Following up the extremely inventive and exciting GO trailer is certainly a high bar to leap over. It is kind of like a musician that releases a breakout album and then needs a sophomore album that, at the very least, accomplishes par. "We wanted to invent the tent camper for modern times," reflects Tom Dempsey, CEO, founder and design inspirer for SylvanSport in North Carolina, "And that is what we did with the GO." They succeeded. The awards for design and functionality on the SylvanSport GO are from a variety of sources, including National Geographic who said, "Coolest. Camper. Ever. The SylvanSport GO is the camper trailer for people who've never even thought about camp trailers."
In March of 2019, SylvanSport unveiled their sophomore hit at RVX in Salt Lake City to rave reviews. The SylvanSport Vast was voted best RV for Outdoor Adventure there, as well as the #1 RV for Outdoor Adventure from Outdoor Magazine. Instead of reinventing a camper trailer, SylvanSport focused on reinventing the small travel trailer. "Virtually everything in it is unique," Dempsey says. "We wanted people to be able to bring along kayaks, canoes, or bikes in a convenient way."
The way they accomplished carrying kayaks or canoes is the sidewall, which doesn't have any windows but has vertically built-in rails that allows campers to attach their boats in an easy-to-reach manner. The back of the trailer is a full hatch that opens and provides some space for a couple of bikes to store.
VAST is a first in the travel trailer segment from industry innovator, SylvanSport. [Photo/SylvanSport]
These are terrific features for an adventure seeker and the trailer has plenty of other surprises in its innovative design. "A lot of the trailer has kind of two modes," Dempsey explains to The Buzz. "For example, the kitchen can be an indoor kitchen or it can extend out and be used as an outdoor kitchen." Interestingly, once the kitchen is extended out, the space that it occupied inside becomes the shower space. There is storage in the front of the storage, which extends out to show the propane tanks and spare tire. Two queen size mattresses are for sleeping, one of which lowers from the ceiling using a motorized lift.
These features are what SylvanSport is known for, especially after the release of the iconic GO trailer in 2008. The company has been around for 15 years and started as a response to Dempsey's knowledge of both the outdoors and camping industry. "Early in my career, I worked in the Coleman popup camper division," he says, "And I realized that these are products that I would never buy myself." There has been a decline in popup camper ownership over the years and Dempsey argues that this is not because the interest has declined, but the industry has not been giving customers what they want. "Back when popups were really popular, people wanted an adventure trailer that was affordable to family-oriented purchasers," he says. He decided to make the GO as a response to this need, something that has worked out well for his company of 25.
They have other products, too, such as a variety of camping gear and a trailer called SylvanSport EASY, which is used to lug all the toys around with a small vehicle, such as kayaks, bikes, outdoor gear, and more. All of these are made in-house in Brevard, NC. "We make everything, including the mattresses," Dempsey says.
Perhaps one of the reasons for their success is being in North Carolina. Though the RV belt is Indiana and Ohio, North Carolina has access to some of the best nature in the Southeast, as well as a strong manufacturing economy. "The largest BMW factory in the world is 30 minutes from our factory," Dempsey states. “Due to this and other manufacturers, we have a great supply chain and access to a strong labor force." Dempsey mentions that North Carolina has the potential of becoming another hub for RV manufacturing because of these factors, just like Idaho and Oregon have RV factories from some of the big RV manufacturers.
They also live the life. Dempsey inserts, "Right now, I'm looking outside at a bike path 40 feet away that goes straight into Pisgah National Forest a half a mile away." Dempsey says that all the employees participate in outdoor adventure, including lunchtime bike rides on the path. "We are also half a mile from the Davidson River, which has the best trout fishing in the Southeast."
Dempsey says that VAST is a big leap for the company. Going into the travel trailer market presents new challenges and a slightly different consumer. However, they are up for the challenge, as attested. Their products, including the brand new VAST, appeal to the adventure spirit with a strong, sleek design aesthetic, and, as they say on their website, have a personality of “seriously playful.”
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