Oct 28

Oct 28 Unicorn small trailer: Braxton Creek Bushwhacker Plus 15DS

Small camper. Dry bath. Affordable price. That’s not a combination you see very often but it appears that the Braxton Creek Bushwhacker Plus 15D S is just that unicorn combination. RVTravel reader Steve H asked me to look into this model and it is indeed all those things. Not seeing much information out in the world I realized I’m camping in Shipshewana several blocks from the factory and I spoke with Jim Jacobs, the CEO of Braxton Creek.

Braxton Creek is a small RV manufacturer but located in Shipshewana, Indiana. At present they build two main lines, having started making small teardrop trailers and then moving into the Bushwhacker Plus series which is a larger more traditional travel trailer.

If you’re into vintage trailers the Bushwhacker Plus might almost be a “canned ham” trailer but not quite. But it is similar to something like an early rPod from Forest River and that model has been a huge success for that company. Braxton Creek is experiencing similar success with the Bushwhacker Plus.

Highlights

There are things that I really liked in this small trailer including the fact that the whole top of this is one large piece of fiberglass front to back. That explains the advantage of the teardrop or canned ham shape. To facilitate this the air conditioner is mounted into the sidewall rather than on the roof and the AC the company is using is a 5,000 BTU wall mount model.

They also use a torsion axle suspension and feature high-performance vent fans. The front kitchen sports a two-burner stove and a smallish sink across the front with a microwave below the counter surface and a cabinet. There are no drawers but there is an open storage bin that runs the width of the top of the kitchen.

The 15DS has a proper dry bath with a separate shower. This is quite an accomplishment in a trailer of this size.

The 15DS puts a 12 volt refrigerator on the camp side but still leaves space above that for a shelf and a cabinet. The very back of the trailer features two jackknife couches facing one another and four people could legitimately sit here and enjoy a meal or have a game night. Windows on either side open for air flow.

In some ways this is almost a Tardis-like use of space - for a trailer of this size there is a surprising amount of space in here. I had no issues standing up in most of the trailer, especially the bathroom and kitchen.

The model I saw the raised shower deck meant that ceiling height was limited but Jim Jacobs said that future models will have a skylight over the shower to alleviate this. I was in a prototype.

Peggy came with me on the tour and noticed that there is a lock on the bathroom door, not something you see in RVs most of the time. I also liked the flexible shower door with integrated wiper.

I also like how Braxton Creek does the sewer valves on this which pull away from the camper - many of these run parallel to the camper which gives you an odd angle and little leverage.

Observations

When you’re this far below the average market on price some things have to give. That’s just normal.

In this case there are no stabilizer jacks on the front of this trailer and I can imagine this might be one of the first things you’d want to add. Also, there’s just one propane bottle on this which isn’t that big a deal, but you’ll definitely want to keep a watch on propane levels because Murphy’s law dictates that you’ll run out in the middle of the coldest night and, with just one tank, there’s no switching over to the full one.

I will say I’ve seen more than a few comments in various places about the quality of some of the components on these trailers, primarily the wood in shelving and such. This could simply be a single individual’s observation, or it could be how the company can build such a well equipped trailer at this price point.

From what I saw the wood and build materials were on par with the rest of the RV industry and I’m finding more and more first-time RVers are surprised at how things are built compared to regular passenger cars.

Overall this could be a great choice for a couple or a parent and child who want to get away now and then and have a nice way to do so. With an MSRP about $20,000 that means dealerships may have them for much less than this and that means a lot of value for the dollar. Since these are smaller multiple units can be hauled to the dealership on one truck lowering shipping costs as well which have risen significantly.