When you're uncomfortable sleeping in the backcountry, the side of a motocross track, or wherever your adventures might take you, the next day's ride will always be worse. Think about it, your sleep affects everything you do. And sleeping in a tent on the hard, cold ground can make for a trash following morning, as your neck is still, your back's shot, and you're groggier than I was when my kids were still infants.
No amount of coffee or energy drinks are going to change that, either. I know. I've tried. Learn from my failures and experiences.
That's why I felt like my Can-Am's rooftop tent was such a game-changer. And even adding the Hest Foamy bettered it still, as it insulated me more, provided some much-needed padding, and kept me away from the hail, rain, and cold of the 10,000-foot elk woods. But rooftop tents have their drawbacks, too, as they aren't as insulated as a camper. Likewise, you tend to lose carrying space, whether it's on a side-by-side like mine, or using a truck. Routinely, gone is your truck's bed.
Modern Buggy's Ultimate Hauler 18, however, solves that by combining a tear-drop camper with a trailer that'll still hold a couple of motorcycles, an ATV, or possibly even a trail-bred snowmobile. And it's off-road capable.
Modern Buggy is primarily known for its awesome little tear-drop campers, which folks tow behind their off-road rigs to no end. You've likely seen a bunch of them on Instagram and TikTok, as they're a favorite among the overlanding/off-grid van-life crowd. The company also has a truckbed camper that slides like in just like those Alaskan campers of old.
But the Ultimate Hauler 18 is something that combines the practicality of the company's tear-drop campers with the capability of hauling your toys without the need to unhook the camper from your hitch. See, before this particular product, you'd have to pull the trailer off to access the truck's bed, which would routinely haul your dirt bike, adventure motorcycle, ATV, or snowmobile. But by adding a few extra feet to the back—10, to be exact—you not only free up your bed for gear so your cabin isn't full, but you gain all that real estate for your powersport toys. No sacrifice at all.
The Ultimate Hauler 18 is based on a 22-foot trailer, but modified by adding one of the brand's now iconic tear-drop campers. The camper itself looks like it uses the same basic layout of Modern Buggy's Country Born layout, in that it forgoes the tear-drop shape for a more squared-off design. Inside, you get a ton of amenities, including a folding queen-sized mattress, solar-powered lights and fan, and a handful of cabinets. Outside, there's space for kitchen appliances like a stove or something along the lines of a Dometic electric fridge. There's also a top rack and further storage at the front for all your powersports gear. Modern Buggy also has a host of optional extras, including a roof top tent, awning, and oh so much more.
Yet, it's the trailer where the magic happens.
Set on a double axled trailer design, the whole unit has a 4,500-pound payload capacity, which is more than enough for a handful of bikes, an ATV, or a snowmobile if you're feeling frisky for some early season snow. It has integrated tie-downs, along with a folding ramp that's built into the trailer for easier unload and loading, as well as safety. The trailer also features off-road tires, so that when life gets Western, you can get Western with it.
As for price, it ain't cheap. The base model is supposedly $24,995, according to RV Trader, which is pretty steep. Steep in that it's the price of a base model utility side-by-side these days. But if you're spending more time in the backcountry than your house, or if you don't own a house and just travel the continent with your motorcycles or ATVs, it's not unreasonable for the comfort it'd provide. Honestly, seeing the photos of this contraption immediately started conjuring all the adventures I could take it on, which is sorta the point.
Maybe I have to rethink next year's hunting camp?
