Sasquatch Expedition Campers How Silverton Became the Perfect “Startup Community” by Margaret Hedderman
Photos courtesy of Sasquatch Expedition Campers
W
hile developing their new line of camper trailers—Sasquatch Expedition Campers—Kass and Beth Kremer conducted several rounds of product testing. They sent their friends into the mountains with different prototypes and requested feedback: what worked? What didn’t? What could be improved? When two of their product testers sent engagement photos with a camper in the background, they knew they were on the right track. “It felt like we nailed it,” Kass said. The Kremers, along with their business partner Daryl Magner, launched Sasquatch Expedition Campers last summer in Silverton. The trailers will be designed and built in the company’s new facilities, using the San Juan Mountains as a testing ground. “We thought it was a perfect company for Silverton,” Kremer said. “Because we’re able to create and make these products in the mountains they’re meant to be used in.” Though the Kremers and Magner lived in California before relocating to Silverton, the idea for Sasquatch Expedition Campers was born in the San Juan Mountains. During the summer of 2020, the three friends met up for a camping trip on the Alpine Loop near Silverton. Kass described watching the line of 4x4 vehicles
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funnel back to town at the end of the day, leaving them alone at their campsite near California Pass. “That sparked the conversation,” Kass said. “How can we give access to this, the full experience?” Kass and Magner both came from engineering backgrounds, and believed they could make a lighter, more durable, and safer camper trailer than others currently on the market. “We have a lot of innovation in our products,” Kass said. “The aluminum frame makes it more lightweight, which will you give more control on backcountry roads.” Before trying his hand at camper trailers, Magner worked in a racecar fabrication shop. Kass said the experience has lent itself to designing lightweight trailers that are strong enough to travel over 4x4 roads. Knowing that every customer has their own unique camping needs, the trailers are built to be customized with accessories and additional equipment. “They have the capability for each user to change things around and say ‘this is how I like it,’” Kass said. “You can make it yours however you want.” Last summer, Sasquatch Expedition Campers moved into their new headquarters, a white and tan mining facility that was built in
