Green building expert and CEO of Homegrown Trailers Corey Weathers has a mission to disrupt conventional design in travel trailers and on-site lodging in unexpected places. The corporation, based in Kirkland, Washington, produces sustainable, handcrafted travel trailers.
Built with sustainably sourced wood and other non-toxic eco-friendly materials, the Timberline travel trailer gives the eco-conscious traveler the tiny house travel experience in remote locales. The trailer weights about 4,000 pounds (dry weight), which makes it easier to pull with a mid-sized SUV such as a Toyota Highlander or Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Measuring 23 feet from hitch to bumper, the trailer is compact enough to fit in most traditional and dispersed camping spots. This opens an array of camping options – both on and off grid.
Weathers, who has a background in traditional green building construction, said he was looking for a similar experience in the RV sector and couldn’t find it. So, he sought to change that.
“We wanted to prove the case that you can build an RV with sustainable materials and go completely off-grid,” Weathers says.
Homegrown Trailers started about two-and-a-half years ago with a smaller model called the Woodland. While they’ve paused production on this model to focus on the larger, more family-friendly Timberline, the concept has garnered attention from tiny house enthusiasts and travelers who enjoy more green lodging options.
“Our cult followers are not true RVers,” Weathers says. “They are intrigued with the tiny house movement and unique lodging.”
With that in mind and a season of sales and rentals, Weathers mentions they are making a strategic move toward building a network of hosted sites that may not have traditional lodging options such as wineries and event venues.
Inside look of the production facility in which Homegrown Trailers makes its works of art. [Photo/Homegrown Trailers]
While the company is focused on building a network of hosts near national parks and interesting tourist attractions, they are also equipped to give full-time RVers and frequent travelers a comfortable, eco-friendly alternative to the large trailer and vehicle combo.
The wood-sided Timberline is fully electric and available with a standard shore power package or a full solar panel/ion battery package for true off-grid camping. Various woods can be used such as cedar treated with Shou Sugi Ban, which is a traditional Japanese method of weatherproofing.
“We took it on a two-week camping trip to test the extended off-grid case,” Weathers says. “We made it 12 days and had to plug in for one night.”
He says that as long as campers have good sun, the solar panels and batteries make extended off-grid camping completely possible. They also offer portable solar panels to help extend the battery life.
The estimated battery (with daily full sun solar charge) life is 3 to 5 days at high-energy usage, which equates to 90 minutes per day of cooking, 6 hours of lighting and 24/7 refrigeration. When campers reduce usage to 30 minutes of cooking and 3 hours of lighting, the off-grid capacity for full sun exposure is indefinite.
Comfort inside the cabin was a key consideration in designing the Timberline. Similar to a tiny house, the interior of the Timberline has a residential feel.
Most floor plans make the trailers relatively comfortable for 2 to 4 people. Standard floor plans include a queen bed and two twin bunks. A dinette that folds into a bed is also an option.
The wet bath has a shower/toilet combo with an onboard (2.5 gallon) water heater. The toilet is a composting toilet, which means that campers don’t have to hook up to a sewer or dump station. There’s a holding tank that sterilizes the waste and is emptied every 7 to 30 days (depending on usage). When campers are in remote areas, the waste “package” can be buried 10 inches under the ground because it is sterile.
The kitchenette has a full sink, under-the-counter refrigerator and a two-burner electric cooktop with ample counter space for preparing meals. The trailers also include a number of standard electrical outlets and USB connectors for charging devices and other electronics use.
Weathers says the Timberline is “quite comfortable” without air conditioning in most locations because of a cross-ventilation system (20-inch window openings and roof vents) that’s designed to keep the heat out. The trailers are also insulated with wool.
However, an air conditioner is available and can even run for six to eight hours on battery power. “Our air conditioner is designed to reduce temperatures 20 to 25 degrees below outside temperatures,” Weathers says. “That’s effective in most locales. It wouldn’t stand up to a Phoenix summer, but it should be enough to cool things off in a summer situation. Most campers use the air conditioning in the late afternoon or early evening to cool things off after they’ve been out adventuring.”
The Timberline is considered a more artisan product than most RVs, Weathers says. With the wood exteriors and solar-paneled rooftops, maintenance is going to be a bit of a bigger commitment than a traditional RV.
However, Weathers says it’s fairly simple maintenance. The wood is a resilient product that requires cleaning and staining every two to three years. He says the work can be handled in a weekend or two a year.
“The roof is built much like a surfboard,” Weathers says. “You’ll need to wash and wax it every year just like you do a car.”
The epoxy sealant on the roof, nose and tail can last as long as 10 to 15 years with proper yearly maintenance.
“Similar to a wood boat, people who have an artisan product like the Timberline are willing to spend time on maintenance.”
The Timberline has limited customization options and a 90-120 day order-to-production timeframe. Base models start at around $38,000 and off-the-grid models start at about $47,500.
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