Today’s RV review is of the SylvanSport Go. But this trailer really stretches the boundaries that many people use to define RVs. In fact, it starts out as something other than an RV. But it can absolutely be an RV. And more. Much more.

I am a huge fan of things that can serve multiple purposes. Whether that be in my own kitchen or in my RV, anything that can be a multitasker is a big winner in my book. Which is why I’m surprised we’ve never taken a look at the SylvanSport Go trailer before. It’s almost the ultimate multitasker.

SylvanSport Go

First, it has to be written that the SylvanSport Go is one of the most unusual products in the RV space. While your initial impression might be that this is actually not a camping tool at all, that perception can be assuaged by seeing one of these camping in the wild.

You could best describe this trailer as a tent trailer or even a pop-up tent trailer. The ultra light 840 pound trailer might be one of the lightest trailers I’ve written about yet it can sleep up to four people, although it is well suited for two.

More than just an RV

In addition to the traditional reasons one buys anything in the RV space, for camping, it can also be used as a utility trailer.

Essentially the SylvanSport Go starts as an open cargo trailer, of sorts, with a thick “lid” on the top of it. Using the built-in lift mechanism you can lift the lid portion to accommodate things like quads or gear you might use for work. The surface is a rugged plastic with the main construction of the trailer being welded and powder coated aluminum. The entire thing rides on a torsion axle.

You can also tilt the trailer to accommodate loading your quad or what not.

There is also a rack on the top of the lid where you can load things like kayaks or bicycles or that sort of adventure gear.

But, think of this. With a trailer that just about any motorized vehicle can safely tow, you get a camper (we’ll get to that) but also a utility trailer. Do you need to go pick up that large purchase from Costco? No problem. Need to haul a bunch of stuff to the dump? No problem. Plus the surface of the trailer is such that you can easily clean it off after that dump run.

What about camping?

Now we get to one of the most clever aspects of this trailer, the camping portion. In that lid is an entire tent and mattress assembly. The small rectangular space that is the trailer when folded up expands like some sort of magic circus act to a pretty capable tent on wheels.

There are platforms that extend out the sides of the trailer and then an entire tent structure that drops down from the lid. Oh, and the lid can crank up such that you can easily stand up inside here.

On those platforms that extend out the side go folded padded pieces and then self-inflating mattresses. This facilitates two people sleeping in the trailer, one on each of these platforms.

But there are also two flat pieces hidden here as well. You can use one in a raised position to be the table so that people can sit on either side of the table on the padded platforms or you can use the two platforms to create one giant bed.

That bed would still be raised up such that you can store things underneath it and the company has made these middle pieces fit such that you can still stand up inside the trailer even with them creating a huge bed in this trailer.

To see the different ways this very small trailer can be reconfigured with things that fold down into the lid assembly just impresses me. The engineering and forethought that went into this design is just so unusual in the RV space.

But wait, there’s more

Not only is there the interior of this trailer but there’s a large front trunk on the SylvanSport Go as well. The cranks and other pieces do fit into the lid but you can use it to store adventure gear or it’s also designed to serve as a huge cooler. If you load the plastic trunk with ice you can use it to keep your food chilled.

Of course there’s a drain plug in the bottom to accommodate that melting ice and it’s just another example of the kind of thinking that went into this trailer.

What’s missing

I would describe this trailer as being more well suited for weekending and short trips rather than being something one could live in full time. Part of the reason for that is that there is no plumbing or propane whatsoever.

So, basically, what you have is a tent and a great way to haul that around that can also serve as a way to get other gear to the campground. The beauty of this kind of tent is that it’s completely off the ground.

However if you want a kitchen or a toilet, you’ll have to do whatever you’d do in a tent. That includes any climate control function such as heat and air conditioning. And, since the entire tent assembly has to fold into the lid along with the self-inflating mattresses and all of that it’s not really the place you’ll want to be when the weather is extremely hot or cold.

One of the options you might want to consider is SylvanSport’s own Dine-O-Max portable kitchen. It’s an equally well engineered companion to this trailer.

You could also get a SylvanSport Privy Bivy and a portable toilet, which is exactly what we’ve done.

In summary

There are three package options in this trailer including the “all out package” that does include SylvanSports’s really nice folding camp kitchen and a solar charging system.

Even the base model, at $10,995, offers the functionality of being a complete camping solution along with a gear hauling machine that can safely be towed by many vehicles that aren’t exceptionally well suited to towing.

One of the advantages of this trailer is that the lid section is on a crank that raises and lowers so a primary challenge of towing for vehicles that have very low towing capability is overcoming aerodynamics. By this trailer having a low profile in towing mode, combined with being exceptionally light, it really is a great choice for people who might really want to be on the go but don’t necessarily want a large tow vehicle.