Article and photos by Robert Loewendick

It was a dark and stormy evening. Seriously, it was. As the late afternoon transitioned to early evening, I rolled through Somerset, Pennsylvania with a Quantum Leap ASV hitched to my vehicle and heading for Laurel Hill State Park. I knew the thunderstorm that had come swooping down on the Pennsylvania mountain was a dandy, and the photos and stories of storm damage on the front page of the local newspaper the next morning confirmed my opinion.

Driving through the park and towards the campground, it seemed I had the place to myself. The scenery was impressive; deciduous trees nearing their autumn color peak, mature conifers standing tall in and around the colorful forest, and creeks meandering alongside the winding roadway. My focus on the view surrounding me was being tested by storm-driven, falling branches in the vehicle’s path. As I dodged the small deadfall, the ASV followed behind like a well trained pet. Climbing one of the park’s tallest peaks, I could see the trees swaying back and forth, being pushed around by the storm’s powerful winds. A hardwood tree measuring about 16 inches at the base came down only yards in front of me, blocking the road.

Without having much of a choice, I backed the ASV off the road’s edge and through a small ditch in an effort to turn the vehicle and ASV around. The 13 inch tires gave the ASV enough clearance so there was no grounding problem. After only three pull ups and back ups I was moving once again and a short detour led me to the campground. The 264-site campground was nearly vacant except for the host and a couple passing through from Tennessee. The rain was persistent as I backed the ASV into my reserved site. In about one minute, I had the ASV opened and the tent structure secured – and I was mostly dry except for the raindrops that pelted me as I scurried from my vehicle to the rear of the ASV. As Quantum Leap’s trademarked line states, “The road to outdoor adventure is not always paved”.

The creator of the Quantum Leap Company and its ASV line feels he and his staff have filled a needed niche. Ted Harris, a veteran engineer in the RV industry for nearly three decades, says the ASV is the missing link in the RV evolutionary process that bridges the gap between free-standing tents and traditional towable RVs. Harris had three goals in mind when designing the ASV: easy to set up, easy to tow, and affordable. The ASV is an upgrade from a tent, by providing a sleeping platform off the ground and the ability to be set up faster. The night I field tested the ASV, the rain was serious, but the ASV’s tent covering didn’t leak a drop.

I left the ASV hitched to the tow vehicle at the campsite to eliminate a laborious step that would have put me in the rain for a longer period of time. The ASV can be opened and secured while hitched or unhitched from the tow vehicle. Once unhitched, the ASV (which weighs 780 pounds empty) can be maneuvered around the site by hand as long as the site is fairly level. The hitch weight is only 120 pounds. The trailer box size is 55 inches wide and 78 inches long. The length of the ASV (opened or closed) is 13 feet. Four crank down stabilizers steady the ASV.

The ASV’s exterior is capable of battling the weather and time with its woodless construction. The ASV utilizes steel, aluminum, thermoplastic, and composite materials. The frame is built rugged enough to handle some tough towing off-road, but trailers well on the highway just as well. The exterior of the box has only one seam and that is covered by section of diamond plate aluminum in the front. The good looks of the ASV will please the user as it simply looks adventurous. Not only is the ASV eye-catching, it’s also a work horse for the extreme outdoors enthusiast. The ASV sports two cargo carrying points. The front cargo deck is 55 inches wide and 45 inches long. The deck can handle firewood, coolers, bikes, etc. An optional vinyl cargo bag fits the front deck to offer weather resistant gear hauling. The insulated roof supports a Thule roof rack system that can handle nearly any kayak, canoe, or bike transport need.

The ASV was designed for years of service with little maintenance other than periodic greasing of the wheel bearings and cleaning the tent structure. One of the elements during the design process was to keep the ASV simple regarding options. The ASV has no electric or plumbing components which also keeps maintenance to a minimum. The field test revealed the simplicity of the ASV, which was appreciated during both set up and use. I had basic camping gear such as a backpacking stove, lantern, and sleeping bag, along for the field test. Each ASV user likely owns the specific gear for their specific pursuit, which eliminates the need for unneeded options found in larger, towable RVs.

The ASV is bound to be well received by the Gen X crowd that has plenty of adventure toys and who take advantage of every opportunity that arises when the wildness of nature calls. The ruggedness of extreme outdoor adventuring does not mean the adventurer must sleep on rough ground and accept the uncomfortable effects of rainwater running around their sleeping bag. The comforts of dry sleeping and living the ASV provides is a welcome advantage. The ASV performed impressively, on and off road. I wouldn’t hesitate to pull the small RV to any of my favorite backcountry fishing holes.

Harris told me he likes to tell prospective buyers of the ASV it goes from zero to base camp in 60 seconds. As my field test results confirmed, he is correct. Once the ASV is in the desired position, two latches holding the roof securely are released on the rear of the RV. The roof raises with the assistance of two gas struts, rotates to the front and rests on a T-bar that is put into position before unlatching the roof. The roof is locked into position by inserting two pins through holes in the roof rack and T-bar. As the roof is raised, two short cables pull the tent’s ridge pole into position which also deploys the tent structure. The tent’s bottom perimeter is permanently fastened to the inside of the box’s top edge with Velcro, which keeps the tent’s edges in place as the tent’s top is propped open. A second metal pole with saddle grips on each end is inserted between bunk end support bow beam and main ridge pole. A third pole is then inserted between the living area bow beam and main ridge beam to complete the tent support system with headroom of 80 inches.

The tenting has a flap on the exterior bottom that extends a few inches below the top of the box for water deflection. To enter the ASV, a door with latch is centered in the rear with a zippered door in the tent structure above that. Unzipping the door from the inside is a bit tough without pulling the tenting near the zipper loose from the Velcro. This is not a big deal though, and maybe smaller hands would not have any trouble at all. The living area has a tinted vinyl window on each side and they are mated with screens. The sleeping area has only screens and no zippered windows. During the field test, the morning was cool. A slight presence of morning dew coated the interior of the tent covering as a traditional tent would, so that aspect of tent camping remains with the ASV. The only other factor of the ASV I would give less than an “A” grade would be the mattress. It’s thin, so for a more comfortable sleep an extra pad would be recommended.

Quantum Leap’s ASV is the real deal and it does fill the niche between a tent and towable RV. The roof rack handles 150 pounds of gear and the front deck handles 250 pounds of gear. The ASV is not only a comfortable base camp unit, but is also a gear transport implement that can accommodate nearly any outdoor adventurer and their gear. With all materials being weather resistant and very little maintenance required, more time can be devoted to the adventure.
The ASV retails for $4,800. Call 814-289-1476 or visit www.quantumleaptrailers.com for more information and to locate a dealer.

This article was originally published in the Winter 2011 issue of PopUp Times.

Quantum Leap’s ASV
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