Little Guy Rough Rider

WHAT WE LIKED:
>> Lightweight, easily towed by most cars
>> Simplicity of setup
>> Affordability

NOT SO MUCH:
>> Easy to get dirty working in kitchen area
>> Need to crawl in and out of sleeping area
>> No gas or freshwater

Nowhere does B-I-G better than the US of A. Whether it’s big waistlines, big trucks, big hair, or the Big Mac, the Land of the Free triumphs when it comes to super-sizing.

It might come as a surprise, then, to learn that America also does S-M-A-L-L pretty damn well.

Witness Exhibit A, the Little Guy Rough Rider, whose ancestors hail from the same country that gave us Winnebagos so big they need their own postcodes. 

But just to clear up any potential confusion about all this red white and blue parochialism – the pint-sized camper you see here is True Blue.

Proprietor Graham Cooper began importing the campers from the US in 2007, but realised after a time that the Illinois-built units had certain features that weren’t ideal for Australian conditions. He subsequently sought and obtained permission to build the campers locally and has been doing so in Adelaide since 2010.

Graham says the Little Guy’s unique selling proposition is the fact it’s affordable, and compact enough to be hitched up behind just about any small to medium-sized car.

TOUGH LITTLE CRITTER

The Rough Rider tested here is the range-topper in a three-model line-up that starts with the $9920 Deluxe and encompasses the Deluxe Plus.

However, even at this model’s $13,250 list price, and with every available option thrown at it, the Little Guy is still surely one of Australia’s most affordable campers.

All three versions are built on a powder-coated 50mm x 75mm welded steel-tube frame. But only the Rough Rider features a 750kg ALKO solid bar axle fitted with leaf springs and shock absorbers.

It also gets bigger 235/75 tyres and 15-inch wheels, plus a Treg off-road coupling to take care of hitching duties.

The cabin is framed with laminated plywood, the floor and walls of 17 and 19mm plywood respectively, with insulation in all the body cavities.

The exterior is 1mm laminated fibreglass, fixed with a two-pack glue for an all-up wall thickness of 20mm.

It’s a smart looking little unit with brushed aluminium mudguards, matt-black 15-inch wheels, and a patterned aluminium stone guard all adding a touch of flair to the exterior. 

NOT SO SQUEEZY

On first impression the sleeping compartment looks awfully claustrophobic, but the combination of lockable doors on either side with tinted, sliding glass and fly screens, plus a tilt-up roof-vent ensures surprisingly good ventilation.

There’s also a small but noisy extractor fan located in the roof vent that also operates in reverse as a cooling fan. 

The ‘living’ area measures 2.26m long x 1.51m wide x 1.05m high, with a maximum floor length of 2.1m. The floor and walls are covered in durable marine-grade carpet, and there’s decent storage space courtesy of a selection of shelves and cabinets.

Open shelves at either end provide storage for phones, reading glasses and so forth, while two hinged cabinets above the bedhead provide space for clothes and small soft bags.

Other interior amenities include halogen reading lamps on either side of the bed, a fluoro light near the foot, a powerpoint and two 12-volt accessory sockets. 

You need to be a bit nimble to get in and out, clambering in through the door openings tent-style on your hand and knees, or reversing in bum-first.

Getting changed inside likewise takes some dexterity, and there are no blinds on the windows, so do be careful not to give the neighbours an eyeful.  

A custom-made queen-size mattress folds in three stages to store up against one end of the sleeping area, ensuring you can use the floor of the trailer when towing for stowing annexes, camping chairs and other items.

Once folded out the mattress fills the floor of the sleeping area, ensuring space enough to sleep two adults in reasonable comfort. I managed to stretch out my six-foot frame with about two inches in reserve, but anyone taller than this would probably want to reconsider.

Width is okay for two people, provided you’re friends and provided one of you don’t mind having your feet tucked in beneath the cavity created for the (optional) fridge box, which protrudes into the cabin from the galley.

WAIT, THERE’S MORE…

Outside at the rear of the trailer a lockable hatch opens on 18kg gas struts to reveal a useful galley bench for the preparation and serving of food.

This top-of-the-line unit came equipped with a compact Waeco CF-18 18-litre fridge, LG microwave, and Breville induction cooker. All pretty fancy stuff for a teardrop and all dependent on the 12V or 240V power package. Gas cooking isn’t an option.  

