Patriot Campers has established itself as a global leader in hardcore, backcountry-grade camper trailers, having cut its teeth quickly in Australia before expanding out to the United States. Now it's taken everything it's learned since launching in 2013 and put it into its very first live-in trailer. Unlike the tent-topped trailers that dominate Patriot's lineup, the new X3 folds out to create a three-person living cabin complete with innovations like a pop-up coffee station and multipurpose foldaway table. Below, the X3 still has the rock-solid Patriot foundation renowned the world over.
The X3 appears to be a natural evolution of last year's X1-H, featuring a similar folding hard lid and CS3 tent. Instead of leaving it at a compact trailer-top tent, though, Patriot opens up the X3 with a full interior living space. The rear hatch pops open and folds down to create steps, bringing campers into the canvas-walled cabin.
The X3 doesn't exactly offer the spacious multi-room floor plan of a large caravan, but it does provide seating and legroom not seen on previous Patriot trailers. The L-shaped seating group below the main bed teams with a flip-up tabletop to create a general dining area, workstation and lounge. The main gel-top double bed above can be accessed from an outdoor ladder entry as well as from inside. The long bench seat doubles as a single bed at night, allowing the X3 to sleep three people standard. Available swag tents expand that sleeping capacity to four or five people.
The interior doesn't house the kitchen, which is instead built on the outside, but the pop-up cafe is an interesting option designed to house a coffee station that can be popped out for a quick cup of joe ... accessible from the comfort of bed. The fridge can be accessed from a hatch next to the pop-up cafe.
The large L-shaped outdoor kitchen includes a fold-down worktop that opens up access to the slide-out dual-burner stove, diesel water/tent heater-warmed outdoor shower and storage. A long slide-out next to the worktop brings the sink, storage drawers and space for an optional 75L fridge. Above, the wraparound awning provides plenty of shade over the kitchen and around the ends of the trailer.
The X3 comes standard with a powerful electrical system with 300Ah gel batteries, 1,500W inverter and Redarc battery management system. The standard Anderson adaptor makes it easy to wire up a solar panel for charging. Hookups include an indoor pop-up power station with dual 240V sockets and dual USB ports.
Like other Patriot models, the X3 is built on a stout galvanized steel chassis and includes a Cruisemaster X-Cruise independent airbag suspension for eating up bumps and leveling out at camp. An Exorack mounting system on the lid makes it easy to secure gear racks and carry systems, and the trailer also has a rear hitch receiver for hitch-based mounting.
The X3 measures an extra foot (30 cm) long versus the X1, and Patriot slices away an optimized departure angle for better performance in the rough. The trailer weighs 2,470 lb (1,120 kg) dry and has a payload of 1,060 lb (480 kg).
Patriot announced the X3 and its Camper Trailer Australia "2020 Camper Trailer of the Year" award this week, and the trailer will launch in March for a base price of AU$69,990. Options include Patriot's BBQ swing-away, the swag tents, awning walls, and a lithium battery upgrade. US pricing will start at $51,990, but some of the specs (e.g. electrical) and options will likely vary from the Australian model described above. Oklahoma-based Exploration Outfitters is Patriot's US distributor and says the first X3 models will arrive in July.
Source: Patriot Campers