It's nice to see an Aussie trailer available in the US. They have some remarkable designs. This one is a great example of thinking outside the box. Considering what is included, and that it is an import, the price is reasonable. Pretty cool.
My thoughts exactly. If you consider all the import taxes plus the fact that it was manufactured in Australia, not China. I was actually surprised by the price.
Could you imagine pulling this with your new truck camper. It'd be a pretty good pairing. Didn't waste a whole lot of space with the sleeping birth, dedicated most of the camper to camping essentials like cooking, transition areas, etc. That would make a fun episode of playing with sticks.
I like this trailer! The first like is the drop down tent. The second is the pop up window beside the bed. I like the color and great storage, under bed storage, protected propane storage, and I'd even be willing to go up and down the ladder to the bed. I think if you wanted a tent over the cooking side that would be doable. Good job Australia! Thanks, Drew!
I had a feeling this one would speak to you. It grabbed my attention quickly and held it. I seconded that good job Australia comment! Great seeing you Jenn.
Hey Drew...back on being notified of your videos. Thanks. Love watching the innovation of these trailers even though I've gone back to a cot and a chair. 73 years old with tons of cancer and I still sleep under the stars. Of course I live in the southwest where that is practical. Thanks again for all you do.
Well, this was interesting! Love the size of the kitchen, and the annex is very nice. I can see boots and gear there. I’m still pining for the Hiker Teardrop! Great job, Drew 🩷
One of the best kitchens I've seen in the small camper category! At least half of camping to me is enjoying an awesome meal after biking, hiking, or kayaking all day. The rear tent thing would help a lot of rainy days too. And the awning would keep you dry when you had to cook. I wonder if the diesel heater supplies any warmth to where the water tank is stored. Just thinking for shoulder season camping when it freezes overnight. Ditto for the faucet and stuff.
I'm glad you see it that way. I was really impressed with the design as well. Such a great use of space. But what I liked even better was that it really gave you that outdoor experience that many of us want, while still having some of our creature comforts.
@kebeaux6546 I think they've had a lot more time to play around with this and experiment with it. They've been doing this off grid thing for a long time. Not that we haven't, But they've been doing it more in this overland sense with campers in tow for much longer than us.
Glad you enjoyed it. It was definitely a sleeper trailer for me. It was kind of buried in an industry that I don't pay a whole lot of attention to. When I first saw it I thought. Wow, I wish I would have known about this sooner.
I love this one. One more con I can see is the annex room, unless that floor comes off some way it seems like it would be a bit of a pain to clean after tracking mud and dirt into it. Not that you can't but it would be nice if you could zip it off to just hose down when cleaning up.
That's a good question. I'm not sure if it zips out or not. But I'm just like you, in many of our videos we've talked about how we prefer our annex room to have no floor.
Thanks Drew!! I love a lot about this trailer and can remember being impressed with it at Overland Expo Mt. West. I feel like they could have made fold out stairs instead of the ladder which I am in agreement with you is a con.
Fold out stairs, I like that idea! Brad, as usual, we so appreciate this. We were living off of instant coffee all week up on the mountain. So we're excited to put this money to good use. I really appreciate it my friend. That budget kicking horse coffee should be coming in any day now.
You said it perfectly. While it may not be the most practical trailer for many of us to buy, I think most of us can agree that it makes a lot of sense.
My only issue with this and most trailers like this is the “proprietary suspension”. If you ever have a problem your rig is going to be out of commission for months waiting on parts, not to mention the high price of shipping parts from Australia. It’s a cool rig until something breaks and no one in the U.S. can get parts or work on it. It’s a neat rig, but a rig designed to go off-road is going to eventually have suspension issues, just as every off-road rig eventually has them.
That's a great point. I always look at. Proprietary suspension is a good thing. Now I'm going to look at this through a new lens. Especially when it comes from overseas. But even here in the States, as quickly as manufacturers are going under, that's also concerning.
@ True however when they use lippert, dexter, or Timbren axeless suspension’s those are suspension manufacturers, so even if the RV manufacturer goes under the suspension components are usually still available and are on a plethora or other trailers so most small shops will know how to work/service them.
Yes, that's a great point. As much as I get excited about proprietary suspension, I probably should also make the caveat in these videos that you may not be able to replace them down the road. Great reason for buying traditional suspension like you mentioned Dexter or Timbren
With a roof top tent that thing is a storage monster. I think it needs a batwing on the kitchen side, the big hatch door would not be enough coverage in big wind/rain/open terrain sun. Otherwise, or as is I’d buy one.
You know I may be wrong, but I'm like 99% sure I saw a batwing awning on most of the models on their website. I believe that is an option and something they are using. After making this video I realized there's a lot of options to this trailer in terms of layouts and pass-throughs, awnings etc. typically when something comes from Australia we just get what we get. But it sounds like this is a bit of a different Business model then we're used to.
That’s pretty slick. Everytime i go Wow! at a trailer or even outdoor gear, it’s from Australia. An integrated annex room would be a phenomenal addition to American trailers and is so easy I don’t get why they don’t do it.
Great vblog drew.. puts me in a mind set for the spring to come along.. esp being in the U.K…. Only tent camp for me with my car not far away…. But yeah .. “ its all aa dream “.. outdoors nature…. Keep it up & get people smiling….
Glad to hear this is getting you excited Tim. I bet you have some great camping over there. I was just thinking last week. I wonder if there's good camping on any of those smaller Islands in the UK? I bet that would be a fun adventure.
I absolutely love the drop down annex on this. I rarely setup the annex that goes with the awning on my teardrop because it is such a hassle. Overall, a really cool trailer with a lot of nice features, but i think i prefer the larger interior of my teardrop and i would hate sleeping against a window.
Yes, that's a good point. We often hear people from Florida saying there's no way I'd go out in these trailers without an AC. One option that many people use is a portable ac like the wave 2
Great video Drew. I will say that i would take this trailer over its main competitors do to its off road prowess and lightweight. I.e Mission Overland Summit, expedition voyager, Teton X, off-grid trailers and other off-road squre tops.
I can tell you and I are seeing this the same way. It was a bit of a sleeper trailer for me. Glad I stumbled upon it. Inside joke between me and Batman here... It just needs more holes on the roof 😂
@PlayingwithSticks thanks for the shout out Robin! Hope i wasn't to critical on "holes in roof " criticism but in all fairness to the other comparisons I should have listed Mammoth HV as well...Batman out 😉
Agreed, it’s a bargain compared to others like it and quite clever. I don’t need that heavy duty of a rig. I’m still intrigued with that ‘lil Hiker trailer. I plan to start with a hybrid small pickup and a Go Fast Camper. I may add the hiker. Btw, you could do a wedge camper review. GFC just updated their model. Thanks.
It's interesting to see the kitchen on the side. I like the idea of a built in awning room. But the ceiling of the sleeping area looks a bit low, it appears to have similar headroom to a setup I did with my Tacoma which was a sleeping platform in the bed of the truck with a cab height camper shell... that was too low for me.
My wife had the same comment about the sleeping area. I should look into the height of that. My guess is that it's close to standard teardrop height which is about 3.5 to 4 ft, but I'm guessing this one looks lower than it is dur to the larger size of this trailer.
I’m not sure if this is for me, but this guy really knows how to sell it. He is clearly passionate. You don’t usually see that in these walk-through videos.
What's neat about Loren is he doesn't push sales on anyone. I've watched him over the years talk many people out of trailers. He's like the most down-to-earth salesman I've ever met. And I think that's what makes this walk-through special, it's not his trailer, it's one of many trailers he sells. And some of the trailers he sells, he's a big believer in and Some he's not. And he'll let you know that. I think he sees the value in all the trailers he sells, but some more than others. I could tell from his enthusiasm he definitely saw the value in this one. Especially when it came to price to what you get ratio.
AOR's factory is around the corner from me and I've checked out their campers in person many times and spoken to a few people who work there - they're all really passionate about building the highest quality products with real practical innovations. Check out their Odyssey 11 hybrid camper, which includes some of the best innovations from their other campers like the pop-out annex room. If only their waiting list/time over here wasn't so long and they weren't so expensive because no matter how good their value, their cost is over that threshold where the average person feels they have to scrutinise every feature and they have to do comparison shopping. That probably hurts their sales because it's very easy with the heaps of manufacturers based here in South East Queensland.
Pretty cool camper. It has some good features and designs. The layout is good. I like the annex room. Did it “close in” underneath the trailer. Christine and I both overestimated the price. We heard Australian and estimated too high.
