Posted this on Expedition Portal and thought I’d share here as well.
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On March 12th I took possession of a new Patriot Campers X1 Grand Tourer. While doing my research I found there wasn’t/isn’t a lot of good, detailed information on them by current owners in the U.S. Given the significant investment I was looking for as much information as possible. My purpose in creating this thread is to provide straight forward and honest information and answers to questions for anyone looking to purchase a Patriot Camper—basically information I was looking for in my research to help guide my decision.
Before purchasing the Patriot I had an Xventure XV-2 for three years. There were things I loved and hated about that trailer. But the cons of the Xventure were not what drove me to sell it. A family member has a medical condition that, by spring 2018, had gotten to where climbing up and down the ladder to get into the RTT had become somewhat difficult. In addition, the thinner mattress, as most RTT’s have, was difficult for them to sleep on and they have also become increasingly sensitive to colder weather—even in the dead of summer temps in the mountains here in Idaho can regularly plummet to the low 40’s upper 30’s. The result was they were unable to get out camping, which this person loves to do. So, it was time to surf to the end of the internet to find a replacement trailer for our family—my wife and I, my 14 year old daughter and 11 year old son, and two dogs.
There is no shortage of options out there these days. First, we immediately eliminated a traditional travel trailer. We all wanted a trailer that could be taken off the beaten path—Idaho is just amazing itself (shh, don’t tell anyone—nothing here but flat land and potatoes) with over 70% public lands and we’re bordered by Utah, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, and Nevada, so the number of breathtaking off the beaten path options are truly endless. I could spend years just exploring in awe what Idaho has to offer. The Patriot was on my radar early as an option, but I kept it at arm’s length due to the price—it was/is priced so much higher than what I think we are used to seeing in the market here for an adventure trailer. But in the end, I took the plunge head first and went with the Patriot X1-GT. Below I will explain how I ended up making that decision.
First, the Patriot addresses all the challenges my family member had with the Xventure. The X1 has a king size fold out bed that, once opened, has an actual staircase up to the sleeping area. The mattress is an actual mattress, a thin mattress, but definitely more significant than what is in most RTT’s and, after the addition of a 2” memory foam topper, will challenge my nice bed at home for comfort. In addition, there is an option, which we got, for a Webasto dual hot water and air heater that blows warm air into the tent via a vent. It won’t heat the tent to where it is hot, but it will knock the chill out of the air. Checking all those boxes meant we could not only get back out exploring and camping as a family, but do so comfortably (okay, let’s call it what it is, especially with this trailer—glamping to the max!) I like this definition I found online for glamping: “Glamping is where stunning nature meets modern luxury. It’s a way to experience the untamed and completely unique parts of the world—without having to sacrifice creature comforts.”
The second major factor was company sustainability and reputation. As I mentioned above, there are no shortage of adventure trailer options these days. “Overlanding” is growing and adventure trailer companies are popping up left and right. The problem is they are also failing and disappearing at an increasing pace. Moby1, which has been around for a bit, recently went under. Inka Outdoor is another company that met the same fate. With Moby1 there are countless stories on forums of people losing and fighting to get back their $12,000-$16,000 deposits. $16,000! No way I was going to put a huge deposit down with any chance of it disappearing. Many, I would even say most of the companies out there are independent, fairly new, and small. There are some exceptions like AT Overland, SoCal Teardrops, and others that are established, have a good reputation, and have been around a while. I’m not saying these smaller companies don’t make a quality product as I’m sure many do. Normally I would encourage and back small businesses, but when talking the money these things cost I wanted to go with a company that was established, was growing, was on solid ground as a business that will be around for the foreseeable future, and that had a good reputation. It is one of the reasons I went with Xventure (Schutt Industries, a major military supplier) for my first trailer. While Patriot has only been building their trailers for 5-6 years, the owner, Justin Montesalvo, has a sheet metal business that is successful and has been around a while. Plus, Patriot has won Austalia’s Camper Trailer of the Year award five years in a row and the company is not only well established but growing rapidly. Actually, rapid growth can have its own issues, and was something I was a little concerned about as rapid expansion can often lead to a decrease in quality control across the manufacturing process. Plus, the owners now have a TV show and lots of other stuff going on which can result in the “captain losing control of the ship” a bit. I’ll address this a bit below. Now, I had concerns with it being an Australian company with only one U.S. importer/distributor—Exploration Outfitters (EO). So, I called and spoke with Matt Green, the owner of EO, who was outstanding in taking all the time needed to listen to and address my concerns. First, I wanted to ensure EO itself would be viable over time as a business and Patriot Campers distributor. I won’t divulge Matt’s business but suffice to say he is both invested in and committed to a long-term relationship with Patriot Campers. Second, warranty and service—EO is located in Mead, OK—a very far drive from Boise, ID for any service or warranty issues. While I’m hoping there won’t be any, you never know. Matt assured me that if necessary they would work with a local shop to get whatever needed to be taken care of taken care of. That mentality cut across every conversation I had with Matt and his staff. From everything I have experienced and seen thus far they are 110% committed to customer service—outstanding outfit and people from top to bottom. So, all that to say my concerns about the manufacturer and distributor being around for the long-term were addressed.
