From Melody Brown
What travel trailer combines the world of Glamping plus the convenience of an RV? A Pop-up! As designers, we love ourselves a good Airstream, but why not replace all the hot, expensive metal with some airy canvas? You can’t wake up to 360 degree views of Redwoods in an airstream.
Yosemite called and we listened. In our past lives we were strictly backpackers. Having three little ones under five changed our travel trajectory. Then came the Fleetwood Evolution E3. Once vowing to never go full RV, the pop-up trailer seemed like a happy medium for seasoned tent dwellers. Like backpacking, there is set up and takedown, but with storage easy on the eyes, and the ability of an SUV to tow, it’s worth it in the end.
Our little lady needed some love when we picked her up. With aesthetic always at the forefront of our minds and careers, we wouldn’t have been able to resist touching her up. In the two days leading up to Yosemite reservations, we replaced everything soft - canvas, mattresses, curtains, upholstery - then all of the cabinet fronts, fixtures and mechanical. It felt like renovating a small condo with some late nights, but the result was glamping on wheels!
We took her through the desert to Yosemite, drove her up the coast, and nestled her in the Redwoods. She carried bikes and paddle boards off the gear deck, we cooked outdoors and in (dependent on the mosquito count), showered, toileted, and kept the outdoors as pristine as we arrived.
Thus, when the typical backpackers could use a nice queen bed to rest with little ones, consider the pop-up. She’s light and airy and you wake up smelling the ocean. There’s no better way to fully experience the depth of some California terrain. It's high time for a pop-up resurgence!