Braxton Creek Bushwhacker Series

These compact towables offer options for RV owners looking to downsize, or campers seeking to replace their tent with a lightweight, easy-to-tow travel trailer.

By Mark Quasius, F333630
August 2021

Braxton Creek RV is a relatively new company founded by industry veterans Jim Jacobs and Kent Yoder, both bringing years of experience building RVs of all types and sizes. With RV manufacturers being absorbed by large corporate mergers, the founders saw an opportunity to build a new company centered on faith-based principles, integrity, and personal relationships, and focused on connecting families. With a passion for “Doing Things Right the First Time, Every Time,” as the company tagline says, they set out to create a series of lightweight trailers designed around customer needs.

The Braxton Creek team launched the Bushwhacker 10FB camping trailer to considerable interest at an RV industry expo in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2019. This compact teardrop trailer is attractive for tent campers who want to get up off the ground and move into a towable unit with go-anywhere capability. The Bushwhacker 10FB floor plan described below has an overall length of 13 feet and a dry weight of only 1,320 pounds, making it towable by almost any vehicle. This model doesn’t contain permanently installed cooking or sanitary facilities and thus would not qualify for FMCA membership, but it may make an attractive choice for relatives or friends interested in camping along with FMCA members.

Next, the company unveiled the Bushwhacker Plus, a longer RV better suited for small families. These “Plus” units have dry weights ranging from 1,900 to 2,360 pounds and gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) up to 3,320 pounds — still capable of being towed by most any vehicle.

The 17FD is one of four floor plans in the Bushwhacker Plus model line.

Both models have experienced meteoric growth since their introductions in 2019. In 2020 sales grew by 578 percent, and in the first quarter of 2021, orders were up 224.7 percent over the previous year’s first quarter. So, Braxton Creek is rapidly gaining market share in the towable RV category. According to company officials, building a quality product with affordable pricing and incorporating the features that owners demand — plus a two-year bumper-to-bumper warranty — makes Braxton Creek RVs a popular consideration for many buyers.

Here’s a closer look at both models.

Bushwhacker Plus

While the Bushwhacker is a two-person trailer designed for go-anywhere use, the longer, taller Bushwhacker Plus is considered more of a family unit. It also contains the necessary complement of sleeping, cooking, and sanitary facilities that make it an option for FMCA members.

I reviewed the Bushwhacker Plus 17FD, one of four available floor plans in this line. It sports a rear queen bed and a front dinette booth that can make into sleeping space for an additional person; hence, it sleeps three. (Another floor plan, the 17BH, comes with a rear U-shaped dinette and front bunks and can sleep four. Its E-Z Bed system is said to transform the dinette to a queen bed in less than 60 seconds.)

The Bushwhacker Plus 17FD’s front dinette can become sleeping space for one.

The Bushwhacker Plus has an overall height of 8 feet 8 inches. The unit has a 24-gallon fresh-water tank and a water pump, and it includes an 18-gallon gray-water tank and a 17-gallon black-water tank. A 12,000-Btu propane furnace and a 5,000-Btu air conditioner help to keep the interior comfortable. When a breeze is desired, the unit’s high-capacity roof vent fan can be put into action.

A propane quick-connect fitting lets RVers attach a portable grill to the propane supply if desired. These features offer the ability to camp in remote areas without campground hookups.

The Bushwhacker Plus contains a wet bath that holds a toilet and shower. A 6-gallon propane/electric water heater with direct spark ignition provides domestic hot water.

The galley in this model contains a two-burner propane cooktop, a 3.3-cubic-foot 12-volt Everchill refrigerator, a stainless-steel sink, and an overhead microwave oven.

In addition to a 30-amp shore power circuit and a 12-volt converter, the Bushwhacker Plus includes standard solar prep, making it possible to extend your boondocking time by adding some portable solar panels. TV prep with a roof-mounted 360-degree antenna is also standard.

Getting to a remote campsite shouldn’t be a problem with the Bushwhacker. The 3,000-pound-rated Torsion-Flex independent suspension axle is designed to provide maximum ground clearance. Oversized all-terrain tires are enclosed by heavy-gauge powder-coated fenders. A spare tire is mounted beneath the RV with an EZ Crank system for retrieval.

The unit’s sturdy construction includes a heavy-gauge powder-coated steel frame and welded aluminum structural tubing with foam insulation in the sidewalls and roof, all covered with smooth, painted aluminum siding. The sidewalls and roof trusses are made with welded aluminum structural tubing and covered with fiberglass siding. Fiberglass insulation helps keep the interior comfortable so that, depending on outside weather conditions, the furnace or air conditioner needn’t work overtime. Dual stabilizing jacks provide a solid footing when the unit is parked for camping.

The Bushwhacker 10FD sports a rear exterior kitchen.

Bushwhacker

This traditional teardrop trailer is designed for two persons who want to enjoy the outdoors without sleeping in a tent. It has an overall height of 6 feet 10 inches as compared to the 8-foot-8-inch height of the Bushwhacker Plus.

I had the opportunity to inspect the Bushwhacker 10FB, one of two floor plans. It’s fairly roomy for a compact teardrop and includes two comfortable twin mattresses, a 5,000-Btu wall-mounted air conditioner, a 12,000-Btu propane furnace, and prep for a TV. A roof-mounted vent fan is also standard. Padded boxes are located underneath the mattresses for hidden storage. As noted, it does not contain gray- or black-water holding tanks or bathroom facilities.

An exterior kitchen is accessible from the rear of the RV and sports a sink, a two-burner propane cooktop, and a 30-quart K2 Summit 12-volt cooler.

A tray mounted on the tongue of the RV has enough space to carry a propane tank, two deep-cycle batteries, and a small 2,200-watt portable generator.

The Bushwhacker 10FD’s propane furnace, fresh-water connection, and 30-amp power cord receptacle.

Similar to those in the Bushwhacker Plus, boondocker-friendly features include a 24-gallon fresh-water tank; a propane quick-connect fitting; and rear dual stabilizing jacks. It provides 30-amp shore power, a 12-volt converter, and solar prep. This RV also includes a high-clearance 2,200-pound-rated Torsion-Flex independent suspension axle, oversized all-terrain tires, a spare tire mounted beneath the RV, and roof-mounted gear racks. The racks provide plenty of room to transport kayaks or other large items.

The Bushwhacker is built to the same quality as the Bushwhacker Plus, with a heavy-gauge powder-coated steel frame; welded aluminum structural tubing; fiberglass insulation in the sidewalls and roof; and smooth, painted .040-inch-thick aluminum siding.

Final Impressions

Both trailer models are impressive in what they have to offer. They provide an excellent balance by incorporating features not typical at this level while retaining an affordable price.

Although not as fully equipped, the smaller Bushwhacker model is perfect for camping in remote areas; its solid construction and compact size would make it ideal for someone with a Jeep who wants to camp in the backcountry without having to resort to a tent.

The Bushwhacker Plus kicks it up a notch and adds more traditional RV features in a compact teardrop package. It offers a bit more room and comfort while still retaining the ability to be pulled behind most any daily-driver vehicle equipped with a trailer hitch. Adding an inside kitchen, wet bath, holding tanks, and more headroom make this ready for family adventures.

I found it easy to see why Braxton Creek RV is experiencing rapid growth. By offering affordably priced products, backing them with a two-year warranty, and focusing on helping RVers connect with family and friends, it’s likely Braxton Creek will become ever more visible.

Bushwhacker Plus 17FD

SPECIFICATIONS

Bushwhacker 10FB