Summer is here, thus, the perfect time to get out and explore. But to get out and see as much of the wild as possible you’ll probably want some sort of living space. Cue the Kestrel camping trailer.
What we have here just may be one of the most versatile and affordable teardrop trailer I've yet ran across. It’s called the Kestrel, and it’s a towable from Timberleaf Trailers. It’s possible you haven’t heard of Timberleaf as they’re a rather fresh team, having been around only since 2015. With a passion for the outdoors, and a dream of building a vehicle suitable for an explorer's lifestyle, Timberleaf took flight and hasn’t slowed down since.
Why is the Kestrel such a big deal? Well, aside from the fact that the starting price for one of these babies is just $8,500 (€7,200 at current exchange rates), the fact that it can even be transformed into a fully off-road capable trailer is why it matters o much. Sure, that off-road capability will be costing you extra, but just wait till you see how much.
Standard, this trailer includes a 2,000-lb (907-kg) torsion axle, 15-inch aluminum wheels, and a standard 2-inch (5-centimeter) ball coupler. Throw on a pair of 205/75r15 trailer tires and aluminum fenders, and the stage is set for what else you may have in mind. With an aluminum top and sides, the Kestrel comes in with a dry weight of just 860 lbs (390 kg); should be towable by a number of vehicles, depending on how much more you load into it.
Inside the trailer, room is offered by a 54-inch-wide (137-centimeter) construction, but the manufacturer's website hid the length of this space rather well, as I wasn’t able to find it. Nonetheless, a 6-inch-thick (15-centimeter) full-size mattress, suitable for two folks, is available.
One neat feature of this trailer is its interior finish. Using Baltic Birch plywood on all exposed surfaces, finished in 100% zero-VOC polyurethane, the interior gives off a nice rustic feel while stains and mold shouldn’t be a problem. With countless windows and vents, including a passive roof vent, and pre-wired for a power system, seems hella promising for just 8,500 bucks.
If, somehow, that’s not enough for you, the Timberleaf team offers a couple of upgraded Kestrel versions. Actually, these upgrades are available for any of the Timberleaf trailers. The first package is known as the All-Road. Here, a 3,500-lb (1,587-kg) independent suspension, larger tires, electric drum brakes, fender plates, and a Max-Coupler articulating hitch are all available. However, if you want to choose this option, you’ll still have to go through the configurator to build your own, in the process adding anything else you may need.
The Off-Road model is even beefier than the All-Road. An axle-less suspension, 4-inch (10-centimeter) lift, electric drum brakes, even bigger BFGoodrich KO2 tires, and front corner rock sliders bring a bit even more versatility. Again, the same configurator app is to be used to create your own.
So, after all this pushing to configure my own, I finally went through the process myself. I decided to keep my costs as low as possible while finding just the essential upgrades. A basic Kestrel with an off-road package, powder coated fenders, with a skylight, roof vent, and roof platform, ran me only $13,750 (€11,680 at current exchange rates). I also chose no power package, but threw on some off-road utility jacks to keep things level.
For under $15,000, and with a basic off-road capable trailer like the Kestrel, for another $1,500 I could very well deck this puppy out with an inverter, battery pack, and some solar capabilities. Off I go, until Fall anyway.
Why is the Kestrel such a big deal? Well, aside from the fact that the starting price for one of these babies is just $8,500 (€7,200 at current exchange rates), the fact that it can even be transformed into a fully off-road capable trailer is why it matters o much. Sure, that off-road capability will be costing you extra, but just wait till you see how much.
Inside the trailer, room is offered by a 54-inch-wide (137-centimeter) construction, but the manufacturer's website hid the length of this space rather well, as I wasn’t able to find it. Nonetheless, a 6-inch-thick (15-centimeter) full-size mattress, suitable for two folks, is available.
One neat feature of this trailer is its interior finish. Using Baltic Birch plywood on all exposed surfaces, finished in 100% zero-VOC polyurethane, the interior gives off a nice rustic feel while stains and mold shouldn’t be a problem. With countless windows and vents, including a passive roof vent, and pre-wired for a power system, seems hella promising for just 8,500 bucks.
The Off-Road model is even beefier than the All-Road. An axle-less suspension, 4-inch (10-centimeter) lift, electric drum brakes, even bigger BFGoodrich KO2 tires, and front corner rock sliders bring a bit even more versatility. Again, the same configurator app is to be used to create your own.
For under $15,000, and with a basic off-road capable trailer like the Kestrel, for another $1,500 I could very well deck this puppy out with an inverter, battery pack, and some solar capabilities. Off I go, until Fall anyway.