If you’re a person who enjoys smaller, more efficient vehicles, chances are one of your favorite activities with that vehicle doesn’t include hauling a travel trailer. Lots of small vehicles just don’t have the guts to handle huge loads, which is fine! If you want to hitch a camper to the back of your Volvo V60 Cross Country, Ford Maverick hybrid, Subaru Crosstrek, or (technically) your Chevy Trax, you still have options out there. One of them is the Antishanty 4XD, a durable aluminum trailer with a base weight of 1,000 pounds, or 1,500 pounds when loaded down with options.

Recently, I’ve written about a camper that weighs 16,000 pounds, another that clocks in at 6,200 pounds, and another a full water tank shy of 8,000 pounds. If you drive a crossover or smaller, you don’t stand a chance at towing any of these things. That’s assuming your bank account is even flush enough to afford the over six-figure prices these campers command. That’s why I’m happy there are a number of companies still trying to keep things light and at least somewhat affordable. Here’s something you could easily tow with your Subaru Forester or even a Ford Maverick with the hybrid powertrain. The base weight of this one is low enough that my Smart could even take it off-road. I can smell my clutch now …

Antishanty

Back in 2019, Antishanty hit the camper media circuit with its debut trailer. The company’s first camper was a versatile metal box on wheels that you could sleep in during any season. The Antishanty name has a meaning, too, and the company says it’s because its founders are “opposed to small crudely built dwellings typically constructed of wood.” Antishanty says you won’t find any wood in its builds, which the company says should save around 10 trees for every camper built. It’s unclear what 10 trees Antishanty would use if these were made out of wood.

As a bonus, Antishanty’s all-metal campers are durable while also having a weight light enough to allow nearly anything with a tow hitch to pull them. The company’s original Antishanty AS-1 collapsible A-frame trailer weighs just 1,500 pounds. Its highlight is an aluminum exoskeleton structure plus a fiberglass reinforced composite floor, aluminum composite walls, and an aluminum composite roof. This is all insulated enough to allow for winter camping. While there isn’t much in the way of amenities, the trailer is a blank slate for you to build as you want. Antishanty even offers a bunch of different mounting points for gear, equipment, motorcycles, lighting, or whatever you want to bring with you.

The owner of Antishanty is Rod Leishman and his bio states he’s a bit of an adventurer. He rides jet skis, motorcycles, snowmobiles, mountain bikes, road bikes, and just about anything with wheels. Of course, when you take those vehicles out into the wilderness, you need a trailer to carry them. Leishman brings experience building toy haulers and adventure trailers. His team includes other thrill seekers who have built their own campers, sportsmen, anglers, and more. So, this company appears to be chock-full of people who like getting dirty in the wilderness.

The 4XD

Antishanty’s latest offering is the 4XD, an overlanding trailer that’s even lighter than the starting weights of its other trailers. At just 1,000 pounds, practically anything with a tow hitch can haul the base trailer.

The base trailer is called the 4X Trailer. It starts as a single beam of square-tube steel that runs from the tongue to a receiver in the rear. This makes up the trailer’s backbone. On top of it is a riveted aluminum frame and body. The body is designed to work a bit like a truck service bed. So there’s a flat floor taking up real estate in the center and the bed is flanked by lockers. Those lockers run the full length of the body and are your blank canvas for whatever you can fit in them. These cabinets and their doors can be used as countertop surfaces. There’s another storage locker up front for more gear or equipment and the space between the living space on top and the trailer’s bed can be filled with MOLLE panels to hang more gear. Under the trailer bed floor is a compartment revealed by a tailgate, which is large enough to store even more gear.

When you buy the 4X Trailer, you get the trailer, the lockers, 29-inch BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires, Timbren Axle-Less suspension, and a 360-degree hitch. If you want electrical power, water, or anything else, you’ll have to add it yourself. At the top of the trailer is a sleeping platform for a roof tent or whatever else you want to put up there.

If you pay more, you can get the 4XD Base, which adds a hard-sided “Rooftop Dwelling” to the top of the trailer. This functions like a tent, but instead of canvas walls, you get folding insulated aluminum walls. The interior of the RTD reminds me of some static hard-sided overlanding trailers I’ve seen. Is a hard-sided tent necessary? No, but if you’re tired of the typical tent like I am, it’s a welcome change. Antishanty says its RTD is spacious enough for two adults plus a child or a pet.

If you want more than just a cargo trailer with a place to sleep, you’ll need to either figure out your own solutions or step up to the 4XD Pro. That model comes with everything included in the 4XD Base, plus:

– Cargo Lights: Illuminate your cargo area for effortless loading and unloading, even in low-light conditions
– Interior Roof Top Dwelling Light: Enjoy a well-lit interior environment, enhancing your overall comfort
– USB Charging: Stay connected and keep your devices powered throughout your journey
– 100W Solar Panel: Harness the power of the sun and recharge your battery on the go
– Solar Ready Port: Prepare for extended adventures with the convenience of solar power
– Shore Power Charging: Stay charged with the option to connect to shore power

– High-Capacity Battery: A robust 200 Ah battery ensures ample power for all your needs
– Versatile Power Supply: With both 12v and 24v power supply via an inverter, the 4XD PRO offers flexibility for all your electronic devices.
– Dometic Fridge with Slideout: Keep your food and beverages fresh with the integrated Dometic fridge on a convenient slideout.
– MOLLE Panels: Securely attach your gear using the MOLLE Panels, both inside and outside the cargo bed.
– Tonneau cover: Lock and secure your gear with the tonneau cover

From there, Antishanty offers a variety of tire options. The company says you can option your trailer with tire sizes as large as 40s. The price for those chunky rubbers isn’t noted, but 35-inch BFGoodrich KO2s on American Racing AR172 wheels will set you back $650. If you want a spare to with that, factor in an additional $550. If you don’t get the 4XD Pro, you can get the fridge slide for $500 and the MOLLE panels for $1,650. A front rack to mount that spare tire is another $420. Otherwise, you’re on your own for everything else.

Antishanty doesn’t note base weight for each individual level, but I could see the 4XD Pro clocking in at 1,500 pounds. While that knocks that theoretical Chevy Trax and all Subaru Crosstreks but the Wilderness out of the running for being able to tow this trailer, something like a Maverick can still tow it. Antishanty says any vehicle with a tow hitch rated for 2,000 pounds can tow all of its trailers without an issue.

Pricey, But Competitive

I haven’t noted the most important part yet. How much does all of this cost? If you want just the bare-bones trailer without the dwelling, it’ll cost you $14,900. To get the same trailer with the dwelling, that’ll be $21,900. This implies the hard-sided tent is worth a whole $7,000 on its own, which is a lot! Finally, the 4XD Pro clocks in at $27,900.

That does seem like a lot of dough for what seems like a cargo trailer with a tent on top. However, prices for trailers like these do get even higher. Yes, I’m still as confused as you are. Anyway, the 4XD is cheaper than something like the Taxa Woolly Bear Overland, which costs $18,880 before you add your equipment and a roof tent. It’s also only slightly heavier than the 850-pound $13,995 Addax Overland Global Edition but comes with way more storage. Antishanty is still cheaper than the fully loaded $30,495 Addax Overland Jeep-branded trailer, and that one still has a canvas tent.

So, I do think Antishanty is competitive with other brands. I also like that the trailer appears to have a lot of places for you to make it your own. Unlike some of the steel trailers out there, the Antishanty isn’t likely to become a pile of rust after a decade of going on cold weather adventures. All of that is good. For sure, I’d love to see one of these going down a trail behind a Subaru.

(Images: Antishanty)