Many a camping trailer pops up to increase headroom after packing down low for towing. A few use impressive mechanisms to expand out to the side, the back or the front to increase floor area and/or sleeping capacity. Others do both, using a combination of slide-out and pop-up hardware to fully expand at camp and collapse small for towing. The Aero Cabin One debuts as the latest multidirectional expander, providing roomy, modern living inside a small car-compatible shell.
Developed by Dutch trailer and awning specialist Smitveld, Aero Cabin premieres as its own trailer brand, representing a more ambitious caravan project than Smitveld's typical folding tent trailers. The One is designed to be light and compact enough to be towed by modest vehicles, including electrics, but spacious enough for comfortable living at camp and on the road, a "little big caravan."
Unlike other Dutch expanders we've seen, the Aero Cabin isn't an especially tiny trailer on the road, measuring in at 17.4 feet (5.3 m) long. Its 1,984-lb (900-kg) base weight makes it manageable for a wide range of tow vehicles, including EVs like the Tesla Model X and Y.
Once parked at camp, the Aero Cabin expands in a matter of seconds via its pop-up roof and frontal slide-out, creating a larger multi-room living space. The doorway is cut as low and wide as possible, welcoming the entire family with easy ingress, complete with an interior step in place of the common fold-out steps.
The open kitchen greets campers upon entry, extending out just left of the entryway into an L-shaped layout. The rearmost section houses a triple-burner stove and counter area atop a 70-L fridge/freezer and full drawer stack. The dual-hinged fridge is located just inside the doorway for easy access from outside as well as inside.
Farther back, the kitchen sink fills out the corner where the two "L" kitchen segments connect, keeping the second countertop entirely clear for food prep, storage and general work. More drawers and shelving are located under the second counter.
To promote outdoor living, Aero Cabin has added in an outdoor frame that secures to the side of the trailer. The entire stove-area worktop can be removed from the indoor kitchen and nests comfortably inside the frame, bringing the cutlery drawer along for the trip. Campers can then prepare meals amidst the rustling leaves and chirping birds of the open outdoors rather than being stuck inside or cooking on a secondary outdoor camping stove.
The Aero Cabin One's pop-up roof frees plenty of headroom over the kitchen area and middle of the trailer, and the slide-out module splits the remaining space into separate bedroom and lounge areas, rather than necessitating the convertible dinette-bed seen on many small trailers. The large, luxurious bed located inside the slide-out area features Froli springs and a near-king-size mattress stretching 87 x 67 x 5 inches (220 x 170 x 12 cm). The dining table slides to the side for clear bed access.
There's no mention of a bathroom or available sleeper roof, so the Aero Cabin looks best suited to couples camping at developed campgrounds with bathroom facilities.
With its unconventional design and vibrant honeycomb body styling, the Aero Cabin debuted at this month's Camping and Caravan Fair in Utrecht, Netherlands looking like a concept trailer. However, it's a full-on production model and is available for an introductory price of €39,000 (approx. US$41,150).
Source: Aero Cabin
