One of the lightest teardrops meant to be pulled by cars (and not bicycles), the Kleox Shelter Travel debuted with a slightly unconventional form three years ago. In place of the usual side entry and tailgate galley, the Shelter Travel combined them into one rear hatch used for entry instead of cooking. We originally thought this feature necessary to help push weight down below 500 lb (228 kg), but as it turns out, Kleox was able to develop a more conventional design at the exact same low weight and price. The Kleox Festival trades out the tailgate for a side door, towing to camp more like a traditional teardrop ... only well smaller, simpler and more affordable than most.
Kleox is currently showing its tiny teardrop designs at this week's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, its first time exhibiting at the world's largest RV show. And as the show photo up top makes clear, one of the teardrops on display is not the Kleox Shelter Travel we came to know and love in 2022. Because how could someone be sitting inside a side doorway in a mini-teardrop that only has a rear hatch entry?
A new model.
It appears Kleox launched the Festival for rent in 2024, presumably as a solution designed for actual festival travelers, before adding it to its retail lineup earlier this year. The photo above was the first time we came across the new design.
While Kleox confirms that the Festival model was in fact designed with festivals and other overnight outdoor events in mind, it doesn't really explain what makes the new model superior for that style of camping. But the high-swinging tailgate never looked particularly user-friendly for closing from the inside, leaving the original Shelter Travel perhaps better optimized for sleeping with the tent fabric sealing off the hatch.
While we're sure it's possible to close the hatch while inside the Travel trailer, we wonder if it's not the most ideal style of door for those who are exhausted, inebriated or an unpleasant mixture of both, coming back to crash after a long day spent walking and partying at a big outdoor festival. So Kleox borrows from conventional teardrop design to put forth a solution – or a functional alternative, at least.
The oversized side door should be easier to open and close when getting in and out of the trailer and ensure a more secure hard-sided camping space with no need for tent fabric or awkward lift-gate closures. So walk and party as much as you want before simply slinking into your warm, cozy teardrop and sleeping it off until morning.
Single-door teardrops were very common a decade or two ago, in the early days of the 21st century teardrop resurgence, but have been increasingly replaced with dual-door designs that allow each occupant to move in and out without climbing over the other. That said, in a design optimized for the lowest weight and price possible, a single door still makes plenty of sense.
In fact, what's most interesting about the 10.5-foot (3.2-m) Festival teardrop is that, despite the hardware change, it comes with the very same estimated weight as the Shelter Travel, an extremely svelte 485 lb (220 kg). That's slightly up from the 463-lb (210-kg) weight Kleox estimated for the Shelter Travel in 2022, but it's exactly the same as what Kleox now advertises as the Travel's weight.
Also exactly the same is the price, which now starts at €6,290 (approx. US$7,325) for either model. That's a healthy increase from the €4,990 ($5,825) Shelter Travel price tag from three years ago, but those looking for the cheapest option will be happy to note the Shelter Basic base shell remains advertised at the same €3,990 ($4,650) it was back then.
As for which trailer reigns supreme between the Shelter Travel and the Festival, the main difference is really the entry. If you're looking for something easy to load with camping gear, bicycles and other cargo, the high, wide tailgate and tie-down points on the Shelter Travel will work best. If you're looking for the most user-friendly camping experience with an entry that's more conventional, the Festival seems the right choice.
Beyond that, both trailers feature a fiberglass body mounted atop a plywood floor aboard a basic trailer chassis. The felt interior lining improves warmth, anti-condensation performance and soft-touch comfort, while dual openable windows with insect screens and black-out shades adjust to conditions with help from an entryway screen. Two interior luggage nets offer storage space for each occupant.
The Kleox Festival provides a sizable floor area of 83 x 50 in (210 x 126 cm) for sleeping, and campers can either use their own sleeping gear or purchase the available folding 79 x 47-in (200 x 120-cm) folding mattress, which doubles as a sofa seat. The cabin interior offers a peak height of 45 in (115 cm), and the trailer stands at 63 in (160 cm) from ground to roof.
Other options include a rear-mounted bicycle rack, roof crossbars, a kitchen box, a side awning and a drawbar cargo box.
Source: Kleox
