Info on the CampLite trailer, from an MCS perspective.
www.eiwellspring.org/saferh/CampLite_review.htm**
The Less-Toxic CampLite Trailer
Finding a non-toxic camping trailer is a particularly difficult problem for people with multiple chemical sensitivity. Trailers are generally built with wooden studs, sheets of pressboard, carpets, vinyl and other noxious components. It may take ten years to offgas a new trailer, and by then it is usually falling apart, has a leaky roof and plumbing and is contaminated with mold, fragrances, etc. It is very rare to find a used, usable camper.
A possible solution is the CampLite trailers, which were introduced in 2010 by Livin Lite in Indiana. These trailers are different from other brands in that they are almost totally made of aluminum. This is a much safer material than conventional models.
The reason for the all-aluminum design is to make them more durable and much lighter. The manufacturer did not design them with environmental illness in mind.
The following comments are based on a visit to a dealer in Las Vegas, their brochures, and conversations with salespeople at the company headquarters in Indiana. I have also seen one that was purchased by someone with MCS.
Some feedback on this article has also been added.
Materials
The CampLite trailers are fully made of aluminum. This includes the frame, the walls, ceiling, floor, doors, cabinets, bunks and countertops. There is no carpeting, and no wood products could be seen anywhere.
There are some very toxic seat cushions, which stunk up the trailers on display. These cushions can be easily discarded and replaced with a tolerable material, such as cotton pads.
Some models have a fold-out tent on the side, which is probably not acceptable since tents tend to stink for years from herbicides, flame retardants, UV protectors and plastics. Such a tent could be removed and thrown out.
Some models have vinyl wallpaper on the inside, which is not good. Vinyl never fully offgasses. Even after decades in a hot car, it can be smelled. A trailer can be ordered without this wallpaper. For a used trailer, it may not be possible to remove it. In cooler climates, it may be okay.
The walls are a sandwich construction, with a plate on the inside and the outside with foam board insulation in between. These are all laminated together and cannot be separated. The foam board appears to be Styrofoam. With this laminated construction, there should be very little contact with the inside air, even when the wind blows.
The outside wall plate is aluminum, with some baked-on paint that appears to be safe.
The inside plate is either aluminum or a hard plastic called Azdel. The aluminum plates are shiny without a pattern.
Some models have Azdel, some have aluminum. The manufacturer says the Azdel plate reduces condensation on the inside walls.
The manufacturer may custom make any model with aluminum wall board, at extra cost (ask).
The walls have one inch (25 mm) of insulation with an R-9 value. The roof has three inches (75 mm) insulation, with R-15. This is pretty good for a travel trailer. More insulation adds weight.
The windows have a built-in screen made of vinyl, which can be bothersome when hot. They cannot be removed, but the manufacturer may put in windows without this feature, if ordered.
The commode is made of plastic and so was the floor in the bathroom. The material used for the shower hose is very stinky and will need to be replaced or offgassed for many months.
The bathroom
The smallest model has no bathroom. All other models have the same very tiny bathroom where one has to sit on the commode to take a shower.
The shower has a small built-in electric water heater (110 volt). An optional propane water heater is available. These have small tanks, though the company will probably use tankless water heaters in the future, which is probably better.
The propane heater is mounted under a bunk and vented directly to the outside. It is serviced through a hatch from the outside. This should make it safe to use. (People with MCS have used similar setups in Airstream trailers.)
The water comes from a small tank under the trailer. A small 12 volt pump generates the water pressure as the water is used.
There are two options for the commode: a conventional plastic model where the waste goes directly to a blackwater holding tank, which has to be dumped every couple of days (either to a septic system, dump station or sewage caddy).
There is also a recirculating commode where a part of the waste goes to a special tank where it sits in a soup of disinfectants for three days before it is reused to flush the toilet. This recycling allows for several days between dumping the blackwater tank, but the chemicals involved make this problematic for people with MCS. Perhaps non-toxic disinfectants are available, but this is best avoided.
The manufacturer may discontinue this system in the future, as it is not popular.
The tiny bathroom in the truck mounted CampLite model.
Electrical
The trailers have wiring for both 120 volt AC and 12 volt DC. There is a space for a single marine/RV battery to be mounted on the outside, next to the optional propane tank. The battery can be charged from an electrical outlet or by installing a small solar system.
The 120 volt AC system is only live when the trailer is connected to power from the outside, unless an inverter is installed.
Cooking
Cooking can be done inside on an electric hot plate or outside on a propane camping stove. Cooking inside using the optional propane stove is not a good idea because of the fumes.
The 11 ft trailer is a lightweight room on wheels, with no bathroom.
Inside the 11 ft trailer, showing the dining area in the rear and the bunk beds in the front.
This one has shiny aluminum walls.
Models
There are several models available. The smallest is only 11 ft (3.5 m) long and 7 ft (2.3 m) wide inside the compartment. The ceiling height is 6 ft, 3 inches (1.9 m).
Note that most other manufacturers pad their size numbers by specifying the overall length of the whole trailer, including the tongue-hitch.
This model is basically a small bedroom on wheels. It does not have a bathroom, but it does have a sink and a tiny, tiny kitchen counter.
For travel, this trailer could possibly be used with a porta-potty, though the smell factor is an issue. Composting toilets have that problem too, plus they weigh a lot more and have mold issues. A more realistic use is to stay in a campground with bathrooms, or next to someone’s house.
This tiny trailer weighs only 1200 lbs (700 kg) when it is totally empty. Fully loaded, it can weigh a maximum of 2500 lbs (1200 kg) gross weight, which makes it possible to tow it with a car or a van (check the car’s instruction book to be sure).
