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The Wolf Pup

I travel around the country in a 16-foot long Cherokee Wolf Pup 16BHS camper.

It’s light enough to tow with an SUV, fits pretty much anywhere, and includes a queen-sized bed, kitchen, dinette, bathroom with shower, and a shocking amount of storage.

I don't actually like camping, but I do like traveling with a camper. It extends the travel experience the journey itself. I've seen so many cool things on the road that I never would have experienced just flying into a place.

I’ve made quite a few upgrades to make life on-the-road more comfortable, including a more robust battery system, cold-weather water system, and more off-grid capability.

Photos

These are stock photos from the manufacturer, not my actual rig…

A single-axle camper covered in silver aluminum siding with thick black and blue horizontal stripes. It has a black glass door, and a picture of a wolf's head with the words 'Wolf Pup' on the front.
The exterior
On the left, a kitchen counter, sink, and two-burner propane stove. There are cabinets above the counter, with a built-in microwave. On the right, there's a small dinette and a pair of bunk beds. There's a door the bathroom against the back wall.
The inside, looking left as you enter the door
The dinette is on the left. Straight ahead is a queen-sized bed, with cabinets above it.
The inside, looking right as you enter the door
The nose of the camper is to the right. Clockwise from upper-left: bunk beds with exterior door to access under-bunk storage; the dinette; queen-sized bed (front of camper); entrance door; the kitchenette; refridgerator; bathroom (rear)
The floor plan

Off-Grid

The stock camper is designed to be connected to shore power (an AC outlet) most of the time. I made a bunch of upgrades that let me travel off-the-beaten path a bit longer…

  • Upgraded Battery. I installed 270 amp hours of lithium iron battery. It can run the fridge and other systems for days off-grid, and even run the AC for a few hours.
  • Inverter. Converts the battery’s DC power to AC, so it can be used to run the air conditioner, microwave, and power outlets.
  • AC Soft-Start. This reduces the amount of energy the AC draws when it starts up, letting it actually run off the inverter.
  • Cassette Toilet. Unlike a regular black tank, this can be dumped in any toilet, porta-potty, and so on. On longer trips, that’s a huge benefit.

Cold-Weather Travel

This is a three-season camper. I made some changes for winter camper or in case I get stuck in a cold snap on my way to nicer weather…

  • Rerouted Water Lines. All of the water lines on the camper are outside the rig, which means they can freeze. I rerouted them all inside the rig where the heating system can keep them warm.
  • External Tank Heaters. The water storage tanks are also outside the rig, but can’t be relocated. I added heating pads that work down to 0 degrees, with switches to turn them on only when needed.
  • Dual Propane Tanks. Used for cooking and off-grid heating. In colder weather, a full tank with lots of pressure is essential.

Comfort Upgrades

The Wolf Pup is just 104 square feet of living space. I added a few things to make life on-the-road a bit more comfortable…

  • Dishwasher. The rig came with a small second fridge that only runs on shore power. I ripped it out and replaced it with a countertop dishwasher.
  • Counter Extension. The kitchen only has two feet of counter space. I added a flip-up extension that adds an extra 18 inches when needed.
  • Water Filter. When traveling, you’re beholden to whatever municipal water is available at campgrounds. I added a multi-stage filter with built-in faucet.
  • Storage. I added tons of hooks, baskets, drawers, shelves, and more to maximize storage inside the camper.