Since debuting in 2021, the Campinawe Trailer has established itself as one of the oddest-looking small camping trailers roaming the earth. But besides looking weird, its strangely juxtaposed alu-skinned foam-core panels conceal one of the roomiest, most functional floor plans we’ve seen on a teardrop-style 15-footer. And that’s truer than ever as the company adds an even more spacious, flexible floor plan alternative. The Crossover Solo layout features a pack-away bed that clears room inside for a larger dining or office space. Heck, you could probably use it for yoga when it’s too cold or rainy outdoors.
Perhaps it’s because I was recovering from a snowboarding-incurred concussion at the time, but I didn’t quite see the sheer Picasso-ness of the Campinawe design the first time we covered it. I knew it was avant garde, artsy … abstract, even, but I glossed right past the sheer cubist nature of it.
Campinawe
Looking at it now, though, I see clearly a teardrop-inspired form outlined and obscured by irregular shapes, angles and forms. It’s not quite as over-the-top as a true cubist painting, but the elements are there, from the strangely shaped door surround to the busily cubbied galley.
Much of that styling seems a very deliberate choice, likely meant to grab attention in a market in which the timelessly curvaceous form of the teardrop has become all too commonplace. But part stems from the need to build atop a multi-gauge steel tub chassis rather than the usual flat steel frame you find under other trailers. That becomes clear in front of the rear axle where the multi-paneled upper wall meets raw tub steel, creating one of the trailer’s numerous visual juxtapositions.
Campinawe
Whatever the reason, the alarming mishmash of shapes and lines that coalesce into the Campinawe body gives way to one of the more intriguing interiors we’ve seen on a trailer this small. While many builders of 15- to 17-foot (4.6- to 5.2-m) tailgate-galley trailers are happy just to squeeze a double bed inside their camper pod, with a few overhead cabinets spread above it, Campinawe manages to clear out a proper step-in foyer and wardrobe behind the foot of its 60 x 80-in (152 x 203-cm) residential-size queen bed. It even fits a seat-top Yeti cooler or Dometic fridge into that entryway space and adds a storage cubby for a portable toilet at the base of the wardrobe shelving.
Since debuting its first trailer, Campinawe has stuck with the original body and basic interior bed/foyer split, developing out a lineup of trim levels around it. There’s the basic, essentials-only Pioneer, the mid-tier Frontier and the fully loaded Adventure. Each of those essentially equates to a package of standard features and comes in the buyer’s choice of bed style. This month, Campinawe announced the new Crossover Solo as the third among the available bed setups, joining the original fixed queen and the now-available convertible queen/dinette.
Campinawe
As its name suggests, the Crossover Solo is aimed at solo camping, a form of pure escape and reset that seems to be a rising trend in RV and tent design this year. The floor plan still includes the walk-in foyer and wardrobe directly inside the rear side door, but instead of running a queen bed from sidewall to sidewall up front, the Crossover Solo splits its floor into a 38 x 80-in (97 x 203-cm) twin XL bed and an open floor next to it. It also has a multi-tier nightstand with stacked drawers next to the head of the bed.
On the sidewall across from the bed, a swing-up worktop serves as a dining table and a desk. Campers can use the edge of the bed as a seat.
Campinawe
Where the Crossover Solo really proves itself a whole different animal is in its stow-away bed design. The mattress and lower bed platform fold in half and store on the upper part of the platform, next to the nightstand. The bed’s outer foundational support rail then slides out and stows away against the far sidewall, more than doubling the amount of open floor space. Campers can now pull in a proper folding chair to use for laptop work or dining on the foldaway table, use the increased floor area for exercise, or otherwise make better use of the roomy interior during daylight hours.
Campinawe
That twin XL width of 38 inches would really be pushing it for more than one person – perhaps two particularly slim sleepers who don’t roll much could find comfort lying together, but it really seems best as a solo option. Given the Crossover Solo’s workstation-focused configuration, the floor plan seems like the perfect solution for someone who likes to travel and camp alone while doing some remote work along the way.
What isn’t so perfect for that type of solo drifter is the price. The Crossover Solo isn’t available on the US$28,995 base-level Campinawe Pioneer model, so buyers who want the layout will have to step up to the $39,995 Frontier or the $54,995 Adventure. Those prices seem pretty steep for a small two-person trailer, but they really feel expensive for a solo model that lacks an option for sleeping anyone else inside.
The Crossover Solo costs the same as the queen and queen/dinette bed layout options, so buyers looking for more berths can always go with one of those. Also, the Frontier comes with two rooftop crossbars, the Adventure three, so Crossover Solo buyers could mount up a rooftop tent when bringing along family and friends. But the layout of one person in the trailer and two+ in the tent still seems a little strange.
Campinawe
What we think could potentially be the best solution of all is a “Crossover Duo” setup with two individual folding bed platforms and mattresses that open up the same amount of floor space as the Crossover Solo during the day. Campinawe could replace the tall night stand with the upper part of the second bed frame. Then owners have the option of removing the second mattress when camping solo and reinstalling it for two-person trips. It’d just require two folding single mattresses measuring in at 30 in (76 cm) wide or less.
But Campinawe might feel it’s covered its bases with the three current bed styles.
Campinawe
As far as other standard features, the Campinawe Frontier comes with a Yeti Tundra 45 cooler, 34-L fresh water tank, RinseKit pump/shower system, dual-burner stove, Redarc electrical package, and 90-degree awning. The Adventure model swaps in upgrades like a Dometic CFX3 35 fridge, 270-degree awning, 68-L fresh water tank, and shower with instant water heater. The Adventure also includes expanded standard equipment like an Ecoflow HVAC system, entertainment system and onboard air compressor.
All Campinawe models are built for off-road use, but the Adventure is of course the most rugged and features a 4,850-lb Cruisemaster independent suspension with 3-in lift, Lock ‘n’ Roll articulating hitch coupler, 33-in all-terrain tires and wraparound fender steps. The Adventure trailer weighs in at a 1,910 lb (866 kg) base.
Get a better feel for how the Crossover Solo layout fits and adjusts in the short video walkthrough.
The NEW Campinawe Crossover Solo Is Here
Source: Campinawe
