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A utility trailer is one of the cheapest things you can tow, and lots of people already have one sitting in the driveway. The trailer version of the Freedom Camper turns that flat deck into a small, insulated, teardrop-style camper. It’s a one-piece foam shell, built in Lamar, Missouri, that bolts onto most 5×8 and larger utility trailers and weighs about 180 pounds in the three smaller sizes.
You supply the trailer, and Freedom supplies the weatherproof box. Since the shell is light and the trailer is basic, even a small SUV or a Jeep can tow the finished setup. You also keep your truck bed free for gear.
Images courtesy of Freedom Campers
Same Camper, Different Mounting Kit
The trailer camper and the truck bed camper are the same shell. They share the same insulated build, four sizes, weight, and interior. The only difference is the hardware in the box. The trailer version ships with a Trailer Mounting Kit: six metal plates, six high-strength bolts, six locking nuts, and six washers, plus instructions. Those plates bolt the camper straight through to the trailer deck.
Images courtesy of Freedom Campers
That shared design gives you options. If you later want to put the shell in a pickup, a $150 Truck Mounting Kit swaps it over. Truck owners can go the other way with a $39.99 trailer kit. It’s a nice hedge if you’re not sure which vehicle you’ll keep. We covered the truck bed side of things, along with a hands-on video tour, in our first look at the Freedom Camper.
Which Size Fits Your Trailer
Three of the four sizes are built for a standard 5×8 utility trailer. The 48″ x 79″ is the narrowest, rated for one or two people, and leaves some deck space on either side. The 58″ x 79″ and 58″ x 89″ sleep two, and the 58″ x 89″ is Freedom’s most popular model, with 84.5 inches of interior length. That’s enough for a tall person to stretch out.
Images courtesy of Freedom Campers
The 72″ x 89″ is the big one. It weighs 270 pounds and needs a trailer more than 72.5 inches wide. Inside, it has 68 inches of width, so a full-size mattress fits with room left over for storage along the side. All four sizes are 54 inches tall outside and about 48 inches tall inside. That means you can sit up in bed, but you can’t stand up. Every model has a lockable door (47¼” x 30¾”) and a 15″ x 30″ window.
Building Out the Trailer Around It
Here is where the trailer version gets interesting. A 5×8 deck is longer than the camper, so the leftover space becomes a porch. The rig below has a wood rear deck, a diamond-plate toolbox, a water tank up front, and a roll-out awning mounted to the roof. In effect, it’s a teardrop’s galley and storage moved outside the shell, where spills and fuel smells can’t get into your bed.
Images courtesy of Freedom Campers
The roof has two raised composite-wood strips built in as mounting points for racks, awnings, and solar panels. That way you aren’t drilling into bare foam. One owner said in a review on Freedom’s site that they skipped drilling entirely and strapped their 58″ x 89″ to a small trailer. Their Jeep pulls the whole thing, about 500 pounds total, without trouble. If you take that route, check your straps often.
A Blank Interior You Finish Yourself
The camper arrives as an empty, gray, carpeted shell, with no bed, wiring, or cabinets. That keeps the price down and lets you build the interior around how you actually camp. A simple setup is a foam mattress, a sleeping bag, and a battery-powered lantern. A bigger build adds a power station, a 12V roof fan ($159.99), and Freedom’s 10,000 BTU 12V rooftop air conditioner ($974.99), which also provides supplemental heat.
Images courtesy of Freedom Campers
Freedom says its insulation keeps the inside comfortable “even when it’s 20°F outside,” and markets the shell as four-season. Insulation helps a lot compared to an uninsulated cargo trailer, but two people breathing in a sealed box will still create condensation. Plan on a vent fan or a cracked window, and if you add a heater, choose one that vents outside.
Unhitch and Explore
A trailer camper’s biggest advantage over a truck bed camper is that you can drop it at the campsite. Your tow vehicle is then free for trail runs, groceries, or the drive to the trailhead. One customer wrote that they tow their 58″ x 89″ behind an SUV, unhitch at camp, and keep their vehicle free to explore. They called it “like a teardrop camper, but lighter, tougher, and way more versatile.”
