Outdoors

Beauer's latest expanding camping trailer sleeps a family of six

Beauer's latest expanding camping trailer sleeps a family of six
The 3X Plus loses the cute, rounded shape of the 3X but gains a lot of space in the process
The 3X Plus loses the cute, rounded shape of the 3X but gains a lot of space in the process
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The Beauer 3X Plus measures close to twice as long as the original 3X
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The Beauer 3X Plus measures close to twice as long as the original 3X
The 3X Plus loses the cute, rounded shape of the 3X but gains a lot of space in the process
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The 3X Plus loses the cute, rounded shape of the 3X but gains a lot of space in the process
The 3X Plus starts just under €50,000
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The 3X Plus starts just under €50,000
Extended look at the front room of the Beauer 3X Plus travel trailer
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Extended look at the front room of the Beauer 3X Plus travel trailer
The Beauer 3X Plus uses a loose dining set and sofa that need to be packed up by hand
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The Beauer 3X Plus uses a loose dining set and sofa that need to be packed up by hand
The front module contains the dining area and lounge, while the central module is dedicated to the kitchen and bathroom
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The front module contains the dining area and lounge, while the central module is dedicated to the kitchen and bathroom
Beauer offers options like a television and climate control
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Beauer offers options like a television and climate control
The 3X Plus uses some of its added space for a larger L-shaped kitchen
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The 3X Plus uses some of its added space for a larger L-shaped kitchen
The bathroom is located across the hall from the kitchen
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The bathroom is located across the hall from the kitchen
Inside the dry bathroom of the Beauer 3X Plus
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Inside the dry bathroom of the Beauer 3X Plus
Separate shower in the dry bathroom
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Separate shower in the dry bathroom
One bedroom has a double bed
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One bedroom has a double bed
The other bedroom has two single beds
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The other bedroom has two single beds
The living room entertainment center is also a storage unit
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The living room entertainment center is also a storage unit
A better look at the left side of the 3X Plus living space (based upon how you face upon entering)
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A better look at the left side of the 3X Plus living space (based upon how you face upon entering)
The convertible sofa offers additional sleeping space to bring the total up to six berths
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The convertible sofa offers additional sleeping space to bring the total up to six berths
We take our first hands-on tour of the original Beauer 3X at CMT 2019
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We take our first hands-on tour of the original Beauer 3X at CMT 2019
The Beauer 3X has a very round shape, sort of like an upside down teardrop, rather than a teardrop on its side
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The Beauer 3X has a very round shape, sort of like an upside down teardrop, rather than a teardrop on its side
The Beauer 3X sleeps four people in a more compact 129- q ft (12 sq m) interior
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The Beauer 3X sleeps four people in a more compact 129- q ft (12 sq m) interior
Beauer 3X bedroom
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Beauer 3X bedroom
The 3X has a more compact L kitchen with dual-burner stove and a flip-up dining table on the backside of the counter
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The 3X has a more compact L kitchen with dual-burner stove and a flip-up dining table on the backside of the counter
The Beauer 3X starts at €27,900 after tax, a €4,900 increase since we last looked at it
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The Beauer 3X starts at €27,900 after tax, a €4,900 increase since we last looked at it
View gallery - 22 images

Back in 2015, we took a look at one of the most awe-inspiring camping trailers we've ever seen, the Beauer 3X. This French-designed pod tows like any teardrop or small trailer, but at camp it automatically expands to three times its size. It aims to be the best of both worlds: small and easy to tow but roomy and comfy to live in. We saw the 3X in person for the first time at the recent CMT show and also learned that Beauer has built the first 3X Plus. Just a rendering the last time we checked, the Plus is now a large, fully constructed six-person camper with the same style of triple-expanding design as the smaller 3X.

With the 3X Plus, Beauer stretches its expanding camper design into a 262 in (665 cm), 4,080 lb (1,850 kg) towable living module with flat roofline, curved front and rear ends and contrast stripe wrapping the window line. The Plus isn't quite as immediately cute-as-a-button as the standard 3X, but it's still a sleek, modern design that catches the eye, even before it's expanded into livable form. It sits on an Alko chassis and features poly construction and insulation.

