Brothers Mike and Jason Jong are doing brisk business at their family-run travel trailer manufacturing company in Armstrong, B.C., after years of building it up.
When we first profiled Armadillo Trailers in 2019 the company was producing four units per month, and have recently scaled up its operation so they have the capacity to do eight to 10. Even at that pace, they're having a hard time keeping up with the demand.
Mike Jong tells Vancouver Is Awesome that it's "a good problem," to have, and that they spent this year building out their new facility.
They're in the process of clearing out a year-long backlog for orders, which is not uncommon in this industry - their competitor Escape Trailer in Chilliwack currently has a two-year wait.
Beyond the expanded manufacturing facility, Jong notes another thing that's new is their Backpack model trailer.
Slightly boxier than the original, and a half a foot longer, it offers a couple more options in terms of floor plans. One of those options is a washroom.
Fans of the classic Boler fibreglass trailers (manufactured in Canada from 1968 to 1988) will recognize Armadillo's original model, as it's built using one of Boler's original moulds.
The mould for their new Backpack model was created by a man named Larry Smith, for a company he previously ran called True Form, out of Vernon, B.C. This is the first time it's been utilized.
As Jong tells it after Smith made the mould he fell ill and had to give up his company. He brought the mould to Armadillo, telling the Jong brothers that they were the ones who should bring it to life.
Right before Smith passed away he was able to lay eyes on the finished product which he had dreamed up, and which the Jongs made a reality.
Future plans for the company include making a larger model, so that "families with three or more kids" will be able to comfortably sleep in it.
The company only offers direct sales at this point, cutting out the middle man.