Images courtesy of Freedom Campers
The trade-off is that you’re still towing. You’ll need a hitch, working trailer lights, and a registered trailer, and you’ll have to back it into campsites. Compared with a traditional teardrop, though, there’s less to maintain. With no wood framing in the shell, there’s nothing to rot, and the trailer is as simple and easy to repair as a trailer gets.
Images courtesy of Freedom Campers
Design Details
- Maker: Freedom Campers, Lamar, Missouri
- Construction: one-piece, wood-free insulated foam shell with a polyurea coating
- Trailer fit: most 5×8 and larger utility trailers; the 72″ x 89″ needs a trailer wider than 72.5″
- Sizes (outside, L x W x H): 79″ x 48″ x 54″, 79″ x 58″ x 54″, 89″ x 58″ x 54″, 89″ x 72″ x 54″
- Interior: 74.5″ x 44″, 74.5″ x 54″, 84.5″ x 54″, and 85″ x 68″, all about 48″ tall
- Weight: about 180 lb for the three smaller sizes, 270 lb for the 72″ x 89″
- Sleeps: 1 to 2
- Standard: lockable door, 15″ x 30″ window, roof mounting strips, Trailer Mounting Kit
- Price: about $3,440 (48″ x 79″) to $4,540 (72″ x 89″); trailer not included
- Add-ons: 12V rooftop A/C ($974.99), 12V fan ($159.99), Truck Mounting Kit ($150)
- Warranty: 3-year limited
What Makes This Build Special
- The trailer is the cheap part. A new 5×8 utility trailer costs far less than a teardrop chassis, and many people already own one.
- Light enough for small tow vehicles. A shell under 200 pounds plus a basic trailer keeps the total weight low enough for many SUVs and Jeeps to tow.
- The deck becomes a porch. Extra trailer length gives you room for a kitchen box, water, and gear outside the sleeping space.
- Movable between vehicles. Swap the mounting kit and the same shell can ride in a pickup bed.
- Honest about what it is. It’s a sleeping shell, not a travel trailer. That’s why it costs a fraction of one.
Things to Know Before You Buy
- The camper doesn’t come with a trailer or accessories.
- Shipping covers the lower 48, but many states need a custom freight quote, including most of the West and much of New England. Call Freedom at (877) 416-8866.
- The 72″ x 89″ ships by freight only. You’ll pick it up at a terminal or have it sent to an address with a forklift or similar equipment.
- Freedom also sells through dealers, which can save on freight. Check the dealer map before ordering.
- Prices change, so confirm current pricing on Freedom’s site.
Learn More
- Freedom Camper trailer version: sizes, specs, and current pricing
- Freedom Camper fit guide: an interactive tool for matching a size to your truck or trailer
- Freedom Camper dealer map: see the shell in person and avoid long-distance freight
- Freedom Camper accessories: A/C, fan, and mounting kits
Highlights
- Insulated foam-and-polyurea shell that bolts onto a 5×8 or larger utility trailer
- About 180 pounds in the three smaller sizes, light enough for many SUVs to tow
- Four sizes; the 72″ x 89″ fits a full-size mattress
- Trailer Mounting Kit included; swap kits to move it to a truck bed
- Blank interior, ready for your own bed, power, and storage
- Built in Lamar, Missouri, with a 3-year limited warranty
Explore More
- Freedom Camper: A 190-Pound Insulated Shell That Turns Your Truck or Utility Trailer Into a Camper
- He Built a $6,500 Mini Camper From a Cargo Trailer While Road-Tripping 8 States
- Native 185: The Smart Compact Camper Module for Mid-Size Vehicles
- More teardrop trailers
Would you rather build out a utility trailer like this, or buy a ready-made teardrop?
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More Like This: Teardrop Trailers | Trailers | Vehicles
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one of our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Alex
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