A Trailer for Our Next Chapter - Part I: It's show time

Since April 2012, our New Horizons 5th wheel has served us well and taken us just about everywhere we've wanted to go. In 2019 we realized that if we were going to continue this lifestyle for another 10+years, it was time to start researching our next home on wheels.

This time we had the advantage of years on the road, knowing exactly how and where we liked to camp. We knew that we wanted something that was smaller, more off road capable, and with hardcore four-season capability. We soon realized that anything being offered by the world's manufacturers wasn't going to work without significant modifications, so we decided to create the specifications ourselves and find a manufacturer willing to custom build what we were after as part of the expansion of their own model line. 

We were fortunate to finally find Jamin Lambright, the owner, designer, and lead builder of Kingdom Camping. Based out of Millersburg, IN, Jamin started working in the Elklhart, Indiana RV manufacturing business while he was in high school. During that time he learned what the largest RV manufacturers were doing right and doing wrong. He took those best practices and ones he developed on his own and applied them to his own company, Kingdom Camping, with an added focus on the off road, four-season trailer market.

Up until now, Kingdom Camping has produced single axle trailers. Working with us, they are now introducing their first dual axle (four wheel) trailer, the Caravan XL.

Here are some of the specifications:

• GVWR 9,820 lbs
• 100 gallon fresh water tank and 50 gallon gray tank
• Separett Tiny dry flush toilet (no black tank)
• Cruise Master ATX independent trailing arm suspension with airbag leveling
• Maxxis Razr AT 285/70R17 tires
• Truma Combi Comfort Plus on demand heat and hot water system
• 2,020 watts of solar on top
• 1,104 amp hours of Expion lithium batteries
• 50 amp service with Victron solar components (3000W)
• 12V DC refrigerator and air conditioner
• 3.5"-6" floors/wall/ceiling with high density foam insulation 
• Aluminum framing with thermal barriers over the studs to minimize thermal bridging
• 12v tank heaters, all plumbing insulated and heat vented to all areas with plumbing below the floor (we're going for serious four season capability)
• Steel chassis hot dipped galvanized and painted black
• Stainless steel screws used throughout 
• Flip up solid surface bar table instead of dinette 
• McHitch 6.5 tonne fully articulating hitch
• Stainless steel accumulator tank
• Queen size bed in north/south orientation with room to walk on either side
• No wood or Luan plywood products anywhere in the walls/floor/ceiling
• RV Armor no maintenance lifetime roof coating
• Crane Noble Select fused fiberglass panels with Azdel backing. A thicker fiberglass panel with Aztec Gray color impregnated in the fiberglass (no paint).
• Aluminum, insulated skid plates covering the entire bottom with nothing (plumbing, wires, etc.) extending below the frame
• Heavy duty jacks capable of supporting the weight of the trailer

Some things we're doing that people will question:

How can you not have an outdoor kitchen?

Weekend warriors are enamored with fancy slide out kitchens. Living in a trailer for 365 days a year, we've found that high winds often require moving your grill to the lee side of the trailer, so a portable grill is the only way to go for us.

How can you not have a built in cooktop, oven, or microwave?

Replacing a built in cooktop can be a hassle. You have to find the perfect fit or start cutting up your countertop to make the new unit fit. A portable infrared or induction cooktop is inexpensive, easy to replace, and can be used in multiple        locations. The same concept applies to a microwave oven.

Where are all the fancy decals/wrap?

We've found that all decals and fancy wraps start off looking good (to some people) and then end up costing a lot of money to scrape off and replace as they weather and crack. They add no value for us.

Why is it so dark? Wouldn't white be better for hot temps?

We've never liked the bright white trailers that stand out like a sore thumb and can be seen from miles away. They act like flypaper attracting other other campers to your spot. We'd rather be more discreet when we camp. Excellent insulation, a 12v AC unit, inexpensive small battery powered portable fans, camping in generally cooler spots, and spending time outside will keep us from being too hot.

Only five windows? Why not windows/skylights/fans everywhere?

The fewer "holes" you build into a trailer, the better its performance will be in hot, cold and wet conditions. We have just enough windows for ventilation, views, and security. So we're going from our current 5th wheel with eleven windows down to a travel trailer with five. The roof of the trailer has nothing but one low profile AC unit, which leaves almost all of the rooftop real estate available for a huge solar array.

How can you not have a dinnette that converts into a spare bed?

It's just the two of us and two dogs. We don't want to have anyone else sleep in our trailer. We're trying to maximize the flexibility of a small space. Flip up tables and portable chairs do that much better than built in furniture and big custom made big sofas/recliners. They're also easier/cheaper to maintain and replace as needed.

Where's the entertainment center with TV antenna/satelite?

All of that is just more holes in the roof. We do travel with Starlink so we can camp anywhere and still have a high speed Internet connection. We will also install a modest monitor (maybe 27" or so) so we can use a bluetooth connection to project a laptop and help out the old(er) eyes when watching movies.

We'll have more renderings and photos here as well as on Expedition Portal as our build progresses. When we finally take delivery in April 2023, we'll be slimmed down from 18,000 lbs to 9,800 lbs, be six feet shorter and cut more than three feet off our height. Anywhere our truck can go this trailer will be able to follow without worry.