We spoke to the owner of the camper, who made it from scratch specifically for use with his Smyth Performance Beetle pickup.
Sometimes you just have to see the world differently. Smyth Performance offers pickup truck conversions for many vehicles. While the Volkswagen Beetle Ute is undoubtedly the most popular, Paul McCormick offers another perspective. For an RV adventure, why not hook up a small fifth-wheel camper with the VeeDub?
McCormick is delighted with the result. You don’t just stop at an RV dealer to purchase a small fifth wheel trailer for your Beetle. McCormick was kind enough to speak with us about his pop-up camper, which he had built from scratch.
“I bought the Beetle kit several years ago and a friend gave me a gooseneck hook while I was building it. I thought it would be a good idea to put it in the back, so I went on a road trip last December and remembered the hitch. I decided to make a fifth-wheel camper in a pop-up. It is a camper that can accommodate a queen-sized mattress.
The project was more complex than simply building a frame to support a bed. McCormick had to find solutions alone, as there were no other Beetle fifth-wheel camper builds. McCormick’s biggest challenges were ensuring that the Beetle could handle the weight and aerodynamics, as well as making sure that the joints between the roof and the sides were watertight. It was also a concern about clearance between the trailer bed and the trailer, but everything worked out in the end.
He said that although I knew I wanted the trailer to weigh 1,500 pounds, I didn’t know what the tongue weight should have been. I thought 200 pounds would be sufficient to transfer the Beetle’s weight and have it tow properly. The trailer roofline is not higher than the Beetle’s, and the width is the same. It tows beautifully – there’s not a bit of whipping or swaying, even in areas with wind gusts up to 70 mph.
McCormick had no onboard water capabilities in order to keep the weight below 1,500 pounds. The queen bed can be converted to a sofa by raising the roof. This creates a comfortable sitting area in the trailer’s front. The middle of the trailer has a small table and a small kitchen with storage and a stove. The camper is equipped with heat and air conditioning. A house battery provides power. It’s a comfortable camper that has all the essentials.
The tow vehicle is a 2006 Beetle TDI with a 1.9 liter diesel engine and a manual transmission. McCormick provided air support for the rear suspension in order to keep it level. Otherwise, it’s a stock Bug with 165,000 miles. The diesel engine manages 30 mpg and average speeds of 70-75 miles per hour. It is also very economical. This could be the most efficient fifth-wheel camper ever built.
McCormick is astonished at the attention his custom rig gets, but so are we. Smyth Performance ‘s Beetle Utes are always a hit, but how about one pulling a small fifth-wheel trailer? This almost guarantees that passers-by will take double-takes and possibly some jealousy from those who long for a VeeDub camping trip. This cool combination would be a great way to travel the world.We are grateful to Paul McCormick and Smyth Performance, for sharing their stories and photos.