About Us

It All Started With a Camping Trip

TLDR: I went on a camping trip and saw a guy with an RTT. I immediately wanted one but didn't like the idea of it being on my car all of the time. I then went down the rabbit-hole of Overlanding trailers. I started looking to buy an M416 trailer and quickly realized they are not that easy to get your hands on in North Texas....at least one in decent condition. Then I figured OK, maybe someone is making a modern version of the M416...couldn't find anyone. Also didn't wanna pay $10k+ for an Overlanding trailer which seems to be basically what everyone else is offering. We leveraged our experience in the Utility Trailer business to design and build a prototype (which we still own and use). Based on the cost of our build we figured we could start making these trailers at a competitive price point and still make some money...so here we are.

Founded by brothers Todd and Kyle Strouse, our story begins with a shared love for camping and Overlanding adventures. As Eagle Scouts, we developed a profound connection with nature and the thrill of exploring the great outdoors.

I (Kyle) went on a camping trip with my daughter and saw a Dad there with an RTT on top of his vehicle. I thought it looked awesome and immediately wanted one. My only reservation was the thought of leaving it on one of my vehicles. I didn't care about theft, I just didn't like the idea of driving around with this thing on top of my car all the time. Your car will also not fit in the vast majority of parking garages with an RTT on top of it. Technically they are not permanent but I wanted a big RTT that weighed close to 200 lbs so I knew I wasn't going to be regularly taking it on and off. That's just the reality of owning an RTT without a trailer. Both of the vehicles we own are daily drivers. I don't have a dedicated "Overlanding Vehicle" that I only use when I go camping. Plenty of people have RTTs on their daily drivers and are fine with their setup, but that's not what I wanted.

We eventually stumbled upon Overlanding trailers that people would build themselves. The M416 military trailer appeared to be the popular model and for good reason. Its small but not too small, lightweight, and incredibly durable. The fact that there are still plenty on the road 60+ years after they were manufactured is a testament to their design and durability. Being located in North Texas, finding an M416 in decent condition (doesn't require a lot of restoration work) is actually pretty difficult...and if you do they go for $3,000+ and that just for the trailer and at the end of the day its a 60+ year-old trailer. I'd need to spend another decent amount of money & time to kit-it-out for Overlanding.

Then we figured...Ok, someone has to be making a modern version of the M416. We started looking and were unable to find a vendor. There are likely some out there...but we weren't able to easily find them. Thus, we thought we had a business opportunity.

Leveraging our extensive experience with the Utility Trailer industry, we promptly came up with a design for our first prototype. Our trailer is based on the M416 design, namely the body shape and design. We leverage some of our utility trailer knowledge to help reduce costs (for example, all parts that are not custom fabricated by us are purchased through utility trailer vendors. These vendors have a large and robust supply chain which ultimately results in reduced material costs). We're not buying parts from RV Vendors as that is typically a more niche category and has higher margins.

Ultimately we are able to produce a quality product at what we believe are very competitive price-points when compared among our peers. Our design and trailers are pretty simple. They don't have a lot of bells-and-whistles and that is by design. The simple design allows us to keep costs down and produce trailers at scale in a cost-effective manner which then allows us to pass those savings onto you, our potential customer!

We are a manufacturer officially listed with the SAE and have the ability to issue federally recognized VIN numbers. All trailers are issued a unique VIN and this VIN is referenced in a provided Bill of Sale and Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO). These documents will be used by the purchaser in order to receive a valid Title and Registration from their corresponding State's DMV.