I overestimated it as well. When I heard Australia I thought tariffs, and then when I heard maiden Australia not China. I saw twice as many dollar signs. I believe the annex room once you zip it up into its bag folds down in a vertical position on the back of the trailer. Basically it folds over and matches the back profile. But I could be wrong about that, I don't think I've ever seen it done. Great seeing you on here Garret!
@ I went on the website and did the 3D tour. When that back annex drops down it does seal at the bottom rear of the camper. My concern was that it was open under the rear door making a bug (or other things) entry point. The left side kitchen could possibly be a little bit of an issue if you are camping in a campground depending on how the campsite is laid out.
@garretlewis4103 sorry, now I understand what you're saying. I thought you were asking if the rear door seals to the bottom of the camper. Yes, having a seal for the annex room would be very important.
@garretlewis4103 And yes, good point on that campground as well. That's one of those things I often overlook, because we don't stay in them very often. I'm still developing those eyes. Loren was the one who pointed it out to me. I didn't even notice it at first glance.
Interesting camper with a very unique layout. 🤔 Bed config isn’t my favorite. For same price I would pick the MDC Forte9+, although its bigger and heavier.
I wonder how structural that wall is between the kitchen and the sleeping area. It would be nice to have a pass-through window to grab late-night drinks or snacks. If it happens to be raining, it would also be nice to get kitchen stuff without walking outside in the rain.
@xgridcampers quick question for you guys. I've narrowed it down that it's a double bed. But people still want to know how tall is that sleeping birth? Thanks in advance for your help with this guys.
@@PlayingwithSticks Yes, the bed is pretty close to a Full XL, 53" x 77". There's a bit of space on each side also so gives you a bit more room. The height of the interior cabin near the door (back end of trailer) is about 41” total to base of bed, and 36” from top of mattress (not squished down). Someone who is around 5'11 or 6' can sit up against the wall and is usually comfortable. The front slopes down a little so is 36" total and 30" from top of mattress. With the massive window and the white walls, it feels very comfortable and roomy!
Really liked this one. It ticked a lot of boxes and that storage was WOW! One con that I could see would be the ease of repair or getting replacement parts since it’s an import. I was prepared for this trailer to be $$$$, but it was pretty shocking to see the price difference between this and the Bean Squared.
Someone else mentioned this about the proprietary suspension. They said if you're going to truly off-road this, at some point you will have an issue with your suspension. I didn't even think about that.
Height is 23 metres? LOL Obviously this is just a typo and Drew merely forgot to insert a decimal point, but this inadvertent typo did make me chuckle as Drew was simutaneously describing the very legitimate height drawback (it wouldn't have been funny otherwise and I would have ignored it) and yes, being taller, does come with some drawbacks. Let me please say in all seriousness that I am very, VERY appreciative of Drew including metric measurements and I am fully aware of the tedious nature of having to insert an extra subtitle in an already time consuming edit. This is a very nice practical trailer and the rear awning that looks like the rear hatch on a vehicle adds to its 'stealth' capabilities as putting up a canvas type awning here in Japan in non-camping grounds is frowned upon and in many places, strictly forbidden. So, whilst there are drawbacks, there are also many advantages. As with everything, the value of the camper will be determined as to how an individual or family will want to use it and also where it will be used.
Thanks as usual for the kind words. I appreciate it. And I love hearing these different perspectives. It's things like the stealth camping or camping in Japan, that doesn't first come to mind. But you're absolutely right the value of the camper and lays in the way one will use it or how one could be prohibited in terms of how it can be used. Like Lauren mentioned this camper would do great in the bush. But it might not fit so well into a shore power camping site when that kitchen is on the driver's side. Because we don't camp like this, this is stuff I never think of. It's always fun to hear the differing reasons why it works for some people, but maybe not others.
As you're probably aware, that was purposeful. You are right, this is a double size bed. They minimize the sleeping space to maximize the storage and kitchen space. There's always a trade-off. For many of us in this community though, we consider the bed just a place to lay our head. We'd rather have more storage, and functional kitchens. Oftentimes the sleeping areas are enticing because they're bigger and have more amenities, but the more you use these small campers, the more you realize you want those amenities outdoors.
@PlayingwithSticks Trade-offs indeed! Personally, I prefer the comfort and flexibility of a larger sleeping area in small camping trailers. I totally understand the design of this trailer, I just don't agree with the execution of it. Even yourself, having a small family, you went with the Bean because of the interior space and practicality of the design. I don't know many in the community, if given the choice, who would prefer a larger kitchen over a more comfortable sleeping space, especially at $45k. But maybe I'm wrong. Either way, thanks for all you do, Drew!
We live in Seattle, so these annex rooms are problematic to get dried out. We have a rooftop tent on our teardrop and it’s a big hassle to worry about mildew and trying to catch a break in the rain when we get home to let it dry. Any tips/products anybody recommends for this? (We can’t put it in garage, too tall). Thanks, Drew. Fun vid as always!!
This is a great point. I'm really glad you mentioned this. We spend countless hours on the channel talking about the annoyance of inclement weather and our side entry tents and rooftop tents. So we are right there with you. The only tip I give often is to take down the night before you leave. Murphy's law states that if you leave it up that night before your last day, it will rain that night 😂 My other tip is to find things that are instant setup. If canvas is going to be involved, it better set up and tear down quick. This allows you to just quickly tear it down when wet and then quickly set it up again at home to dry it out. A great example of this not working Is the pop-up camper we own. Yeah it tears down quick, but it takes quite a long time to set up. And so I find myself being annoyed when I get home to have to set it up again to dry it out and I don't even get to go camping in it. If it's a two to three-step process, I think it's just not worth it. That's where a camper like this that has natural overhangs makes a lot of sense. If you were on the Pacific Northwest like your area and you know the weather is going to be inclement, you wouldn't have to deploy the annex. But you still will be able to benefit from the awning over the kitchen, the awning where the annex deploys, etc. It's nice to have trailers that have redundant instant cover from the elements.
Aussie do great offroad trailer, I love to have another pass trough for the fridge when sleeping inside BUT this already satisfy 90% of my need... anoither little thing was the possibilities to have the room tent with separable floor so can clean easy, but are addon not so exential just little
Instantly not a fan of any battery being under my BED! I'm not going to sleep over all that electrical equipment, I know it's rare to have a short or something else happening to battery, but rare is still a chance. Also think it'd be a better idea to mount spare on front rather than take up "all that storage" that's not actually there. Who wants to mount a spare tire on the roof, especially a bigger heavy tire? I also think they should add side doors to front storage and place battery/electrical there with a divider to still allow storage on top.
Great overview, Drew. I wonder if the diesel heater is really necessary, with dual 20-pound propane tanks, and I wonder how much cost it adds. For extended remote camping, the diesel might be useful, but for many users, it may be overkill.
That's a good question. I'm just starting to experiment with diesel heaters myself. I picked up a $96 diesel heater this fall. I'm realizing quickly the benefits are much drier heat, very efficient. And like Loren said, by separating diesel from propane you get the advantage of not consuming your resource that you would use for fire pits, cooking, etc. as for Overkill, I think you're absolutely right. Has you're aware these trailers were built for Australian outback adventures. Here in the states, even if we're pretty far into the wilderness, it's pretty easy for us to get back to propane fills or a propane canister swap. In Australia, they're buckling down the hatches and preparing for the worst. Yes, they still have modern amenities like us as well, but from what I'm picking up from our brothers over in Australia, there's some pretty remote places over there. It'd be like going into the bush of Alaska here. I think for most of us that $96 diesel heater would suffice. And the beauty of it is, it's portable, we don't have to bring it every trip.
Seems pretty well thought out and worth a closer look. Drew, any plans to review the Epik RV Scout trailer? They took over Overkill’s design, it would be great to get your feedback on build quality.
Unfortunately I'm not comfortable with that trailer. There's a lot of players involved that I don't feel confident with. Great trailer, but a trailer I would approach very cautiously.
