The Camp365 is the Folding Pop-Up Trailer You Can Store in Your Garage
Light Enough to Pull Behind a Prius with Room to Sleep Six
Image Caption: Image Courtesy of Camp365
Clever design is a hallmark of the RV industry, as manufacturers are constantly searching for creative ways to build campers with new features and amenities. But you would be hard-pressed to find a more innovative model in such a small space as the Camp365. This lightweight pop-up trailer features a folding design that gives it a slim profile when towed but expands to a surprisingly large footprint at the campground, creating a versatile living space for travelers.
The recipient of a “2020 Top RV Debut of the Year Award” from RV Business, the Camp365 started as a design sketch on the back of a napkin. An uncle of company founder Kevin McGregor came up with the idea and even built a toy-sized model to demonstrate his concept. Intrigued by his design, McGregor spent nearly a decade testing dozens of full-scale prototypes before developing the current model, which combines a steel base with an aluminum-alloy frame, providing lightweight durability.
Camp365’s goal is to make camping more widely accessible to a broader audience. How does it accomplish that exactly? For starters, the pop-up has a dry weight of just 1495 pounds, making it towable behind just about any type of vehicle—including small cars, crossovers, and EVs. The trailer’s compact size and aerodynamic form even reduce drag, improving fuel efficiency on the highway.
Image Courtesy of Camp365
Stow it Anywhere
At the campsite, the wedge-shaped Camp365’s sides fold down, revealing a pop-up cabin that is open and airy. When fully expanded, the interior offers 96 square feet of space with a ceiling height of 7.5 feet. That gives the trailer enough room for a family of six to comfortably bed down for the night, with room to spare. Best of all, the entire transformation is quick and easy to complete, even for a single person.
The camper’s small size gives it other advantages too. When folded up, the Camp365 stands six feet, eight inches in height, and is just four feet wide. Those dimensions allow it to slip into a garage easily, backyard shed, or rental storage unit when not in use. As a result, the travel trailer is a legitimate option for suburbanites and apartment dwellers where space is at a premium.
“I’ve had to pay for storing a trailer in the past, and knowing that this could fit in our garage was a huge plus”
“I’ve had to pay for storing a trailer in the past, and knowing that this could fit in our garage was a huge plus,” Camp365 owner Richee Parks tells RV.com. “It fits with a ton of space left over,” he adds.
Image Courtesy of Camp365
Family-Sized Cabin
Richee, his wife Grace, and their four kids, recently wrapped up a month-long, 6000-mile road trip using the Camp365 as their mobile basecamp. In August, the family purchased the towable after deciding that they needed an extended getaway to decompress after a few particularly stressful years. When shopping for a camper, their goal was to find something light enough to be towed behind the family’s Toyota Sienna minivan but still have room for the entire family to comfortably stretch out.
“For this trip, we wanted to use the van because it has enough space for all of us,” Richee says. “There are other campers that can be pulled with small vehicles, but this one caught our attention. I’m all about efficiency, and this trailer is very efficient while providing a lot of features I didn’t think were possible while just looking at it.”
Full-Featured Travel Trailer
Richee references the trailer’s spacious and versatile internal living area, which comes with a fold-out queen-size bed, a sink, portable stove, and dining table that doubles as the Camp365’s rear panel. His family added aftermarket bunk beds that convert into couches when lounging around before bedtime. Other amenities include two awnings, a 12-volt battery, a 120-volt shore power system, a toilet, and a tankless water heater/shower combo. Dual 12-gallon tanks serve as fresh and gray water repositories.
“We love how well thought out and modular the camper is,” Richee enthuses. “For instance, you can access the fresh and gray tanks from inside and use them as a cooler for drinks and food if you’re not using the water system.”
Image Courtesy of Camp365
Towable Bedroom
The Parks family aren’t the only satisfied Camp365 customers. Karen and Gerry Migiaccio purchased one of the diminutive campers after discovering it online. Having recently downsized from a 45-foot Prevost motorcoach to a much smaller Ford Passage-based Class B van, they found themselves occasionally missing their more spacious digs, especially when hitting the road with their two dogs in tow.
