The GO camper by North Carolina-based SylvanSport is nothing like your parents’ fifth-wheel. In fact, the one-of-a-kind mobile adventure trailer is billed as being “more versatile than a Swiss Army knife.” At 800 lbs, the combination trailer-camper-hauler can be pulled around by even the smallest of car. The trailer is so light that when you get to your campsite, you can un-hitch from your vehicle and maneuver it around by hand into that perfect—yet hard to reach—camping spot.

“In 2004 I saw what was going on in the outdoor recreation world,” explained SylvanSport Founder and President Tom Dempsey, who I recently spoke with via telephone. Dempsey, who has a long background in kayak and RV design, joined forces with Tom Reeder and Kyle Mundt and in 2005 began designing and experimenting with campers that were lighter, easier to hitch and tow, and appealed to the gear-loving adventure-seeking set that had been all but ignored by mainstream RV manufacturers.

“The RV industry was not responding to some of the big changes happening,” said Dempsey, siting skyrocketing fuel prices, changing attitudes towards the environment and a desire to have efficient, multi-purpose designs that allow the camper to do more than collect dust when not in use. And in 2007, after quite a bit of testing and refining, SylvanSport unveiled the GO camper in its current form.

Designed like a piece of gear you would find in an outfitters store like a backpack or a kayak, the all-aluminum frame of the 840-lb. GO is so small and light just about every vehicle on the road can tow it. But the light weight doesn’t mean the trailer bounces around. With a high quality suspensions system and a torsion axle that is designed specifically for the trailer’s weight range, the GO does not bounce around, meaning it is safe for even the smallest of vehicles. And for people who have never towed anything before, the automatically-engaging hitch coupler makes towing a snap. LED lights embedded that shine on the wheels that not only look cool at night, but they allow the driver to easily check the cargo and see the wheels.

The Kelty tent structure sets up in about ten minutes, though with some practice, Dempsey tells me the tent can be set up in about six. For added coverage in the event of rain or sun, the GO’s awning can be spun around and zipped to the back of the tent, creating a large shaded vestibule area. Inside the tent structure, a self-inflating air mattress equal to a King-size and a half of sleeping surface feels nothing like that hard and lumpy tent bottom you might find with a traditional tent. When not in use the tent stows cleanly into the roof’s storage box.

So this thing would be cool even if it was just a camper, but it’s not. (cont’d. on page 2)