@@PlayingwithSticks I don't think at this stage of our lives , 60 now, that the wife and I would get a small camper. But I enjoy watching about them, and there is no better place than here. Cheers
Hi Drew- Always enjoy your videos! My 2 cents is= what;$45,000. At this price , who said camping was cheap? A normal family could'nt afford this... They would have to buy used or go a different route. I know that I'm an old fart & am always looking @ prices in my rear view mirror; but crap. I'm glad that i'm going out & not coming in to this mess. I feel sorry for the younger families! Comparing this trailer to a higher priced trailer does not ease the pain. Good thing were all different, because if everyone thought like me, they could eat these things. Have a great day! Cheers!! Illinois, USA
I'm in the same boat as you. As much as I appreciate the design of this trailer. And the fact that it's competitively priced for what it's offering. I couldn't justify buying something like this for my family. I think it really comes down to use case. What's your passion? how much time do you spend doing it? how much money do you spend on this passion? May and I were just talking about this today. We were talking about families that travel all over the country skiing. Over the course of a year that probably really adds up with lodging, meals, ski equipment, etc. You do that for 5 years and you may be surprised you're actually close to the price of a trailer like this. So I guess for folks who make this their main hobby and they're out every weekend camping or even doing this more full-time, it's probably easier for them to justify.
Last time I took my wife, 2 adult sons and one son's girlfriend to Hawaii for 10 days it came to half that. That is from Canada so your mileage may vary. Two trips to Hawaii or minimum 10 years enjoying the great outdoors. Choices.
@@PlayingwithSticks First off, let me say that I am now 73 y.y.. I do not have children, so my wife & I always bought whatever we wanted/when we wanted. We were both workaholics & had decent jobs. So we had the opportunity to buy @ yesterdays price (& for sure before this covid) thing messed the hell out of things; along with "sleepy Joe" & his entourage. So our passions are 1.camping 2. jetskiing 3.fishing 4. motorcycling The time spent on these things vary. We camp maybe 4 times a year (3 days @ a time) We Jetski approx 10 hours per year. We might go fishing/boating 3-4 times per year. Lastly we bike ride around 5,000 miles per year. Our camper cost $12,000 (pop-up),our jet-ski was around $10,000, my fishing equip was roughly $5,000 (my boat is now almost 50 year old. So most of my stuff has age on it & we purchased things at reasonable prices; unlike today's market & hence your video. Hell- my pop-up cost $12,000 new & we loaded it up with everything that they offered @ the time. It is now 22 years old. Now I get what your saying that if people go constantly on skiing trips, that it might behoove you to purchase something; but there's lot's of good quality used pieces on the market. Now don't get me wrong ; if they have shit-loads of moola then why not go for it? I'm just saying, that your plain Jane & average Joe isn't going to be able to buy this stuff & especially not just starting out; unless they have rich parents that will help them get all of the niceties. I would like to go on, but this damn thing is already too long. Cheers!!
@larrywade9041 I completely understand where you're coming from. This is definitely a niche market, not targeting most of us. So I think like you said it would be targeting upper income, Or, like I mentioned, people who really take camping seriously.
Hey Drew, I know you are more about towable, small campers, but it would’ve been really cool if you could’ve walked over to that Ineos pick up with the scout camper on the back. Have you considered looking into sliding campers as an offshoot for your channel? Also, was that the guy from Expedition Portal in that Ineos?
I love these campers. I've wanted one for almost a decade now. And in the last 5 years they've made huge progress. The only reason they haven't been on the channel is just selfishness. As I personally am always in the market for a new towable trailer, I basically put trailers on the channel that interest me. I've tried to convince my wife to check out a camper for years, but she's just not about it. She is a teardrop trailer junkie 😂 I've been saying lately that I'd love to make a video of a truck camper in tandem with a small camper trailer. I think it would be the best of both worlds
I didn't even notice anybody around me when I was filming that. But it probably was the guy from expedition portal because I was talking to him around the time I filmed this video.
Yes, when you get into this overlanding segment of the industry these prices are high. That's why I was actually surprised that this doesn't cost more than it does. Unfortunately, I've seen so many of these trailers from this industry, that that sticker shock is kind of worn off. Not that I'm immune to it, it still hurts, but it's less noticeable.
I've ran across the arkto a few times. They never make the cut for the channel due to weight. 1800 lb is typically our cut off. But as trailers get bigger and heavier, we've upped that cutoff into the low 2000s.
Wow, you can now spend $70,000 on a Bean trailer! Does anyone know if the 2020s has slowed sales of big recreational purchases? My wife and I are empty nesters and make over 200K but we are still very tight with our spending. At our age we’ve seen the stock market pummel us three times.
I've seen huge sales declines in the large RV industry. I've also seen big sales declines here in the small camper industry. But I have seen a couple segments that are doing well. Being trailer is a great example. They're top 2 selling opposite sides of the spectrum. Their number one selling trailer is called the beanstalk 2.0 and it is 17,000. And they're number two. Selling trailer is called the black bean and it usually leaves the shop at something like 50 to 60 Grand. Don't quote me on that black bean pricing haha. And that's what I'm seeing across the industry. These high-dollar trailers are still doing fairly well for some, the budget trailers are doing well, but the trailers in the middle are really struggling.
Not that it's unique to this trailer but it appears to be another one where the refrigerator can't be accessed from the inside. And unlike the annex room which is right off the back it appears you'd have to go round the side in whatever weather to get something out of it or to use any of the kitchen features. If I have to bring a Coleman camp stove to cook on in the rain inside my annex room and keep a separate cooler so I can access my drinks in bad weather or quickly at night then why bother with this? I could just use a roof top tent or a bare bones pop up with an upgraded suspension and keep my old school camp supplies in there with me. Now, will I melt using the outdoor kitchen in the rain or the snow? No, of course not. But for 45K convenience and ease has to be a part of the equation. Otherwise I'd just bring a Jackery with the additional battery pack and a portable solar panel to plug in a fridge and use the aforementioned camp stove under the hatch of my SUV or rear awning. I'm not saying this is too expensive for the quality that you get but for me the question is at that price is my life really much easier and more convenient? If not then why bother?
I guess I don't understand what you're seeing? And I guess I'll couple that with. What are you going outdoors to do? I think I've heard this comment once before about the fridge. It's not a very common comment, and I think that's because it's really not a need for most of us. I can't think of a time where I took something out of my fridge into my camper. If my camper was a stand-up camper I could see that. But the fact that this is essentially a square drop sized sleeping birth, That's exactly what it's for... sleeping. Kind of reminds me of an episode of Seinfeld with George eating in bed 😂 And as for the kitchen, It's covered. Like you're saying, we probably won't melt if we take one step out of the annex room and then under the awning of the kitchen. But, if you were someone who potentially could melt, I noticed in all their photos on their website they had a batwing awning attached above the kitchen covered area. Meaning you could step straight out of your annex into a covered space provided by your batwing and then proceed to walk to your covered kitchen. But, with all that said you're right. Do you need all this. Many of us would be just as happy going with a simple setup like you described. What works for some of us, won't work for all of us and that's why I'm so happy There are so many options in the market to meet everyone's needs.
@@PlayingwithSticks That's part of the issue with the internet. If we were talking in person we'd see what each other were talking about in seconds. It still might not matter but there wouldn't be any confusion of misunderstandings. My bad on not noticing the awning over the kitchen. But what I think about is, okay, so I buy this uber trailer and one of the features is a refrigerator. So why do I need or want a fridge over a cooler? Well, other than keeping food cold, perhaps to keep drinks cold. I don't immediately go to sleep as soon as I quit talking to folks or decide to leave the campfire so perhaps I'm a weirdo. But I might have already changed and gotten ready for bed and now I want something to drink. Great, I've got a fridge. But now I have to throw on my shoes at the very least and get out of the trailer to walk to the back of a tear drop or around the side of something like this to get it. Or perhaps it's raining, not lightly, or snowing now where's my fridge? Could I just put the drink in the cabin before hand? Absolutely. But, you know, sometimes you forget. In an SUV or van or even a tent with a cooler (not with food or in bear country) I just open the fridge and pull a drink or snack out and when it's morning or not raining heavily I go outside and pull the fridge out on the slide or put the cooler outside the tent. Easy access to anything I want in any situation. So for 45K or 70K I just want there to be a level of ease and convenience built in that at least matches what I could do for 3 grand. We buy such things to improve upon a tent camping or maybe car camping situation but if all I'm getting is a hard sided tent with less functional flow and convenience than I can have with a tent and a tarp then it's not for me. I never said this wasn't a quality product or that no one would find it useful. But for me it doesn't do anything I can't already do faster and with more ease than I already do with my SUV or when I feel like it, my tent and tarp. Different strokes for different folks. As for you taking a shot with the "what are going outdoors to do" comment. Seriously? I've watched a lot of your videos and perhaps you're showing your true colors there but from what I've seen it's uncharacteristic and beneath you.
