A Quick Look at Some Pretty Cool Trailers  

SUVs, CUVs, trucks, and vans are likely to account for 70% of vehicle sales by 2025 according to SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association)Propelled by the COVID-fueled push to get outdoors, these vehicles will get you where you need to go, whether to the lake, through the woods, or down by the beach. And as this segment of the automotive industry has grown, so has the offroad trailer market. 

America is witnessing an offroad, overlanding, and camping boon. More of us are getting outside and pushing our ventures off the beaten path just a little furher. Along with us we bring a demand for travel, even rugged travel, in increased style and comfort. That’s where the offroad trailer comes in to play — taking you further into the wild without losing out on basic creature comforts like hot showers and comfortable sleep. 

We recently had an opportunity to speak with some offroad trailer owners out and about camping. Each gave us a tour of their setup and shared insights about their particular trailers from battery setups to foam mattress thickness.  We saw four trailer types: cabin only, pop-up tent trailer, and tent only. Here’s what their owners thought.


Cabin Only Trailer - Mission Overland Summit 

Maker: Mission Overland

Starting Price: $43,900 

Comparable Brand: Taxa Outdoors Cricket Overland

Sleeps: 2 - 4 (4 with optional cot system for children)

Designed in: Canada

Dry weight: 2250 lbs

Overall Owner Rating: 8.75 out of 10 (Quality: 8/10, Price 7/10, Appearance: 10/10, Ease of Use: 10/10) 

Owner’s Favorite Features

  • The Summit’s 22” ground clearance plus Timbren axle-less suspension allows access to the most remote off-grid camping while providing smooth on-road performance with minimal sway. 

  • The quick and easy clamshell pop-up roof design allows interior standing room for short and tall adventurers alike (up to 6’4”).

  • Mission Overland rotates the selection of trailer wraps they offer, allowing you to choose between up to 15 different wrap designs at any given time. That means you’ll share your chosen wrap design with just a small group of other Mission trailer owners. 

Room for Improvement

  • The only access to the pantry is from the trailer's interior — this feature is not convenient for cooking at the exterior kitchen unit.

  • The 360° Max coupler hitch is frustrating to connect with just one person. Other hitches on the market may be a better choice. Plus, the trailer does not come with an e-brake.

  • Small details are missing the mark in terms of craftsmanship. For example, the latch on the rear hatch door is not adequate for the job, and the keys are flimsy (one having already broken within just three months of ownership). 

Want to know more about the Mission Overland Summit Trailer? Visit the Mission Overland website to learn about this trailer’s features, including its ample storage, on-demand hot water, 37-gallon freshwater storage, and much more. 


Off-road Pop-Up Trailer - The Opus “OP4”

 

Maker: Opus (PurpleLine USA)

Starting Price: $28,500 

Comparable Brand: Black Series Trailer Classic Double 

Sleeps: 4 to 6  

Designed in: California

Dry weight: 3100 lbs

Overall Owner Rating: 9 out of 10 (Quality: 9/10, Price: 7.5/10, Appearance: 10/10, Ease of Use: 10/10)

Owner’s Favorite Features

  • The Opus setup procedure is incredibly fast and easy — start to finish within 5 minutes. Putting everything away is almost just as quick. Simply release valves, fold the hatches, and load up the roof rack. 

  • The kitchen appliances on the Opus are outstanding. The sink is large, the range is ample, and the fixtures are well-made. The pop-up drying rack is a nice bonus to this setup that comes in very handy. 

  • The overall craftsmanship feels really high quality, there’s no component that may cause worry over the possibility of breaking down the line. For example, all of the windows have a plastic or screen option, allowing maximum airflow within the interior of the trailer. 

Room for Improvement

  • Internal storage options are lacking, which means a lot of bins outside the trailer on the ground. Plus, there’s no pantry in the kitchen area, which is a real shame since the rest of the kitchen is superb. 

  • The entrance zipper is cumbersome, particularly in cold weather, and often gets stuck or snagged along its track. For anyone trying to keep cool air or heat inside, getting stuck opening or closing the entrance flap can be incredibly frustrating.

  • Anyone over 5’10” tall may find sleeping quarters a bit cramped. (The bed length is just 6 feet 1 inch.) The somewhat awkward workaround to this is sleeping diagonally in the bed and hoping that your partner doesn’t mind. 


The Opus 4 Air trailer is built to go off road with trailing swing arm suspension with dual shock absorbers and 265/75/RR15 mud tires. Want to know more? Visit the Opus website here. 

Tent Only Trailer - The Tribe Trailer Basecamp



Maker: Tribe Trailers 

Starting Price: $22,000

Comparable Brand: Turtle Back Trailer Expedition

Sleeps: 3

Designed in: California

Dry weight: 1,654 lbs

Overall Owner Rating: 8.5 out of 10 (Quality: 8.5/10, Price 9.5/10, Appearance: 7/10, Ease of Use: 9/10)




Owner’s Favorite Features

  • The Basecamp trailer is small and nimble, which means it can be turned around in a pinch much more easily than bigger offroad trailers. It’s also an incredibly durable, easily modified trailer with a simple electrical setup that’s easy to maintain.

  • The BaseCamp leaves no inch behind in terms of storage. In fact, it’s all storage — storage comprised of pull-out shelves and drawers plus deep cargo wells for larger items, and a cavernous refrigerator compartment that accommodates large-capacity refrigerators.  

  • The kitchen side of the trailer features a pantry and dish storage plus a small sink, capable stove, and pullout countertop, which is easy to connect and put away. 

Room for Improvement

  • Because the cabinet doors aren’t built flush with the exterior walls, the fasteners have to be buckled down very tight to keep out rain. The result is a door that is challenging to close. (This is not as much of an issue with the newer versions of the Base Camp with feature two latches on each door instead of just one.)

  • The articulating hitch is a pain to connect with just one person. The approach height must fall within a very specific window or the hitch will become cantered back. 

  • The paint chips very easily from flying rocks while driving. 

  • The trailer’s suspension system doesn’t accommodate heavy top-weight very well — such as a tent larger than a three-person.