Motorcycle Campers - How Bikers Camp

It wasn’t all that long ago that a motorcyclist who was also a camping enthusiast didn’t have a lot of choices if he or she wanted to combine a biking trip with a camping trip. After all, a motorcycle has limited storage so only the barest necessities could be brought along which meant, for sleeping, a sleeping bag and a small tent or tarp to keep out the wind and rain.

But now things are changing with the introduction of a greater number of pull behind popup campers designed to be pulled behind motorcycles although they can also be pulled behind ATV’s and small vehicles as well. And even though it may seem like pull behind pop up campers for motorcycles have only been around for a few years because of their fairly recent increase in popularity, they’ve been manufactured for over 30 years.

A few companies who make these pull behind camping trailers are A & A Manufacturing, Datsama, Roadman Campers, Time Out Trailers, and Lees-ure Lite Trailers.

Amenities

These small pull behind popup campers have amenities (some standard and some optional depending on the model and manufacturer) such as:

• Full size or queen size bed, or air mattress, or sleeping area where you place your own sleeping pads and sleeping bags.
• Small stove (usually two burners)
• Ice Chest/Cooler
• Dining table with bench seats or table with one chair in models designed for one person
• Storage Space
• Spare Tire
• Choice of tent colors including Camouflage for hunters
• Choice of shell colors so you can choose a color to complement your bike’s color
• Add on screen room
• Luggage Rack
• Awing
• Air conditioner plug/outlet

The campers are easy and quick to set up too. Setup time for these small popup campers is usually only about 5 minutes (often less time than that). If you are also setting up a screen room or add-on room, the setup time will be a little longer. Takedown time is just as quick and easy so you won’t be spending hours of your precious leisure time setting up and taking down your camper.

How Lightweight Are These Small Popup Campers?

• The Scooter Schooner by A & A Manufacturing weighs 275 pounds. The company also has a Sundowner model that weighs 250 pounds.
• Datsama’s mini camper weighs less than 300 pounds.
• Roadman’s motorcycle pull behind popup camper weighs 220 pounds.
• The Time Out Camper by Time Out Trailers weighs 345 pounds. Time Out Trailers also has an Easy Camper model that weighs 275 pounds and a Slipstream Camper that weighs 210 pounds.
• Lees-ure Lite has two motorcycle popup campers. Their original model weighs 230 pounds and their Excel model weighs 255 pounds.

Keep in mind that all the trailer weights listed above are empty trailer weights and that those weights do not include the weight of the tongue. Also keep in mind that while all the trailers have storage space for you to pack extra items such as clothing, toiletries, food and cooking gear; all the trailers have maximum load weights which vary by the size of the pull behind camper and the manufacturer.

Size

• The Scooter Schooner by A & A Manufacturing is 40” wide, 94” long, and 35 1/2” high. The Sundowner model is 40” wide, 94” long, and 37” high.
• Datsama’s mini camper is 40” wide and 72” long.
• Roadman’s motorcycle pull behind popup camper is 36” wide, 84” long, and 34” high.
• The Time Out Camper and Easy Camper by Time Out Trailers are both 43” wide, 104” long, and 31” high. Their Slipstream model is 44” wide, 110” long, and 37” high.
• Lees-ure Lite has two motorcycle popup campers. Their original model is 48” wide and 66” long. Their Excel model is 54” wide and 66” long.

With the exception of the Lees-ure Lite campers, the lengths listed above
include the tongue. The average camper is 60” long without length of the tongue added in. If a storage rack is standard on the camper, it is included in the height dimension of the camper.

Cost

Base prices start around $1,700 and go up to around $4,000, not including any applicable taxes or shipping charges. And, the price of the campers will go up as options such as screen rooms and awnings are added. But if you factor in the comfort and additional storage space of one of these campers compared to only having a tent and a sleeping bag, for many people the cost of these pull behind campers is well worth the money especially if you are going on several overnight trips a year or going on extended trips.

Because there are several sizes and weights of pull behind bike campers, there’s one that will work for almost any bike size although you’ll need to check on your bike’s towing capacity before making your purchase.

A pull behind camping trailer will make those bike camping trips a lot more comfortable but not any more work than setting up a tent. After a long day of riding your bike on the open road all you’ll need is a few minutes to have your own personal “hotel room” set up and ready to use.