I would consider this trailer at 45,000 a decent price. I have looked at the Australian trailers for a while I like a lot of their designs. The thought out storage and use of every inch of space is amazing. The draw back to me is if I’m sleeping in a box the size of my mattress i want to sit up the swing my feet out the door. I love the easy setup additional room. I do about 50/50 camping between established campground, no power or running water with vault toilets and off grid so the kitchen on the off side or drivers side is a negative for me. This makes the bean squared look like an extremely overpriced box with no functionality. Also when are American trailers going adopt the hand break on the tongue especially on the smaller trailers no wheel chocks required.
Love that you took the time to share what you like and don't like about this trailer. Can you clarify the part about wanting to sit up and swing your feet out the door? I can be dense sometimes and I can't quite understand what you're saying here. And I agree, it would be great to see the hand brakes introduced to American models. I should have mentioned this in the video as a pro, but I really like the trade-off of making a smaller sleeping space to allow for more storage, larger kitchen, etc. I think it was a great trade-off for many of us.
@ more like a traditional tear drop. The door on each side you can get in and out of bed with minimal disturbance of someone else. The ladder into bed might be a draw back as well. But i totally understand a cozy place to sleep with nice storage large kitchen small foot print self contained fairly simple to setup and pack up. The biggest thing for me is the setup and take down I like it simple and quick. That’s part of why I love tear drops, it’s park it maybe level it chock it ( hand break awesome at this point) if you plan to un hitch and you are done. Anything else is extra beyond what you truly need.
@@PlayingwithSticks Your Welcome Drew. I think we have very similar ideas for a goldy locks trailer. We have out grown our tear drop. I will be 62 when my youngest graduates. I’m hopping to find / build that perfect balance between a garagable, out door kitchen, ease of setup, ease of towing with the ability to stand up inside. The bean squared fits the bill mostly but has to much that I don’t want and not enough outdoor kitchen storage. Maybe they would work with me on a custom one that i could fit out how i like. Small campers on the market either want to be a big camper with everything inside, a gear trailer with a tent mounted on it or a tear drop, which are now being over built or under done. And not to mention so much wasted space behind drawers and in awkward nooks and crannies do to a design that keeps it from being practical to use the space.
@@PlayingwithSticks a little side note, i have had my CDL for almost 30 years and more then once I have had my trailer out of my lane do to high winds running 65mph. I don’t like towing the larger Campers they are to unstable, they sawy to much and catch to much wind, (the tail wags the dog) especially for the size of rigs they are pulled with. They are making them lighter these days which is good for your tow vehicle , pulling hills, braking and overall carrying capacity, but sucks for swaying and staying put in the wind.
Hello. I'm just getting into this camper world, but I've been watching your vids for a few months now. I've always been a tent camper, open fire cooker. However, I'm a terrible cook and the ground around here is very rocky, hard to get stakes into the ground. And with retirement coming any day now I'm looking for something easier, but not too much more complex. This would be almost perfect for my simple needs, if only the price would meet my simple income. One question. What is meant by the term "shore power"
@@slowguy56 Great question. You won't hear the term shore power used often on this channel. And that's because we primarily Camp off grid, and most of the trailers on this channel are designed for primarily being off-grid, and secondary being at the campground. Shore power just means the ability to hook into power at the campsite. Meaning your camper is wired to accept powered from the electricity provided at the campground. Most these trailers have the ability to do that, but they also have complicated battery systems to allow you to run the lights, and other systems when you're off grid.
There are definitely bottles like that out there. I bet even AOR has something like that. This is just one of their models where the trade-off is interior space for exterior space. But I can almost guarantee you they have a model where they prioritize interior space.
I'm going to have to find the size of that. I'm wondering if it's just an optical illusion because the camper is so big. I mean yes, compared to the camper it's small. But I have a feeling it's going to be the same size as a typical teardrop or square drop trailer.
I still have more researching to do but I did find that it's a double bed. Which puts it more in line with a standard teardrop which is a 4x8 versus many of the newer teardrops which are 5x10 to accommodate a queen bed.
100% is pretty strong. But in Australia because of the terrain these guys have been working on making their cabins positive pressurized for years. It's quite industry standard over there.
Hi guys, love your content, super helpful! Looking at getting a smaller, used trailer, and have a ton of questions, is there an email address that I can shoot off to you? Thanks again for all of your content!
Boy that isn't far from the truth these days. I've seen the craziest small campers get tagged teardrop trailers that have nothing even remotely teardrop about them.
The idea that I can't sit up in bed is a deal breaker. Sorry. Suppose it is raining all day. Will I be laying on my side for hours? Will I have to open the entire side of the camper and run outside in the rain to pee? No thanks. You can keep it.
I asked Loren to get us the height for this cabin. I think it's a bit of an optical illusion because the camper is so big. It's making the bedroom look smaller. I'm pretty sure this is built to the same specs as a standard square dropper teardrop. You'll have more than enough headroom to sit up in something like this. I think you missed the annex room as well. Nobody is jumping out of the side of the trailer to go pee.
@PlayingwithSticks I was turned off by the height issue. If you can get the interior height & it is reasonable, I will watch it again. Thanks for the follow up!
Hi, You seem to love your family and kids. You seem the type of person who wants the next generation to grow up with some values and ethics. I want to make you aware of something. I’m watching your video at 10 am in Chicago and the advertising is showing an ad describing explicit sex acts. U-Tube advertising has been showering their videos with these ads lately. They are absolutely disgusting! What can we do about this? They want people to choose targeted advertising. My privacy is important to me; I don’t want Google in my business more than they are already. I don’t want targeted advertising. Besides, no one should be subjected to this sort of advertising. It’s time we all stood up to Google and said “Enough is enough!”
That is really weird. We actually get to choose what type of advertising is allowed on the channel. We don't get a choice if adds come up or not, all channels have to have ads but we do get to choose what type of ads pop up. We have disabled ads of this type. Thank you for pointing that out. I will take a look at this.
It's nice to see an Aussie trailer available in the US. They have some remarkable designs. This one is a great example of thinking outside the box. Considering what is included, and that it is an import, the price is reasonable. Pretty cool.
My thoughts exactly. If you consider all the import taxes plus the fact that it was manufactured in Australia, not China. I was actually surprised by the price.
You gotta respect those guys down under....they've been around the block a few times. Nicely thought out camper.
Could you imagine pulling this with your new truck camper. It'd be a pretty good pairing. Didn't waste a whole lot of space with the sleeping birth, dedicated most of the camper to camping essentials like cooking, transition areas, etc. That would make a fun episode of playing with sticks.
@ probably looks cool all lit up at night too lol
I like this trailer! The first like is the drop down tent. The second is the pop up window beside the bed.
I like the color and great storage, under bed storage, protected propane storage, and I'd even be willing to go up and down the ladder to the bed. I think if you wanted a tent over the cooking side that would be doable. Good job Australia!
Thanks, Drew!
I had a feeling this one would speak to you. It grabbed my attention quickly and held it. I seconded that good job Australia comment! Great seeing you Jenn.
Hey Drew...back on being notified of your videos. Thanks. Love watching the innovation of these trailers even though I've gone back to a cot and a chair. 73 years old with tons of cancer and I still sleep under the stars. Of course I live in the southwest where that is practical. Thanks again for all you do.
Glad to hear you're getting those notifications. And I romanticize that cot under the Stars. That sounds pretty nice.
Well, this was interesting! Love the size of the kitchen, and the annex is very nice. I can see boots and gear there. I’m still pining for the Hiker Teardrop! Great job, Drew 🩷
Thanks Ramona! I'm right with you. As much as I love this camper, I'm still drawn to the small simple campers.
One of the best kitchens I've seen in the small camper category! At least half of camping to me is enjoying an awesome meal after biking, hiking, or kayaking all day. The rear tent thing would help a lot of rainy days too. And the awning would keep you dry when you had to cook. I wonder if the diesel heater supplies any warmth to where the water tank is stored. Just thinking for shoulder season camping when it freezes overnight. Ditto for the faucet and stuff.
I'm right with you on everything you said. Good question on the water heater as well. That would make a lot of sense if it did heat that area.
Hello again Drew!!
That camper may be one of the best thought out design I’ve seen yet.
I'm glad you see it that way. I was really impressed with the design as well. Such a great use of space. But what I liked even better was that it really gave you that outdoor experience that many of us want, while still having some of our creature comforts.
@@PlayingwithSticks I agree. Those big windows , and the cover for kitchen, etc.
