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Updated March 15, 2024
Are Hybrid Camper Trailers Better Than Pop-Ups?
In terms of features and components, hybrid camper trailers are better than pop-ups. However, if you’re more than satisfied with a pop-up trailer, then you’re not making a mistake by picking the wrong one. The hybrid camper trailer is meant for large families, with many of the features of a travel trailer, while remaining lightweight and versatile.
Something else you should keep in mind is the fact that hybrid camper trailers are also fairly varied. So, comparing a pop-up to the broader category of hybrids is often a failing proposition. The same is true of pop-ups, especially if you include some of the new, techy off-roaders that are popping up lately.
Read on to see the 8 best expandable travel trailers we found in 2024.
8 Best Expandable Camper Trailers for 2024
From lounging in comfort and style to hitting the backroads and churning up mud, there is something for everyone in this list of 8 expandable, hybrid camper trailers.
1. Palomino SolAire 244H
Our Pros and Cons
✅ L-couch, dinette, and three tent beds make for plenty of R&R or sitting space
⛔ No sink in the bathroom
- Length: 29′
- UVW: 5,283 lbs
- CCC: 1,302 lbs
- GVWR: 6,585 lbs
- Tongue Weight: 585 lbs
- Sleep: 10
On a surface level, the Palomino SolAire 244H looks much like any other travel trailer. Once you pop up the three 60 x 80 beds, however, you have yourself a recipe for a serious slumber party. The triple bed pop-up combo is not the only bed either.
You also have the traditional conversion furniture—enough to sleep up to 10 people. The bathroom is tight and lacks a sink, but the shower is plenty large and high. You’ll also love the short, L-couch directly in front of the entertainment center.
2. Black Series HQ12
Our Pros and Cons
✅ Strong stability and independent suspension system for taking the HQ12 off the beaten path
⛔ Pop-up roof is a little difficult to set up
- Length: 19′
- UVW: 5,080 lbs
- CCC: 920 lbs
- GVWR: 6,000 lbs
- Tongue Weight: 508 lbs
- Sleep: 6
The Black Series HQ12 may not be able to sleep as many as the number one spot, but its design is singular in intention. The HQ12 is purely an off-grid, off-road machine, meant for taking anywhere, in any weather.
The pop-up roof is wind and waterproof and contains an extra sleeping spot. The Black Series campers are made for outdoor enthusiasts, and much of the day-to-day living takes place outside. It includes a full-fledged, outdoor kitchen, with large storage compartments for much of your gear.
3. Forest River Rockwood Roo 183
Our Pros and Cons
✅ Includes exterior storage, slide-out griddle, solid-step entry, and a 15′ awning
⛔ TV is located in a strange spot
- Length: 25′ 6″
- UVW: 4,299 lbs
- CCC: 1,461 lbs
- GVWR: 5,760 lbs
- Tongue Weight: 480 lbs
- Sleep: 8
The Forest River Rockwood Roo 183 comes with three, pop-up queen beds. Not only are there plenty of places to sleep, but you’ll also have plenty of room to stretch out, no matter what bed you choose to jump into.
A full kitchen sits across from a 44″ dinette, or you can do your cooking outside on the slide-out griddle. An entire section of the rear, across from the bathroom, is dedicated to storage, whether you want a pantry there or a library on wheels.
4. Viking 12.0 TD Pro
Our Pros and Cons
✅ Semi-modular, with a lot of shifting and moving parts, depending on sleeping arrangements and preference
⛔ Lacks a gray tank
- Length: 13.9′
- UVW: 2,493 lbs
- CCC: 1,347 lbs
- GVWR: 3,840 lbs
- Tongue Weight: 340 lbs
- Sleep: 3
The Viking 12.0 TD Pro is a mini-monster, off-grid machine for couples, though you don’t have to use it that way. If you prefer camping in a campground, it will certainly do that as well. You’ll be plenty toasty in the winter, with a 20k BTU furnace and a small space to warm up.
When it’s warm out, you can shower the Florida beach sand off in the wet bath or grill out with the slide-out griddle. The bed is sizeable enough, for such a small space, while the gaucho couch is good for catching up on the latest novel or converting into a small, remote office.
