Founder/Creator Speaks On Design Inspiration For Nostalgia Fueled Trailer With Modern Twist & Enhancements
Derek Michael, the owner, founder, and designer of Happier Camper, has always been a “trailer lover”. It’s something he picked up from his Dad growing up in Windsor, Ontario. What Derek didn’t know was that this secret fascination with old trailers would one day become not only his passion, but his career.
Derek is a graphic designer and programmer by trade but by the time the market crashed in 2008 he found himself less and less interested in his own field. “I found myself getting kind of bored,” he says, “I was looking for something else.” Derek thought that something else would be an invention of his called the iBallz, a drop-proof case for tablet computers. “As I started shopping this thing around my Father came to me with an idea for turning his old 1968 Boler trailer into a promotional tool for the iBallz. We painted it blue and renovated the whole thing so it would fit into a standard convention booth. That thing got a lot of attention. It kind of became the mascot for the case.”
Over time Derek started to see his promotional camper in a different light. “I started falling in love with this little trailer. I started taking it out every weekend and it opened up a part of my life that I always wanted but didn’t know how to access living in a cramped city, working in the tech world, driving cars everywhere. I decided I wanted one just for myself.”
Derek bought another old trailer, a vintage fiberglass U-Haul model. “I completely remodeled the interior and painted the thing orange. I made arrangements with a friend at a Volvo dealership so I could park my two trailers there.” It wasn’t long before Derek’s friend called to say that he was receiving numerous requests to purchase those two trailers. “One couple even asked me if they could just rent one for the weekend,” he recalls. “I said sure and charged them a couple hundred bucks. I didn’t think much of it at the time.” Little did Derek know that the couple who rented his trailer would post a yelp review for a camper rental company he didn’t even have yet. Suddenly, Derek was getting dozens of rental requests for his little trailers. “I kind of just went with it and pretty much after that they started to rent almost every weekend.”
From there Derek began buying and renovating old fiberglass trailers to build up his fleet of rentals. It wasn’t long before interest in these vintage campers grew to the point where they were too expensive to purchase and renovate. That’s when the idea for the Happier Camper first came about. “I decided to build my own. I had hundreds of peoples’ feedback from all the rentals so I had a lot of information about changes people wanted for the trailers. I had hundreds and hundreds of ideas directly from customers about what they wanted. That drove my design.”
It took Derek more than three years to complete the design and develop a prototype but the HC1 that was the result was clearly worth the wait.
The HC1 straddles the line between function and form but might best be described as brilliantly designed. Built to run on solar power and use as little energy as possible the NC1’s basic electrical needs can be met almost indefinitely, as long as there is sunlight to be had. Every part of the interior is designed to withstand the elements which means anything can be used either inside or outside at your campsite. The large window in the back can be used as a hatch big enough to allow motorbikes, jet skis, or ATVs, turning your camper into a mini toy-hauler, and the interior can simply be hosed out when you’re done.
But the best feature of the HC1 would be the completely modular interior system. Every part of the trailer’s interior systems are designed in cube form which means they can be moved around in all sorts of configurations. Need to sleep 5 people? Place all the cubes together into a series of beds. Need dining space and a kitchenette? Remove the padded cover off one block to reveal a sink and small gas burner. Need to set up an ice cream stand? Stack the cubes into a counter against the large open window and you’re in business. One of the cubes is actually a cooler. Another can be a small fridge/freezer that runs on AC/DC. Another top will pop up to make a table. Take away all the cubes and you have room for two dirt bikes. There’s even a toilet!
The combinations are endless and that is what gives the HC1 its unique place in the camper world. Derek elaborates, “I wanted to create something that could be used for a wide variety of people with a wide variety of needs. The modular interior is universal too. It could be used in trucks, boats, RVs, whatever.”
Made from 100% fiberglass the HC1 is lightweight and durable. “The fiberglass exterior weighs less than a third of anything built out of metal or wood and it will literally last for hundreds of years. I’m trying to build something that can be handed down for generations.”
At this point Derek and his company are only making trailers to order while they continue to run a thriving rental business. “I’m making 2-3 units per week right now for people who want them. I’m hoping to expand on that but I’m happy to move slowly and perfect all the little things, the details.”
For Derek what began as a project he shared with his Father has turned into a life he never even dreamed of. “People who buy these are buying experiences and often investing in their families. I couldn’t ask for a better market to appeal to. I could rent and sell lightweight travel trailers for the rest of my life and enjoy it.”
Michael Quinn
A graduate of St. Louis University in Communications with a focus in Advertising & Promotions, Michael has worked for Blue Man Group, Oito Zero Oito and Counts Media among others. His interests include DJing and Lawn Mower Disrepair.
Make Sure To Check Out:
Happier Camper, which offers retro-modern at heart and delivers affordable adventure and ground-breaking flexibility in an ultra-light package. It features the Adaptiv™ modular interior for maximum utility and fun.