I have to say, I think the Aussies do a good job with managing space.
@kebeaux6546 I think they've had a lot more time to play around with this and experiment with it. They've been doing this off grid thing for a long time. Not that we haven't, But they've been doing it more in this overland sense with campers in tow for much longer than us.
@@PlayingwithSticks For me, a camper laid out in a similar way but eliminate some of the extras might be a bit more appealing.
@kebeaux6546 I'm with you there.
Great break down. Great review as always!
Love hearing that you enjoyed this!
Wow, what a cool little trailer!
Glad you enjoyed it. It was definitely a sleeper trailer for me. It was kind of buried in an industry that I don't pay a whole lot of attention to. When I first saw it I thought. Wow, I wish I would have known about this sooner.
I love this one. One more con I can see is the annex room, unless that floor comes off some way it seems like it would be a bit of a pain to clean after tracking mud and dirt into it. Not that you can't but it would be nice if you could zip it off to just hose down when cleaning up.
That's a good question. I'm not sure if it zips out or not. But I'm just like you, in many of our videos we've talked about how we prefer our annex room to have no floor.
Thanks Drew!! I love a lot about this trailer and can remember being impressed with it at Overland Expo Mt. West. I feel like they could have made fold out stairs instead of the ladder which I am in agreement with you is a con.
Fold out stairs, I like that idea! Brad, as usual, we so appreciate this. We were living off of instant coffee all week up on the mountain. So we're excited to put this money to good use. I really appreciate it my friend. That budget kicking horse coffee should be coming in any day now.
@@PlayingwithSticks You are welcome and I hope you had some fresh powder to ski on! Kicking Horse coffee....every cup is like a kick to the head!!!🤣
The snow was surprisingly good for our little mountain. Ready for that kick in the head 😂
🤣
Ok this one is impressive. If I had the money (and a more robust tow vehicle) it would be at the top of my list. Incredible use of space.
You said it perfectly. While it may not be the most practical trailer for many of us to buy, I think most of us can agree that it makes a lot of sense.
This is really well thought out. The kitchen is too high up for me though. The towability with even a hybrid vehicle is exceptional.
That is amazing, very well done!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I don't know how well I would deal with the up and down for the bed, but I love the layout. So much storage for such a small trailer!
Yes, I agree with the storage. I really like how they minimize the sleeping space to maximize the storage and kitchen.
My only issue with this and most trailers like this is the “proprietary suspension”. If you ever have a problem your rig is going to be out of commission for months waiting on parts, not to mention the high price of shipping parts from Australia. It’s a cool rig until something breaks and no one in the U.S. can get parts or work on it. It’s a neat rig, but a rig designed to go off-road is going to eventually have suspension issues, just as every off-road rig eventually has them.
Also who is going to service it
That's a great point. I always look at. Proprietary suspension is a good thing. Now I'm going to look at this through a new lens. Especially when it comes from overseas. But even here in the States, as quickly as manufacturers are going under, that's also concerning.
@ True however when they use lippert, dexter, or Timbren axeless suspension’s those are suspension manufacturers, so even if the RV manufacturer goes under the suspension components are usually still available and are on a plethora or other trailers so most small shops will know how to work/service them.
Yes, that's a great point. As much as I get excited about proprietary suspension, I probably should also make the caveat in these videos that you may not be able to replace them down the road. Great reason for buying traditional suspension like you mentioned Dexter or Timbren
With a roof top tent that thing is a storage monster. I think it needs a batwing on the kitchen side, the big hatch door would not be enough coverage in big wind/rain/open terrain sun. Otherwise, or as is I’d buy one.
You know I may be wrong, but I'm like 99% sure I saw a batwing awning on most of the models on their website. I believe that is an option and something they are using. After making this video I realized there's a lot of options to this trailer in terms of layouts and pass-throughs, awnings etc. typically when something comes from Australia we just get what we get. But it sounds like this is a bit of a different Business model then we're used to.
Another high quality vid and interesting and fun. Thank you !
You're most welcome, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it.
That’s pretty slick. Everytime i go Wow! at a trailer or even outdoor gear, it’s from Australia. An integrated annex room would be a phenomenal addition to American trailers and is so easy I don’t get why they don’t do it.
Great vblog drew.. puts me in a mind set for the spring to come along.. esp being in the U.K…. Only tent camp for me with my car not far away…. But yeah .. “ its all aa dream “.. outdoors nature…. Keep it up & get people smiling….
Glad to hear this is getting you excited Tim. I bet you have some great camping over there. I was just thinking last week. I wonder if there's good camping on any of those smaller Islands in the UK? I bet that would be a fun adventure.
I absolutely love the drop down annex on this. I rarely setup the annex that goes with the awning on my teardrop because it is such a hassle. Overall, a really cool trailer with a lot of nice features, but i think i prefer the larger interior of my teardrop and i would hate sleeping against a window.
I'm with you on that Annex! Thanks for sharing what you didn't like as well. I appreciate that.
I live in FL everyone puts in heat which I hardly use. I do like A/C when it's 80-98 degrees. Really cool camper
Yes, that's a good point. We often hear people from Florida saying there's no way I'd go out in these trailers without an AC. One option that many people use is a portable ac like the wave 2
Great video Drew. I will say that i would take this trailer over its main competitors do to its off road prowess and lightweight. I.e Mission Overland Summit, expedition voyager, Teton X, off-grid trailers and other off-road squre tops.
I can tell you and I are seeing this the same way. It was a bit of a sleeper trailer for me. Glad I stumbled upon it. Inside joke between me and Batman here... It just needs more holes on the roof 😂
@PlayingwithSticks thanks for the shout out Robin! Hope i wasn't to critical on "holes in roof " criticism but in all fairness to the other comparisons I should have listed Mammoth HV as well...Batman out 😉
@bartman1857 😂 no, it was perfect. That's what I want us to have, critical eyes. I want to celebrate the positives, but also talk about the negatives.
Between 43k-100k 😮 great googly moogly y’all ! ! It’s dope
Though
I love the great googly moogly! We say that quite often in our household.
Agreed, it’s a bargain compared to others like it and quite clever. I don’t need that heavy duty of a rig. I’m still intrigued with that ‘lil Hiker trailer. I plan to start with a hybrid small pickup and a Go Fast Camper. I may add the hiker.
Btw, you could do a wedge camper review. GFC just updated their model. Thanks.
I've never done a camper video. But I think they'd be a great pairing with a budget square drop or teardrop. I think that'd make a great video.
AOR trailers look amazing.
I agree, they are really neat.
It's interesting to see the kitchen on the side. I like the idea of a built in awning room. But the ceiling of the sleeping area looks a bit low, it appears to have similar headroom to a setup I did with my Tacoma which was a sleeping platform in the bed of the truck with a cab height camper shell... that was too low for me.
My wife had the same comment about the sleeping area. I should look into the height of that. My guess is that it's close to standard teardrop height which is about 3.5 to 4 ft, but I'm guessing this one looks lower than it is dur to the larger size of this trailer.
I’m not sure if this is for me, but this guy really knows how to sell it. He is clearly passionate. You don’t usually see that in these walk-through videos.
What's neat about Loren is he doesn't push sales on anyone. I've watched him over the years talk many people out of trailers. He's like the most down-to-earth salesman I've ever met. And I think that's what makes this walk-through special, it's not his trailer, it's one of many trailers he sells. And some of the trailers he sells, he's a big believer in and Some he's not. And he'll let you know that. I think he sees the value in all the trailers he sells, but some more than others. I could tell from his enthusiasm he definitely saw the value in this one. Especially when it came to price to what you get ratio.
AOR's factory is around the corner from me and I've checked out their campers in person many times and spoken to a few people who work there - they're all really passionate about building the highest quality products with real practical innovations. Check out their Odyssey 11 hybrid camper, which includes some of the best innovations from their other campers like the pop-out annex room.
If only their waiting list/time over here wasn't so long and they weren't so expensive because no matter how good their value, their cost is over that threshold where the average person feels they have to scrutinise every feature and they have to do comparison shopping. That probably hurts their sales because it's very easy with the heaps of manufacturers based here in South East Queensland.
Thank you for sharing all this. I will definitely check out that trailer.
Booyah 👊🏽 😁 👍🏽 🇺🇸
Pretty cool camper. It has some good features and designs. The layout is good. I like the annex room. Did it “close in” underneath the trailer. Christine and I both overestimated the price. We heard Australian and estimated too high.
