If there ever was a camper that should have been named “Chuck,” it was the original. Ushi Outdoors TrailerThe North Carolina startup must have realized its mistake, because its second trailer bears that name. It’s not as natural a cart as the original, but it’s a small, lightweight support cart that owners can quickly customize to make it their ultimate adventure partner. The Chuck can carry nearly twice its own dry weight, and Ushi offers a long list of out-of-the-box options to fill that payload beyond the open bed and MOLLE mount.
The Ushi Chuck trailer isn’t as endearing as the original Ushi trailer, now aptly named the Ushi OG, but that’s mostly because it has a more commanding presence, thanks to its lower, more robust center of gravity, slightly wider 70-inch track that extends well beyond the width of the body, and beefier all-terrain tires. It’s clearly designed to venture off the beaten path, not to sugarcoat life off the beaten path with gratuitous niceties or unnecessary luxuries. It’s, quite literally, a tent and a backpack on wheels.
At just 323 kg (711 lb) starting weight and 2.5 m (8.3 ft) from bumper to tongue, the Chuck ranks among the smallest off-road trailers designed to hitch to street-legal four-wheelers, let alone the smallest off-road trailers. motorcycles, or bikes, or human sizeIt's a bit taller than the 7.4-foot (2.3 m) and 500-pound (227 kg) model. Road Warriora hybrid car/motorcycle trailer, but designed with a similar accessorizing ethos based on an exoskeleton.
In fact, the Chuck represents the latest in a wave of highly modular adventure camping trailers that has brought us a steady stream of new versions like the bolt-on, play-only model. Beaver buildsthe roll-and-schuss Genimax HRloading From Me Boboand transportation by motorcycle Adventurer on the run.
Ushi outdoors
The new Ushi design is as modular as any other, thanks to a combination of a 43 x 39 x 21-inch (109 x 99 x 53 cm) square cargo box and a MOLLE-style steel rack. The former is there to hold large, bulky items, such as coolers, duffel bags, grills, stoves, and boxes full of gear. Buyers can add a set of slides for easier access to cargo just behind the swing-out tailgate. A diamond-plate aluminum lid is also available to improve security and sealing while adding a second level of storage.
The rack above the bed is where things get really fun and creativity is openly encouraged. First off, if you want to camp on this caravan, you’ll need to add a roof tent on top. Ushi offers a two/three person tent, but with a static weight capacity of 700lbs (318kg) on the rack and a payload of 1,289lbs (585kg), buyers should have some freedom in choosing theirs without restricting their freedom of additional accessories.
Ushi outdoors
The rack’s towers and crossbars are steel beams with MOLLE-style mounting points, designed to make adding components as easy as possible. These complement the larger MOLLE panels that extend across the sides and lower front of the rack.
Many truck racks and accessories already use this same style of mount, so the Chuck is ready to start loading components right out of the box. Ushi starts with a fairly long and comprehensive options list that includes camping accessories like 15- or 30-gallon pressurized water tanks, an awning, a sink faucet, a grill mount, a battery pack, and more. Buyers can also add gear-carrying options like a kayak rack, an e-bike rack, and a fishing rod holder.
Ushi outdoors
Beyond Ushi's own options list, the rack can be easily equipped with compatible mounts for equipment such as traction boards, spare tires, shovels and Rotopax cans.
Up front, the Ushi can store even more cargo in a lockable, weather-resistant cargo box. It also comes standard with a removable side worktop and sink rack, brake lights, and 12-gauge steel mudguards with a textured polyurethane finish. The aluminum bumper and tongue are removable, allowing the little Chuck to pack even smaller than it tows.
Ushi places the Chuck on a 1/4″ aluminum tube frame and dampens the wheels with a torsion-axle suspension. A 4″ lift increases ground clearance to a comfortable 14 inches (35.5 cm) while steel wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires keep the trailer rolling smoothly.
Ushi outdoors
The Ushi Chuck, built in the United States, starts at an affordable $6,990, but that will quickly increase once buyers start accessorizing it into their dream vehicle with camping gear, an off-road kit, mounting hardware, sport racks and more. The upside is that they can spread that financial pain out over time by gradually adding components, a clear advantage of the ultra-modular camper trailer.
It's also worth noting that Ushi has added the option of a rooftop tent support system to the frame of its OG cart-style trailer, giving the gear-hauler full camping capability.
Source: Ushi outdoors
