Hiker Trailer -- You Get What You Pay For

I bought a Hiker Mid-Range XL trailer in June 2023. Six months later, I go over some issues I've found. You get what you pay for. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Issues I've found range from just cleaning inside and out before delivery to questionable wiring choices to attention to detail during manufacturing. On the other hand, I do prefer buying at the low end, as long as the basics are there, because I like doing my own modifications and saving money in the process.

[@bobburgess7283]

Great disclosure on what you've found. I was on the path to a hiker trailer as well but a friend purchased one which allowed me to inspect. I noticed some of the very same issues with his trailer. We have since dissassembled his trailer and very nearly rewired everything ( wished I had made a video but I'm not that guy). As you dig deeper, under the paneling, etc, it gets worse. I almost bought into the "Made in America" but realized that it is geographically made in America but the quality and craftmanship is from somewhere else.

[@thepilotxproject4035]

It takes a lot of guts, knowledge and character to publicly bad mouth such a popular product. And to back everything up with a video. As an automotive engineer by trade, I feel ashamed of what we are seeing here... Kudos to you, Sir. You actually got less than what you paid for. Shavings are one thing. Rust is another. Bad wiring is unacceptable.

[@MrA1582000]

Well I have owned a Hiker for about 18 months. Been round trip coast to coast with it and multiple short trips since. Getting ready to head out again for western adventure. It has been exceptional in all areas….I definitely got more than I paid for. Oh, mine was clean as a whistle when I picked it up. Maybe this guy needs to spend about 40-50 K. more, doubt he would be satisfied .

[@TerraFirmaX]

After watching this there is no way in hell I would buy a Hiker. If what you can see is this bad just imagine what you can't see

[@benjamincarter9726]

I am on the verge of ordering the same darn trailer in the same color…now you got me having second thoughts. Love to see some additional videos about how it’s holding up for you. My hope was Hiker would be better quality than mass produced travel trailers which are mostly junk!

[@littlemiamifab]

Like everything in life, you get what you pay for. Hiker is at the lower end. I think Bushwhacker is probably at the LOW end. If you want better info, I would head over the DIY Outdoor Life's channel. He did a Hiker series about a year ago that has some really good info. I think the bones are good. I just wish they paid more attention to detail. And it's not like the attention to detail I'm talking about would cost more. I've only had my Hiker since late June, and it seems to be holding up. It's been sitting outside uncovered all winter, so it will be interesting to see how it comes out of the winter here in Ohio. If you're handy, I think whatever problems you find are reasonably correctible in your driveway. And you save a ton of money by not having to buy a more expensive trailer.

[@benjamincarter9726]

@@littlemiamifabBy the way I really like your attention to detail in this video. Thanks again!

[@Cbockhoff]

The guys experience is not the norm from hiker.

[@NateStanleyTraining]

Man don’t let this expert critic deter you Hiker trailers are absolutely great, and the customer service/customization is amazing. Hiker trailers just doesn’t sound like it’s for this guy! Should have went with one of those $30,000 boxes

[@littlemiamifab]

@@NateStanleyTraining No, I wanted cheap because I was going to do a lot of work myself. I can do it for pennies on the dollar, and all it takes is a little extra attention to detail to make all the difference in the world. The whole process seemed VERY rushed from down payment to pickup at the factory. However, for the rest of y'all, you should probably know what you're getting. I know how to fix their problems and then some. The average person not so much.

[@user-zy1mf6xz9t]

Honestly I can’t imagine paying for something unwanted…….. a basic , inspection has been known to be beneficial !

[@iwshamrock4908]

Many thanks. Cheap Axx effort. Was considering one. Not now.

[@surfandstreamfisher5749]

this among other reasons is why i'm not going with a Hiker Trailer.

[@tonygulick9289]

Good info. ,I'm in oregon and it's well know that 75% of all travel trailers come out of indiana,one dealer here refuses to purchase unless he has toured those factories,he says he walks out of most of them,terrible conditions,terrible fit and finish inspections out the door.High production for profit,yeah man you get what ya pay for

[@Mr.GoodBeer]

Thank you for the honest review

[@drouleau]

I was strongly considering Hiker, but now they're off the list. I don't care about the wood chips and what not, but the wiring, cheap materials and the way the box was mounted to the frame are a no-go especially when I have what I want priced out to around $26k+

[@Dante07cid]

I picked up my Hiker in December. I would probably take exception that Hiker is “low end”. I would call it “mid range” for I have seen a lot worse over my time of researching. I do agree with the lack of cleaning prior to picking up. Probably my biggest issue would be the electrical. I too believe they spend very little little time to be neat or planning placement of things. The shore power to cabin was atrocious. They used cheap electric components throughout, used mismatched wire sizes and generally cluttered things in my opinion. There were complaints on line with the fridge box not being waterproof but in my case it was the lack of sealing when they installed the top rack. Overall I love my hiker but I learned a lot and would do a lot of things differently if I was ordering today.

