Germany's Kuckoo Camper shook up the European small camping trailer market two years ago when it introduced the Bruno squaredrop, an innovative all-roader with rooftop deck and indoor/outdoor kitchen. Now it's back with a second model, shedding some of the size and ruggedness of the Bruno in favor of a lighter, breezier build that binds inseparably with nature. The Kuckoo Emma benefits from the same type of thoughtful innovation, living larger than its small size thanks to a panoramic interior driven by oversized glass doors and windows.
Kuckoo showed the Emma prototype at last month's CMT show in Stuttgart. Conceived as a little sister to the Bruno, the trailer is still in development so details remain few and non-finalized. But given that the idea is to keep things streamlined and lightweight, there might not be many additional details to follow.
The Emma takes on a slightly different shape than the larger, ruggeder Bruno and sizes in 3 feet (90 cm) shorter at a very compact 11.4 feet (3.5 m). With a base weight below 882 lb (400 kg), it's quite light and ready to hitch up to a large variety of tow vehicles.
What really sets the Emma apart and gives it a distinctive personality quite unlike any trailer we've seen is its glass door design. Kuckoo's plans call for the camper to come standard with a pair of counter-opening glass doors on the passenger side and the option for the same setup on the driver's side. When flung open, the doors give the trailer a more spacious, airy feel, erasing the divide between indoor and out. Once closed, they ensure the view is not lost from inside.
The large glass entries team with a large rear window and overhead skylight to further increase viewing opportunities. This generous allotment of glass gives the Emma one of the most impressive panoramic designs on the global RV market — right up there with last year's Lagom pickup camper or 2021's fittingly named Kip Panorama Shelter trailer.
The Emma's light wood interior paneling complements all that glass in creating a bright living space. Kuckoo keeps the layout fairly simple, using a folding mattress as both the 58 x 79-in (147 x 200-cm) near-queen-size double bed and as a sofa. The front cabinet offers a shelf and plenty of cubby space, with more storage wrapping its way around the overhead space near the ceiling.
The rear of the interior houses a larger shelf with removable tops that provide access to the kitchen slide below. The indoor/outdoor kitchen design features a 37-in-long (95-cm) slide for housing a portable stove, dishes, and other cooking and serving provisions. On the front, a separate slide-out creates a worktop for prep and storage.
The Emma trades out the all-terrain tires included on the Bruno for smaller, smoother rubber and looks to be much better suited to pavement, and maybe the occasional smooth, flat dirt road, than full overlanding or gritty off-road primitive camping. Unlike the Bruno, it doesn't have a roof rack and the chances of being able to use the aluminum roof as a deck seem slim. But since the cabin itself offers nearly as much scenic, fresh-air design as an actual deck, it really doesn't need a separate deck space.
The preliminary Emma spec also includes a Dometic vent and optional electrical hardware. While sparsely equipped, the open design saves weight (and presumably price) and encourages campers to bring their own gear.
Kuckoo will continue developing and testing the Emma this year and plans to launch it for order in early 2024. It has not listed pricing yet, but as a reference, the larger Bruno trailer starts at €17,490 (approx. US$18,675).
Source: Kuckoo Camper (German)
