Tent Camper Road Test

This is a short video showing the first Kampereen K3 tent camper road test. It’s always an anxious moment when I take a new design out for the first time to see if it will behave well at speed.

The first tow is done with an empty camper. Weight seems to hide some handling problems so I think that the first time out reveals more when the cargo box is empty.

When I take a camper out, I’m looking for a couple of things in its performance. Most important is how the empty camper feels at speed. It is stable behind the bike or does it show any signs of wagging?

In my opinion, an empty trailer that wags is a trailer with a deficient design. It should not happen. Either the axle stubs are too far forward or tongue length is too short.

If the empty camper feels good on this test, I then load it up with a good amount of weight, take it one of my favorite dirt road trails and run as fast as I dare to give the suspension a good workout.

Based on this first test, the Kampereen K3 seems pretty  solid. Towing it behind a BMW GS is a good test. Because the GS has minimal bodywork, it does not punch a large hole in the air like a Gold Wing or Harley dresser. The air behind the GS is more disturbed which can adversely affect trailer handling. (This effect is more pronounced with single wheel trailers.)

With this test done, I feel comfortable taking it out for a little harder test.

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