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Near-Perfect Apache Camper Was Ready to Demolish Glamping Industry: Mysteriously Vanished

You must realize that part of my day job is simply searching for and bringing to light all the RVs, travel trailers, and campers I can find. Well, during those eight hours, I discovered a habitat that promised to be the answer to affordable and capable off-roading and off-griding.
Apache Travel Trailer 11 photos
Photo: CARP Expedition
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Folks, CARP is an acronym for Camping and Recreational Products, but all that's left in the wake of this company is nothing more than a few photos on a Facebook and Instagram account. The manufacturer's web domains are even available for purchase. So, what the heck happened, and what did we miss out on?

Well, as I combed the two available sites for clues, I found very little. Nonetheless, I was able to build up a solid notion of what the heck we missed out on. Well, clues seem to point out that this crew began as Bear Teardrops, yet another manufacturer that is no longer on the market; their works and Facebook posts stopped abruptly in early 2020. Could this crew be one of the camper manufacturers that the worldwide health crisis and supply chain issues have taken by storm? Considering countless manufacturers kicked the proverbial bucket during that year, this isn't excluded. But without any warning whatsoever? Sadly, yes.

Apache Travel Trailer
Photo: CARP Expedition
But we can still look at what CARP had to offer, mainly their last and most awaited project. We can call this camper the Apache as it's stamped right there on the side, and speaking of siding, the shell's construction is one of the reasons I chose to bring this habitat to light. I've seen campers built like this before, and typically, you're looking at a fiberglass or polymer (composite) shell that appears to be one solid piece in the Apache's case. This means that the elements stood no chance of reaching the interior unless seals (not the animal) weren't doing their job. Side doors with windows and a vertical hatch at the back complete the shell.

One aspect that we don't seem to have any insight into is this bugger's suspension. Although, looking at the images in the gallery, I understood that it was designed to venture where few other campers dare. With massive ground clearance, AT tires, and what appears to be an axle-less suspension, this trinket gave off that feeling of, "Yes, this camper can."

Apache Travel Trailer Galley
Photo: CARP Expedition
As for the living space, the interior is simple, with nothing more than a modular mattress, a couple of shelves for storage, and wood paneling all around the walls. As for the rear, it's where you would have ultimately set up a galley, and by the looks of it, you were offered a tad of space in which to fit all your essentials. Considering this is the only storage bay I could spot, I hope this bugger handled a roof rack, as outdoor and off-grid living requires more than sugar and spice. Sure, there's a storage bin at the front, but that was probably optional. Speaking of options, there's no indication of off-grid systems, meaning you had to buy solar panels and all that jazz separately.

And that appears to be the end of this story. But I couldn't stop there; I had to find out what happened, and sure enough, I found info saying that this crew stopped work because of supply chain issues. This is the case for many small RV, camper, and travel trailer manufacturers. But you know who isn't facing such issues? Big-brand manufacturers, but that's a story for another time.
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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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