Photo by GeorgePeters via iStock
I grew up tent camping, and I have a lot of great memories of being with my family in that big canvas tent at our favorite mountain campsites. I also have a lot of less-than-great memories of being cold, uncomfortable, and concerned about bears (of which there were many in that area).
These days, I primarily camp with a trailer, and a big part of it is that I want to be safe and comfortable when I’m camping. Being inside a hard-sided trailer gives me that experience. Being in a tent does not.
So, that got me thinking…what other reasons make camping in a trailer a better option than tent camping? Let’s find out!
Disclaimer: I’m not anti-tent or a tent hater. I just happen to be of the opinion that camping in a trailer is better!
Table of Contents
- Camping in a Trailer Provides Bear Protection
- Get Away from Snakes, Spiders, and Other Creepy Crawlies
- Camping in a Trailer is Warmer
- Some Trailers Offer Quick Setup
- Camping in a Trailer is Way More Comfortable for Sleeping
- Recommended Camping Gear
Camping in a Trailer Provides Bear Protection
Photo by roundhill via iStock
I’m under no illusions that a bear can’t get into a trailer. However, I feel way more comfortable being in a hard-sided trailer or in my rooftop tent than I do in a ground tent in bear country.
There are many campsites that prohibit tent camping because of bears. In these locations, you have to be in a hard-sided tent for your safety. It’s a safety issue for bears, too – as they become accustomed to getting easy food from campsites, they pose an increasing danger to humans and often have to be put down.
I’m fortunate in that I’ve never had a bear come calling while I’m camping. But as you can see above in the video from RM Videos, being in your ground tent while a bear has a look around your camp is an absolutely terrifying experience.
You don’t need a giant fifth-wheel trailer to get some added protection from bears, either. I have a SMRT Summit Suite rooftop tent on a Turtleback Expedition trailer that gives me a much better sense of security than sleeping down on the ground. Likewise, small teardrop trailers also provide a much greater level of safety than curling up in a ground tent.
So, don’t think that better options require you to invest a ton of money. If you do a lot of camping in bear country, consider getting up off the ground or into a trailer for added safety!
I know bear attacks are rare, but the video above from Scary Bear Attacks shows just how scary it can be when you’re in a ground tent. At least when you’re camping in a trailer you have a hard, protective wall between you and any curious bears.
Get Away from Snakes, Spiders, and Other Creepy Crawlies
Honestly, a likelier scenario than a bear welcoming itself into your tent is having snakes, spiders, and other creepy crawlies join you for a warm night’s rest. That’s what happens in the video above by bavareze.
I’ve spent plenty of time in desert locations where snakes and scorpions abound. And you can bet that I’m so pleased that I wasn’t sleeping in a tent on the ground!
Again, I suppose if a snake or a spider really wants to get into a trailer, it’ll find a way. But it’s at least a more difficult task for them to get into a trailer than a tent that’s on the ground!
So, you tell me…would you rather roll the dice and run the risk of having to be like the guy in the video above and remove a snake from your tent, or would you rather have a trailer with doors that shut tightly and windows that have screens to keep critters out in the first place?
The best option is pretty obvious to me!
Camping in a Trailer is Warmer
Photo by sshepard via iStock
There are plenty of options for keeping warm in a tent, but at the end of the day, they’re all much more involved, complex, or less effective than flipping a switch and having your trailer’s furnace kick on to maintain a constant temperature.
Heck, even trailers that don’t have a furnace still offer features like fully insulated walls and ceilings that help keep the warmth in the trailer and cold temperatures and chilly winds out of the trailer. Add in features like a comfortable mattress, a fan to circulate air and prevent condensation, and AC or DC power to run a heating blanket, and you’ve got a recipe for keeping toasty warm, even in the dead of winter.
Some Trailers Offer Quick Setup
Photo by duckycards via iStock
I’ll be the first to admit that some trailers require a ton of setup. A fifth wheel like the one pictured above isn’t something you can just drop and start camping right away.
Heck, even smaller travel trailers require a fair bit of setup before they’re ready to go. But, if we’re talking about something that offers a greater level of safety and comfort, the time spent getting a big trailer ready is well worth it.
But, there are other trailers that offers lightning-fast setup. My Turtleback Expedition, for example, takes only a few minutes to get ready, and most of that’s simply unhooking it from my Jeep.
Teardrop trailers offer easy setup, too. The trailer pictured above from Second Wind Trailers needs little more than dropping the tongue jack, unhooking from the tow vehicle, and lowering the rear stabilizer jacks.
Since many teardrops and travel trailers have onboard solar power systems, there’s no worry about taking the time to get a power bank or generator set up, either. Truly, in just a few minutes’ time, you can be camping in a trailer, and likely faster than your friends that have to set up their tent!
Camping in a Trailer is Way More Comfortable for Sleeping
Even small trailers have nice sleeping quarters!
Now that I’m a middle-aged man, sleeping on the ground just isn’t a comfortable scenario for me, even with a high-priced sleeping pad underneath me! There’s always a rock or root under the tent or the tent isn’t on level ground because I gave up trying to find level ground in the first place.
Camping in a trailer, though, offers a far better sleeping experience than ground tent camping, if you ask me.
My rooftop tent has a plush mattress that fits my son and I just perfectly. It even has a washable mattress cover so I can get the dirt and grime from our adventures off the mattress and ready to go for the next trip.
But I won’t always want (or be able to) climb up into a rooftop tent, so camping in a trailer is definitely in my future.
Coming back to the teardrop trailer example I used before, I’m intrigued by this option because of the focus that so many manufacturers put on the sleeping accommodations.
For example, I’m over six-feet tall, so I’d want a teardrop with a cabin that I can fit in without sleeping in a ball. I’d also want a teardrop with a great mattress that can accommodate my kiddo, too. Fortunately, there are many options out there that fit the bill.
Teardrop trailers like this one from Second Wind Trailers offer a comfortable sleeping experience.
A great example of this is pictured above. This trailer has a full-size memory foam mattress that you can sink into after a long day of adventuring. And since the trailer is 5 feet by 8 feet, you aren’t crammed into it like a sardine.
So, camping in a trailer can be highly comfortable, offers a greater level of safety, and setup takes just a few minutes. From my perspective, there’s a lot to love!
Recommended Camping Gear