Every now and then, I come across a camper that I can't help but check out. That's the case with Hiker Trailers' Highway Deluxe, a tiny bedroom on wheels that gets a lot of buzz for its price.
Friends, $6,000 is all you need get your hands on the machine you see in the image gallery; if you're looking to get an RV but never really had tens of thousands of dollars to do so, this might be the one for you.
First, let me point out a thing or two about the minds and hands behind the Highway Deluxe (HD): Hiker Trailers. This is a team we’ve talked about before, and since they’ve been in the business for over a decade, it’s clear they’re doing something right; according to their website, they’ve built over 4,000 campers for Americans.
Photo: Hiking trailers
Well, one of those”well done“Things are HD, so let's take a trip into the life of one of these babies. It all starts with you picking up the phone, getting your hands on Hiker, and following the steps to create your dream unit. That's because Hiker creates each camper according to the tastes of the future owner – “custom-made” units, as they are called.
That means no two HDs or other Hiker units are the same. Sure, they may look the same, but each one is as unique as the people who own them. Oh, and for perspective, Hiker says the average completed unit—the 5×8-footer—typically falls below the $10,000 mark. While that figure is based on data compiled in 2022, a completed HD should still hover around $10,000, give or take a few hundred or even thousands of dollars more.
Let's say you spent $10,000, waited for your unit to be completed, and then just hitched it to your truck or SUV. Overall, you'll be towing a unit that averages up to 1,300 lbs and has a GVWR 1,900 lbs. A 2,000 lbs. leaf spring suspension with a right axle is at the base of the action.
Photo: Hiking trailers
From there, Hiker builds the chassis with welded steel in-house, which carries your home on wheels. Oh, that shell you see, like most other teardrop campers, is made from a mix of wood, insulation, and aluminum. Waterproofing is also part of the process, and the construction process It's a thing that requires a lot of elbow grease; it's assembled by hand.
The standard model doesn’t have much to offer. Even the kitchen has only a few shelves, but it’s prepared beyond belief to accommodate all the gear you need for off-grid travel. That kitchen is hidden behind that rear door that, unlike traditional teardrop models (you could say Hiker doesn’t make teardrops, but they kind of are), opens sideways instead of vertically. One of the nice things about the kitchen is that it has a pass-through to the cabin.
Moving on to the exterior, self-supporting mudguards, a manual roof vent and stabilizer jacks are in place, but from the looks of it, we could add a roof rack for kayaks, a cargo compartment or maybe even a roof tent. If the latter is possible, then we could have what can be considered a “America's Best Budget Family Travel Trailer“Be sure to share your ideas with Hiker and go from there; additional money will clearly be needed.
Photo: Hiking trailers
But taking the family to HD is sure to requires more equipmentand it’s always going to cost more, especially if you look at the larger appliances the market offers – fridges and cooktops – and let’s not forget solar power, a must-have if you’re travelling with a small battery or planning on wild camping for as long as you can stand your own body odour. With an awning and a tent annex, you can create a full-fledged campsite pretty much anywhere you can set up on flat ground.
One thing I noticed on the HD's product page is that the manufacturer shows this unit in landscapes ranging from dry, dusty deserts to snow-capped mountains, but you'll clearly need to look into heating and air conditioning if you want the ability to camp year-round; at first glance, Hiker gives us a solid foundation to work with.
Regarding the interior, you won't be able to find many pictures. on the manufacturer's social media pagesand it makes sense; not everyone wants you to see the inside of their home. However, the few images we found reveal a rough-hewn look with wood paneling. After all, how much did you expect for $6,000? But, again, it’s a beautiful canvas on which to paint your off-grid dreams. Grab your significant other and make some memories.
