650-lb micro-camping trailer drifts off-road on wheels or skis (2024)

A tiny, towable nugget ready to explore the natural world behind a passenger car, ATV or snowmobile, the versatile Genimax HR is an affordable tent-top camper built for four seasons of adventure hunting. The pint-sized base-camp-in-a-box unfurls into a small but capable living space with kitchen, bed, shower and solarized off-grid electrical power. When the cold, stormy Canadian winter sets in, there's no reason to garage or tarp the HR trailer – simply swap the tires for skis and use it as a snowmobile support trailer.

Not to be confused with Chinese generator manufacturer Genmax (we thought we were checking out a towable generator when we first clicked on the Genimax trailer promo), Genimax is a small camping trailer builder in Quebec.

Like many RV innovators before (and undoubtedly after) him, founder Maxime Cantin initially sought merely to meet his own recreational needs, designing a camping trailer lighter and more affordable than what he found around the market. He came up with an ultralight, simple cargo/camper teardrop DIY build, which eventually attracted enough interest to spawn the Genimax brand. In 2022, the company added the even smaller, more affordable HR.

Measuring just 8.7 feet (2.7 m) in total length, the HR has been designed specifically for off-road use, perfect for tagging along behind a 4x4, ATV or snowmobile. It measures 60 inches (152 cm) wide, just an inch wider than a classic Willys Jeep CJ-2A. It's also equipped to be street-legal in Quebec.

On its own, the HR is a basic towable cargo box weighing a mere 375 lb (170 kg). But it isn't necessarily as basic as it looks, leaving behind the wood used in other small trailer builds in favor of a full aluminum frame and composite panels glued and triple-sealed into a watertight box that eliminates any worry of rotting or warping. The base trailer comes equipped with a rear and side drawer, each capable of carrying 200 lb (91 kg).

The stock HR is fine if you just want a simple cargo-hauler, but the trailer really comes to life when buyers start playing around with the 825-lb (374-kg) payload afforded by its 1,200-lb (544-kg) axle-free off-road suspension. Genimax offers not one but two lists of available add-ons, starting with a group of trailer-integrated/mounted options that includes a 200-lb-rated roof rack with two-person rooftop tent, kitchen and sink counters, a marine battery with inverter and solar panel, and a retractable awning. Genimax also offers side tracks for mounting additional options like a hand shower, propane tank and fuel can.

Then there's the most fun accessory of them all ... the skis. Owners can remove the wheels and bolt on the skis, narrowing the overall trailer width to 48 in (122 cm) and readying the HR for snowmobile-support duty, whether that means hauling gear or bringing along the full winter camp. Genimax offers an available diesel heater, too, so sled-campers can get some help keeping warm during those utterly frigid Canadian nights.

The diesel heater is one of many options on Genimax's second list of add-ons, deemed "accessories." This group includes includes 20-L and 35-L electric fridge box options, a portable toilet and pop-up privacy tent, a butane stove, a portable lithium power station, and various gear-specific carriers and racks.

HR pricing starts at CA$8,495 (approx. US$6,200) for the basic cargo model. Since Genimax is kind enough to neatly list the price and weight of each of its options, we specced out a full camper model with the kitchen counter and sink, 10-L water canister, front cargo box, awning, battery and inverter, roof rack and rooftop tent, bringing our final price quote up to CA$13,246 ($9,775) and dry weight up to 622 lb (282 kg). The skis tack on CA$809 ($590).

Source: Genimax Trailers