MultiCamp Expandable Trailer Brings Together Two Already Impressive Camping Products

The Bristol, Indiana-based company has teamed up with Schutt Industries to create a rugged, go-anywhere expander trailer called MultiCamp that blends the dependability of their 6.5 fold-out pickup camper with the off-road capability and prowess of the latter's XVenture XV-2 trailer.

The overlanding scene has exploded in recent years, with more and more people eager to travel to remote destinations where camping is the only form of accommodation and the journey is as important as the destination. But with a gamut of options available on the market, it's easy to get confused. Skinny Guy Campers is trying to make the choice easier for outdoor adventurers by creating a product that is "not just a camper-trailer combo, but an invitation to embrace the wild with open arms, confident in the knowledge that you're equipped with the very best."

Overlanding may be a modern phenomenon, but it has its roots in the military, with the first vehicles used for daring adventures being surplus Jeeps from WWII that were eventually made available to the public. The MultiCamp also has military bones, as Schutt Industries is best known for crafting cargo-handling gear for the military, and they transferred their know-how to consumer trailers. The XVenture trailers are built on the same sturdy and durable framework as its military line.

Touted as "the epitome of versatility and luxury for the avid adventurer," the MultiCamp is a dynamic combo that brings together two already impressive products and offers a comfortable, expandable living space. The idea behind this project was to provide a revolutionary camping solution that uses an already tested base but with more interior square footage. And the best thing is that Skinny Guy and Shutt Industries' new camping solution can be used as a unified product or as two individual RVs. As such, the Model 6.5 camper can move from the trailer to the pickup truck if you need to empty the trailer and use it for hauling duties.

Let's look at each of these two components to better understand why MultiCamp, which is currently in the prototype phase, could indeed turn out to be the ultimate overland towable.

On the one hand, we have Skinny Guy Campers' Model 6.5, a compact camper with a 1/8" aluminum shell ready for any outdoor adventure. Regardless of the weather, this camper offers all the basic amenities and ample storage for your gear.

Designed to fit full-size and heavy-duty trucks, it folds up into a compact cap during travel, and once you reach your camping spot, it will fold out into a spacious tent camper equipped with a kitchen block against the front wall, an L-shaped sofa with integrated storage, and a 77 x 50-in (196 x 127-cm) double bed in the extension.

Despite its deceivingly compact size, the camper offers 6.8 feet (2 m) of standing height atop the trailer and packs basic bathroom facilities as well. A portable or flush toilet is stowed away inside one of the sofa storage compartments, and there is a shower port inside the doorway for outdoor use. For your cooking needs, the kitchen is accountered with a single-burner stove, a sink with hot and cold water, and a 34-liter Dometic portable fridge.

The company offers two different trims for the camper, Skin 'N Bones and Kit' n Kaboodle, with available amenities depending on the version you choose. Some of the options you can choose for your build include a Lagun dinette table, a 136-liter freshwater tank, a rainwater collection system, an electrical system with Redarc management, a 1,000-W inverter and solar charging.

On the other hand, we have Schutt's large XVenture XV-2 off-road trailer that measures 12.7 feet (3.9 meters) in length and boasts an entirely aluminum construction, an independent rubber torsion axle, and more than 17 inches (43 cm) of ground clearance.

In standard form, the XV-2 is essentially a sturdy, bare-bones box similar to a pickup truck's on which you can build your camping rig. This makes it perfect for the MultiCamp application. It normally comes with an adjustable upper rack system that, in this case, was scraped to make room for the Skinny Guy 6.5 camper. The XV-2 does bring along a slide-out galley, and, given that the camper doesn't sit on the floor but on the side rails, it also offers a full-width and length storage area that you can use for storing chairs and other camping gear. Some exterior MOLLE panels add extra space for cargo.

The camper-trailer combo offers a nearly 8-foot deep, 10-inch high, and 4-foot wide cargo space and an extra 1,000 lbs payload over the wet weight, so avid adventurers will be able to pack along weeks of gear and supplies.

The MultiCamp is not yet available for purchase, but it does give overlanders lots of ideas on how they could turn their pickup truck into a badass adventure rig.

Skinny Guy Campers showcased the new MultiCamp prototype at Overland Expo Pacific Northwest in Oregon in early July and is now working on the final details regarding packaging and distribution before offering it as a complete combo. They estimate it will be available for a base price of $36,000.