Gear Wagon 125
You need to know two things before you go any farther in the review: 1- this product has almost a $5k price tag and 2- the usefulness and functionality justifies the cost.
- Dimensions: Bed Dimensions 93" x 60" x 54"H (curved) Overall (with tongue and tires) 123"L x 72"W x 70"H
- Capacity and Weight: Capacity 137 cubic feet Weights Tongue Weight 30 lbs Empty Weight 480 lbs Payload Weight 1,000 lbs G.V.W.R. 1,480 lbs
- MSRP: $4987
Yeah yeah yeah…I can hear the grumblings and mumblings and all of your banter about the price and yeah I agree 5 grand is a huge chunk of change, but read this review, hell swing by their shop and check out the product and then see if you still think the price is outlandish.
The vision behind the GearWagon 125 was to pull double duty as a gear hauler as well as a camper that is lightweight, easy to set up and can be so many things to so many people that it is one of the most versatile units I have dealt with.
For this review we took this bad boy on a 2000 mile road trip to beat the hell out of it and see if it had what it takes to make the cut. The basics of the GearWagon is bomber construction that will swallow 137 cubic feet of gear, weighs only 480lbs and can haul 1000 pounds! From the clam shell opening you can fill the unit from the drop down tailgate and affix the sides and back with the Velcro closures on the edges of the tent. Made out of marine grade fabric, it has plenty of side vent room to help keep the breeze flowing. Should you camp in the snow…like we ended up experiencing unexpectedly on the trip, you'll be alright with it because this thing held temps well with its twin-walled, high density polyethylene base with polyurethane structural foam interior. What this means is that it has bomber R value so you will stay comfortable, even if the great Arctic winds batter the outside, once you batten down the hatches you are snug as a bug.
Should you seal up the tent and fear ventilation and stuffiness, simply flip the switch on the dual solar/battery powered vent fan that can either remove the air or draw the air in.
Sheesh I got all fired up about it and rambled a bit but now I want to bring it back home and actually walk you through this product. Yes it is a trailer and a camper, and the way that it works is simple. The interior is dialed from multiple gear attachment points so you can lash bikes, camping gear, rubber maid containers, coolers, really what ever you might want to haul safely out of the weather.
And should you want to sleep in it you can slide the platforms (20lbs each, that store along the sides of the bed) across the bed rails and have a nice sleeping platform.
We ended up setting up the sleeping platform and sliding all of our gear underneath it so that is was out of the way. To make our bed we used 2 climbing crash pads as the mattress and then topped them with our sleeping bags. We then added the tent to keep the bugs out and slept really well every night. In addition the tailgate drops down and you can use it as a vestibule to ditch muddy boots and other gear or let the stinky mutt sleep there if they get caught in a storm. This area also features a mesh door so you can fully vent as well.
Now most times camping you have to be aware of the slopes of the ground to be sure your head stays above your feet not only so you can sleep soundly but also so you don't end up sliding all over the place during the night. With the minimal 30 pound tongue weight and height adjustable stabilizer jacks, you can easily get the trailer set perfectly level rather easily. Another bonus of this system is in the morning when you're ready to get on down the trail, simply un-velcro the sides of the tent from the lip of the base of the trailer and close the lid and off you go!
So back to the beginning where I claimed it was worth the $5k asking price. The reason for this is because not only do you get a lot of different functionality in this US manufactured 1000lb load capacity weather proof gear hauler AND camper in one. It is so light weight even the smallest of cars can haul it with minimal impact on the gas mileage and if you have the vehicle and have the gear that you've spent your hard earned cash on, you should at least do your best to prolong the useful life all of it and get a camper at the same time.