[@Ozoz1544Z]

Different like what!?

[@Dante07cid]

@@Ozoz1544Z I would just have Hiker do the items that need, for ease, to be done in build process or doesn’t really matter. Such as necessary ceiling/wall electrical, galley main wall only, road lights and brakes, roof racks, water tank, etc. I would do everything else myself. Especially the bulk of the wiring, finishing the galley and front interior shelves, plumbing the water tank & instal pump, etc. I repeat. I love my Hiker. Do not plan to get rid of it in any way. I just think I could have done things a bit more to my taste.

[@carloscaprarella7119]

Every one can complain about something. What will you do wood chips how horrible.. 😅

[@gregbrown357]

Haven't read all comments; BUT did you look at this before purchasing?

[@chipdr911]

Wow! I would be disappointed with this too. Thanks for the video

[@slimshady2447]

We picked our hiker up in October 23' definitely no where near the experience we had or have had . Granted we spent significantly more on our build . The light switch and fuse switch panel are options you choose on the build so thats on you . We have taken our camper out on multiple trips in rain and havent experienced the rust issues you have yet

[@littlemiamifab]

I thought I specified in the options that I would do the electric hookups. Another one of my complaints is the build tool on their website. I found good descriptions of what each option meant to be wanting, and it would have been very helpful to have pictures. They have pictures, just in another section of the website and not necessarily with descriptions of what you're looking at. Hopefully they've improved that since last year. I even visited Hiker and asked what some of the options meant. Apparently, the ones I thought I understood are the ones I should have asked more questions about.

[@slimshady2447]

@@littlemiamifab I decided on basic electrical and did the majority of the work myself . Swapping out fuse panel for a better bigger one and installing batteries and lights etc. I agree the build options could be improved apon I asked tons of questions and did a few virtual walk arounds as we live 9 hours from Indiana . Compared to equivalent squardrops made local to us or available at local RV dealerships the quality of hiker was leaps and bounds better . There is definitely room for improvements though

[@mish-ka7654]

​@@littlemiamifab I agree, no matter what you pay for a product (car, trailer, wooden cabinet) I expect at a minimum a clean product. I was surprised with the following: rust, given this is made to live outdoors unless they advertise (3 season only use?).... the diamond plating (I hope it's clear to buyers that this is not metal), was a lil surprising if it's plastic, the screws that were not finished or too long/short? We are looking at this trailer and at the cost i would not consider this to be a low end...when I did the estimate even removing some key items like electrical, solar, etc. you're still up to $18K USD (+/-$23K CDN). You can have some inexperience / sloppy installers, so i hope this was a one off incident and the staff was either retrained and supervised on their next build. I hope QA /QC has improved since this video. We are still doing research but think we want to buy and try a tear drop trailer before looking into a full RV upon retirement. I hope more customers will share their experience.

[@littlemiamifab]

@@mish-ka7654 Others say my Hiker experience isn't typical. But they seemed rushed during delivery, were admitting extensive use of Chinesium, and wanted to hire me to do electric since I'm only two hours away. Not sure what was going on. A lot of RVs are made in Indiana. When the market is slow, I think you get a better build because they can be choosy with labor. When I bought mine, they were still getting over the Covid rush of people wanting to buy campers.

[@gt2745]

Hiker are good people and the factory tour was nice, but their trailers weren’t as well built nor finished as I would expect for $10k-$15k price tags.

[@awsumo6600]

I get the wood chips inside,, that's a pet peeve of mine as well but the easiest fix. There isn't a steel trailer out there that doesn't show rusty/water stains at least somewhere after 8 months. And if the wiring was that important to you, how could you not have checked it out first? A majority of manufacturers use garbage wiring and been for decades.

[@erikthompson1459]

None of the bots that secure the box to the frame have nuts?? What did you do about this? How do I change those bolts?

[@littlemiamifab]

Not that I can tell. They look like they are tapped into the gusset plates in the corners and similar plates in the middle. They are probably more like large machine screws since they thread in. But the steel isn't THAT thick. I haven't looked at them yet, but I think all you have to do to access them is pull back the thin mat protecting the plywood floor inside the cab. You'll probably find recessed heads with a fender washer underneath. Not sure what I'm going to do about it. Probably remove them, drill out the hole to clearance for a proper bolt with locknut on the bottom. But I need to see what's there first. I've been busy rewiring underneath so haven't paid any attention to this. Since you asked, I will have a look in a couple of days when it isn't raining here. I'll try to take video of what's going on and a proposed solution and let you know once it's posted.

