"Smallest camper" can mean the shortest trailer, the lightest one or the smallest RV you could still live in for a week. For 2027, the shortest hard-sided travel trailers from Jayco, Open Range and Heartland RV measure 16 feet 1 inch overall, and the shortest motorhomes measure 17 feet 10 inches, such as the Jayco Comet Class B Van.

Going small is always a trade. Each step down removes something specific: a bed you don't have to make up every night, refrigerator space, tank capacity or headroom. Below, each size step is shown with real 2027 floorplans and the exact figures that change.

How Small Do Campers Get?

Small RVs fall into four practical steps:

1. The smallest travel trailers, about 16 to 18 feet overall
2. Small travel trailers with more room, about 20 to 22 feet
3. Compact Class B vans, built inside a van body
4. The smallest Class C motorhomes, about 22 to 25 feet

The travel trailers featured here all have indoor toilets and 6 feet 6 inches of interior height. To browse the smallest towables by type, start with our micro trailers page.

Small Camper Sizes at a Glance

GVWR is the most the RV may weigh fully loaded. For a towable, it's the number your vehicle's tow rating must exceed.

Step 1: The Smallest Travel Trailers (16 to 18 Feet)

This is the floor for a hard-sided trailer with indoor plumbing in the 2027 lineups.

• Heartland RV Prowler 1300BH: 16 feet 1 inch overall, GVWR 3,500 lbs. and sleeps up to four. Heartland RV lists a 30-gallon fresh tank, a 20-gallon gray tank and a 39-gallon black tank.
• Jayco Jay Feather Air SL 15TBSL: 17 feet 6 inches overall and sleeps up to two. Jayco lists an unloaded weight of 2,515 lbs., a GVWR of 3,500 lbs. and 985 lbs. of cargo capacity. Tanks are 30 gallons fresh, 20 gray and 30 black.

What you still get: a toilet, 6 feet 6 inches of headroom and a 19,000-BTU furnace on both. The 15TBSL's mandatory value package adds a 13,500-BTU roof A/C, a two-burner stovetop, a microwave and a shower surround.

What you give up: refrigerator space first. The 15TBSL's value package lists a 5-cubic-foot 12V refrigerator. A 30-gallon fresh tank goes quickly once showers and dishes are involved, so longer trips mean campgrounds with water.

What doesn't shrink: width and height. Both trailers are 8 feet wide. The 15TBSL stands 10 feet 1 inch tall with its roof air conditioner. "Small" here means short and light, not narrow or low.

Step 2: Small Travel Trailers With More Room (20 to 22 Feet)

Adding a few feet changes what a small trailer can do, and buyers usually move up for one of two reasons.

More beds. The Open Range Colt 17BH is 21 feet 3 inches overall and sleeps up to six. Open Range lists an unloaded weight of 3,030 lbs., a GVWR of 3,950 lbs., single bunks rated to 300 lbs. and double bunks rated to 600 lbs. Open Range calls the Colt its most affordable way to step up from tent camping. Tank sizes don't grow, though: 30 gallons fresh and about 20 gallons each gray and black.

Longer stays. The Jayco Jay Feather Air 15MRB is 20 feet 2 inches overall and sleeps up to four. Its 55-gallon fresh tank, 38-gallon gray tank and 30.5-gallon black tank are a big jump over the 30-gallon trailers. Jayco also lists an 11-cubic-foot 12V refrigerator and its Climate Shield package, which Jayco says is tested at 0 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Those gains come at a 4,995-lb. GVWR, 1,495 lbs. more than the 15TBSL.

That GVWR difference is often what decides whether a small SUV stays in the picture. See the towing section before you shortlist.

Step 3: Compact Class B Vans

A Class B builds the camper inside a van. The Jayco Comet sleeps up to two and is 17 feet 10 inches long and 6 feet 11 inches wide, about a foot narrower than the trailers above. It's built on a RAM ProMaster 1500 with a 3.6L V6.

What you gain: no trailer to hitch, unhitch or back into a site. You also have one vehicle to own, insure and park. If you move camp often, that matters more than square footage.

What you give up:

• Headroom: 6 feet 2 inches inside, versus 6 feet 6 inches in the trailers
• A permanent bed: two bench-seat sleeper sofas convert into one 48 x 73-inch bed, so you make it up at night and put it away in the morning
• Bathroom: a cassette toilet rather than a marine toilet over a large black tank
• Water: a 21-gallon fresh tank
• Kitchen: Jayco's published list names a 12V refrigerator/freezer and a microwave on the 18C but no cooktop. Ask the dealer what cooking equipment the van you're considering has.

For the full Class B range, including longer vans, see our Class B RV guide. If you plan to leave pavement, our compact off-road RV guide covers that separately.

Step 4: The Smallest Class C Motorhomes

A Class C is where small RVs start to feel like small homes again, with beds you don't have to build from the seating and more interior height.

• Jayco Redhawk SE 20LF: 21 feet 11 inches overall on a Ford E-350 chassis, sleeping up to four. Jayco lists 7 feet of interior height, an overhead bunk rated to 750 lbs., a shower with an ABS surround, a 10-cubic-foot 12V refrigerator and tanks of 26 gallons fresh and 31 gallons each gray and black.
• Entegra Coach Condor: the published range measures 23 feet 5 inches to 25 feet 2 inches and sleeps up to two, a refined setup for couples who want comfort and style in a compact motorhome. The lineup includes the 22T on a Ford Transit 350HD AWD chassis, with twin beds that convert into a king-size sleeping surface, and the 23A and 23S on a Mercedes-Benz 3500 AWD chassis. Compare the chassis and sleeping layout of the exact floorplan before choosing.

