Outdoors

Air Opus camping trailer inflates into a home away from home in 90 seconds

Air Opus camping trailer inflates into a home away from home in 90 seconds
The Air Opus system can be added to any existing Opus Camper package
The Air Opus system can be added to any existing Opus Camper package
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Air Pole technology replaces more familiar hard poles, providing for fast set-up
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Air Pole technology replaces more familiar hard poles, providing for fast set-up
The Air Opus system can be added to any existing Opus Camper package
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The Air Opus system can be added to any existing Opus Camper package
The Opus Camper interior includes a U-shaped sofa, kitchen unit and two end beds
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The Opus Camper interior includes a U-shaped sofa, kitchen unit and two end beds
The kitchen has a dual-burner stove, worktop, sink and refrigerator
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The kitchen has a dual-burner stove, worktop, sink and refrigerator
The Air Opus goes from closed trailer to fully set-up camper in an estimated five minutes
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The Air Opus goes from closed trailer to fully set-up camper in an estimated five minutes
The Air Opus mid-inflation
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The Air Opus mid-inflation
The Air Opus closed up and ready to hitch and ride
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The Air Opus closed up and ready to hitch and ride
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When we first discovered the British-designed Opus camping trailer back in 2013, its combination of compact pop-up construction and comfy interior design made it one of our favorite campers of the year. Since then, the Opus has gotten a few extra tricks up its sleeve, including a motorcycle mounting system and an all-new tent inflation system. With its integrated Air Poles, the new inflatable Air Opus trailer tent sets up in about a third the time of the original.

The original Opus trailer already offers a very nice mix of compact, pop-up construction, gear-hauling versatility, and well-equipped interior. US-spec standard and optional equipment includes a wraparound couch, kitchen with stove, sink and refrigerator, cinema system, portable toilet, electric heating, and air conditioning.

The Air Opus system adds extra fast-pitching convenience so that campers can go from towing to relaxing in a matter of minutes. For the new design, Opus has stripped out the hard tent frame and replaced it with Air Poles that inflate with the help of an integrated electric pump powered by a 12-V leisure battery. So the owner can flip a switch and watch the pop-up tent inflate to life in just 90 seconds.

Air Pole technology replaces more familiar hard poles, providing for fast set-up
Air Pole technology replaces more familiar hard poles, providing for fast set-up

The Air Opus requires a few manual steps before and after flipping the electric pump on, so there's no remote control like the ScarabRV, but the inflation system makes it that much easier to go from driving to the campground to relaxing at camp. According to Opus, the entire set-up process for the 13.5-ft-long (4.1-m-long), six-berth Air Opus model, including laying out the interior equipment, takes just five minutes, down from 15 minutes for the pole-frame version. And that's an extra 10 minutes that can be spent getting the fire going, unloading other gear, getting out on the trail, dropping a baited hook in the water, or just sitting in a camping chair and enjoying the view, drink in hand. At the end of the trip, quick-release valves let the air out so that the Air Opus folds down for transport about as quickly as it went up.

The Opus Camper interior includes a U-shaped sofa, kitchen unit and two end beds
The Opus Camper interior includes a U-shaped sofa, kitchen unit and two end beds

In the US, the Air Opus is available as an option and can be added to any existing Opus model, meaning that all the usual packages are available on the Air version. An Opus rep tells us the Air tent has a slightly higher ceiling than the standard frame tent and more window and skylight space for better views and natural light.

Opus debuted the Air Opus at last year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon and has been busy showing it at various trade shows since then, including a US debut last month and a UK appearance at this week's Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show. It plans to get it to market around April of this year and is now accepting pre-orders. The Air Opus is available as a US$2,499 option on US-market Opus Camper models, which start at $18,999. Opus is also offering a $1,995 add-on inflatable extension awning that fills from the Air Opus's electric pump.

UK packaging, pricing and options are different from those in the US, and the Air Opus starts at £15,495 (US$19,290) for a complete basic trailer.

Take a look at set-up and teardown in the video below.

AiROPUS - Inflating Camper

Source: Opus Camper

View gallery - 7 images
5 comments
5 comments
Aross
Interesting. As a senior this looks a lot easier than my pop up however it takes me about the same time to set up my Bonair 1200. I wonder where you put the interior and exterior lights. Also how often do you have to re-pressurize the thing?
JerseyJoe
Pretty cool! The stability on the wings looks a little shaky but nice.
MQ
Are guy ropes needed in anything more than a stiff breeze?
toyhouse
Seems like a good idea for the ultralight category of tent trailers. Perhaps, one for motorcycles as well.
Tom Lee Mullins
I think that is really neat. It looks like an easy way to set it up and take it down.