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The Cirrus 820 offers some of the most exciting features available in compact truck campers today. Take a few moments to learn more about what this model has to offer.
Every once in a while, a new recreational vehicle enters the market that challenges its predecessors in terms of luxury, sophistication, and performance. Seamlessly designed from the ground up, the Cirrus 820 by Little Guy represents a significant step forward for hard side, non-slide campers in particular. This seemingly simple camper packs an impressive punch for its modest size, with standard features like an integrated solar panel on the roof and an innovative Alde heating system. Best of all, the basic Cirrus 820 model comes with a relatively affordable price tag starting at just over $40,000.
If you’re looking for an RV that effortlessly combines comfort and convenience, look no further. Read this Cirrus 820 review to find out what sets this camper apart from the competition and why RV travelers everywhere are taking notice.
DESIGN
Heavily influenced by modern European teardrop campers, the Cirrus 820 features a plethora of cutting-edge design elements that you don't see very often in American models today. One of the more remarkable design features is the seamless walk-on aluminum roof. Instead of using screws to secure vents or other roof elements to the exterior of the camper, Little Guy tapes and clamps these components down before attaching screws to the inside. This helps to reduce the number of breach points on the roof's exterior where moisture could potentially enter.
Meanwhile, custom-made and insulated thermoplastic windows come equipped with screens or blackout shades to help maintain a consistent, comfortable temperature inside the trailer. The front dual-pane insulated window also opens up, allowing for easy air circulation during those off-grid excursions.
You can choose from several color schemes and graphic accents to match your unique personal tastes. There are many different trim kits available too, and you can select between either silver or black walls for the camper. Other attractive and functional design elements worth mentioning include an 8-ft motorized awning, exterior shower, backup camera, and collapsible rear access ladder.
LIVABILITY
The Cirrus 820 delivers an unprecedented level of comfort, in contrast to many truck campers available on the market today. Among other things, this camper offers outstanding climate control capabilities to maintain an optimal indoor temperature all year long. During the winter months, the Cirrus 820’s Alde hydronic heating system delivers warmth through convectors, evenly distributing warmth from one end of the cabin to the other. The Alde system also supports the connection of a heat exchanger to share heat from your truck’s engine block to the camper cabin. When summer hits, the camper relies on a robust 9200 BTU Coleman Mach 8 air conditioner unit to keep the camper cool.
If you don’t have direct access to power, the AC can connect to a portable generator instead. The entire body of the camper is protected by layers of closed-cell insulation and Azdel composite found within the walls, floor, and roof of the camper.
Another noteworthy interior feature includes an entertainment system called The Cube. This system supports Bluetooth, video streaming, and an HDMI connection to other devices like DVD players. A 19-inch monitor attached to a swinging arm allows for easy customization of viewing angles from virtually anywhere inside the camper. The Cirrus 820 manages to deliver outstanding audio quality as well, thanks to its powerful Fusion speaker system.
In the dinette area, a single-leg table manufactured in Denmark serves as the central focus. This table not only provides extra legroom but also features a hydraulic lift to easily tuck the table away when it’s not in use.
The Cirrus 820 also comes with European-style LED Dream Lighting throughout the interior and exterior. Adjustable lighting rests above the dinette area as well, while LEDs hidden within the heating system and behind the countertops add to the cozy ambiance of the cabin.
STORAGE
Inside, beautiful, Italian-made cabinets provide plenty of overhead storage throughout the camper. These cabinets consist of a Lite Ply and hardwood protected by a finishing coat of vinyl that keeps colors from fading with time. You can choose from several colors of locally-sourced polyester for the inside of the cabinets as well, including lime green, cranberry, orange, and clay.
There’s plenty of room to store all your food items with the camper’s three-way refrigerator, and several cubbies for dry goods discretely inhabit the space beneath. There’s additional pantry space above and below the stove as well, along with several utensil drawers nestled below the sink. A small lockbox built into the step between the bed and dinette provides an excellent place to store more valuable items. You’ll find the smaller cubbies flanking the head of the bed are perfect for decorative accents, books, and smaller house plants.
Holding tank storage resides in a wheel-well-level basement where the camper’s revolutionary heating system protects critical systems from freezing up in colder weather conditions. The battery compartment supports two Group 31 battery types, and there are dedicated spaces to mount two twenty-pound propane tanks upright.
DRIVING/TOWING
Like with any camper, the center of gravity on the Cirrus 820 rests higher up in the rear of the truck, so it’s important to remain cautious when taking turns with the camper in tow. Even in ideal weather and road conditions, maximum speed when towing should not exceed 60 miles per hour. Geared up a ready to go, the Cirrus 820 weighs in at a little more than 3,272 lbs. Remember to always remain within the weight limitations of your truck when hauling the trailer, and always check that the towing apparatus you use is the correct type for your particular vehicle.
To make hitching and unhitching much easier, the Cirrus 820 includes a remote-controlled electric jack system. A 12-volt battery supply provides power to the electric jacks, but the system may also be extended or retracted manually with a wrench if necessary.
FAVORITE FEATURES
With so much to offer, anyone can see why the Cirrus 820 stands in a class all its own. Few others campers today can compete with the craftsmanship, sophistication, and precise attention to every detail. Here are a few of the unique features that make this camper such a gem.
Sleep Like a King
A sprawling queen-sized ILD foam mattress puts a luxurious capstone on this already phenomenal camper, but the real magic happens underneath the bed. The Froli sleep system works to lift the mattress off the ground with a series of square plastic springs arranged in a grid across the floor. Along with dispersing weight to maximize comfort, the Froli sleep system helps to improve air circulation beneath the mattress. This allows the Alde heating system’s convectors to distribute heat evenly into the bed and through the entire cabover.
Sleek, Foldable Bathroom Sink
Another exciting feature in the Cirrus 820 is the foldable bathroom sink that rests directly above the toilet. This simple space-saving detail provides some much-needed elbow room for the wet bath that makes showering much easier to manage. When folded up, the sink blends in well with the contours of the bathroom and hides the faucet entirely.
New and Improved Water Management System
The Cirrus 820 features an incredible Nautilus P3 water system that consolidates all the essential connections into a centralized compartment for easy access. The panel provides easy-to-understand illustrations of various valve positions for dry camping, winterizing, filling the tank, or sanitizing. For extra accessibility and convenience, you can either activate the water pump directly from the external Nautilus access panel or from inside the camper. Indication lights will tell you when the pump is working while a bright overhead LED ensures panel controls remain fully illuminated.
The SmartCamp App
One of the most compelling convenience features of the Cirrus 820 is the ability to support mobile technology. SmartCamp is an offline app that allows you to immediately turn on and off any light inside or outside the camper from your mobile device. You can also extend or retract the awning at the push of a button. If you run out of battery life on your phone, you can use the manual switchboard above the kitchen counter instead.
The simplistic functions of the SmartCamp App will likely expand drastically in future iterations as new technologies pave the way for further breakthroughs in digital integration. It will be exciting to see how Little Guy explores the possibilities of bringing smart home technology to the world of compact campers moving forward.
WRAPPING UP
Due to its European influences and forward-thinking design, the Cirrus 820 represents a significant departure from many campers seen on the market today. Both newcomers to RVs and seasoned veterans can find something unique to appreciate about the Cirrus 820. While some recreational vehicles focus on building bigger, this deceptively simple camper sticks to the basics of comfortable form and convenient function to create a space that truly makes you feel at home, no matter where you go.
