Los Angeles-based Happier Camper is a designer and manufacturer of modular fiberglass travel trailers that are multifunctional and highly customizable. Their trailers are hard to beat in terms of customizability, and you can tow them with an SUV or even a sedan. These lightweight, innovative travel trailers with unique modular interiors are well worth checking out.
What Is a Happier Camper Travel Trailer?
We’ve highlighted some pretty cool small travel trailers on this blog before, including TAXA Trailers and Oliver Travel Trailers, but the Happier Camper travel trailers are definitely unique. Happier Camper RVs are small, lightweight travel trailers that have an interior you can create/design/arrange according to your needs. They utilize a concept known as the Adaptiv® modular interior system, which allows the owner to easily customize the rig’s interior based on Adaptiv® technology.
The highly flexible Adaptiv system utilizes cubes that are easy to move and reconfigure, enabling you to create a completely new interior on the fly. They also double as storage and can be used outside. This means that you can use your Happier Camper for anything from camping to hauling gear to selling your wares at the local farmers market to the creation of a photo booth, or really any type of business.
The unique Adaptiv system allows for customization according to need. The cubes double as storage and can be used inside or outside the travel trailers. (Photo source: Happier Camper)
Often compared to Lego® blocks, the Adaptiv system uses components that fit together into grooves in the floor to create a variety of interior design layouts. You can arrange and rearrange the highly durable interior components to create whatever type of interior you want at any given time. So, you can stack the cubes to create a bed or to hold a countertop for a desk or an eating station. You can even remove the cubes from the Happy Camper and use them outside.
You can buy additional cubes to create more seating or sleeping space, and there’s even a cooler cube to keep your food and beverages chilled.
Let’s take a look at the various Happy Camper floor plans to give you an idea of the potential for each design.
Happier Camper HC1
The HC1 is Happier Camper’s flagship travel trailer. It has a 100% fiberglass double-hull handcrafted shell, and can fit into a regular parking space. Weighing in at 1,100 pounds dry weight, the HC1 is the lightest trailer in its class and can be towed by many standard passenger cars (it has a fully-loaded GVWR of just 3,500lbs).
The Happier Camper HC1 travel trailer has a modular interior design for flexibility and customizability. (Photo source: Happier Camper)
The HC1 has a very large rear hatch and a wide entry door, as well as large panoramic windows. The floor is a fiberglass grid, allowing for super flexibility with the Adaptiv modular interior components.
The HC1 and all Happier Campers have a very generous rear hatch for ease of loading and unloading Adaptiv cubes or gear. (Photo source: Happier Camper)
Starting at just $26,950 for the “Essentials” package, the HC1 is a solar-ready RV that can accommodate a family of up to five people. Other, more premium packages are available that include additional amenities and upgrades.
Happier Camper HC1 Studio
The Happier Camper HC1 Studio is inspired by the concept of a studio apartment. It’s very close in size to the HC1, but includes a fully equipped kitchenette, a fixed bathroom, and a queen-sized bed, making it perfect for solo travelers/couples.
The Happier Camper HC1 Studio integrates a bathroom and kitchenette into the tiny HC1. (Photo source: Happier Camper)
We’ve seen and used RV wet baths before, but this one is unique in that it lacks a sink to save space, but instead has a faucet that drains directly into the floor drain. So, if you wash your hands or brush your teeth, for example, you’ll be draining the water — and everything else — directly onto the floor. Interesting… and it might take a little getting used to.
The HC1 Studio’s wet bath eliminates the sink, instead draining the faucet directly onto the floor (with drain). (Photo source: Happier Camper)
Meanwhile, the toilet is a Dry Flush toilet that uses an automatic bag system to catch, compact, and dispose of waste. It can also be removed from the bathroom to make more room for showering. The kitchenette features a dual-burner propane stove, a sink, and a drawer refrigerator. The stove and sink lids drop down to create some additional counter space.
