For a few years now, we've been admiring Opus' line of cozy pop-up campers and add-on equipment like motorcycle cranes and inflatable hardware. Now the company is towing deeper into the wilderness. Forged in Australia, where many a great off-road trailer calls home, the new Opus Outback has fortified construction, a slide-out exterior kitchen, and other features aimed at adventurers that aren't put off by dirt, mud and rock. Even if the ride to camp is tough, the Outback makes things easy and comfortable when you get there.
As you might have gathered by the name, the 18.3-ft (5.6-m) Opus Outback was developed in Australia, not at Opus' UK global headquarters. Opus currently sells an off-road-ready 4 Sleeper model in Australia, and it's now bringing it over to North America as the Outback, putting a new option on the off-road trailer market.
The Outback rides on a tough galvanized steel chassis built up for off-road usage and relies on independent coil suspension with gas shocks to smooth out the bumps. The trailer has a 12-in (305-mm) ground clearance and a rear cut-out for improved departure angle. A stone guard helps fend off flying rock, and 15-in alloy wheels shod in 235R/75R15 tires keep momentum.
Opus' pop-up layout, with queen beds out at the ends and a wraparound sofa in between, remains much the same, but with one major change: the kitchen moves from inside to outside. The slide-out stainless steel kitchen includes a spacious four-burner stove and sink. There's also a separate fridge slide-out and an outdoor shower piped to the 40-gal (151-L) fresh water storage.
The Opus Outback's interior looks extra roomy, thanks to the loss of the kitchen. In its place is a bench-level console. The camper sleeps four on its two dedicated end beds, and the sofa can also convert into a third bed for two more, for a total capacity of six sleepers. LED lighting and a stereo system with CD/DVD player enhance the interior ambiance.
The Outback weighs 2,870 lb (1,300 kg) and has an 1,100-lb (500-kg) payload. An available cargo carrier helps put that payload to use. The company says set-up takes about 10 minutes.
Opus is currently offering the US$21,999 "Ready to Roll" Outback package, which includes the standard hardware and features, along with a leatherette sofa, spare wheel, annex and 100-Ah deep cycle AGM battery. Available options include a microwave and the Opus Cinema System – making the Outback the third pop-up trailer we've looked at this month with an available theater, following the Ultimate Nexus and Woodenwidget Slidavan.
The Air Opus inflatable tent body will be available for the Outback beginning in September. It has been making a lot of noise since Opus revealed it last year, and it recently took home a Good Design Award in Australia.
Source: Opus
