Richard Hastings, was the owner, that created the Litehouse Camper, P.O. Box 44836, Rio Rancho, New Mexico, 87174. There were only 66 combined units produced for both the Base Camp and the LiteHouse for Two. He spent nearly a half million dollars establishing and developing this company. In 1997 they were introducing their Grand Camp, but it never made it to production, and that's when they went out of business. They lasted officially from 1992-1997. The business eventually declared bankruptcy and he lost everything, including his property, home, cars, and bank accounts. Mr. Hastings said, "The molds were destroyed". The above camper illustrates a 13 ft. (10 ft inside) molded fiberglass trailer called LiteHouse Trailer for Two. - By Ray Horner

''Motor Matters'' By Ray V. Dickinson

''LITE'' CAMPING TRAILER IDEAL FOR SMALL CARS

Rich Hastings, of Rio Rancho NM, has come up with a new family of lightweight camping trailers which he appropriately calls LiTE HOUSE®. The idea came to him while camping with his family in Yellowstone Park in 1990. ''Camped next to us was a retired couple with a Toyota Corolla'' he says. ''They slept in their dome tent, and awoke cold and aching from the hard ground. I wondered why there were no trailers light enough for small cars to tow easily.''

He had in mind something that was dry and windproof with solid walls, more security than fabric pop-up trailers, and with a large comfortable bed. The trailers had to be easy to care for, and able to be towed by small cars like Saturns, Escorts, Civics, or even the little Suzuki Sidekick sport-utility. ''I wanted a trailer almost any vehicle could tow,'' said Hastings.

A self-described ''nuts and bolts guy'' with a degree in automotive technology, he had a lot to learn about strong, lightweight, trailer construction. Months of design research and development were assisted by helpful counsel from many business and industrial experts. He also utilized several government programs aiding small businesses, even getting the Los Alamos lab to do a ''finite element analysis'' of his project. The upshot: New Mexico's only recreation vehicle manufacturer went into production in August, 1994.

The simplest, lightest weight LiTE HOUSE® model is named Base Camp™. ''You use your existing cooking and camping equipment. This is a rugged mobile cabin,'' Hastings says. Base Camp™ weighs in at only 770 pounds, and the price is under $ 4700 (plus options).

At a lean 950 pounds, the top-of-the-line model called Trailer-for-Two™ is very well equipped at a starting price of $6496. If loaded with lots of extras like an awning, powered roof vent fan, catalytic heater, and solar powered battery charger, it runs about $ 7500.

Looking at the outside of a LiTE HOUSE® trailer, it is hard to imagine it can harbor a queen-size bed (63'' x 78'') and still allow standing space in the galley area. Daytime use sees the bed reassembled into a large U-shaped seating area, with a convenient free standing table you can also take outside. The comparative spaciousness (despite the trim exterior dimensions of only 12'-6'' long, 7'-4'' high, and 5'-8'' wide) stems from several things, including the slim half-inch thick walls, and the non-square interior (it is wider at the waistline). Outward visibility is excellent, with views all around through the sliding glass side windows, and a picture window. Cozy certainly, but no claustrophobia here.

Body construction is smooth molded fiberglass with a gel-coated exterior, molded in two tubs, then joined at the waist. Insulation comes from a foil-and-air-bubble sandwich. The interior wall covering is a non-woven acrylic that is thick, soft on the eyes, and soft to the touch. Not only are the trailers weather proof and draft free, they're as peaceful and quiet as a library.

Interior ''cabinetry'' is also molded fiberglass. Storage (about twelve cubic feet total) is mostly under the seats, with additional space inside the kitchen cabinets. Camping gear and provisions are intentionally stored low so that the low center of gravity is not compromised.

Both trailer models were specifically designed to be the same width as today's sub-compact cars, so no special towing mirrors are needed. A longer than usual tongue makes extremely tight turns a cinch, while the light hitch weight makes an unhooked trailer easily maneuverable by one person.

The Trailer-for-Two™ has a standard built-in ice box which holds 35 pounds of ice, or an optional portable, 3 way powered refrigerator. On hot summer days, it has excellent interior ventilation, especially with the optional roof vent fan. And, for those who live in tropical climates, there is even an optional air conditioner mounted in the front wall of the trailer. That keeps the weight low, and reduces wind resistance.

This small company has a mission to fill a specific niche market, and resist any pressure to lose sight of that. ''If people need to have more space, more amenities, there are plenty of other companies making bigger RVs,'' Hastings says. ''We want to meet the needs of our target group, not change the target.''

The buyers are from two distinctly different groups. Some have been lifelong tent campers and want to move up to the security, comfort and weather protection of a solid-wall trailer. Others have grown weary of the expensive excesses of larger RVs.

From sales literature:

The Trailer-for-Two had a stainless steel sink, 2-way galley pump, 9 gal. fresh water tank, 35 lb. Glacier II ice box, removable kitchen drawer, 2 burner brushed chrome range, brushed crome range cover, and an 11 lb. capacity propane tank. Also, 12v 34 AH deep cycle battery in a sealed compartment, and a Thin-Lite flourescent light over the dining table.

Lite-House was proud of their birch plywood dining table and cabinet doors (the table had folding legs so could be taken outside -- none of the post in a post hole-type receptacles like on the ''C'' trailer --). The Base Camp we looked at was finished fiberglass interior, with vinyl flooring. This old brochure for the Trailer-for-Two says it came with a soft fabric wall covering...