The pandemic has left families cooped up at home with fewer routine activities on their plates and more time to dream about the happy life to be found in the great outdoors. Hence, travel is on the rise, and every season has become ripe for road tripping.
Coinciding with this fortunate time for travel trailer manufacturers, Los Angeles, California-based Happier Camper has come out with a new trailer for 2021 that it aptly calls the Traveler. The company, which in 2014 first brought to market its other travel trailer offering called the HC1, touts the new Traveler as a tool that’s ideal for adventuring longer (thanks to its larger size than the HC1) with optimal flexibility (courtesy of its reconfigurable design, also shared with the HC1).
The Happier Camper Traveler (HCT) trailer is super light, weighing 1,800 pounds dry and about 2,500 pounds loaded, with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 3,500 pounds. The reason it’s so light is two-fold: physical size and construction materials. Its overall length measures a petite 17 feet, with the shell itself only coming in at 14 feet long. While that’s minuscule compared to some of the mega travel trailers out there, it’s all relative. For instance, Happier Camper’s HC1 is even smaller at 13 feet tip-to-tip and 10 feet for the shell. Next, the Happier Camper Traveler features 100 percent fiberglass double hull shells, a lightweight, durable solution that doesn’t expand and contract as much as wood and metal.
The biggest advantage of a lightweight trailer like the Traveler is that it can be towed by a wide range of trucks, SUVs, and sedans, meaning owners don’t need to upsize their tow vehicles in order to accommodate the trailer. There’s slim chance of running into the painfully common problem of “not enough truck” for the trailer. As a bonus, fuel economy should be pretty good pulling such a conservative load.
The coolest bits of the Happier Camper Traveler are the queen-size bed front and full-size bed rear areas of its interior space, which are reconfigurable thanks to Happier Camper’s “Adaptiv” technology. Easy-to-move modular rotomolded plastic cubes can be stacked and reconfigured to create beds, bunk beds, benches, work stations, lounge spaces, tables, and storage. The cubes fit snugly on top of a honeycomb fiberglass floor gridâkind of like Legos. Take all the cubes out for maximum storage. If you don’t like the layout, you only have yourself to blame. It’s a real-life game of Tetris that can make your dreams come true (or drive you crazy). The portable modular pieces can be taken out of the trailer to be used as part of the outdoor camp setup.
In addition to its modular sections, the Happier Camper Traveler has a fixed 75-inch by 35-inch bathroom (with a dry-flush toilet, shower, and fan) and a kitchenette (with a dual-burner stove, sink, and DC-powered drawer fridge). In all, there are 85 square feet of walkable floor space. It has a modest 17-gallon freshwater tank and a 17-gallon gray water tank. Integrated upper shelves, custom kitchen racks, mounted leveling jacks, and cool mood lighting adds functionality and flair. The five panoramic windows let users connect with nature without being in it, and the circular window in the door is a perfect blend of modern and vintage.
Happier Camper is a pioneer in modular solutions for travel trailers, allowing users to completely customize the camper for their own specific (and changing) needs. Spicy colors including Mammoth White, Pacific Blue, Bishop Red, Topanga Turquoise, Pismo Sand, Silver Lake Gray, Forest Green, and Mojave Sage pay homage to the iconic natural landscapes of the Traveler’s SoCal stomping grounds. The Traveler demands attention with its sleek, modern exterior, and ranks high in the coolness categoryâbut it all comes at a cost. Interested owners should be prepared to shell out at least $49,950 for this fiberglass travel trailer. The Premium package, which includes the bathroom, kitchenette, a lithium battery, off-grid solar package, and all the bells and whistles that you really want, runs $59,950. The smaller HC1 starts at $29,950.
