I have covered the SylvanSport GO in a past post but have never had the privilege of seeing one in person. I have always been impressed by the creativity and quality of this little camping trailer.
A couple of weeks ago, I was able to see one in person for the first time. First off, I want to tell you that I receive no monetary reward for sharing this product with you. The reason I am promoting it is that I really like it and and want to share my personal experience with you.
SylvanSport does not have a dealership in my area, however, when I mentioned that I would enjoy seeing a GO in person they put me in touch with someone in my area who owns one and is willing to share it with others. Peter lives about an hour north of me and he and I arranged to get together so he could show me what it looked like and how it worked in person. I attempted to shoot pictures as we assembled the GO and have put them in this post to show you.
The Go is a cool little camper, but so much more. Weighing in at just above 800 pounds the GO is easy to move around by just about any vehicle. Peter pulls it with his Honda Element.
The GO is more than just a tent trailer, it can haul your toys: ATV’s, mountain bikes, kayaks, motorcycles, etc. It is easy to change from one aspect to another.
When you arrive at your destination, remove your toys and start setting up camp. You can view the assembly video below.
It is very easy to assemble, Peter let me do the bulk of the work and though I was a little slow it still only took between 10 and 15 minutes to assemble. If you did it two or three times you could probably cut the time in half.
I have always been impressed by the quality of the GO on their website. Seeing it in person made me a believer in what I had seen. Each piece has its place and everything snaps together just like it was meant to. The first thing you should do make sure it is level. Once that is completed you crank up the top and start assembly of the sides which are actually the beds. Then, let down the tent from the convenient top and connect it to the trailer. The steps go into place, the bed platforms set in, the table put up. It is now ready to be a comfortable home away from home.
Many may consider the SylvanSport GO to be expensive, but this is a case of you get what you pay for. The GO parts are mainly made in America. It is a well thought out unit and you will enjoy it for years to come. If you get a chance to check one out be sure you do!
Thank you again Peter for taking the time to share it with me. Learn more at the SylvanSport website.
Photo Credits: Kent Griswold
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It is really nifty for sure.
Eight Thousand Dollars.
I’d have to have a LOT more disposable income for that.
Many people already enjoy driving their truck out to a camping site and simply sleeping in the bed of it. Unlike the other campers, those in truck beds don’t need to lie on the hard ground, and risk having insects and other critters crawling into their sleeping bags.
I like the inovation it is a slick little unit and a great study in use of space .
The price might be a little steep if you’re just looking at it as a tent/trailer. However, since the tent part is compactly stored in the roof (LOVE that feature), it looks like it could be used for so much more. (The video shows hauling a fridge.)
Great concept and something I’ll keep in mind for the future.
Thanks, Kent, for providing more information on this little jewel.
Coolest camper ever does live up to its name.We love our GO and it is worth every penny. The rig is always packed and just load up the ice chest and……..GO!!
It’s a neat concept but I think you’d get more use out of teardrop. Something like the little guy (http://www.golittleguy.com/teardrops/) can be had for around $5k (quite a bit less lightly used). You don’t have to worry about drying it out if you have to put it away wet, and you don’t have to worry about setting up in the wet either. You can add on a fitted tent room (http://www.golittleguy.com/zenphoto/trailer-accessories/DSC_7507.JPG.php) if you need more space. They even make versions that’ll fit a motorcycle or ATV.
Also, if you’re big into off roading it, check out these trailers… http://www.adventuretrailers.com/
We owned a pop-up tent trailer for several years. We enjoyed it, but I soon discovered that I am very lazy. I didn’t enjoy the fairly lengthy, somewhat strenuous set up/tear down process. It only took a few years before we migrated to a hard sided travel trailer. Pop-ups, however, can be great fun. It’s a step up from tent camping, if you’re tired of sleeping on the ground.
I think the price is very high on this one. Despite the fact that it is made in America, well built and well thought out, they have priced themselves out of the market, in my opinion. A decent, entry level pop up with fridge, stove, water tank and propane system can be purchased for as little as $6-8k. A used one will cost much, much less. Although the quality is likely very good on the Sylvan Sport, it is very short on amenities.
Another option for someone wanting a pop up is an Aliner. It is a hard sided “pop up” type trailer. These are also pretty pricey, but really cool.