There’s a reasonable amount of galley storage courtesy of two small pantry cabinets and two shelves, but the onus is on packing carefully and being well organised.

Bench space is also at a premium but there’s enough space for simple meal preparations. Beneath the bench is additional storage space, where you’ll find an (optional) induction cooker casserole pot, a scissor jack, and fire extinguisher, alongside a 55aH battery and charger, electrical relays, and inverter.

The hatch provides some overhead protection from the elements but you’re not completely covered, so it’s probably wise to tick the box for the optional annexe.

A fluorescent light provides good galley illumination but there’s no sink and no piped water, so you need to come prepared with a wash-up bucket and water bottles.

Other than this, the main negative is that when cooking you need to stand hard up against the back of the camper, which means your clothes are likely to be covered in road grime by the time the snags are done.

TOWING? YOU COULD CARRY IT!

To prove the point the Little Guy is designed to tuck in behind regular cars, Graham towed this unit over from South Australia behind his V6-powered Holden Commodore wagon. We in turn hitched it up to a four-cylinder powered Mazda6 Touring wagon, which retails for $34,750.

The first thing we noticed was that at only 1.75m from ground to vent-top, the Little Guy is low enough to sit comfortably behind a regular car without blotting out the sun. 

Its compact dimensions – 2.1m from guard to guard – also mean you can keep a good eye on what’s happening when towing without the need for trailer mirrors.

At 500kg, or 585kg when fully optioned, the Rough Rider sits at the top of the weight range, but that still wasn’t enough to cause the Mazda, which can legally tow up to 1500kg, to break into much of a sweat.

Granted, it squatted down a bit at the rear under the 56kg ball weight (Mazda6’s towball maximum is 120kg), and its combination of a 125kW/400Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a five-speed automatic did warrant some extra Welly in the hills. But overall it proved up to the task, provided you kept revs at 3000rpm or better. 

The Little Guy tracked accurately causing no directional issues with the suspension or steering, but given our chosen tow vehicle’s on-road only application, we weren’t able to test the Rough Rider’s professed off-road credentials.

Graham referred us to a testimonial on his website from owner Michael O’Connor, who tells of an epic 15,000km trip towing a Rough Rider from Adelaide to Kalgoorlie, Perth, Broome, Katherine, Darwin, Mt Isa and Birdsville, among other places.

The camper reportedly traversed around 3500km of unsealed roads, included the infamous Gibb River Road and the Strzelecki Track, with the owner claiming to have had no mechanical problems, “not even a flat tyre”.

OPTIONS APLENTY

The Little Guy can be had with either a 12V or 240V power package. The latter provides an external caravan plug, double powerpoint in the galley, two side entry plugs and a 15-amp socket.

The 12 volt package is wired from trailer plug to battery to ensure it charges the 55aH battery while towing, and there are power outlets in the galley and under the galley bench, plus a cabin ceiling light and galley light.

Other items to choose form include a double or queen-size custom mattress, a BBQ bench and bracket that connect to the side of the trailer, a 3m x 3m side-mount annexe, and a separate galley annexe. Roof racks and bike racks can also be attached to accommodate additional luggage and equipment.

VERDICT

On first impressions it’s tempting to think of the Little Guy as an over-sized pet transporter, but in the great tradition of not judging a book by its cover, it’s actually well thought out and very competent little camper. 

It’s easy to tow, easy to manoeuvre and appears well targeted to people who enjoy the caravan-camping lifestyle, but who are looking to downside. It’s also an ideal option for people who want to do quick weekend trips or similar, without the hassle of a hitching and hauling a larger unit.  

Granted, this lightweight bed on wheels isn’t going to be for everyone. But if you’re the kind who likes to travel light and who appreciates the ease and simplicity of simply pulling up and crawling into the cot, without the need to muck around with tents, annexes or even pop-tops, then the Little Guy should be of big interest.   

LITTLE GUY ROUGH RIDER

Berths: two
Overall length: 3430mm               
External width: 2100mm        
Internal height: 1075mm       
Nameplate tare:  583kg
Nameplate ATM:  736kg
Ball weight:  56kg              
Cooktop: Breville induction hot plate                       
Fridge: Waeco 18 litre                      
Gas: N/A                           
Freshwater: N/A              
Suspension: 750kg Al-Ko solid bar axle with leaf springs with shock absorbers
Price: from $13,250
Supplied by: Little Guy Australia, Norwood South, South Australia