Starling Travel

This Starcraft tent trailer came up for sale on our local classifieds and it is something totally different. At first, it looked completely normal, until I realized that this was the BACK of the trailer.

The bunk ends don’t pull out over the hitch and the back. They pull out over the driver’s side.

And the other bunk pulls out over the passenger side.

They were selling it for only $700. Here was their description:

Awesome little trailer by Starcraft. It has running water, spare, new cables on the winch to pull trailer up. All canvas in perfect condition. No tears, rips or even stains.

I really wish they knew the year and make of the trailer. I am so interested in the history of it and how long they made sideways tent trailers. The inside makes it look like late Sixties or early Seventies.

It has one of those built-in ice chests. We had one of these on our Palomino. I loved it because it would just drain the melted ice out of the bottom of the trailer. It made it REALLY easy to keep it filled with ice and cold. I think that’s the ONLY thing I miss from the Palomino tent camper we used to have.

I keep getting surprised by all the different ways that you can make a camping trailer. This sideways tent trailer is really interesting and I wish I could find more information about it!

This video was recommended to me by YouTube and they were spot on. I LOVED this video of Jeff Furr showing his camping trailer that he built from a Harbor Freight Trailer. It’s a long video, but it taught me so much.

After watching it, I wondered if they slept in the camper or only used it for galley and gear storage. Fortunately, someone already asked that question. Here was his answer:

I just use it for hauling gear, also for water storage and power supply. I had considered making it into a sleeper at some point but not at this time.

Here is a slideshow of the trailer build.

The most important thing I learned from this video is the existence of hurricane hinges. I have seen many teardrop builds and everyone has trouble with the hinges leaking. They’ve done things to prevent the water from entering at that point, but all of them end up with leaks. I had trouble with my teardrop galley because of that as well.

Image via: planovet – Photobucket

With hurricane hinges, the water is less likely to enter the camper because it’s designed to keep the water out. I had NO idea that they existed and suddenly, my camper build project has gotten that much easier. The hatches over the bed bunks will have hurricane hinges!

Every time I look at the camper build projects online, I learn something new. I am very excited!

This video is LONG, but it shows you every bit of the myPod trailer.

I love how detailed she is about the features inside and out. There is no galley on these campers, so they are just for sleeping. At only 635 pounds, though, they are a PERFECT choice if you have a small car like a Smart Car or a Prius.

I especially like the windows and their shades.

You can have privacy with the little shades and light when they are opened. The shape of the window really makes the myPod seem so cool and spacey.

What I don’t like is the entertainment system.

I don’t WANT a TV, stereo and speakers. I just don’t want them. I have an iPad. That is good enough for me when I’m traveling, so adding all that other stuff is just an added expense and waste of space as far as I’m concerned. I would much rather have a galley.

The myPod isn’t what I’m looking for in a teardrop, but the fact that it’s so lightweight that it could be pulled by my Prius is VERY inviting. I am always impressed by Little Guy and I can’t wait to see what they do next!

Nikoli Waller posted a picture of this camper on Glampers on the Loose and I absolutely LOVE the color scheme.

I love the coordinated colors that match inside and out.

The ornate hardware on the simple drawers just make it look awesome.

There is plenty of sleeping space with the gaucho couch and the dinette.

Photos like these really inspire me. I want to do something VERY colorful with my next camper. I was so conservative with the Tangerine Turtle. The next time, I’m going to do something bright like this.

When we went to breakfast at The Egg and I a few months ago, I saw this awesome tiny motorhome.

It’s a Chinook and a highly efficient one. The cab is perfectly sized for exactly two people and they have to be short and physically fit people.

The summer sun in St. George is oppressive, but we were in the winter, so I don’t know exactly why they had a shade up unless it was for privacy in the camper.

I’m so used to seeing the doors of campers and motorhomes on the passenger side of the vehicle that I was surprised by this because the door was at the rear.

We never saw the owners of the camper, but I would have loved to talk to them and loved to see the interior even more. The camper was only slightly longer than the typical car, but I’m sure there was room for two to sleep. I wish I could have seen more of this camper, but in the end, it continued on its journey without us.

At the Popup Portal Rally at Dead Horse Ranch State Park last April, I was given the chance to see Vicki’s Westholt Tent Camper. I had no idea these campers existed before that rally, but they are really cool.

They were made in the mid-sixties and are a great example of mid-century design. See more about her camper and a video tour of a 1964 Westholt after the break. (Continue Reading…)

Almost a year ago, we were driving on I-15 and we came upon this teardrop camper.

I could tell it was interesting and unique from way back, so I asked Mike to slow down while he passed it so I could get some photos.

It looked like it might have a Betty Boop theme based on the decal on the side.

It caught up with us in Fillmore at the gas station and I got another shot of it.

I never did meet the owners, but I would have liked to talk to them. I always love to see these great little guys on the road. The fact that it was also towed by a vintage car as well, just makes me even more happy!

Living so near Zion’s national parks, I see a lot of different campers in the parking lots of Costco, Cracker Barrel and Walmart. Lately, I’ve been seeing these cute little green and purple camper vans from Jucy Rentals.

I saw this one in the Cracker Barrel parking lot a few months ago and I loved it!

It looked like what I have talked about doing for a long time by putting a popup tent on the top of a car and building a galley out the back.

After I saw this camper, I looked them up online and they originated from New Zealand and have just barely came over to the States. They truly have a brilliant design. Here’s a video that shows you all the features of the camper. Skip to the 2:11 minute mark to see the camper features.

When I was at Lake Mead a few weeks ago, I saw two Jucy Rentals.

The reason why I am seeing so many of them lately is because Jucy has a rental location in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I never saw the campers, but the top beds looked like they were pretty roomy and comfortable.

Ironically, seeing these campers everywhere doesn’t make me want to rent them. It makes me want to make a camper van of my own.

Of course, renting them is really reasonable.

When it costs nearly $200 a day to rent the smallest of motorhomes from Cruise America, $70 a day sounds pretty good. When what you’re renting is a cute little van that’s hilariously easy to drive, even through a fast food drive-thru, then you’ve got yourself a deal!

Our tent trailer doesn’t have a step built in, so we had been using a fold-up plastic step. Unfortunately, our cute little red step collapsed on us last camping trip, so we decided to make a new one.

We made a trailer step that could double as a toolbox.

Read more for the plans to build one of your own and more pictures. (Continue Reading…)

I am beginning to think that the Costco parking lot is the BEST place to see cool campers. I saw this classic Aliner yesterday and I was lucky enough to talk to the owner about the storage he added on the back of the camper.

More details after the break: (Continue Reading…)