Our first experience camping was a rental “pop-up” tent trailer some twenty five years ago. Was not impressed with rearranging and stowing the gear every time we changed camp sites. We decided to purchase a used RV camping travel trailer. This was fantastic!!….. Until our camping vacations turned into ninety to one hundred degree temperature days. Four years ago we purchased a used camping travel trailer with AC….. Now we enjoy our vacations no matter what the weather springs upon us. Regarding the price of the Sylvan SportGo??…………It has already been addressed in previous comments…BUT it is a neat and interesting design.
Meh. Never seen this before but color me unimpressed. 15 minutes set up, just to get what is essentially a tent with a hard floor. A VERY good family tent with 3 times the floor area and separate rooms can be had for under $300 these days, and a couple half-sheets of plywood hauled along solves the floor problem. We use a 10×10 piece of “outdoor carpet” ($20 at home depot) for inside our tent. The tent would leave more than enough room in the trunk for the other campling bits – stove, cooler, toilet. Add in the hit on gas mileage from hauling 800 lbs of trailer, and this is a non starter. At least with a pop-up you get the “built-in” feel of the galley, bathroom etc. This has all of the hassle but none of the advantages over a plain old tent.
I seen Sylvan when it first came out. It a cool little camper , but the price turned me off. At around $8,000 for a glorified tent on a utility trailer , that’s way to much money for me to justify spending.
ridiculous price for a cheap cargo trailer with a single wall nylon tent. You’d be better off with a good quality rooftop tent ($1000) that sits on top of your vehicle. Or a high quality tent with a full rain fly that would give you more room and pack up into a stuff sack for stowing inside your car ($400-$800). Additionally, for the price and weight you could purchase a much sturdier mini pop up like this http://www.livinlite.com/6.0-overview.php
Nice for sure, but priced way too high.
With everyone liking the product except the price, what do readers think the price should be for such a nifty rig. It was tried in Australia but it never took off probably due to the price and the other options available like camper trailers or just plain tents. ;p;
I could see it selling in the $2-3k range, roughly the cost of a good trailer and a good tent. Pricing it above teardrops and popups is just doesn’t make sense.
With so few amenities (no water, electrical, or propane system) I think $2-$4k is what the market would bear, with $4k being on the absolute high end. It might be worth more, with such good construction and high quality materials, but it probably would not sell for more to the average consumer.
In my experience, pop-ups are generally purchased with expendable income for weekend hobby use. I’m sure this will get some negative reactions – but I would suggest that perhaps uber-high quality materials are not cost effective or necessary. A good canvas, mid-range materials and efficient design might be more important. I don’t expect my travel trailer to last 30 years and I couldn’t afford to purchase a trailer built for that kind of longevity. I purchased my trailer for weekend fun trips.
I’d like to see this kind of fold-out:
http://www.quickupcamper.com/open.html
Is it true though that it has no brakes? How do you tow an 800 lb camper with say, a 1000lb ATV as shown in the ads, with a small vehicle and no trailer brakes?
I think it’s a cool idea but not worth much more than $2000 for what it is.
They are trying to market this to outdoor image yuppies at the local paddlesports shop here in Madison, WI. These are the same folks that will also spend upwards of $3000 on a canoe.
Most every one is complaining about the price then some recommended other types of pop up tents or even a little guy tear drop trailer. That’s comparing apples to an orange. In our case, we have to have a trailer function in order to haul our motorcycle and having a tent to go with it is a bonus! The only other trailer/tent That comes close is the Jumping Jack trailer we saw at Sportsman’s Warehouse last night and the price is very close to the Sport Go, which is $6K. However, that particular one is too big to fit in our garage and the smaller size they make is just a plain pop up tent for the same price (because it’s made for off roading). So, at this point we are leaning towards the Sylvan sport go. If only the person who owns one would contact us back so we can see it in person.
Looks cute and very fit to one person only but if it make things work it might could enjoy by many.
Im a avid outdoors lady. I bike, kayak, fish, hunt birdwatch and plein air paint. Love these trailers but their prices are outrageous.Been looking at them forever but the price puts me off. They are definitely not for the working woman’s budget.
I think that if they lowered the price a bit they’d sell allot more.