Third on the list is quality. I didn’t have the opportunity to see a Patriot Camper in person. So, I read what was out there, watched YouTube videos, and searched forums. Patriot has a huge social media and YouTube presence that, while very polished and well done, must be at least half seen for what it is—a very well done and entertaining infomercial across multiple platforms. It is a major factor in how fast they have been able to build their brand. That’s not a knock, just a fact. I’ve watched every YouTube video they have and every available episode of Patriot Games—great stuff and they definitely put their products through the ringer. I wanted to verify all the glowing content with facts. That wasn’t easy and is why I’m starting this thread. What I was able to find in forums and some independent YouTube videos was all positive reviews that focused in general terms on impressive build quality that was a step or several steps above other available options. So, from what I was able to glean from the internet and forums, coupled with my needs outlined above and talking with Matt Green at EO, I decided to go all in and commit to the purchase. Now, I’ve only had the trailer for two weeks and have only camped two nights with my son, but I will say that the quality and attention to detail of the trailer is very impressive. I say that with one caveat. I mentioned above that rapid growth can have a negative impact on quality control. Not sure that’s the case here, but when I picked up the trailer there were a couple of minor issues. First, the spare tire carrier, at some point during either manufacturing or shipping from Australia, rubbed against the trailer body in two spots. Both spots had rubbed through the paint. They were small, but they were there. Second, there was a handle that you grab onto to unfold the bed that hadn’t been installed. Now, these are two very minor things that have zero impact on the capability of the trailer. However, Patriot Campers bills itself as a premium product and they certainly have a premium price—In my opinion they should be flawless when you first get them. Now I know, I’m being nitpicky and it’s an adventure trailer that will eventually have pinstriping all over it along with countless rock chips etc. But, given the price and the hype, it should be flawless brand new--that’s just my opinion. Feel free to disagree. It is important to note that neither of those issues was the result of Exploration Outfitters. In fact, Matt and his folks got it straightened out the same afternoon. Again, I can’t say enough about the outstanding customer service, professionalism, and people at Exploration Outfitters.
—————
On March 12th I took possession of a new Patriot Campers X1 Grand Tourer. While doing my research I found there wasn’t/isn’t a lot of good, detailed information on them by current owners in the U.S. Given the significant investment I was looking for as much information as possible. My purpose in creating this thread is to provide straight forward and honest information and answers to questions for anyone looking to purchase a Patriot Camper—basically information I was looking for in my research to help guide my decision.
Before purchasing the Patriot I had an Xventure XV-2 for three years. There were things I loved and hated about that trailer. But the cons of the Xventure were not what drove me to sell it. A family member has a medical condition that, by spring 2018, had gotten to where climbing up and down the ladder to get into the RTT had become somewhat difficult. In addition, the thinner mattress, as most RTT’s have, was difficult for them to sleep on and they have also become increasingly sensitive to colder weather—even in the dead of summer temps in the mountains here in Idaho can regularly plummet to the low 40’s upper 30’s. The result was they were unable to get out camping, which this person loves to do. So, it was time to surf to the end of the internet to find a replacement trailer for our family—my wife and I, my 14 year old daughter and 11 year old son, and two dogs.
There is no shortage of options out there these days. First, we immediately eliminated a traditional travel trailer. We all wanted a trailer that could be taken off the beaten path—Idaho is just amazing itself (shh, don’t tell anyone—nothing here but flat land and potatoes) with over 70% public lands and we’re bordered by Utah, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, and Nevada, so the number of breathtaking off the beaten path options are truly endless. I could spend years just exploring in awe what Idaho has to offer. The Patriot was on my radar early as an option, but I kept it at arm’s length due to the price—it was/is priced so much higher than what I think we are used to seeing in the market here for an adventure trailer. But in the end, I took the plunge head first and went with the Patriot X1-GT. Below I will explain how I ended up making that decision.
First, the Patriot addresses all the challenges my family member had with the Xventure. The X1 has a king size fold out bed that, once opened, has an actual staircase up to the sleeping area. The mattress is an actual mattress, a thin mattress, but definitely more significant than what is in most RTT’s and, after the addition of a 2” memory foam topper, will challenge my nice bed at home for comfort. In addition, there is an option, which we got, for a Webasto dual hot water and air heater that blows warm air into the tent via a vent. It won’t heat the tent to where it is hot, but it will knock the chill out of the air. Checking all those boxes meant we could not only get back out exploring and camping as a family, but do so comfortably (okay, let’s call it what it is, especially with this trailer—glamping to the max!) I like this definition I found online for glamping: “Glamping is where stunning nature meets modern luxury. It’s a way to experience the untamed and completely unique parts of the world—without having to sacrifice creature comforts.”