What sets any Beauer trailer apart is its expanding design. At the push of a button, the 3X Plus automatically expands out, roughly tripling its interior space in a flat minute. The result is a stylish tiny home with the type of 300 sq ft (28-sq m) floor space you might find in a small studio apartment.

A better look at the left side of the 3X Plus living space (based upon how you face upon entering)
A better look at the left side of the 3X Plus living space (based upon how you face upon entering)

The three modules of the expanded trailer lay the path for a fairly open floor plan with six distinct areas. As you walk inside, you will find the front module filled out by a simple dining area to the left of the doorway and a sofa lounge with entertainment center to the right. Farther in, an L-shaped kitchen block faces the dining nook and a dry bathroom compartment extends back from the other side of the entertainment center wall, filling out the central module.

The rear module is dedicated to the sleeping areas, a master bedroom with double-bed to the right and a second bedroom with two singles to the left. The convertible sofa in the front lounge offers sleeping space for two more, bringing things up to the six-person total.

The convertible sofa offers additional sleeping space to bring the total up to six berths
The convertible sofa offers additional sleeping space to bring the total up to six berths

Like the Beauer 3X, the furniture and joinery of the 3X Plus have to fold and nest together inside the outer shell when it's time to compact down for travel. The design differs from the 3X in that the dining room and lounge area furniture are not hard-mounted to the trailer, so they fold up by hand and store away. The rear beds fold up against the wall, so that the front and rear sections can retract in around the hard walls and structure in the center of the trailer.

With its extra size, the 3X Plus also brings some larger standard equipment than the 3X, including a 230 L 12 V refrigerator, three- or four-burner stove and plenty of wardrobe and cabinet space. The 3X Plus starts at €49,900 (approx.US$56,675) after tax, and buyers can fully customize their trailers with options like heat, hot water, air conditioning and a flat-panel television. Buyers can also choose between a 55 x 75 in or 63 x 79 in (140 x 190 cm or 160 x 200 cm) master bed, while the singles measure 32 x 75 in (80 x 190 cm).

The Beauer 3X starts at €27,900 after tax, a €4,900 increase since we last looked at it
The Beauer 3X starts at €27,900 after tax, a €4,900 increase since we last looked at it

The pricing sheet we picked up at CMT also lists a smaller €22,900 ($26,000) 2X two-person model, so we have a feeling we'll be covering another Beauer creation in the future. In the meantime, you can have a closer look at Beauer's 3X Plus photos and our 3X photos in the gallery.

Source: Beauer

View gallery - 22 images
4 comments
4 comments
Mzungu_Mkubwa
Pretty great concept! I've always loved the "slides" in camper trailers, but the notion of making the whole trailer a slide, not just in one direction, but both, is just cool. Very efficient use of space. The one down side may be that many parking spots in camp grounds are intended for normal width trailers and thus may find accommodating the extra width challenging. Wouldn't stop me from getting one (if I were presently able) but it'd be something to keep in mind. Great job Beauer!
SDW
Sorry to burst your bubble, but there are very few campsites that you can fit that camper in. Just about all campsites and for sure all RV parks are made to fit trailers long ways. And since all trailer are only allowed to be a little over 8 ft. wide to fit the road lanes. The campsites are designed for the camper to back in or pull through. Sooooo, since this camper is so much wider (with the slides out) than even a motorhome with slides on both sides it won't fit. Especially not in National forest or National park campgrounds, or most state parks, COE parks, or RV parks. Motorhome, 5th wheels and camper trailer slides only slide out a max of 3 ft. If you want proof Just pick a campground any campground on google earth and zoom down over it and you'll see what I mean. I have been camping for 55 years and RVing for 11 years. I have a 37 ft. 5th wheel with 3 slides and barely fit or can't fit in some of them with my slides open.
Fairly Reasoner
What they said (unless it's easy to swing 90 deg., once it's in your camping spot).
Matt Fletcher
Good idea poor design, definitely not for your average campsite. One of the designs it looked like the door is sealed when you collapse the camper, so you can't even get in unless expanded.