The kitchenette and wet bath of the HC1 Studio is tucked into the front of the travel trailer. (Photo source: Happier Camper)
The HC1 Studio also offers integrated 64-liter (approximately 17-gallon) freshwater and graywater tanks, as well as an AGM battery and a solar-ready port (for ground-deploy, portable solar panels).
This floor plan of the HC1 Studio shows the small kitchenette and wet bath tucked in at an angle, opening up additional space for the Adaptiv system to create the rest of the interior. (Source: Happier Camper)
The HC1 Studio is built just like the original HC1 (including the signature wide rear hatch), has an interior height of 6’1″, and uses the Adaptiv® modular system to create a queen-sized bed to sleep up to two adults comfortably.
A wider view of the HC1 Studio interior. (Photo source: Happier Camper)
The dry weight of the HC1 Studio is just 1,800 pounds.
The HC1 Studio Essentials trim starts at $39,950 while the higher-level Summit trim hits a surprising price point of $53,950. They’re certainly not cheap, but the camper is uniquely adaptable, and the system’s Adaptiv components are designed for use both inside and out.
The HC1 Venture
The HC1 Venture is Happier Camper’s business model.
The HC1 Venture is Happier Camper’s versatile business model. (Photo source: Happier Camper)
With a dry weight of 1,100 pounds and a tongue weight of 150+ pounds, the Venture has the same strong, durable, but lightweight construction as the original HC1. Intended as a pop-up business on wheels, this little travel trailer can serve as a little food and/or beverage vending service or a place from which to sell your wares at the county fair or local farmer’s market.
The Venture has the same large, easy-access hatch for getting gear, equipment, etc. into and out of the travel trailer. (Photo source: Happier Camper)
The Venture offers interior and exterior serving bars that are removable. It can be customized with upgrades, including solar and cooling packages, and whatever Adaptiv modular interior features may suit your needs.
The roof of a Happier Camper travel trailer can accommodate a solar and AC package. (Photo source: Happier Camper)
You can even choose a custom gelcoat color and logo to match your brand.
The Venture can be customized with a gelcoat in your brand’s color, incorporating your business logo. (Photo source: Happier Camper)
The Traveler
The Traveler, Happier Campers’ largest offering, provides two dedicated living spaces that can be customized using the Adaptiv system to suit your specific use case, along with an integrated bathroom and kitchenette.
The Traveler is Happier Camper’s largest offering, but with a dry weight of only 1,800 pounds, it can be towed by the family minivan, SUV, or even some cars. (Photo source: Happier Camper)
With a dry weight of 1,800 lbs and a total Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of just 3,500 lbs, the Traveler is still light enough to be towed by the family minivan, SUVs, and even some standard passenger cars. This Happier Camper travel trailer has an interior height of 6’5″ (walkable floor space is 85 sq. ft.), and has panoramic windows to let in the light and the views.
The Traveler offers two separate living spaces and 5 panoramic windows. (Source: Happier Camper)
The Traveler’s living area is highly customizable using the LEGO-like honeycomb floor grid and highly portable modular Adaptiv pieces. Remember that Adaptiv pieces also double as storage and can be stacked and reconfigured as needed, making them suitable for use indoors or outdoors.
The Traveler features all-season insulation, hot water, a heater, and a power system. It also comes solar-ready.
Interested in the Happier Camper Modular Travel Trailers or Van System?
New Happier Campers, along with additional information and specs, are available on the Happier Camper website. You can learn more about these innovative little rigs or even shop for used Happier Camper travel trailers by visiting the Happier Camper Owners Group.
And, for a good visual illustration of how the Happier Camper Adaptiv system works, check out their video:
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Gay Travel Enthusiast (Jason)
Friday 2nd of June 2023
Hey Peter. Hey John. I hope you're doing well. I've never heard of the Happier Camper. Looking at it, it looks like something my Mazda CX-5 could tow. I can see one, maybe two adults sleeping in it while traveling.