“We love our Class B and don’t want to go to a bigger RV,” Gerry shares. “But I find sleeping in it claustrophobic, so I started to look at small towables that could be used as a bedroom.”
He says that most of the models they looked at dedicated a lot of space to the kitchen and bathroom. But since their Class B van is already well equipped with those facilities, Gerry didn’t necessarily need to duplicate them on a tow-behind.
“Then I found Camp365 online. Having an easy to set-up 8-foot by 12-foot cabin with air conditioning and heat was exactly what we needed,” Gerry says. “Camp365 customizes each unit based on owner needs, so we went without cooking and bathroom facilities and ended up with lots more storage space.”
Image Courtesy of Camp365
Not a Tent
The Camp365 can fold down to such a small size due to a blend of origami-like design and walls made from a soft, malleable fabric known as Aqualon. The waterproof material is highly durable, resisting cracks, punctures, and fading. It also doesn’t collect mildew, making it an excellent choice for a lightweight pop-up camper. The double-layer walls serve as efficient insulation, too, working with the heating and air conditioning systems to keep the cabin warm on cold days and cool on hot ones.
The extensive use of Aqualon as part of the pop-up shell has led some to dismiss it as little more than a tent on wheels. But Richee Park feels those comparisons are unfair, noting that few tents come with the features found inside the camper.
“I think some would call the Camp365 a ‘glorified tent,’” says Parks. “But tents don’t come with a heater, instant hot water, and a sink.”
Image Courtesy of Camp365
Weather Resistant
The Parks family has put their Camp365 through extensive testing in adverse weather. Throughout their journey, they’ve experienced thunderstorms with 60 mph winds, outside temperatures dropping down to 15ºF, and a surprise blizzard that produced 12 inches of snow. Through it all, the little trailer has performed admirably and has come out unscathed.
“At this point, we’ve faced almost every type of extreme weather in our Camp365, except for extreme heat. It has been incredible.”
“At this point, we’ve faced almost every type of extreme weather in our Camp365, except for extreme heat,” Richee says. “It has been incredible.”
Gerry agrees, adding, “The camper is very comfortable, and with its double-layer construction, the A/C works quite well in 90+ degree heat with no interior condensation.”
Adjustable Axles Go Anywhere
One of the Camp365’s more unique abilities is its adjustable axle length. At the turn of a crank, owners can change the size of the axle to anything between 48 and 72 inches. This allows the trailer to have a broader base for added stability on the highway then later downsize to fit into tight spaces. Not only is this a handy feature when it comes time to store the camper, but it also provides added flexibility for where owners can set up camp. A shorter axle length makes it easier to tow the trailer down narrow trails granting access to backcountry campsites, for instance.
Additional Camp365 amenities include a fold-out 90-watt solar panel, a portable two-burner stove, and a removable stainless steel sink and faucet. A pull-out refrigerated cooler and under-floor storage make good use of the interior space while keeping everything well organized at the same time. An optional indoor-outdoor flat-panel TV mount makes an excellent accessory for tailgating or just entertaining at the campsite as well. Owners can even replace the wheels with skis for towing the trailer on snow during the winter.
The camper is available in several different models ranging from a barebones version with no interior amenities to one equipped with all of the bells and whistles. Since potential owners can customize their trailer to fit their specific needs, the cost can vary significantly from customer to customer. The manufacturer encourages potential customers to reach out directly to discuss the features and amenities they are looking for in a towable.
With interest in small camping trailers continuing to grow, it is easy to see why the Camp365 is turning heads. Its unique design, lightweight construction, and numerous amenities make it an affordable option for first-time buyers and experienced RVers alike. Expect to see more of these campers popping up in campsites and garages in the years to come.
Find out more at camp365.com.
