By Russ and Tiña De Maris
Scamp. Boler. Casita. We could go on and on, but the names are evocative of a smaller, travel trailer niche community. Rigs built of fiberglass that pop out of molds, often in obscure shops, rarely coming from anyplace like Elkhart, Indiana. And without ruffling any feathers, it seems like folks who own these fiberglass rigs are sometimes fanatical. And who can really blame them – if you can live comfortably with “small” conditions, these little rigs are generally lightweight, almost never develop leaks, and are – well – just plain cute. Yep, these egg-RVs just crack us up.
Add to your list of names for egg-RVs – the Barefoot. Already popular in Europe, where they’re known as Barefoot Caravans, the soon-to-be U.S. counterpart will be made available through NüCamp RV, sometime in spring next year. What to look for?
If the European design comes across the pond largely intact, expect a rig running about 16 feet that sleeps two. That limited space still provides for a small galley with refer and two-burner stove, sink, and oak (not granite!) countertops. After an overnight on the convertible bed-dinette, your morning ablutions can be handled at the end-compartment wet-bath including a shower and cassette toilet. The European version sports LED lighting, blackout blinds over the windows, heat and hot water.
Details are pretty thin as to just what the Americanized version of the Barefoot will deliver. The Barefoot Caravan scales in at a minuscule 2,094 pounds and sets back buyers a U.S. equivalent of $33,000.
If the name NüCamp rings a familiar bell, it’s because they already produce a line of lightweight rigs, chiefly among them the TAB trailer brand. So it shouldn’t be surprising that they are taking on the task of adding molded fiberglass egg RVs to their lineup. There’s nothing on their website yet about the Barefoot, but keep checking back. We’re sure they’ll be scrambling to get news up as the big day nears.
The thing that kills RVs is water intrusion. Like Airstreams, molded fiberglass units will not be subject to water induced rot, delamination etc. So barring a collision, these RVs can be handed down to the next generation and the next. So a hefty price tag can be justified.
Nice!