Forest River Cherokee Wolf Pup 16FQ vs Taxa Cricket

Forest River Cherokee Wolf Pup 16FQ

• ✓Under $23K — one of the most affordable full-featured trailers available
• ✓3,800 lbs dry weight means most half-ton trucks can tow it easily
• ✓Full bathroom with shower gives it a big advantage over pop-ups

Taxa Cricket

• ✓Designed by a former NASA architect for maximum space efficiency
• ✓Pop-up roof adds standing headroom when parked
• ✓Rear hatch loads bikes and gear directly into the trailer

Forest River Cherokee Wolf Pup 16FQ

• ✓At well under 3,000 lb dry it's genuinely light enough to tow with an SUV or even a minivan — one owner pulls his with a 2013 Honda minivan plus sway bar and weight-distribution hitch
• ✓Around $22K it's one of the cheapest ways into a hard-sided travel trailer with a real bathroom, fridge, and bed — a massive step up from tent or pop-up camping
• ✓Packs a surprising amount into a tiny footprint: full wet bath, queen-ish bed, kitchen, and dinette in a trailer short enough to store in many driveways
• ✓Perfect size for two adults or a couple with a kid, and a popular choice for people downsizing from big rigs who are tired of the bulk
• ✓Solar-and-battery-friendly electrical means light boondocking is realistic without a generator, rare in this price class

• ✗It's a budget trailer and feels like one — owners describe interiors that 'look and feel cheap' with the QC misses you'd expect at the price
• ✗Warranty repair issues crop up early: reports of the radio, backup camera, USB ports, and a window all needing replacement on newer units
• ✗A design flaw in the dinette leaves no room for your feet — two table legs plus the wheel-well intrusion mean nowhere to put your feet while seated
• ✗The factory mattress draws consistent complaints and the 'Cherokee Sleep System' bed setup has tripped up some owners
• ✗Overhead lighting is awkwardly placed above the beds, a small but daily annoyance owners call out
• ✗Storage and tank capacities are modest by necessity given the tiny size, so longer off-grid stays mean frequent dumps and refills

Taxa Cricket

• ✓Owners rave about the build quality and rugged engineering — the NASA-engineer pedigree shows in the thoughtful, space-efficient design, and people who've lived in one say the quality beats anything else in the segment
• ✓Light and tiny enough to tow with a 4-cylinder car or small SUV (around 1,800 lbs dry) and to fit inside a standard garage, which is a huge draw for owners short on storage or tow vehicle
• ✓Genuinely capable for dirt-road and overland use — owners take it places they'd never risk a conventional trailer, with ground clearance and a tough build aimed at adventure rather than RV-park hookups
• ✓Pop-up roof gives surprising standing room and headroom when set up, then drops to a low, aerodynamic, easy-towing profile on the road
• ✓All-weather interior kitchen and good ventilation make it usable in a wide range of conditions; owners report comfortable use even camping near freezing in winter
• ✓Sleeps a couple comfortably and can squeeze in two kids with the berth setup, making it a flexible small-family adventure base

• ✗Sparse standard equipment for the price — base Crickets ship without a toilet, no fridge, and no full-size spare, so owners add a portable toilet and accessories and the real cost climbs well above the base figure
• ✗It's expensive for its size — owners and shoppers question paying adventure-trailer money for something this small, especially when several desirable features are options rather than standard
• ✗Tiny living space (around 63 sq ft) means it's tight for two adults and gear; it's an adventure basecamp, not a roomy hangout for bad-weather days
• ✗Pop-up soft sides are less insulated and less secure than hard walls, so cold, condensation, and noise are more noticeable than in a hard-side trailer
• ✗Some owner gripes about design choices like solar being only 'pre-wired' rather than included despite the premium price, requiring more spend to get off-grid ready
• ✗Niche brand with a limited dealer/service footprint, so warranty and repair access can mean shipping to or coordinating with the factory rather than a local shop
• ✗Owners caution that some reported problems are dealer prep or operator error rather than the trailer itself, meaning a careful PDI and learning curve are part of ownership