5. Opus OP15
Our Pros and Cons
✅ Ultimate off-road camper, with diamond-plated tanks and underside for max protection
⛔ Limited counter space on the inside
- Length: 23′
- UVW: 5,159 lbs
- CCC: 1,234 lbs
- GVWR: 6,393 lbs
- Tongue Weight: 410 lbs
- Sleep: 4
Of all the hybrid camper trailers on this list, the Opus OP15 comes closest to being an all-out competitor with the Black Series HQ 12. It’s a little bit smaller, but just as capable of carrying you and as many as three over a mountain, without the luxury of paved hot-top.
Also, like the Black Series, the entire kitchen slides out from the camper, so you’ll do all of your cooking on the outside. If it’s a bit chilly outside, you can pull some fast food out of the slide-out fridge and take things indoors.
6. KZ Sportsmen Classic 160RBT
Our Pros and Cons
✅ Excellent entry-level camper with full amenities, pre-wired for King Connect, and USB ports throughout
⛔ No TV included
- Length: 19.2′
- UVW: 2,790 lbs
- CCC: 710 lbs
- GVWR: 3,500 lbs
- Tongue Weight: 310 lbs
- Sleep: 7
As far as expandable, hybrid camper trailers go, the KZ Sportsmen Classic 160RBT doesn’t try to do anything too wild. What it does do, is provide RVers with a versatile, durable, and fantastic expandable option.
It’s large enough to include everything that a traditional travel trailer has, with pop-up beds on the front and back, and a bed conversion in the dinette and 70″ bench seat. It features a dry bath, with no split. There’s even enough room for a small pantry to the right of the fridge.
7. Flagstaff Shamrock 233S
Our Pros and Cons
✅ Comes with a heated mattress and that more than justifies making the “Pro” category
⛔ Bathroom is a little tight, sacrificing space to a nearby shelf
- Length: 29.6′
- UVW: 5,111 lbs
- CCC: 1,541 lbs
- GVWR: 6,652 lbs
- Tongue Weight: 652 lbs
- Sleep: 10
The Flagstaff Shamrock 233S is only the second expandable hybrid with three queen beds. It’s hard not to love the idea of popping up three, very large beds when sleepy time rolls around, especially if you have a large family.
In fact, you would have to have a pretty massive family to run out of sleeping room in this camper. There’s also a sofa bed, across from a sizeable dinette, the latter of which also converts into a bed, though neither is quite as large as the queen.
8. TAXA Mantis
Our Pros and Cons
✅ Made for outdoor adventure, the Mantis includes attachment points everywhere, to maximize your gear
⛔ A/C is a window unit that you have to push out of the window to drain
- Length: 19′
- UVW: 2,882 lbs
- CCC: 1,088 lbs
- GVWR: 3,970 lbs
- Tongue Weight: 400 lbs
- Sleep: 2
Of the 8 hybrid camper trailers on this list, the TAXA Mantis is the one that is simply perfect for adventurous couples. Besides, it only sleeps two, so couples or solo riders only make sense. This thing is meant to haul all of your adventure gear you can handle, with hooks, latches, and catches everywhere.
The interior features a full kitchen adjacent to a wet bath, a spot for two, 20-lb propane tanks, roof-access cargo storage, a full-size bed, and a Truma C44 fridge. The 8,000 BTU A/C unit will cool you off after a long hike, and you can down your supper at the little cafe table, before crashing in a comfortable bed, ready for tomorrow.
Pros of Hybrid Campers
Hybrid trailers are just like regular trailers and RVs, but they have canvas extensions on one or both ends of the trailer. This makes the trailer more compact when you are on the road, and it reduces the overall weight of the trailer. Being lighter means that you need to spend less money on gas.
Since the trailer is smaller when it is on the road, you will also be able to travel down narrower roads than with a regular RV. This might not seem like a big benefit, but it will allow you to go to places you might not be able to with a regular RV or trailer.
Furthermore, since most of the beds and sleeping spaces are incorporated into the expandable parts of the trailer, the rest of the trailer is more spacious.
Regular trailers need to add beds to the normal floor plan, and as a result, there is not as much space to move around as you might like. This is not a problem with hybrid trailers, so there is plenty of space to stretch your legs and move around.
