great quality. Cool, modular assembly. I'm glad to see the company continuing its product line with new options.
Rehab
Perhaps consider a Triton aluminium trailer to build on? Lightweight composite panels would be nice. Looks like a lot of pressure treated wood was used. Anything that helps get you outdoors is a good thing.
BigGoofyGuy
I think that is really nice. It seems small and light weight enough for even a Smart Fortwo to tow.
Bawb
Sadly they are no longer available. Their website says all their production has been bought up by another company. "May 16, 2015 - Teal International Corporation has entered into a five year agreement with an international company to produce shelters for that company's exclusive use. The company's application will be utilizing all the production capacity we have. While this is a great opportunity for us, unfortunately the shelters and campers will no longer be available for purchase." http://www.tealinternational.com/QuiteLiteShelters/index.html
unklmurray
When I read in the comments that the Tail feather had been bought up by some company I shouted COOL!! From the description it sounded like you would be better off, buying a small 4ft x 6ft utility trailer from Harbor Freight for about $400.00 and filling it with a Coleman camp site , I'm pretty sure you could get a Lg.Tent,Cot, sleeping Bags,cook stove,coffee maker,Butane and a bunch of food [Beer] for $2500.00USD ,I might have to borrow $2500.00 just to see how nice of a camp I could make up.............
ChristopherSmith
Absurdly overpriced coffin on wheels. I've built a 5 x 10 cabin on wheels for about the same price, TRAILER INCLUDED.
We need people to start selling items like this for a SANE price.