Patriot X1H vs a Fully Contained Camper Trailer

First off I have no affiliation or connection to Patriot Campers, if this sounds like a promotion. I have liked Patriot Campers. Costly yes Quality yes. I don't think I have ever heard someone complain about the quality of their builds.

I saw this video of the full reveal of the new model and I am even more impressed than I was before.

https://www.patriotcampers.com.au/x1h/

This makes the decision my wife and I have to make tough as to which type of camper to buy.
The fully contained camper trailer we have been looking:
http://outdoorsrvmfg.com/back-country-series-20sk/

I know they are night and day differences but we are willing to sacrifice some conveniences. While the Patriot allows us to get farther away from society, we would need a shower tent and a cassette toilet. We could add walls to the awning to allow us to move around the outside of the trailer while keeping out the wet weather and wind. We would probably have to find either a location with lots of shade or cooler climate in the summertime. Need to find fuel and water sooner than the camper trailer.

Both have heat but only the Back Country has AC.

Is the Back Country as rugged as the Patriot, I doubt it, but it would not see heavy trails due to the size. It would require us to do longer distance day hikes, rather than being in the middle of it all. Weight is not a concern to us, as all our vehicles are capable of towing either safely.

Trying to decide on which one has left me a few questions. They maybe mundane to some, but with our age with some health concerns and low tolerance to extreme temps it will affect our decision.

Having never used a cassette toilet, how is emptying the cassette? Is it gas mask time? We are both accustomed to using the woods or a 5 gallon bucket with plastic bags, so not EWWW type people.

Those that travel North and South year round chasing moderate climates, is it possible? Can we enjoy the great white North in the summer and Baja beaches in the winter?

Buyer remorse, I know we don't want to ever admit it, but it does happen especially at this dollar level. Ever wished you had bought something smaller to get farther away? Wished you had bought bigger for more comfort?
 

ttengineer

Adventurer
I bet the new X1H is over 60k USD fully loaded. After all wasn’t the X1 north of 55k?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
52K with the Tech and Lifestyle Packs. Consider 3K for the Webasto Dual Diesel heater.

I would still want to add:
  • BBQ Swingaway
  • Jeep stud pattern
  • Extended drawbar
  • Utility drawer slide
  • Webasto diesel heater
  • Mickey Thompson upgrade
  • Lithium batteries
  • Evakool 60L fridge
  • Weber Baby-Q
Plus the awning walls
 

ottsville

Observer
For the money, I'd go with a custom build from flipmachine.

His new pop top build is sweet. Plus you get more off road ability and some of the amenities you are looking for.
 
While I appreciate the quality of his work, to me it is just a large version of a teardrop. Other than gaining the ability to control the sleeping environment over the Patriot, no real gain. I would still want a 270 degree awning with an annex and an A Frame room for cots. With the Patriot the awning covers three sides. You can walk from the front of the trailer with the BBQ all the way around to the tent annex, under the awning.
 

PacingTheCage

New member
Have you looked at the Teton X Hybrid? I don’t own one but it was mentioned on these boards in November. My wife and I have been looking for an off-road trailer option for over a year. Your needs/wants sound a lot like ours. We haven’t pulled the trigger on anything yet. Have looked at Patriot, Conqueror and many others. The Patriot quality appears to be unmatched. My wife likes the hard sides of the Teton X Hybrid.
 
I bet, if you asked, Patriot would include an ac solution
Sorry I just had redneck vision of a 5 gallon bucket of ice and fans.
You might be on to something though. Ducted into tent like the heater is. Doesn't need to be a big unit just something to knock the heat down at bedtime. I plan on carrying a 2kw inverter generator if we got patriot. Maybe something small like truck sleeper parking AC unit..
 

QQQ

Member
For the money, I'd go with a custom build from flipmachine.

His new pop top build is sweet. Plus you get more off road ability and some of the amenities you are looking for.

+1

For 50k + dollars I certainly wouldn't buy the Patriot, too many other manufactures make a similar trailer for much less. For that kind of cash I'd want something with indoor accommodations, sitting under a canopy or in a tent when its raining sucks, and it sucks even more if you paid 50 large for the privilege.

I may be a wimp with my livinlite 21BHS, but chillin with all the comforts of home when the weather sucks its all worth it :)
 

ttengineer

Adventurer
They certainly are BA, but like others have mentioned, I think there are options with better accommodations if $50k+ is in your budget.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Capt Jon

Observer
I have heard that the heater on the Patriot's is not up to North American weather. We camped next to a couple who had one at Expo East (20 degree weather), and they mentioned that the heater wasn't getting the job done. They also mentioned that the dealer had told them that would probably be the case when they bought it. They ate dinner with us in the annex on our Oztent, and were impressed with how warm we were with Mr. Heater. Other than that, it was a work of art. Very high quality. The couple had been living out of it for a few months, and it looked brand new.
 
I don't know why it wouldn't work for North American weather. Our winters here are no worse than European winters especially Eastern European. I do know they at altitude sensitive but altitude can be stretched if you use kerosene instead of diesel. Mount Mitchell is listed as being 6.684 ft so it really shouldn't have been a problem.
 

Capt Jon

Observer
I think its because the cold air molecules in the northern hemisphere are oriented opposite of how they are in Australia. Or perhaps its the accent or how they put "-y" on the end of everything. Either of those could probably confuse the poor hillbilly cold air molecules in North Carolina so that they just didn't know they were supposed to leave the tent.

Or maybe its something simpler like the Patriot's heater is a little undersized for the air volume and insulative properties of the tent. It could be that the vents are up near the bed, and heat rises, so the annex just never gets warm. I imagine the sleeping area was much better. But the Annex is where you want to go to get out of the cold and even have a sit down meal during the nasty weather we were having.

I don't know why they aren't great, I just know that the couple we ran into told us how much warmer our Oztent Oxley Lite (completely uninsulated and no floor in the Annex) with a Mr. Buddy was, and came to eat with us because the heater on the Patriot X-1 wasn't cutting it. I don't think its a fluke because the gentleman told me the dealer he purchased the trailer from was up-front about it being a known issue.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not beating up on the product. The X-1 we saw was simply a work of art. Nothing we saw at Expo came close to the quality and design. But nothing is perfect, and I suspect the built in heater -a great feature that nobody else but AT offers- is a little weak. I love the idea of a vented heater that isn't pumping water vapor into the tent like Mr. Heater does. At the temperatures I want a heater, condensation is a concern. I imagine it wouldn't be too much trouble to supplement it with one of the propex models from AT or just keep a Mr. Heater from Walmart in reserve for the rare night the factory installed heater is not enough.
 
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