[@1408-MS]

You could have went and paid 20-30 thousand for a top of the line but I think you would still have issues to speak of. These are great for the price, you should be thankful you have one. I can’t even afford there cheaper priced one. Go camping, be happy,,,

[@ralphcardinal2688]

Why did you accept delivery??? Love ours, had it 7 months. camping 15 days so far. Will be doing a lot more in months to come. . Did I say we LOVE our Hiker!!!! future hiker owners .. it's his opinion. You won't regret getting a hiker>

[@TerraFirmaX]

It's not just his opinion, look at the build quality. They can't even properly install the molding trim cap properly. QC was an all time low, cheap hardware not being Stainless Steel. I realize that this is a "budget trailer" but at lease the could clean up after themselves. Next, look at that horrific wiring job

[@drouleau]

@@TerraFirmaX Yep, was gonna buy a Hiker, but definitely not now unless they've magically fixed their processes.

[@TerraFirmaX]

@@drouleau I actually just bought an Off Grid Trailers expedition trailer.

[@drouleau]

@@TerraFirmaX The Meaner Bean has rapidly moved to the top of my list

[@TerraFirmaX]

@@drouleau ​​⁠I really like the Meaner Bean Too.

[@jackstephens1450]

Do you not own a vacuum?

[@colinwescott5004]

Just wrap something around the vin

[@Chris-ez6cj]

Thanks for the heads up, I was about to purchase.

[@NateStanleyTraining]

This really shouldn’t deter you this guy is literally criticizing anything and everything.

[@surfandstreamfisher5749]

@@NateStanleyTraining not really, he's showing low quality components and crappy workmanship. if the stuff you can see isn't done right what about the stuff you can't see.

[@NateStanleyTraining]

@@surfandstreamfisher5749 sure bub, if you’re truly critical of these minor “issues” I’ve got news for you. Back country camping may not be for you. Have a hiker trailer for 3 years now, and it’s been wonderful ZERO issues.

[@NateStanleyTraining]

@@surfandstreamfisher5749 had a hiker trailer for 3 years now, zero problem. Ive never met a true outdoors person who knit picks sh*t like this. Wild. But everyone has something to bitch about these days so I ain’t surprised

[@TerraFirmaX]

@@NateStanleyTraining And what's wrong with that? You need to know what you're getting

[@josephramone5805]

You could have done the video in 5 minutes! Dude, drink some coffee or some Red Bull.

[@user-fn9qc4yn5z]

My thoughts are, if you are such an expert on everything on these trailers, why didn't you build your own ?

[@littlemiamifab]

Sometimes I have more time. Sometimes I have more money. On this, I had more money. I've always got 20 projects on my plate. Something has to give sometimes. As I get older, I find that I often have more money than time.

[@TerraFirmaX]

Dumbest comment period. You don't have to be an expert to know when something is poor quality. If you can't see that then you're blind smart ass

[@kckettridge]

What a mess but that is par for the course for the RV Industry.

[@littlemiamifab]

I live next door to the RV manufacturing capital of the world - Indiana. So I know. I bought it as cheap as I could get it because I was going to do my own additions for pennies on the dollar. It's just kind of laughable that the basics I let them do have me scratching my head. Some people are criticizing me because they say Hiker builds a good trailer. Well, the bones may be good, but the attention to detail leaves a lot to be desired. I refuse to pay double to get that attention to detail. I just expect it at any price point. I expect employees and the company to have pride in workmanship.

[@thomaskisicki2139]

Sir you got what you paid for, why didn't you inspect your trailer before you left, apparently you didn't and obviously you didn't do research before you ordered, Some people are just not happy, next time build your own. oh by the way even painted steel will rust, look at your vehicle underneath

[@littlemiamifab]

I inspected it. All the basics were there, and I specified very few additions beyond the basics because I was going to do a lot of the work myself after pickup. I got exactly what I paid for, and I said so. I wasn't going to spend another $15K just to have them vacuum out the inside or do a proper wiring job. I know what I'm doing and can fix or mod anything. The average person? Not so much. This video is for them not me. By the way, the steel starting rusting not more than 2 weeks after pickup. That's a bit ridiculous. When you buy a car or pickup, those frames and unibodies are passivated before priming. I suspect Hiker didn't do any prep on the steel or just basic prep like knock off scale. When you don't passivate, rust starts poking through almost right away. This isn't rocket science.

[@TerraFirmaX]

Another genius comment.

[@drouleau]

@@littlemiamifab Thank you for the video - prior to this, Hiker was near the top of my list. Now they're not on the list.

[@Firearms101]

Why not take a Good luck at something you're spending thousands of dollars at the factory. I would never have left there being in that condition. Why?

[@littlemiamifab]

It wasn't in bad condition. It was the condition you'd expect it to be in for $16k. To get high-end workmanship, you have to spend at least $10k more. Know where you want to be on the quality-cost curve and accept it. Like I said in the video, you get what you pay for. I paid less, I got less.

[@Firearms101]

@@littlemiamifab you made a video complaining about various things. Maybe you're a Darren or some kind of pushover but if I spend $4 on something I'm going to make sure that it's not dirty. I blame them and now you as you as a consumer are responsible for keeping people like them in place when they're not putting out a quality product. Shouldn't have mattered if you paid Les that's the whole point.

[@rayray_x2]

This trailer is poorly made get a bean trailer.