The Vistabule DayTripper teardrop camper trailer is affordable (and adorable)
After the pandemic-driven run on adventuremobiles, campers, RVs and travel trailers, prices for such rolling roomlets has started to stabilize. But what if you really wanted to hit the road with a camper for as little money as possible? You might not believe that you could do just that with something as nifty as this, the relatively new Vistabule DayTripper.
The DayTripper joins Vistabule's eponymous original teardrop trailer in the St. Paul, Minnesota-based trailer company's lineup, standing in as the brand's new entry point. As such, the smaller, more basic $14,995 DayTripper costs nine grand less than the larger, fancier Vistabule, which starts at $23,995.
Among the biggest differences? The DayTripper loses the Vistabule's aft storage and kitchen area; in fact, the entire trailer is one "room" accessible via a large rear hatch. The Vistabules are two feet longer (10 feet long to the DayTripper's 8 feet) and as such have side doors that access the sleeping berth, and a separate rear-facing hatch that reveals the kitchen. DayTripper get small storage areas inside, and there is an optional enclosed tub that can be mounted to the trailer's tongue for more storage. As a bonus, though the DayTripper is shorter than the Vistabule, by losing the latter's extra rear storage, it actually offers 14 more inches of interior length — for a total of 92 inches — a boon, the company says, for taller campers.
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Like the original Vistabule, the DayTripper has plenty of window area for such a relatively small teardrop design. There is a big picture window (with sheer blinds included, blackout curtains being optional) in the forward panel, two side windows and another large aperture in the tailgate. Typical teardrops tend to only have side windows.
Standard equipment includes a neat-looking set of white-painted 13-inch steel wheels, a tongue jack, ventilation ports, a MaxxFan, a four-inch-thick mattress, ceiling and tailgate lights, a solar panel hookup and a silvery body finish. Vistabule mentions no onboard power system is included — outside of the solar hookup, 120-volt "city power" plug-in port and built-in wiring — leaving the choice of portable power source up to the owner. Extra-cost options include a painted body (Sierra Tan, pictured here, is one of the snazzier options to replace the standard Metallic Silver, next to Blue, Red, Patina Green, Heartford Green) for $425, a Zamp portable solar panel ($625), Dometic portable water tank ($355), 14-inch wheels ($495), extra storage ($375) and those blackout shades ($155). Go ham sandwich on the options, and the DayTripper still rings in at well under $20,000.
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Even better than the lightweight price is the trailer's actual light weight. With its aluminum body and frame, the DayTripper weighs around 900 pounds before any optional extras are added. That works out to a tongue weight of 150 pounds. The DayTripper should be towable by virtually anything with a hitch and trailer wiring. That, along with the affordable price tag, means this camper is very accessible to a wide range of outdoorsy types — as long as they don't mind bringing along some kitchen gear to set up nearby, or finding a suitable bathroom, the kind of things included on larger (and also more expensive) camper trailers.
Photos by MotorTrend
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