Taxa Outdoors Cricket ($33,317)
The name Cricket evokes something springy, ready for action at a moment’s notice. And at a mere 1,500 pounds, that’s precisely the Cricket’s forte. You don’t need a job-site pickup to tow it; four cylinders will do. The construction—aluminum panels on a galvanized-steel frame—was dreamed up by Taxa CEO Garrett Finney, a former NASA architect. Perhaps not coincidentally, the look is a little lunar-rover-esque; it’d appear just as much at home rolling across the Sea of Tranquility as it does tethered to the hookups at an RV campsite.
While its light weight might make the Cricket seem minimalist, it’s decidedly not. The suite of features is impressive. (That’s one of the reasons we gave it a Gear of the Show award at RV Experience in March.) There’s a queen-size bed for adults and bunks for two kids, an exterior hot-water shower, interior lighting and USB outlets that run off an external hookup or optional rooftop solar panels, ample kitchen space, and a pop-up roof that boosts standing height and airflow. Want to get after it? A foot of ground clearance and 15-inch wheels with burly tires are happy to oblige.
Once you return, the Cricket’s 15-foot length fits inside a standard garage, so your neighbors don’t have to see it parked on the street. Although, with looks like these, they might not mind.
SylvanSport Vast ($49,995)
Best of the Rest
The Vast is about maximizing time outside even when you’re dragging what’s essentially a tiny house to the campsite. A kitchen slides out the side of the trailer, revealing a shower. The large picture window hinges at the top, and a dining table slides out to form an outdoor bar space. Inside the back hatch, the couch flips forward—providing room for bigger gear—and stows flat. And a queen bed descends from the ceiling when it’s time to call it a day.
Airstream Basecamp ($37,400)
If you’re in the market for a trailer but don’t need as much room as the Cricket affords, look to the Basecamp. Sporting an even sleeker look than Airstream’s full-size trailers, its aerodynamic aluminum body won’t hamstring your fuel economy. Room for two people, a sizable rear hatch for loading up bikes and kayaks, a sink and two-burner gas stove, and a built-in toilet and shower round out the Basecamp. Once you get to your destination, the view from the wraparound window can’t be beat.
Lance 850 ($41,774)
Lance’s smallest truck-bed camper is still pretty big, given that it’s equipped with a queen-size mattress and a mounted TV, a bathroom with a toilet, and a dinette with a stove, a sink, a microwave, and ample cabinets. If you don’t want the hassle of a tow-behind trailer, and you’ve got a large pickup (an app on Lance’s website tells you which ones are compatible), opt for the 850.