I overestimated it as well. When I heard Australia I thought tariffs, and then when I heard maiden Australia not China. I saw twice as many dollar signs. I believe the annex room once you zip it up into its bag folds down in a vertical position on the back of the trailer. Basically it folds over and matches the back profile. But I could be wrong about that, I don't think I've ever seen it done. Great seeing you on here Garret!
@ I went on the website and did the 3D tour. When that back annex drops down it does seal at the bottom rear of the camper. My concern was that it was open under the rear door making a bug (or other things) entry point. The left side kitchen could possibly be a little bit of an issue if you are camping in a campground depending on how the campsite is laid out.
@garretlewis4103 sorry, now I understand what you're saying. I thought you were asking if the rear door seals to the bottom of the camper. Yes, having a seal for the annex room would be very important.
@garretlewis4103 And yes, good point on that campground as well. That's one of those things I often overlook, because we don't stay in them very often. I'm still developing those eyes. Loren was the one who pointed it out to me. I didn't even notice it at first glance.
Interesting camper with a very unique layout. 🤔
Bed config isn’t my favorite. For same price I would pick the MDC Forte9+, although its bigger and heavier.
I could see why you would like the Fort9+. Thank you for sharing this here. I know people will see this comment and check out that trailer.
I wonder how structural that wall is between the kitchen and the sleeping area. It would be nice to have a pass-through window to grab late-night drinks or snacks. If it happens to be raining, it would also be nice to get kitchen stuff without walking outside in the rain.
That's a good thought, I wonder why they don't have a passthrough there? It would also add another airy element to the camper.
@@PlayingwithSticks It's actually available as an option!
@xgridcampers how cool is that! Thanks for chiming in. Much appreciated.
@xgridcampers quick question for you guys. I've narrowed it down that it's a double bed. But people still want to know how tall is that sleeping birth? Thanks in advance for your help with this guys.
@@PlayingwithSticks Yes, the bed is pretty close to a Full XL, 53" x 77". There's a bit of space on each side also so gives you a bit more room. The height of the interior cabin near the door (back end of trailer) is about 41” total to base of bed, and 36” from top of mattress (not squished down). Someone who is around 5'11 or 6' can sit up against the wall and is usually comfortable. The front slopes down a little so is 36" total and 30" from top of mattress. With the massive window and the white walls, it feels very comfortable and roomy!
Really liked this one. It ticked a lot of boxes and that storage was WOW! One con that I could see would be the ease of repair or getting replacement parts since it’s an import. I was prepared for this trailer to be $$$$, but it was pretty shocking to see the price difference between this and the Bean Squared.
Someone else mentioned this about the proprietary suspension. They said if you're going to truly off-road this, at some point you will have an issue with your suspension. I didn't even think about that.
Height is 23 metres? LOL Obviously this is just a typo and Drew merely forgot to insert a decimal point, but this inadvertent typo did make me chuckle as Drew was simutaneously describing the very legitimate height drawback (it wouldn't have been funny otherwise and I would have ignored it) and yes, being taller, does come with some drawbacks. Let me please say in all seriousness that I am very, VERY appreciative of Drew including metric measurements and I am fully aware of the tedious nature of having to insert an extra subtitle in an already time consuming edit. This is a very nice practical trailer and the rear awning that looks like the rear hatch on a vehicle adds to its 'stealth' capabilities as putting up a canvas type awning here in Japan in non-camping grounds is frowned upon and in many places, strictly forbidden. So, whilst there are drawbacks, there are also many advantages. As with everything, the value of the camper will be determined as to how an individual or family will want to use it and also where it will be used.
😂 I'm usually pretty diligent about second checking those stats. I must admit I didn't do the second pass through.
Thanks as usual for the kind words. I appreciate it. And I love hearing these different perspectives. It's things like the stealth camping or camping in Japan, that doesn't first come to mind. But you're absolutely right the value of the camper and lays in the way one will use it or how one could be prohibited in terms of how it can be used. Like Lauren mentioned this camper would do great in the bush. But it might not fit so well into a shore power camping site when that kitchen is on the driver's side. Because we don't camp like this, this is stuff I never think of. It's always fun to hear the differing reasons why it works for some people, but maybe not others.
That sleeping area looks small for the price and size of the trailer. Looks like a full-size bed at most.
As you're probably aware, that was purposeful. You are right, this is a double size bed. They minimize the sleeping space to maximize the storage and kitchen space. There's always a trade-off. For many of us in this community though, we consider the bed just a place to lay our head. We'd rather have more storage, and functional kitchens. Oftentimes the sleeping areas are enticing because they're bigger and have more amenities, but the more you use these small campers, the more you realize you want those amenities outdoors.
@PlayingwithSticks Trade-offs indeed! Personally, I prefer the comfort and flexibility of a larger sleeping area in small camping trailers. I totally understand the design of this trailer, I just don't agree with the execution of it. Even yourself, having a small family, you went with the Bean because of the interior space and practicality of the design. I don't know many in the community, if given the choice, who would prefer a larger kitchen over a more comfortable sleeping space, especially at $45k. But maybe I'm wrong. Either way, thanks for all you do, Drew!
We live in Seattle, so these annex rooms are problematic to get dried out. We have a rooftop tent on our teardrop and it’s a big hassle to worry about mildew and trying to catch a break in the rain when we get home to let it dry. Any tips/products anybody recommends for this? (We can’t put it in garage, too tall). Thanks, Drew. Fun vid as always!!
This is a great point. I'm really glad you mentioned this. We spend countless hours on the channel talking about the annoyance of inclement weather and our side entry tents and rooftop tents. So we are right there with you. The only tip I give often is to take down the night before you leave. Murphy's law states that if you leave it up that night before your last day, it will rain that night 😂 My other tip is to find things that are instant setup. If canvas is going to be involved, it better set up and tear down quick. This allows you to just quickly tear it down when wet and then quickly set it up again at home to dry it out. A great example of this not working Is the pop-up camper we own. Yeah it tears down quick, but it takes quite a long time to set up. And so I find myself being annoyed when I get home to have to set it up again to dry it out and I don't even get to go camping in it. If it's a two to three-step process, I think it's just not worth it. That's where a camper like this that has natural overhangs makes a lot of sense. If you were on the Pacific Northwest like your area and you know the weather is going to be inclement, you wouldn't have to deploy the annex. But you still will be able to benefit from the awning over the kitchen, the awning where the annex deploys, etc. It's nice to have trailers that have redundant instant cover from the elements.
Aussie do great offroad trailer, I love to have another pass trough for the fridge when sleeping inside BUT this already satisfy 90% of my need... anoither little thing was the possibilities to have the room tent with separable floor so can clean easy, but are addon not so exential just little
I'm with you on that floor!
The audio seems to be having trouble. Maybe it's my service but just a heads up. I enjoyed the video!
Oh no, I haven't heard me complaints yet. What were you hearing? Thanks for the heads up.
Instantly not a fan of any battery being under my BED! I'm not going to sleep over all that electrical equipment, I know it's rare to have a short or something else happening to battery, but rare is still a chance. Also think it'd be a better idea to mount spare on front rather than take up "all that storage" that's not actually there. Who wants to mount a spare tire on the roof, especially a bigger heavy tire? I also think they should add side doors to front storage and place battery/electrical there with a divider to still allow storage on top.
Thanks for your thoughts on this. I appreciate it. That's a good take.
Great overview, Drew. I wonder if the diesel heater is really necessary, with dual 20-pound propane tanks, and I wonder how much cost it adds. For extended remote camping, the diesel might be useful, but for many users, it may be overkill.
That's a good question. I'm just starting to experiment with diesel heaters myself. I picked up a $96 diesel heater this fall. I'm realizing quickly the benefits are much drier heat, very efficient. And like Loren said, by separating diesel from propane you get the advantage of not consuming your resource that you would use for fire pits, cooking, etc. as for Overkill, I think you're absolutely right. Has you're aware these trailers were built for Australian outback adventures. Here in the states, even if we're pretty far into the wilderness, it's pretty easy for us to get back to propane fills or a propane canister swap. In Australia, they're buckling down the hatches and preparing for the worst. Yes, they still have modern amenities like us as well, but from what I'm picking up from our brothers over in Australia, there's some pretty remote places over there. It'd be like going into the bush of Alaska here. I think for most of us that $96 diesel heater would suffice. And the beauty of it is, it's portable, we don't have to bring it every trip.
Seems pretty well thought out and worth a closer look. Drew, any plans to review the Epik RV Scout trailer? They took over Overkill’s design, it would be great to get your feedback on build quality.
