Setting out with the goal of turning a humble storage box-on-wheels into the most luxurious live-in cargo trailer ever made, Salt Lake City camper equipment builder Tetravan has created a clean, modern caravan loaded with space-optimizing transformable components. The dual-axle towable features a split kitchen that doubles as a mobile office, bedding for three people, a stowaway shower, and warm glamping furnishings and accents throughout.
With a background building furniture for everything from private jets to camper vans, Julian Secomb founded Tetravan in 2022 to solve an issue he saw around the camper industry: lack of a truly functional shower solution. He ultimately looked to combine the interior space-saving capability of an outdoor shower with the comfort and user-friendliness of an indoor shower.
Other manufacturers have used pop-up shower rooms that stow away in floor boxes, but Tetravan cuts the footprint even further with a fold-out shower basin that disappears away below the raised rear bed or inside a cabinet unit. The company even offers the option of a hook-on ladder that steps up to the mattress.
With the Tetravan Trailer, Secomb explored how he could springboard that smart, space-saving approach into an entire camper floor plan meant to answer the question: "How artistic, comfortable and beautiful could a humble cargo trailer get?"
The project started off with a basic dual-axle ATC Raven aluminum cargo trailer with 12 x 7-ft (3.7 x 2.1-m) floor area. Secomb chose that particular trailer for its stout, industrial-grade build, and it certainly didn't hurt that the trailer offered 6.5 feet (2 m) of interior headroom. Turning a cold, rough cargo cave like the one pictured below into a warm, welcoming camper cabin racked up hundreds of man-hours worth of planning and execution.
Secomb turned weakness into advantage by using the wedge-shaped nose – probably the least camper-friendly part of the Raven cargo interior – to house a convertible cook/workstation. Instead of using the usual above-counter burners or a stove with integrated folding lid, it stowed a portable Camp Chef Ranger dual-burner in a compartment below a hinged cut-out in the Paperstone slate counter. The stove controls are readily accessible through an opening in the face of the unit.
We'd honestly be a little worried about charring the woodwork when cooking, but the design allows the space to transform from kitchen to desk in the milliseconds it takes for the hinged counter panel to fold back down over top the stove. Tetravan moved the rest of the kitchen equipment – sink and under-counter 85-L Isotherm refrigerator – over to a block next to the doorway, making the cooktop counter area a hovering unit that lets one slide their legs underneath when sitting and working on it like a desk.
At the other end of the trailer, Tetravan has demonstrated the value of its folding shower by building a private rear bedroom around a raised queen-size bed. Similar travel trailers, like the Cortes 17 and Airstream Basecamp 16, often rely on a convertible dinette bed, dedicating a chunk of interior space to a full-time wet bath.
With its hideaway shower room serving in place of a hard-walled bathroom, Tetravan was able to allot space to the permanent rear bedroom, similar to those in camper vans. Also like a camper van, the Tetra-trailer includes under-bed garage space for luggage and sports gear, easily accessible via the rear double load doors.
The Tetravan Folding Shower 2.0 is neatly integrated into the under-bed wall that separates the garage from the main trailer, easily folding out when needed to clear access to the shower controls and serve as a stand-in shower basin. The design sets up in under a minute and includes a magnetic shower curtain. The trailer also includes a Dometic portable toilet stowed below one of its dining seats.
On the downside, the shower's location prevents any type of pass-through loading or interior garage access. But since the aim behind the project was to create a luxe, comfortable travel trailer, not so much an adventure gear-hauler, the shower definitely serves its purpose.
Tetravan added the final piece of the interior puzzle by way of the small two-seat dinette against the far wall. The rear seat back folds flat into the cabinet just behind it to create a single bed measuring 76-inches (193-cm) long.
To give the space a warm, upmarket feel, Secomb used a combination of teak-veneered cabinetry and solid teak trim. Many of the furnishings have smooth, rounded corners for a modern look and softer feel. Lighting overhead and under the cabinetry provides a warm, ambient glow throughout.
The trailer comes powered by a 200-Ah Renogy lithium 12V battery, 2,000-W inverter and 600-W rooftop solar array. There's also racking space for a second 200-Ah battery. Features include a tankless gas water heater, 12V Nomadic Cooling air conditioner, diesel heater and 1-in rigid foam insulation package. Water is split into 113-L fresh and 94-L gray tanks.
Tetravan debuted its trailer as an experimental one-off design study in 2023 and is now offering the original model for a price of US$85,000. It says the 3,800-lb (1,724-kg) trailer is still in new condition, with minimal mileage from a few test trips. The company has no current plans of introducing a standard production trailer, so this one is it.
Take a three-minute video tour through the Tetravan trailer below and decide if it is indeed the nicest camper conversion you've seen inside a cargo trailer.
Source: Tetravan
