Hitch Hotel Traveler Is a Box on Wheels That Expands Into Your Hotel Room at Camp

That's the idea behind the Hitch Hotel, a towable that first made headlines in 2017, when it started crowdfunding to get into production stage: make the most with less. The Hitch Hotel is exactly what its name implies, your mobile hotel room wherever you may be, but with the bonus of a very compact form factor, which makes it highly towable, stowable, efficient, and ultra-convenient. Big words for such a small trailer, but they're not gratuitous. You'll see.

The first Hitch Hotel started from the idea of creating a box to store a mountain bike, attachable to any passenger vehicle. After years of development, that idea became the Classic model of the Hitch Hotel, which we covered in a separate story a couple of years ago. At the time, the Traveler model was in development stage, but it's the only one currently on offer.

The Hitch Hotel Classic, which was dubbed the "world's first expandable wheel-less trailer," is no more. Only the wheeled model exists, and it's offered today in two configurations, Standard and Premium. The builder hopes to be able to offer "true customization" down the line, as well as a rental network for the units, which would make them truly live up to the name.

Until then, we have the Hitch Hotel Traveler, a small and rather cute box on wheels that blooms into a proper room at camp. The idea itself of expandable trailers isn't groundbreaking, though this is perhaps the most successful application of it so far. The only condition is that you take expressions of interest as a manifestation of success.

Based on the idea that larger RVs entail expenses and issues that infringe on the very sense of freedom they claim to deliver, a California-based father and son created a night shelter that offered the basics, some degree of comfort, and the extra ability to store gear while on the road. That's the Hitch Hotel, a 3.5-foot (1-meter) long camper that sleeps two adults off the ground, protected from the elements and strangers.

In order to be able to do that, the Hitch Hotel expands at camp thanks to two retractable sections, each with its own stabilizers and pulleys. In a matter of minutes after setting up camp, you get a 7-foot (2.1-meter) long room with a padded floor, three windows, and a powered ceiling fan, LED lights, and USB charging for small devices. Do you need more for a restful night's sleep after whatever outdoor adventure you're a fan of? Probably not, but if you do, the Hitch Hotel is not an option for you.

In Standard mode, the trailer comes with a 12v 60AH lithium battery but is solar panel-compatible if you need more power. The Premium upgrade brings a bigger battery of 100AH and some extras like solar panel-compatible heating and AC system or bike rack mounts. The maker is thinking of adding a few more items to the currently-short list, like a cassette toilet, a cooker, a small sink with pump, and storage.

Until that happens, you get marine-grade canvas over insulation inside and the padded floor, over which you should add the mattress. The focus is currently on delivering a towable that brings the best in terms of towability, stowability, and affordability. The Hitch Hotel is weather- and waterproof, durable, and lightweight so that it can be towed by most vehicles. Running on 10-inch unbraked wheels, it's capable of highway speeds and is easy to operate in the city because of its size.

Dry weight is 950 lbs (431 kg), but you can pack the gear you'd need while on the road because it's rated for 1,800 lbs (816.5 kg). In fact, that's one of the highlights of the trailer: you can still use it on the road, despite its compact dimensions, to carry whatever stuff you need for your outing, whether inside the box or outside. The trailer can only travel in compact form, but you can leave it expanded at camp since it has dual locks on the door.

Introduced in 2017 for less than $3,000, the Hitch Hotel is now $9,800 plus shipping for the Traveler Standard and $12,500 for the Traveler Premium, which promises a more comfortable basecamp. Add a mattress and whatever other items you need for a quick getaway, and the price goes up, but the gist is the same: this is a mobile hotel room you only pay for once, with extended usability. It's compact and lightweight, more convenient and comfortable than camping in a tent, and more manageable than a larger RV. As the builders put it, with this towable, you only need to plan, pack up and go – even if that means going off-road.