Could This SylvanSport Trailer Replace The Airstream?

One of the best things about living in a van and finding those best van life travel spots is the sense of freedom that comes with carving your own path through life. It allows you to travel at a much slower pace, to see things that you might have never experienced if you hadn’t been living off grid with bears, sheep, and the odd passing farmer as your only neighbours. But living the van life isn’t for everyone. Some people prefer a smaller, more simple way of living that doesn’t require a huge adventure bus or monster camper. We’re talking of course about trailer life and one travel trailer in particular; the ‘VAST’ ranger of camper trailers from SylvanSport.

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Small travel trailers are becoming more and more popular with vandwellers all around the world, be it as a secondary sleeping area/storage module, or as an alternative to the gas-guzzling off road trucks that they used before. With an off road trailer in tow, you can go pretty much anywhere your heart desires, and there are certainly a lot of models out there to choose from! The VAST from Sylvansport caught our eye because of its shape, its clever sleeping arrangement, and the amount of storage that you can fit inside this rolling tiny home. This is one tiny house that we’re sure you’ll love, but don’t just take our word for it. Scroll down to check it out

Meet The VAST – A SylvanSport Creation For All The Family!

If you’re on the hunt for off-grid affordable tiny homes, then you’ve come to the right place! As we look at this SylvanSport creation, I start to think about shipping container houses, which are, of course, a massive part of the tiny homes movement. The VAST has a simple rectangular design, eliminating any curves that you might find in a self-built camper conversion and maximising the internal living space. 

While I know that you are itching to take a look inside this off grid home, I’m going to stick to the tried and tested Van Clan method and tackle the outside first. I keep wanting to call the VAST a tiny trailer, but in actual fact, it’s pretty big! At 6.55 metres long, 2.4 metres wide and 2.9 metres high it misses out on the category of small campers and rockets straight into being an off road camper trailer! 

Give Us Some Facts!

SylvanSport has worked tirelessly to create this all terrain camper, and their efforts have not been in vain. The outer shell of the VAST is made by using an aluminium frame, which we know from looking at pop up campers like the Four Wheel Campers slide on pods, provides a lightweight but super strong exoskeleton that still has a little bit of give when you’re bouncing along those rocky trails. The vast certainly has an interesting look that intrigued us to find out more, and with its green colour scheme, it would also make for a great stealth camper for anyone who wants to get off the grid in their local forest. 

The camper has two entrances; one side door, and the main ‘garage style’ door in the rear of the vehicle, which opens via a gas-assisted lift system in order to flood the trailer with natural light. SylvanSport must have listened to me banging on about how great it is when campers ‘bring the outside indoors’ because this door instantly brings nature inside your tiny towable home and makes the interior space feel ten times bigger. The door also provides shelter from any drizzle if you want to keep the camper ventilated, and provides shade along with a couple of awnings on the sides of the trailer. 

How Good Is The Storage?

When it comes to storage, SylvanSport has pulled out all of the stops. Taking a leaf out of the holy gospel of Outside Van, these camper trailers come with a fully loaded water sports rack, which is perfect for storing any surfboard, kayaks, SUP’s or canoes that you might want to take on your adventures. Of course, if you get a couple of these compact and inflatable Bluefin Paddleboards,then you’ll have space for even more adventure gear! These built in storage rails are super secure and arranged at convenient heights that are easy to reach. 

Perhaps one of the most impressive features of the SylvanSport VAST, is that the entire lounge area can slide forwards while in transit, creating extra cargo space for all of your van life essentials, travel bikes and more. While it would be pretty hard for someone to steal your kayak or canoe without being noticed, bike theft is all too common. This extra cargo space provides a great way of keeping your expensive sports gear away from prying eyes when you leave your camper to go on a walk or head down to the river. 

Are There Any Secret Compartments?

A little storage pod at the front of the camper provides extra space for storing items that you might use regularly while outside, making it a great space for the kid’s toys or any adventure accessories that you might not want to keep in the main living area. Like the rest of the VAST, SylvanSport has made this storage pod fully lockable and with the maximum water protection available, so your stuff will stay safe and dry while not in use. This little pod also slides forwards to give you access to a protected area which houses your gas bottles, batteries, and a spare tyre. SylvanSport has gone all out with the storage elements of this camper. It’s like a massive green Swiss Army Knife; maybe it belongs to the Hulk!