Cons of Expandable Hybrid Trailers
The biggest issue that you can run into with a hybrid trailer is insulation. You might not think that you need to worry about getting cold when you are traveling in the middle of July, but it still gets cold at night.
The expandable parts of the trailer do not have the same insulation as the rest of the trailer, and as a result, it can get cold at night. It is much more like sleeping in a tent than in a fully insulated trailer.
Furthermore, it will take longer to set up and take down your trailer when it is a hybrid. The exact amount of time it will take will depend on the trailer and your proficiency, but it will obviously take more time than with a regular trailer.
Some trailers only take 5 minutes to sort out, but some older trailers can take up to 35 minutes, so if that is an issue for you, you might be better off with a regular RV or trailer.
Should I Buy an Extended Warranty for My Hybrid Camper?
Yes – but not from a dealership! Unfortunately, your odds of suffering a major mechanical breakdown go up with every passing year. Based on RV Warranty claims records, more than 3 out of every 10 RVs will need major repairs in only their second year on the road. This skyrockets to 8 out of 10 in their fifth year, and virtually ALL of them in their eighth year! Today’s RVs are increasingly more complex, and with more things going wrong, the need to protect your investment is more important than ever.
Our RV Warranty plans allow you to change your mind! If you’re looking to sell your RV to a private party, you can absolutely transfer the policy to the new owner. Additionally, if you are trading in your RV, or getting out of RVing altogether, you can cancel your policy for a pro-rated refund.
We bought a warranty through Wholesale Warranties for several reasons:
- We can cancel the warranty at any time and get a pro-rated refund
- We can transfer the warranty to the new owner if we decide to sell our RV
- There are no mileage caps on our policy
- We can use repair shops all across the country
- We can use a mobile repair company right at our campsite
- The price is way better than most dealerships
- We could finance the cost of the warranty
- With parts and labor prices increasing all the time, we have peace of mind
You owe it to yourself to at least check out a warranty and get a free quote to see if it is right for you. It just takes a few minutes and you will learn a ton about protecting your investment. We only recommend products we use ourselves and we highly recommend you get a free quote from Wholesale Warranties.
Final Words About Hybrid Camper Trailers
After reading, we hope you have all the information you need to find one of the best hybrid trailers for you. We know there is a lot of information to absorb, but it is all-important for you to find a great trailer.
It is important to look at several options before you make a decision, and now you have. All 8 of the hybrid trailers listed above are great options for people to purchase or rent. They all come from great manufacturers and they have different strengths. As a result, you should be able to find a great trailer no matter your needs.
Are you looking to purchase or rent a trailer? Have you had any hybrid trailers before, and if so, which ones? Where are you planning on going for your next RV trip? Let us know in the comments!
Related Reading:
– What is a Hybrid Travel Trailer: Are They Any Good?
– 6 Best Hybrid Travel Trailers with Bathrooms
– 10 Best Camper Trailers Under $10,000 in 2021
– 10 Best Lightweight Travel Trailers Under 3500 lbs
Mike Scarpignato – Bio
Mike Scarpignato created RVBlogger.com over five years ago in 2018 to share all we have learned about RV camping.
Mike is an avid outdoorsman with decades of experience tent camping and traveling in his 2008 Gulf Stream Conquest Class C RV and 2021 Thor Challenger Class A motorhome.
We attend RV Shows and visit RV dealerships all across the country to tour and review drivable motorhomes and towable trailers to provide the best evaluations of these RVs in our blog articles and YouTube videos.
We are 3/4-time RVers who created RVBlogger.com to provide helpful information about all kinds of RVs and related products, gear, camping memberships, tips, hacks and advice.
is anyone able to share experience with model/brand that has least amount complaints, maintenance, repairs, etc. thank you!
I LOVE my 2017 Dutchman Aerolite and I never see it listed as one of the top models. What you choose depends on your needs. I wanted more tank capacity for being off grid, longer beds for tall people (8ft wide rather than 6ft), and cooking options like double sink and triple burners and I needed lightweight. This camper fits all of those needs.
We had a 23ft Jayco expandable travel trailer about 10 years ago. Loved it and am shopping for another now. I love sleeping outdoors in the drop down tent bed. Only takes a few minutes to set up. Had no problems with the unit and regret selling it! We have a C-class now and I miss sleeping “outside”.