A recent report C. C. Weiss of New Atlas highlights the Motsmann Engineering Outranger all-molded fiberglass camper. The following is an excerpt:
Seamlessly bringing together the worlds of teardrop-size off-road trailers and molded egg campers, Oregon’s Motsmann Engineering presents an equally compelling alternative that feels both vintage and brand new. It’s the all-new Outranger camping trailer, and it relies on a molded composite construction shaped into a squarer form. It comes fully armed for off-roading, ready to camp in the most serene, scenic dispersed campsites you have the balls to chase down in your pickup, 4×4 or crossover.
Measuring in at 13.5 feet (4.1 m) long from hitch to rear bumper, the Outranger is a highly compact two-person camper that is sized similarly to a classic teardrop or off-road squaredrop. But it features a distinctive look thanks to its molded fiberglass shell. In contrast to the bonded upper/lower dual-shell constructions we’ve looked at in larger molded fiberglass campers, the Outranger features a body assembled together from six molded composite structural panels finished in the gelcoat color of the buyer’s choosing.
A wood-free design throughout, the Outranger complements that body with a protective polyurethane-coated fiberglass kitchen, HDPE kitchen counter and polymer interior partitions and structural reinforcements. The lower body is protected with a Raptor polyurethane coating. The idea is that there’s no wood to rot, warp or degrade.
“Outranger began with a simple idea: to create a camper trailer for both paved roads and more demanding terrain – and engineer it with the same level of care expected from a modern vehicle,” Motsmann explained in introducing the trailer this week. “That approach shaped every part of the design: Materials, components and construction methods were selected to withstand vibration, moisture, temperature changes and years of outdoor exposure.”
To help the Outranger manage that more “demanding terrain” and “years of outdoor exposure,” Motsmann plants the composite body atop a bolted chassis of 3-mm steel, fully galvanized to protect from corrosion. While many may be more accustomed to welded trailer chassis designs, Motsmann explains that the bolted construction simplifies repair and creates a more modular ecosystem in which individual parts and segments of the frame can be replaced or upgraded.
Click here to read the full report from New Atlas.