What Has SylvanSport Done With The Kitchen?

The design of the kitchen is pretty clever and specifically made for both indoor and outdoor cooking. We’ve seen a couple of campers that have used this system on a smaller scale, but SylvanSport have raised the bar by making a kitchen that remains at what they call the ‘optimal cooking height’ when using both in the camper or out in nature. 

The kitchenette unit slides and lowers using the same easy glide system that moves the living quarters back and forth, giving you the option of using your top cooking accessories under the stars when you fancy a midnight snack. I don’t like cooking smells or smoke floating around in my van, so we always try to cook with the sliding door open or the windows if it’s raining a lot. You could let air in through the VAST’s side door while cooking inside, or get a loved one to stand next to you with a golf umbrella if you’re adamant about cooking in nature. 

The kitchenette unit houses a two burner stove, which makes whipping up meals for the family much easier than messing around with a single hob. You could always bring along the iKamper EatOut for an extra hob and workspace to to get the whole family involved. You’ll also find a portable fridge freezer, a sink for washing up your pots and pans (the most boring job in the world!), and more storage elements for keeping your dried goods and accessories in. 

Tell Us What’s In The SylvanSport VAST Before We Lose Our Minds!

I’m getting there! Man, you guys are impatient! SylvanSport has gone all out on the design of this trailer, and there efforts haven’t just been focused on strength and storage. A large part of their company ethos is about creating comfortable living areas that are both highly efficient and functional for you and your family. While the inside of the camper doesn’t appear to be as groundbreaking and innovative as they profess on their website, there is no denying that it looks comfortable and easy to live in. 

The living area consists of an L-shape sofa with premium cushions for that extra slice of comfort. There’s an adjustable table too, making this space perfect for eating together as a family or playing games on rainy days. Two large windows open out to let light and air into the trailer, giving you an alternative to sitting outside if you’ve had enough of the sun but still want to relax and look out at your surroundings. 

Is It Family Friendly?

The best bit about this camper has to be the sleeping arrangement. SylvanSport has managed to fit two queen size beds into this build, and we’re not talking ‘nearly Queen size’ either. The sofa can be rearranged to make up the first bed, and a second one (get ready for this), lowers down from the ceiling using a motorised lift system. How awesome is that! This is one of the benefits of having such a large box camper; the bed can be up in the roof and you still have so much space that you wouldn’t even know it was there. Pretty neat right?

SylvanSport knows that not everyone wants to be digging round outside with a trowel at the dead of night, and the inclusion of a camping toilet is a nice addition to what is primarily a family camper. It tucks away nicely in its own little space and is there for when nature comes knocking. There is also a fully functional shower with hot water on demand, and a fold away sink to create extra space. 

Final Thoughts…

It has been quite nice to look at a trailer that doesn’t start off by telling us how many power outlets there are for watching TV and charging up devices. We know that they are there because of the mention of the two batteries stored in the depths of the camper, but SylvanSport has made a family camper that goes back to the roots of what camping is all about. It’s not about sitting inside on a sunny day and watching Chelsea vs Manchester kick a ball about; it’s about heading out into the wilderness as a team, reading books, and playing games, the kind of quality family time that can really shape you as a person. 

We can’t find any information about solar on the SylvanSport website, but we’re sure that you could add a system in with a little bit of tinkering, or at least use a portable solar charger to keep the batteries topped up for a longer stint of off grid living. 

How Much Does It Cost?

Now for the price! SylvanSport is selling the VAST for $48’000 (around £38’000 or €43’000), which puts it in the top price bracket compared to some of the other trailers that we have recently covered. Is it worth it; I think it is. It is large enough to contend with the Airstream Trailer and more cleverly designed, and it’s got everything that you need if you’re a family that likes to get off the grid more than once a year. Its lightweight design makes it easy to tow, and it could probably be towed by any of our top eco campers to give it a carbon footprint as green as the design itself! 

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