Unfortunately I'm not comfortable with that trailer. There's a lot of players involved that I don't feel confident with. Great trailer, but a trailer I would approach very cautiously.
Great vid 👍
I was waiting to see when Patrick would come on here! Good seeing you my friend.
@@PlayingwithSticks
I don't think at this stage of our lives , 60 now, that the wife and I would get a small camper. But I enjoy watching about them, and there is no better place than here.
Cheers
@patrickmckowen2999 That's so neat to hear Patrick. That's a huge compliment from you. I greatly appreciate it.
Yeah, we have some good testing grounds over here! Doesn't make sense to call the model sierra tho, should be something like "mulga" or "nullabor"
Learning new things everyday on here
Hi Drew- Always enjoy your videos! My 2 cents is= what;$45,000. At this price , who said camping was cheap? A normal family could'nt afford this... They would have to buy used or go a different route. I know that I'm an old fart & am always looking @ prices in my rear view mirror; but crap. I'm glad that i'm going out & not coming in to this mess. I feel sorry for the younger families! Comparing this trailer to a higher priced trailer does not ease the pain. Good thing were all different, because if everyone thought like me, they could eat these things. Have a great day! Cheers!! Illinois, USA
I'm in the same boat as you. As much as I appreciate the design of this trailer. And the fact that it's competitively priced for what it's offering. I couldn't justify buying something like this for my family. I think it really comes down to use case. What's your passion? how much time do you spend doing it? how much money do you spend on this passion? May and I were just talking about this today. We were talking about families that travel all over the country skiing. Over the course of a year that probably really adds up with lodging, meals, ski equipment, etc. You do that for 5 years and you may be surprised you're actually close to the price of a trailer like this. So I guess for folks who make this their main hobby and they're out every weekend camping or even doing this more full-time, it's probably easier for them to justify.
Last time I took my wife, 2 adult sons and one son's girlfriend to Hawaii for 10 days it came to half that. That is from Canada so your mileage may vary. Two trips to Hawaii or minimum 10 years enjoying the great outdoors. Choices.
@metaxaanabeer That's a great way of putting it into perspective!
@@PlayingwithSticks First off, let me say that I am now 73 y.y.. I do not have children, so my wife & I always bought whatever we wanted/when we wanted. We were both workaholics & had decent jobs. So we had the opportunity to buy @ yesterdays price (& for sure before this covid) thing messed the hell out of things; along with "sleepy Joe" & his entourage. So our passions are 1.camping 2. jetskiing 3.fishing 4. motorcycling The time spent on these things vary. We camp maybe 4 times a year (3 days @ a time) We Jetski approx 10 hours per year. We might go fishing/boating 3-4 times per year. Lastly we bike ride around 5,000 miles per year. Our camper cost $12,000 (pop-up),our jet-ski was around $10,000, my fishing equip was roughly $5,000 (my boat is now almost 50 year old. So most of my stuff has age on it & we purchased things at reasonable prices; unlike today's market & hence your video. Hell- my pop-up cost $12,000 new & we loaded it up with everything that they offered @ the time. It is now 22 years old. Now I get what your saying that if people go constantly on skiing trips, that it might behoove you to purchase something; but there's lot's of good quality used pieces on the market. Now don't get me wrong ; if they have shit-loads of moola then why not go for it? I'm just saying, that your plain Jane & average Joe isn't going to be able to buy this stuff & especially not just starting out; unless they have rich parents that will help them get all of the niceties. I would like to go on, but this damn thing is already too long. Cheers!!
@larrywade9041 I completely understand where you're coming from. This is definitely a niche market, not targeting most of us. So I think like you said it would be targeting upper income, Or, like I mentioned, people who really take camping seriously.
I believe the quality of Bean² looks superior.
Thanks for sharing. Yes, no knock on being squared's quality. I love that trailer. Not to mention, the standing height.
I want one but not for 45k
That's how I feel as well. Really neat trailer if cost wasn't a factor.
Hey Drew, I know you are more about towable, small campers, but it would’ve been really cool if you could’ve walked over to that Ineos pick up with the scout camper on the back. Have you considered looking into sliding campers as an offshoot for your channel? Also, was that the guy from Expedition Portal in that Ineos?
I love these campers. I've wanted one for almost a decade now. And in the last 5 years they've made huge progress. The only reason they haven't been on the channel is just selfishness. As I personally am always in the market for a new towable trailer, I basically put trailers on the channel that interest me. I've tried to convince my wife to check out a camper for years, but she's just not about it. She is a teardrop trailer junkie 😂 I've been saying lately that I'd love to make a video of a truck camper in tandem with a small camper trailer. I think it would be the best of both worlds
I didn't even notice anybody around me when I was filming that. But it probably was the guy from expedition portal because I was talking to him around the time I filmed this video.
Like the side entry tent, but the bed looks small and cramped and the ladder issue is a concern. $45,000 seems like a lot
Yes, when you get into this overlanding segment of the industry these prices are high. That's why I was actually surprised that this doesn't cost more than it does. Unfortunately, I've seen so many of these trailers from this industry, that that sticker shock is kind of worn off. Not that I'm immune to it, it still hurts, but it's less noticeable.
Really nice trailer. Drew, have you looked at/know any info on the Arkto G12?
I've ran across the arkto a few times. They never make the cut for the channel due to weight. 1800 lb is typically our cut off. But as trailers get bigger and heavier, we've upped that cutoff into the low 2000s.
@@PlayingwithSticksgood to know, thank you sir.
Wow, you can now spend $70,000 on a Bean trailer! Does anyone know if the 2020s has slowed sales of big recreational purchases? My wife and I are empty nesters and make over 200K but we are still very tight with our spending. At our age we’ve seen the stock market pummel us three times.
I've seen huge sales declines in the large RV industry. I've also seen big sales declines here in the small camper industry. But I have seen a couple segments that are doing well. Being trailer is a great example. They're top 2 selling opposite sides of the spectrum. Their number one selling trailer is called the beanstalk 2.0 and it is 17,000. And they're number two. Selling trailer is called the black bean and it usually leaves the shop at something like 50 to 60 Grand. Don't quote me on that black bean pricing haha. And that's what I'm seeing across the industry. These high-dollar trailers are still doing fairly well for some, the budget trailers are doing well, but the trailers in the middle are really struggling.
Not that it's unique to this trailer but it appears to be another one where the refrigerator can't be accessed from the inside. And unlike the annex room which is right off the back it appears you'd have to go round the side in whatever weather to get something out of it or to use any of the kitchen features. If I have to bring a Coleman camp stove to cook on in the rain inside my annex room and keep a separate cooler so I can access my drinks in bad weather or quickly at night then why bother with this? I could just use a roof top tent or a bare bones pop up with an upgraded suspension and keep my old school camp supplies in there with me. Now, will I melt using the outdoor kitchen in the rain or the snow? No, of course not. But for 45K convenience and ease has to be a part of the equation. Otherwise I'd just bring a Jackery with the additional battery pack and a portable solar panel to plug in a fridge and use the aforementioned camp stove under the hatch of my SUV or rear awning. I'm not saying this is too expensive for the quality that you get but for me the question is at that price is my life really much easier and more convenient? If not then why bother?
I guess I don't understand what you're seeing? And I guess I'll couple that with. What are you going outdoors to do? I think I've heard this comment once before about the fridge. It's not a very common comment, and I think that's because it's really not a need for most of us. I can't think of a time where I took something out of my fridge into my camper. If my camper was a stand-up camper I could see that. But the fact that this is essentially a square drop sized sleeping birth, That's exactly what it's for... sleeping. Kind of reminds me of an episode of Seinfeld with George eating in bed 😂 And as for the kitchen, It's covered. Like you're saying, we probably won't melt if we take one step out of the annex room and then under the awning of the kitchen. But, if you were someone who potentially could melt, I noticed in all their photos on their website they had a batwing awning attached above the kitchen covered area. Meaning you could step straight out of your annex into a covered space provided by your batwing and then proceed to walk to your covered kitchen. But, with all that said you're right. Do you need all this. Many of us would be just as happy going with a simple setup like you described. What works for some of us, won't work for all of us and that's why I'm so happy There are so many options in the market to meet everyone's needs.