What you give up: maneuverability and clearance. The 20LF is 8 feet 4 inches wide and 11 feet 6 inches tall with its air conditioner. Once you're parked, the motorhome is also your only vehicle unless you tow one. Our Class C RV guide covers the larger floorplans.

What Can a Small Tow Vehicle Pull?

Small-trailer towing goes wrong in predictable ways. Four rules prevent most of them.

1. Compare your tow rating to the trailer's GVWR, not its dry weight. Open Range's towing advice says your vehicle must have a towing capacity higher than the trailer's GVWR. For the smallest trailers here, that's 3,500 lbs. For the Jay Feather Air 15MRB, it's 4,995 lbs.

2. Your hitch rating is not your towing capacity. Open Range notes that most cars and crossovers come with Class 1, 2 or 3 hitches, and it rates a Class 2 hitch up to 3,500 lbs. That's the hitch hardware's limit. Your vehicle's own tow rating, which depends on the exact engine, drivetrain and package, may be lower. The lower number wins.

3. Count tongue weight against payload. Brochure hitch weights are dry. The 15TBSL lists 230 lbs. Open Range's rule of thumb is a tongue weight of 10 to 15% of the trailer's total weight, or 350 to 525 lbs. for a trailer loaded to 3,500 lbs. That load comes out of your vehicle's payload, along with passengers, pets, cargo and hitch hardware.

4. Plan for trailer brakes. These trailers list electric brakes. Ask the dealer what your vehicle needs to control them and whether its wiring connector matches the trailer.

Mid-size and full-size SUVs with towing packages can suit smaller travel trailers, according to Open Range, but only your owner's manual and your vehicle's door-pillar label can say what your configuration can handle. Our RV towing guide walks through the full payload math.

How to Choose the Right Small Camper

• Start with your tow vehicle, or decide you won't tow. If your vehicle's rating, payload and hitch can't cover a 3,500-lb. GVWR with margin, a Class B or small Class C may be the realistic small RV.
• Count real sleepers, not the "sleeps" figure. Two adults fit every option here. Two adults and two kids point to a bunk floorplan like the Colt 17BH or a Class C with an overhead bunk.
• Decide how long you'll stay off hookups. A 21-gallon or 30-gallon fresh tank suits campgrounds with water. For longer stays without water service, compare the exact fresh, gray and black tank capacities. The 15MRB carries 55 gallons fresh, while the Redhawk SE 20LF carries 26.
• Decide whether you'll set up once or move daily. Basecampers usually prefer a trailer, since the tow vehicle becomes the day vehicle. Daily movers often prefer a Class B.
• Test the bed and headroom in person. A 6-foot-2-inch ceiling or a bed made up from seating is fine for some people and a dealbreaker for others.
• Measure where it will live. Check the storage spot, driveway length and any door the RV must clear against the listed overall length and height.

Our RV sizing guide helps if you're still deciding between small and mid-size.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a Small Travel Trailer Fit in My Garage?

Check height before length. The 15TBSL is 9 feet 5 inches tall, or 10 feet 1 inch with its roof air conditioner, and the Prowler 1300BH is listed at 9 feet 6 inches. Even the Comet 18L van is 8 feet 8 inches tall. Measure your door opening, not just the garage interior, and compare it with the listed height of the exact floorplan.

Can a Family of Four Use a 16-Foot Trailer?

For weekends with young kids, it can work. The Prowler 1300BH sleeps up to four, but that uses every sleeping surface and four people share one 30-gallon fresh tank. For longer trips, the Colt 17BH adds about 5 feet and sleeps up to six.

Can a Small Motorhome Tow a Car or Trailer?

Sometimes, but both limits apply. The Comet 18C has a 3,500-lb. hitch receiver, but its 12,000-lb. combined weight rating minus its 8,550-lb. GVWR leaves 3,450 lbs. if the van is fully loaded. The Redhawk SE 20LF lists a 5,000-lb. hitch with 500 lbs. of tongue capacity and an 18,500-lb. combined rating against a 12,500-lb. GVWR, so there the hitch is the tighter limit. In every case, the lowest applicable limit is the real limit.

Are Small Campers Usable in Cold Weather?

Some are better prepared than others. Jayco says its Jay Feather Air Climate Shield package is tested at 0 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the Comet lists heated holding tanks. Don't assume a small RV is winter-ready. Ask what the exact unit includes for tanks, plumbing and heat.

Should I Rent a Small Camper Before I Buy?

It's a smart move if you're torn between a trailer and a van. Rent an RV to test the lifestyle for a long weekend, then note what bothered you: making up the bed, the headroom or running out of fresh water. That list will point you to the right size step.

Find Your Small Camper

Not sure which step fits? Take the RV finder quiz to narrow your type, then compare floorplans in our best travel trailers of 2027 guide. When you have a shortlist, find your local dealer. Bring your vehicle's tow rating and payload label, sit on the beds and stand in the bathroom. In a small camper, a few inches make the difference, and the best way to judge them is to see it in person.