The second major factor was company sustainability and reputation. As I mentioned above, there are no shortage of adventure trailer options these days. “Overlanding” is growing and adventure trailer companies are popping up left and right. The problem is they are also failing and disappearing at an increasing pace. Moby1, which has been around for a bit, recently went under. Inka Outdoor is another company that met the same fate. With Moby1 there are countless stories on forums of people losing and fighting to get back their $12,000-$16,000 deposits. $16,000! No way I was going to put a huge deposit down with any chance of it disappearing. Many, I would even say most of the companies out there are independent, fairly new, and small. There are some exceptions like AT Overland, SoCal Teardrops, and others that are established, have a good reputation, and have been around a while. I’m not saying these smaller companies don’t make a quality product as I’m sure many do. Normally I would encourage and back small businesses, but when talking the money these things cost I wanted to go with a company that was established, was growing, was on solid ground as a business that will be around for the foreseeable future, and that had a good reputation. It is one of the reasons I went with Xventure (Schutt Industries, a major military supplier) for my first trailer. While Patriot has only been building their trailers for 5-6 years, the owner, Justin Montesalvo, has a sheet metal business that is successful and has been around a while. Plus, Patriot has won Austalia’s Camper Trailer of the Year award five years in a row and the company is not only well established but growing rapidly. Actually, rapid growth can have its own issues, and was something I was a little concerned about as rapid expansion can often lead to a decrease in quality control across the manufacturing process. Plus, the owners now have a TV show and lots of other stuff going on which can result in the “captain losing control of the ship” a bit. I’ll address this a bit below. Now, I had concerns with it being an Australian company with only one U.S. importer/distributor—Exploration Outfitters (EO). So, I called and spoke with Matt Green, the owner of EO, who was outstanding in taking all the time needed to listen to and address my concerns. First, I wanted to ensure EO itself would be viable over time as a business and Patriot Campers distributor. I won’t divulge Matt’s business but suffice to say he is both invested in and committed to a long-term relationship with Patriot Campers. Second, warranty and service—EO is located in Mead, OK—a very far drive from Boise, ID for any service or warranty issues. While I’m hoping there won’t be any, you never know. Matt assured me that if necessary they would work with a local shop to get whatever needed to be taken care of taken care of. That mentality cut across every conversation I had with Matt and his staff. From everything I have experienced and seen thus far they are 110% committed to customer service—outstanding outfit and people from top to bottom. So, all that to say my concerns about the manufacturer and distributor being around for the long-term were addressed.
Third on the list is quality. I didn’t have the opportunity to see a Patriot Camper in person. So, I read what was out there, watched YouTube videos, and searched forums. Patriot has a huge social media and YouTube presence that, while very polished and well done, must be at least half seen for what it is—a very well done and entertaining infomercial across multiple platforms. It is a major factor in how fast they have been able to build their brand. That’s not a knock, just a fact. I’ve watched every YouTube video they have and every available episode of Patriot Games—great stuff and they definitely put their products through the ringer. I wanted to verify all the glowing content with facts. That wasn’t easy and is why I’m starting this thread. What I was able to find in forums and some independent YouTube videos was all positive reviews that focused in general terms on impressive build quality that was a step or several steps above other available options. So, from what I was able to glean from the internet and forums, coupled with my needs outlined above and talking with Matt Green at EO, I decided to go all in and commit to the purchase. Now, I’ve only had the trailer for two weeks and have only camped two nights with my son, but I will say that the quality and attention to detail of the trailer is very impressive. I say that with one caveat. I mentioned above that rapid growth can have a negative impact on quality control. Not sure that’s the case here, but when I picked up the trailer there were a couple of minor issues. First, the spare tire carrier, at some point during either manufacturing or shipping from Australia, rubbed against the trailer body in two spots. Both spots had rubbed through the paint. They were small, but they were there. Second, there was a handle that you grab onto to unfold the bed that hadn’t been installed. Now, these are two very minor things that have zero impact on the capability of the trailer. However, Patriot Campers bills itself as a premium product and they certainly have a premium price—In my opinion they should be flawless when you first get them. Now I know, I’m being nitpicky and it’s an adventure trailer that will eventually have pinstriping all over it along with countless rock chips etc. But, given the price and the hype, it should be flawless brand new--that’s just my opinion. Feel free to disagree. It is important to note that neither of those issues was the result of Exploration Outfitters. In fact, Matt and his folks got it straightened out the same afternoon. Again, I can’t say enough about the outstanding customer service, professionalism, and people at Exploration Outfitters.
