Teardrop-size off-road micro-camper blows up into duplex base lodge

On the road, the Duo X adventure trailer from South Africa's Invader looks like the latest ridiculously rugged squaredrop trailer to roll out of the Southern Hemisphere. And that's not entirely wrong, as it is a small, lightweight two-person towable meant to shadow a lifted ute over the most unwelcoming heights and depths of Earth's flesh. But instead of sleeping those two weary adventurers in a simple fixed cabin, teardrop-style, the Duo X rises, slides and flips into a two-story mini-camp with penthouse tent and lower galley and bathroom.

Get Xtra. That's what Invader is urging with the X name ... "Xtra comfort, Xtra style, and Xtra tech."

Maybe it just left it out to avoid reiterating the obvious, but we'd say Xtra space is still very much worth mentioning as a line item – Xpanded Xtra space, for that matter. Because the 4.3-m (14.1-ft) Duo X more or less doubles in size after riding to camp as low and compact as most any small camping trailer out there.

The main trailer construction couples a seamless hand-laminated fiberglass shell purpose-built for off-roading with a near-indestructible galvanized steel ladder frame. A set of 10-blade leaf springs works to dampen the bumps the 245/75 R15 all-terrain tires are destined to encounter.

With a tow height of 185 cm (73 in) to the roof, the Duo X could be built in traditional teardrop style, housing two people on a cabin-sized mattress within its solid walls and fixed roof. In fact, we've seen a couple of even lower square/teardrop trailers do exactly that ... and at least one of them was also from South Africa.

But then Invader would have to offer a simple tailgate galley rather than the multi-expandable gourmet outside kitchen it had in mind. Plus, South Africans just really seem to love expanding out their camping trailers (and trucks) in all kinds of unique ways. It's practically a staple in their off-road RV market.

So Invader keeps things creative and builds an expandable trailer with much more base camp space than a standard squaredrop could muster. Looking at the picture of the closed Duo X, we suspected that the roof would unlatch and fold forward, serving as the bed platform – but that's because we weren't focusing on the straight roof and boxy shape of the main upper tent. What actually happens is that the trailer roof rises straight up via electro-pneumatic actuators at the push of a button. Then, a set of smaller actuators electrically tilt the roof so that it properly sheds rain.

The front part of the tent, meanwhile, is stored away under the trailer top and slides forward manually, supported by two poles below to complete the full tent floor. The front tent extension then pitches from the inside with the setup of a few poles.

This two-stage tent design saves space for an open, 215-cm-high (7-ft) entryway that campers use to climb up into the queen-size bed. Not only does that give campers the ability to get in and out of bed without climbing over their partner, it also creates a front room that serves as a hard-floor indoor bathroom, complete with hideaway portable toilet and hot/cold sink. Invader keeps the space neat and dry by leaving the shower hookup outside, with an optional privacy enclosure.

Step back out through the entry door, and the multi-expander kitchen begins just to your right, behind a drop-down hatch door that doubles as a worktop with removable inlaid cutting board. Inside the hatch, the drawers hold a full place setting for four people, leaving space below for utensils and cooking tools. And as we've seen with other South African RVs, all those place settings come standard. The Duo X brings its own plates, bowls, glasses and mugs, all fitting securely in foam inserts. Buyers will have to add their own utensils, but Invader includes a bag to store them in.

One farther step toward the trailer's front-end reveals the main extendable kitchen unit with integrated dual-burner stove and sink. The two-part fold-and-slide system includes two separate sink basins for washing and drying. Inside the cabinet, the shelves provide pantry space for dry foods and spices.

One final step toward the front of the trailer gets you to the large nose box, which houses a heavy-duty slide fit for a fridge sized up to 54.5 x 84.5 x 50 cm (21.4 x 33.2 x 19.7 in). The nose box also houses a 3-kg LPG tank, a pair of drawers and a narrow front compartment good for storing camping chairs.

A large awning covers over the kitchen for cooking shade and light weather protection. It can also be used as a shelter for outdoor dining, and buyers can add a complete side wall set for more thorough wind and weather protection.

As the electrically actuated roof foretells, Invader wires in a full electrical system with dual 100-Ah batteries, a Victron 375-W inverter, solar controller, charging hardware and battery control system, an external multi-plug, a 10-m (33-ft) charging cable, and an array of 220-V, 12-V and USB sockets. A heavy-duty air compressor runs the pneumatic hardware, and fresh water is stored in a 120-L chassis-mounted tank.

The Duo X weighs in at 910 kg (2,006 lb) dry, leaving 620 kg (1,366 lb) of payload. Invader launched it in 2023, and while the manufacturer does not list pricing, several retail listings show a 2024 base price right around RR408,000 (approx. US$23,175). Those looking to go a little cheaper should have a peek at Invader's Duo Xs, a slightly lower-spec trailer with the same overall size and design that starts around RR360,000 (US$20,450).

The video below shows a closer look at the Duo X's setup and features.

Source: Invader