@@PlayingwithSticks That's part of the issue with the internet. If we were talking in person we'd see what each other were talking about in seconds. It still might not matter but there wouldn't be any confusion of misunderstandings. My bad on not noticing the awning over the kitchen. But what I think about is, okay, so I buy this uber trailer and one of the features is a refrigerator. So why do I need or want a fridge over a cooler? Well, other than keeping food cold, perhaps to keep drinks cold. I don't immediately go to sleep as soon as I quit talking to folks or decide to leave the campfire so perhaps I'm a weirdo. But I might have already changed and gotten ready for bed and now I want something to drink. Great, I've got a fridge. But now I have to throw on my shoes at the very least and get out of the trailer to walk to the back of a tear drop or around the side of something like this to get it. Or perhaps it's raining, not lightly, or snowing now where's my fridge? Could I just put the drink in the cabin before hand? Absolutely. But, you know, sometimes you forget. In an SUV or van or even a tent with a cooler (not with food or in bear country) I just open the fridge and pull a drink or snack out and when it's morning or not raining heavily I go outside and pull the fridge out on the slide or put the cooler outside the tent. Easy access to anything I want in any situation. So for 45K or 70K I just want there to be a level of ease and convenience built in that at least matches what I could do for 3 grand. We buy such things to improve upon a tent camping or maybe car camping situation but if all I'm getting is a hard sided tent with less functional flow and convenience than I can have with a tent and a tarp then it's not for me. I never said this wasn't a quality product or that no one would find it useful. But for me it doesn't do anything I can't already do faster and with more ease than I already do with my SUV or when I feel like it, my tent and tarp. Different strokes for different folks. As for you taking a shot with the "what are going outdoors to do" comment. Seriously? I've watched a lot of your videos and perhaps you're showing your true colors there but from what I've seen it's uncharacteristic and beneath you.
I would consider this trailer at 45,000 a decent price. I have looked at the Australian trailers for a while I like a lot of their designs. The thought out storage and use of every inch of space is amazing. The draw back to me is if I’m sleeping in a box the size of my mattress i want to sit up the swing my feet out the door. I love the easy setup additional room. I do about 50/50 camping between established campground, no power or running water with vault toilets and off grid so the kitchen on the off side or drivers side is a negative for me.
This makes the bean squared look like an extremely overpriced box with no functionality.
Also when are American trailers going adopt the hand break on the tongue especially on the smaller trailers no wheel chocks required.
Love that you took the time to share what you like and don't like about this trailer. Can you clarify the part about wanting to sit up and swing your feet out the door? I can be dense sometimes and I can't quite understand what you're saying here. And I agree, it would be great to see the hand brakes introduced to American models. I should have mentioned this in the video as a pro, but I really like the trade-off of making a smaller sleeping space to allow for more storage, larger kitchen, etc. I think it was a great trade-off for many of us.
@ more like a traditional tear drop. The door on each side you can get in and out of bed with minimal disturbance of someone else. The ladder into bed might be a draw back as well. But i totally understand a cozy place to sleep with nice storage large kitchen small foot print self contained fairly simple to setup and pack up. The biggest thing for me is the setup and take down I like it simple and quick. That’s part of why I love tear drops, it’s park it maybe level it chock it ( hand break awesome at this point) if you plan to un hitch and you are done. Anything else is extra beyond what you truly need.
@mikecrawford7352 thank you for the clarification, I completely get what you're saying now. And I agree.
@@PlayingwithSticks Your Welcome Drew. I think we have very similar ideas for a goldy locks trailer. We have out grown our tear drop. I will be 62 when my youngest graduates. I’m hopping to find / build that perfect balance between a garagable, out door kitchen, ease of setup, ease of towing with the ability to stand up inside. The bean squared fits the bill mostly but has to much that I don’t want and not enough outdoor kitchen storage. Maybe they would work with me on a custom one that i could fit out how i like.
Small campers on the market either want to be a big camper with everything inside, a gear trailer with a tent mounted on it or a tear drop, which are now being over built or under done. And not to mention so much wasted space behind drawers and in awkward nooks and crannies do to a design that keeps it from being practical to use the space.
@@PlayingwithSticks a little side note, i have had my CDL for almost 30 years and more then once I have had my trailer out of my lane do to high winds running 65mph. I don’t like towing the larger Campers they are to unstable, they sawy to much and catch to much wind, (the tail wags the dog) especially for the size of rigs they are pulled with. They are making them lighter these days which is good for your tow vehicle , pulling hills, braking and overall carrying capacity, but sucks for swaying and staying put in the wind.
Hello. I'm just getting into this camper world, but I've been watching your vids for a few months now. I've always been a tent camper, open fire cooker. However, I'm a terrible cook and the ground around here is very rocky, hard to get stakes into the ground. And with retirement coming any day now I'm looking for something easier, but not too much more complex.
This would be almost perfect for my simple needs, if only the price would meet my simple income.
One question. What is meant by the term "shore power"
@@slowguy56 Great question. You won't hear the term shore power used often on this channel. And that's because we primarily Camp off grid, and most of the trailers on this channel are designed for primarily being off-grid, and secondary being at the campground. Shore power just means the ability to hook into power at the campsite. Meaning your camper is wired to accept powered from the electricity provided at the campground. Most these trailers have the ability to do that, but they also have complicated battery systems to allow you to run the lights, and other systems when you're off grid.
Oh. I thought it might be that.
Thank you for responding.
I wish they would make something like this that could store a mountain bike inside instead of the giant kitchen.
There are definitely bottles like that out there. I bet even AOR has something like that. This is just one of their models where the trade-off is interior space for exterior space. But I can almost guarantee you they have a model where they prioritize interior space.
Bed looks tiny, unless they just didn’t show it all? Looks short and narrow.
I'm going to have to find the size of that. I'm wondering if it's just an optical illusion because the camper is so big. I mean yes, compared to the camper it's small. But I have a feeling it's going to be the same size as a typical teardrop or square drop trailer.
I still have more researching to do but I did find that it's a double bed. Which puts it more in line with a standard teardrop which is a 4x8 versus many of the newer teardrops which are 5x10 to accommodate a queen bed.
@@PlayingwithSticksah ok thanks for the clarification, Drew!
You are welcome! I'm still waiting for Loren to get back to me on the height.
100% dustproof? That's a strong claim! If they really did figure that out, congrats to them.
100% is pretty strong. But in Australia because of the terrain these guys have been working on making their cabins positive pressurized for years. It's quite industry standard over there.
Hi guys, love your content, super helpful! Looking at getting a smaller, used trailer, and have a ton of questions, is there an email address that I can shoot off to you? Thanks again for all of your content!
Would love to answer your questions. Just send me an email at contactplayingwithsticks@gmail.com.
Did you know that by definition, this trailer is classified as a Tear Drop? lol
Boy that isn't far from the truth these days. I've seen the craziest small campers get tagged teardrop trailers that have nothing even remotely teardrop about them.
Its NOT on the drivers side for us 😂.
😂 Great point
these things are getting way too expensive!!!
Yes, wild times in the small camper market
Dust proof latches...sign me up. So tired of dust coating everything.
The idea that I can't sit up in bed is a deal breaker. Sorry. Suppose it is raining all day. Will I be laying on my side for hours? Will I have to open the entire side of the camper and run outside in the rain to pee? No thanks. You can keep it.
I asked Loren to get us the height for this cabin. I think it's a bit of an optical illusion because the camper is so big. It's making the bedroom look smaller. I'm pretty sure this is built to the same specs as a standard square dropper teardrop. You'll have more than enough headroom to sit up in something like this. I think you missed the annex room as well. Nobody is jumping out of the side of the trailer to go pee.
@PlayingwithSticks I was turned off by the height issue. If you can get the interior height & it is reasonable, I will watch it again. Thanks for the follow up!
@stutzstudiowerks I completely understand. I sent an email to Loren tonight, I think I'll have those specs by tomorrow.
Hi, You seem to love your family and kids. You seem the type of person who wants the next generation to grow up with some values and ethics. I want to make you aware of something. I’m watching your video at 10 am in Chicago and the advertising is showing an ad describing explicit sex acts. U-Tube advertising has been showering their videos with these ads lately. They are absolutely disgusting! What can we do about this? They want people to choose targeted advertising. My privacy is important to me; I don’t want Google in my business more than they are already. I don’t want targeted advertising. Besides, no one should be subjected to this sort of advertising. It’s time we all stood up to Google and said “Enough is enough!”
That is really weird. We actually get to choose what type of advertising is allowed on the channel. We don't get a choice if adds come up or not, all channels have to have ads but we do get to choose what type of ads pop up. We have disabled ads of this type. Thank you for pointing that out. I will take a look at this.