The lovably rugged Trailpod tenting trailer flips the calendar again to a less complicated time, a time when the off-road teardrop trailer was a small, ageless and reasonably priced gateway to world journey. However the tiny tear is greater than meets the attention, concealing a contemporary, zero-wood construct under its basic aluminum pores and skin. Trailpod allows you to spec it out from Sunday morning Vehicles & Espresso tagalong to Mad Max survivalist pod, guaranteeing you get precisely the aptitude you want with out overspending. It is already a contemporary basic.
There was a time, not way back, when the off-road-readied teardrop trailer would carry a twinkle to the attention and crick to the neck of even the least adventurous onlooker. There was simply one thing immediately novel and alluring about it, an unstated cool fator that would encourage even the homiest homebody to plot out a grand overland journey throughout murderous unimproved terrain. At the moment – say, a decade and a half in the past – such teardrops additionally served as an attainable entry level for RVing, overlanding and wilderness journey.
Issues have modified. Off-road teardrops have not misplaced all their cool issue, however the market did explode to the purpose of erasing their novelty and creating greater, much less enticing designs overbuilt into all means of strange shapes and kinds. A snug majority of the newer trailers actually lack the timeless simplicity that has made the teardrop an everlasting design icon for closing in on a century.
And the costs – you will have a better time going out right this moment and dropping $50,000 on a small off-road ‘drop trailer than discovering one for $10,000.
That is to not say issues have gone all unhealthy, although. Whereas teardrops have gotten greater, extra advanced, much less lovable and costlier, they’ve seen a marked enchancment in supplies and sturdiness with the expansion of zero-wood composite development, galvanized metal frames and superior terrain-smoothening suspension techniques. So when you is perhaps spending extra up entrance, you possibly can rightfully count on to wring extra years of journey out of that ready-for-anything teardrop purchase.
Trailpod
The place Trailpod, a younger teardrop builder from South Africa, grabs one’s consideration is in bringing issues proper again to 2010 or so with a classic-but-rugged off-road teardrop form and magnificence. It is trailers are clearly upfitted for all-out off-road exploration, with out feeling gaudy, extreme or purely exhibitionist.
What impresses us much more is that whereas the Trailpod seems to make the most of the easy alu-skinned wood-body development that dates again to the teardrop’s earliest days, it truly includes a wood-free foam-composite physique under that aluminum outer pores and skin, eliminating the rot, mould and normal corrosion that may deteriorate wooden bones. On paper, it is the most effective of outdated and new.
The Trailpod camper truly began out much more conventional. Born in the course of the idle depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the unique design featured a dramatically arched, completely curvaceous kind that even our most fervent “That is not a teardrop!!” commenters would embrace with out query. It wore a pores and skin constituted of surplus plane aluminum that shimmered so brightly you may virtually use the sidewall as a giant mirror.
Trailpod
That was the prototype, nicknamed “Tintin,” and after some in-field testing, the Trailpod idea developed by way of a number of further prototypes right into a extra ruggedized, trendy design that additionally weighs much less. It is nonetheless lots curvy however includes a shortened, micro-camping kind framed out by vertical entrance and rear ends. It measures simply 3.5 m (11.5 ft) in whole size, making it one of many shorter teardrop trailers on the market following loyally behind the bumper of road-legal automobiles.
The Trailpod tares in as little as 420 kg (925 lb) in its lightest narrow-bodied, non-braked spec. Named the Trailpod Lite, this base mannequin nonetheless options an off-road-prepped construct based on a galvanized off-road chassis and driving 195/80 R15 all-terrain tires wrapped on 15-in metal wheels. Rubber and leaf-spring suspension choices can be found.
Trailpod
The slender physique measures 1.2 m (3.9 ft) throughout, whereas the elective extensive physique stretches to 1.4 m (4.6 ft), including 30 kg (66 lb) to the dry weight. As a result of the monitor extends out previous the physique, whole trailer width checks in half a meter (1.6 ft) wider than the physique width.
Past that, the Lite base spec is tremendous easy, permitting consumers to save cash and equip it to activity themselves. It comes commonplace with a single door, window with mosquito display screen and blackout shade, roof vent, 205-cm-long (81-in) double mattress measuring 115 or 135 cm (45 or 53 in) in width relying on physique width, a suitcase shelf, two rechargeable lights, and roof rails.
Trailpod
From there, consumers can decide and select add-ons from an à la carte choices listing, together with a lithium battery, toddler bunk mattress, side-mounted fluid canisters and a side-mounted kitchen field, or they will step issues as much as the Cricket mannequin. The Cricket options the identical physique and body because the Lite however packages in a large number of further commonplace options, together with a 100-Ah lithium battery, second entry door, side-mounted mini-kitchen field, photo voltaic charger, inside cabinets, and extra inside/exterior lighting.
One factor conspicuously lacking from the usual function and choice sheets for the Lite/Cricket teardrops is a tailgate galley, a teardrop custom. For that, consumers can step as much as the Trailpod Max, which measures the identical 3.5 meters lengthy however has a wider 140- to 154-cm (55- to 61-in) physique and provides a tailgate galley.
Trailpod
The galley is extra of a structural design, with none inbuilt cooking, plumbing or refrigeration tools, however offers a full-width counter plus cupboards and cubbies. It seems such as you’ll should maintain your cooler or fridge field within the tow car, as there is not any massive decrease storage space to accommodate it. Instead of the aspect kitchen, the 550-kg+ (1,213-lb+) Max has a fold-down aspect shelf for further work/cupboard space.
Trailpod
Trailpod pricing begins at ZAR189,681 (approx. US$11,650) for the Lite mannequin, R224,480 ($13,800) for the Cricket, and R257,600 ($15,825) for the Max.
It is normally European or Australian campers that ship pangs of envy reverberating throughout the USA, however these transformed US costs for a compact, ultralight trailer with no-wood development and correct off-road spec undoubtedly have us craving for a South African micro-camping expertise. We will cross fingers that Trailpod turns into the subsequent South African trailer maker to cross the Atlantic (with out jacking costs up a lot from these alternate figures).
Supply: Trailpod
