camping with a smart car

RobbF67 wrote:
Hi John & Angela,

Here is what we settled on http://www.golittleguy.com/model?id=36&model=MyPod-Basic
we're pretty excited to get out there and start using it, we found it just in time since it's getting cold out there. Hope this can help others too!

So cool. Congradulations. Looks awesome. Looks low profile and the weight is right for a gas smart. Don't overpack and you should be fine. Really looking forward to seeing more pictures of the inside outside and your first camping a trip. Congrats again. Keep us posted.

DazedNConfused wrote:

RobbF67 wrote:
Hello, Robb here. My partner and I are looking to get out and start camping together, he has a smart car and we are looking for options on a trailer we can pull. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

You want to tow a trailer with your Smart Car? Do you mean a small storage trailer to hold your tent gear? Might find way more options if you were willing to go with a motor home and pull your SC behind it.

DCN

Hi, this is actually what we found
http://www.golittleguy.com/model?id=36&model=MyPod-Basic
it's prefect for what we are doing!

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:
This past summer while volunteering as campground hosts at Big Bend NP's Chisos Basin CG - we saw a whole lot of combinations of cars, camping methods and tiny trailers we never knew existed.

One problem we did see consistently was overheated, over strained small vehicles. Several required battery recharging, jumps, water, transmission fluid and even several had to be taken out of the mountains on flatbed tow trucks.

Watch the weights. I've seen Cooper Mini's with 1,000 lbs of cargo crammed inside by tent campers. I've seen Toyota Prius pulling motorcycle type popups. I've seen Kia Soul and similar cars by other makers with tiny trailers behind them.

I've seen every one of these brands of car overweight and with potentially serious damage to the drive train. And I've seen them all used successfully.

In general - most folks carry too much stuff and too much weight when they start camping. Watch the weight. Know the vehicle limits - and stay under them.

I think we'll be fine with this!

http://www.golittleguy.com/model?id=36&model=MyPod-Basic

Hi John & Angela,

Here is what we settled on http://www.golittleguy.com/model?id=36&model=MyPod-Basic
we're pretty excited to get out there and start using it, we found it just in time since it's getting cold out there. Hope this can help others too!

Sure. Any info is good info. From what I can see any of the them are too heavy for my diesel smart but would be close to the towing Specs for the gas smarts.

Happy hunting.

I found a company that specializes in these trailers www.golittleguy.com the "myPod basic" is what we were looking for! I'm excited for this and thank you for all of your help! I'll see if I can get any photos if interested!

bcarroll wrote:

but really, were you looking for a cargo trailer or a camp trailer?
I just don't think that car has too many options for any kind of trailer.
You could try a hitch and a hitch carrier to put all the bulky stuff on.

We originally looked at going this route but ran into a few problems. Although there is a hitch that allows for a bike carrier, because of where and how it installs it is still only limited to about 90 pounds. These racks are commonly seen over seas although I see a different version being used in North America that attaches to the tow points. Most towing a camper type setup are still going the route of the motorcycle tent trailer like ours below. We actually found the tongue weight to be a little light on ours but once the fridge is full and the AGM battery box is mounted it ends up right around 55 pounds. The fridge is a dometic with Dan Foss compressor and runs a couple days off the little AGM battery but pretty much indefinitely if we set up our little fold-able solar panel. We even have a porta potti in our little rig. It is amazing how much you can pack in the little tent trailer. The soft side cargo bag on the top hold the fire pit and the propane fire pit. Our hitches involve cutting a little hole in the rear panel whereas the curt hitch comes out from underneath. I kinda prefer ours as it comes straight off the frame and has better rear clearance. I found a little hitch cover for the burgundy smart. I'll pick up another one for the black car at autozone this weekend when we are down south.





This shot is good for seeing the battery and dometic fridge. The fridge has a weather cover over it for travel. Without the Kayak it comes in at under or around 500 pounds.



We set it up as a temporary guest house in the yard once and I took a picture with the solar panel out.


We made the battery pack from a battery box and an AGM battery as well as a few other widgets for connecting.



And a top down.



If you are going to cut a hole in the rear panel it will end up looking like this if you get the little cover.



This little setup has added a whole new dimension to the full time lifestyle.

I would suggest getting a truck and a toy hauler and put the Smart car in the trailer...
but really, were you looking for a cargo trailer or a camp trailer?
I just don't think that car has too many options for any kind of trailer.
You could try a hitch and a hitch carrier to put all the bulky stuff on.

This past summer while volunteering as campground hosts at Big Bend NP's Chisos Basin CG - we saw a whole lot of combinations of cars, camping methods and tiny trailers we never knew existed.

One problem we did see consistently was overheated, over strained small vehicles. Several required battery recharging, jumps, water, transmission fluid and even several had to be taken out of the mountains on flatbed tow trucks.

Watch the weights. I've seen Cooper Mini's with 1,000 lbs of cargo crammed inside by tent campers. I've seen Toyota Prius pulling motorcycle type popups. I've seen Kia Soul and similar cars by other makers with tiny trailers behind them.

I've seen every one of these brands of car overweight and with potentially serious damage to the drive train. And I've seen them all used successfully.

In general - most folks carry too much stuff and too much weight when they start camping. Watch the weight. Know the vehicle limits - and stay under them.

Yepir. Few buy smart cars just for the mileage. Although they are still the highest rated non hybrid for mpg that's generally not what drives the sale. Those specifically looking for something without a back seat, or some who just want a super small convertible or just something quarky and fun to drive. In Europe they are so popular because of the parking issues but there smart cars also have much more economical drivetrains including the 71 mpg diesel (like ours). For the most part they are a fun little niche car on this side of the pond.