Since winning some award jewelry two years ago, the Life Chariot has gone on to start a family, lending its battlefield-tested platform to an incredibly versatile morsel called the Unit 1. The modular towable is a highly capable kayak trailer, rolling cargo box, pint-sized platform trailer, camper and ... whatever you need it to be. With a height-adjustable articulated hitch, shocks that appear taller than its terrain-hungry tires and a payload up to 1,100 lb, it's ready to attack extreme terrain and ensure your valuables make it in one flawless piece.
When we first saw the Unit 1 trailer highlighted as part of Germany's annual Adventure & Allwheel show over the weekend, we assumed it the first recreational successor to the Life Chariot. As it turns out, though, Da Orffo, based in Krakow, Poland, got its start back in 2012 building mountain operational support and recreational camping trailers, shifting focus to the Life Chariot rescue trailer in response to 2022 escalations in the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Following the renown earned by the Life Chariot, Da Orffo spun off the platform, different from the one that underpinned its original recreational Sport Utility Trailer (SUT), into the versatile, new Unit 1 lineup.
That platform is one of the most simple (but pretty damn gnarly) trailer chassis we've seen. It consists of a welded steal-beam frame inside heavy-duty fenders, keeping things as clean and simple as possible. The trailer rides on a rocker arm suspension with massive coilovers featuring eight-stage gas stiffness adjustment. Those coils deliver 13.8 in (35 cm) of ground clearance, with 10 inches (25 cm) of travel promising to eat up all dips and bumps short of earth-vanishing sinkholes.
From there, the tiering begins, and Da Orffo offers plenty of different options to create the ultimate trailer for your needs.
The first available level is a storage tray that sits inside the chassis, sunken below the height of the fenders to make better use of available open space. The next level is a 55 x 35-in (140 x 90-cm) platform rack that sits atop the fenders, serving as either a direct cargo carrier or a floor for additional trailer components.
A popular option for building up from that base setup is a pair of left and right lockers. Each one offers plenty of interior storage, along with a drop-down hatch door that doubles as worktop and shelf space. This setup then leaves some empty space straight down the middle of the trailer that can be used to house additional storage lockers or gear-carrying solutions such as two bicycle mounts or a kayak carrier. Da Orffo even offers a dirt bike carrier with deployable ramp.
Da Orffo also offers several full-width storage solutions, including a cargo tub and the D1 adventure box. The latter served as the basis of its original SUT off-road gear/camping trailer and offers access hatches on all four sides.
With the main body filled out, buyers can then top off their trailer. For instance, they can connect the dual storage lockers with an upper platform rack or crossbars and mount a rooftop tent to create a proper pop-up camping trailer.
Finally, there are additional options like a hot shower box, water and fuel canisters, fold-out solar charging systems, propane tanks and more.
The 10.8-ft-long (3.3-m) base Unit 1 trailer weighs in at a mere 827 lb (375 kg) and comes with a load capacity up to 1,100 lb (500 kg). Its height-adjustable articulating hitch is designed to adapt to different vehicle heights for smoother towing.
Da Orffo sells the base Unit 1 with chassis and fender-top rack for PLN69,987 (approx. US$18,800), while the Unit 1 XP with two full-length storage lockers, central storage boxes and upper roof rails slides in at PLN93,726 (US$25,200). The XP configuration does not include the rooftop tent, liquid canisters or any other camping equipment. The moto-loading version with retractable ramp/moto carrier and two side lockers slots in at PLN103,320 ($27,750).
Source: Da Orffo