The largest camper model has an inside length of 16 ft (5.1 m) and width of 7 ft (2.3 m). Other manufacturers would call it a 20 ft trailer. Most other trailers of this size are about six inches wider than this one. The fully loaded weight is 4400 lbs (2000 kg), so a truck may be needed to pull it.
It comes with a tiny bathroom and a 3 ½ ft (1 m) long kitchen counter and sink.
All models have built-in seats or bunks. In some, the sturdy aluminum dining table can be lowered to be flat between the seats, providing a queen-sized bed.
There are various storage compartments overhead and under the seats/bunks, all with quality latches. Additional compartments are available.
The truck mounted CampLite
Inside the truck mounted model. This one has the plastic wallpaper.
A truck mounted version is available. It needs to be installed with extra fasteners added to the sides of the truck, but it can still be removed again. Some owners of truck campers leave them off for most of the year.
This model comes with a bathroom (see picture), a kitchen and a roomy sleeping area over the truck cab.
The truck mounted camper is heavy. Make sure the truck is capable of handling this load. Some people don’t like how their truck handles with it mounted.
The camping/cargo trailers offer the largest living space.
This one has a fold-out tent and all-aluminum walls.
The company also has a line of camping/cargo trailers, with a big ramp in the end. These are intended to haul dirt bikes, ATVs, etc. and also provide living quarters. These could also be used as living space for EIs.
The largest model has an inside length of 26 ft (8.4 m) and a width of 8.5 ft (2.7 m). (This would be called a 30-ft trailer by other manufacturers). Besides the ramp and space to park equipment, they are much the same as the campers. Some offer an outdoor shower.
Options
There are a myriad of options over the basic models, which usually do not have any heating, A/C, range or refrigerator.
The optional roof-mounted A/C unit includes an electric space heater.
A propane furnace is available, but it is very unlikely it would be tolerable to people with MCS. Portable electric space heaters are the only viable option other than the electric heater built into the A/C unit.
Some cabinets are optional. Cabinets are usually a good idea to have as many of as possible in such a small space. They come with sturdy metal latches.
A conventional 110 volt refrigerator, or a propane fridge, is available. The propane fridge is vented directly to the outside, so it should be acceptable. It can also be run on 12 volt, but it consumes too much electricity to be run off the battery or solar panels.
People who are electrically sensitive may want to ask for a propane fridge without electronic controls.
Other alternatives include:
· a five-day cooler with ice
· a 12 volt thermoelectric cooler
· a 12 volt refrigerator (SunDanzer or Stega models)
The Sun Danzer, Stega and thermoelectric cooler may not be tolerable to people who are electrically sensitive.
The MCS experience
I visited someone who has bought the truck mounted trailer. It had the plastic wall paper. She was still offgassing it by keeping the door and all windows fully open every day.
After a month’s offgassing, the trailer still stunk strongly of plastics.
A friend saw the unit on a hot day, after it had aired out for six months and reported it still smelled of plastic.
As she did not intend to use the camper the first year, she chose to let the shower hose offgas in place.
In the spring issue of Ecologic News, an Arizona MCS newsletter, two people complained about the vinyl window screens that stunk when hot. These screens are built into the window and cannot be removed. The president of the manufacturer replied that people can order a trailer with other windows. A third reader complained about the vinyl wallpaper in her camper.
Health issues with metal trailers
Some people do not do well with metal trailers. Some are simply reactive to aluminum, others are sensitive to being inside a metal box, especially when the floor is metal.
Electrical devices, such as space heaters, 12 volt refrigerators and computers, may be more bothersome when inside a metal trailer or building, as the EMF can be reflected by the metal surfaces.
Overall comments
The four trailers I saw looked like they were built to last. I did not see flimsy doors, fittings, bunks, etc. It looked like a quality product that is not likely to fall apart within a few years.
These are not cheap trailers. It seems that you’ll get what you pay for, and they may keep their value better than the usual flimsy models.
The materials used seem to be a good choice from the MCS perspective, but expect to have to wash down all surfaces and let the trailer sit to offgas in the summer sun for some months with the windows and door wide open.
The construction should minimize mold problems, which is a huge problem in regularly built trailers.
Trailers are notoriously hot in summer and cold in the winter. They have less insulation than houses, and since they are off the ground, there is more outside surface.
The CampLite trailers are well-insulated compared to other trailers, but it is a trailer. It will not work well in a harsh climate, unless there is good heating/cooling. A car port is a good way to keep a trailer cooler in the summer.
People who do not own a truck may still be able to use these trailers. Someone could be hired to transport it from the dealer to a permanent site. If the trailer has to be moved between a summer and a winter site, that could also be done by hired help. This may be cheaper than owning a truck.
The larger models could be used for full-time living, where water, electricity and sewage is available. For remote living, it may be possible to use solar power, propane gas, trucked-in water and an outhouse.
Finding a site with a sewage hookup is difficult, so some people living in trailers use a sewage caddy to transport the sewage to a dump station or the septic system at a nearby house.
The smaller models can be used as a safe bedroom next to a house or for camping in campgrounds with restrooms.
The options to avoid are:
· recirculating toilet
· fold-out tents
· propane furnace
· plastic wall paper
· windows with vinyl screens
I don’t know whether the Azdel wallboard is important to avoid or not, though aluminum is probably the safest choice.
The manufacturer is very flexible in which options or items to put in and not put in. If buying a used trailer, the fold-out tents could be cut away and the furnace removed (cap gas line). The Azdel wall paper and wall board may be possible to seal with a painted on sealer, but it is much preferable to get a trailer without. The recirculating commode may be difficult to do something about.
Make sure to check
Make sure to check the materials and options yourself before buying. The models, designs and materials are likely to change over time. The ones I saw were all the 2011 model year.
Web reference:
www.livinlite.com