Outdoors

Wood-free pop-up camping trailer packs a rooftop party deck

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Enjoying a sunny afternoon with the RKS Purpose camping trailer
RKS Off-Road
The optional 210-W solar panel integrated neatly in the pop-up roof, leaving the sky deck wide open for business
RKS Off-Road
With its high ground clearance and Timbren off-road suspension, the RKS Purpose is built to wander off the beaten path
RKS Off-Road
RKS gives the Purpose a cozy bedroom with queen bed, central lighting and plenty of windows
RKS Off-Road
RKS rearranges the kitchen equipment into a roomy L-shaped layout, but the one thing missing is a set of cabinets or drawers
RKS Off-Road
The optional board carrier makes use of the RKS Purpose side T track
RKS Off-Road
Taking in the best of the local scenery
RKS Off-Road
The Purpose has a standing height entry and bathroom and a lower bedroom
RKS Off-Road
Kitchen with drop-down stove, fridge/freezer and sink
RKS Off-Road
The optional firewood carrier on the side provides a neat place to stack wood and doubles as a ladder for getting up to the roof
RKS Off-Road
Drop chairs or a hammock on the sky deck and enjoy the local scenery
RKS Off-Road
The RKS Purpose trailer includes a lockable nose box for storage
RKS Off-Road
Enjoying a sunny afternoon with the RKS Purpose camping trailer
RKS Off-Road
View gallery - 12 images

With a pop-up that looks like a chimney and a bimini-topped party deck, the roof of the short, stout Purpose Trailer from California's RKS Off-Road is unlike any other you're likely to see at the campground. In fact, it holds up to 1,000 lb (454 kg) so that a campsite of friends can chill out during the day for better views, with a pair sticking around at night to camp in the deployable tent. The hybrid caravan/teardrop-style interior has standing height where you need it, lying height where you don't.

The 17-foot (5.2 m) RKS Purpose trailer proves yet again that no matter how many different camping trailer configurations we see, there's always something completely different on the horizon. It's a four-person trailer that organizes things in a way we would have never thought of.

Taking in the best of the local scenery
RKS Off-Road

On the drive, the Purpose is something of a compact box that stands just under 7 feet (2.1 m) tall. When looking at it, it doesn't appear quite high enough to stand in so could be either a pop-top all-terrain caravan, as are common in Australia, or a boxy trailer with a teardrop-style lying room-only interior, something like the Bruder EXP-4.

In fact, the the Purpose is both. The hard roof over top the bed is fixed at 4.3 feet (1.3 m), offering comfortable height while lying or sitting on the 80 x 60-in (203 x 152 cm) residential-queen size memory foam mattress. Meanwhile, the pop-up roof at the front of the trailer opens a standing height of over 7 feet (2.1 m) inside the entryway and bathroom. This way, campers can stand up to shower and wash up before lying down in bed – standing height where you need it, not where you don't.

RKS gives the Purpose a cozy bedroom with queen bed, central lighting and plenty of windows
RKS Off-Road

The wet bathroom includes a ceramic macerator toilet, indoor/outdoor shower sprayer and a sink. A 70-gal fresh water tank and 85-gal fresh/waste water tanks are located at the ends of the plumbing system, while a gray water filtration feature recycles gray water for use in the toilet.

The roof over the Purpose bedroom maintains a fixed height and is designed as a deck, complete with an available folding canopy. The canopy frame also works in helping hold up the canvas tent, adding sheltered sleeping space large enough for two adults. A power outlet provides charging inside the tent, and the deck/tent can be accessed from inside or outside the trailer.

In terms of cooking, RKS has its own take on the tailgate galley. The Purpose tailgate flips up, and a door swings to the side carrying a fold-down shelf with dual-burner portable stove and a second shelf to serve as a worktop. This leaves the interior free to hold the large slide-out fridge/freezer and stainless steel sink. The layout strays from the average tailgate galley that places the sink, stove, worktop and fridge all in line between the trailer walls. We like the more spaced-out L-shaped approach, but the interior feels a little underdone and could use some cabinets or drawers for storing cookware, utensils, dry food and dishes.

RKS rearranges the kitchen equipment into a roomy L-shaped layout, but the one thing missing is a set of cabinets or drawers
RKS Off-Road

RKS relies on a 105-Ah lithium battery for power, and offers a 210-Ah battery setup as an option. The 2,000-W inverter/charger and 120-V shore power hookup with come standard, while a roof-mounted 210-W solar panel is available as an option.

Structurally, RKS eliminates the wood you find in other trailer builds, hanging fiberglass honeycomb panels on a frame built from aircraft-grade aluminum tubes and I-beams. A multi-point rail system around the outside walls and roof offers versatile rack and accessory mounting, and RKS puts it to use with its own available side-mounted surfboard carrier and firewood cage. An impressive lifetime warranty backs up the structural elements.

The optional board carrier makes use of the RKS Purpose side T track
RKS Off-Road

The Purpose's heavy-duty 5,200-lb (2,358-kg) Timbren Axle-less suspension cushions the 285/65R-18 tires. RKS lets buyers choose from ground clearance options ranging between 13 and 19 inches (33 and 48 cm). The trailer weighs 2,250 lb (1,021 kg) dry, leaving 2,950 lb (1,338 kg) of payload.

The Purpose seems to slide into the market comfortably between hard-sided travel trailers and fifth-wheels that are comfortable at camp but cumbersome when driving off-road and small off-road square-drop trailers that are fully off-road-ready but a little minimalist as base camps. At $39,900 to start, it's competing with alternatives like the Airstream Basecamp X (or family-size Basecamp 20X), SylvanSport Vast, Taxa Mantis and Australian-style Opus 15 off-road pop-top caravan. Purpose trailer options include the roof canopy/tent system that makes it a four-sleeper, an indoor/outdoor sound system, smart TV, air conditioning and heating.

Source: RKS Off-Road

View gallery - 12 images
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2 comments
BlueOak
Interesting, but no photos of the shower/toilet area, the inside of the pop-up, or the method of reaching the deck from inside.
BartMan
BlueOak- I have been obsessing on finding the perfect off-road travel trailer that will fit in my 8-foot-tall garage. The shower and toilet of the RKS Purpose is what has sold me on this trailer. To state the obvious and maybe you have already been pointed to the RKS Off Road website as it will show you the bath room and how to climb up on the roof deck. This trailer has the best bathroom/shower of any of the trailers in its class. Not to mention the largest water/gray and black storage I have seen on a trailer that is under 20 feet. All aluminum or composite (no wood). under 3,000 lbs. with 2,000 lbs. of load capacity. When at the website (YouTube, Instagram or Facebook) check out the hydrocor waste treatment deal they are working on. For anyone looking at an off-road teardrop you will not find a better setup. For those looking for a larger off-road travel trailer (19 foot) like the Taxa Mantis, Opus OP15, Airstream Base Camp check out the RKS Mini-Toyhauler that will be in production in late summer 2021.