The Karoo Adventure Camper Is a Little Transformer for the Entire Family

According to the team behind Finnish startup Karoo Oy, demand for simplicity and flexibility in towables is "in" right now. Coupled with the rise in adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), it becomes clear that there is a profitable market for trailers that are tailor-made for EV towing, where considerations for weight and aerodynamics, both of which contribute to a smaller impact on range, are a priority.

So, Karoo Oy is proposing what they describe as the camper of tomorrow. The Karoo Adventure Camper is unlike anything else you'll find on the market right now, and now just because it's lightweight for its size or theoretically more aerodynamic.

It's also modular, which means that the same compact footprint allows for multi-functionality, making it a vehicle for the entire family.

There is a "but" here, and you probably sensed it coming. The Karoo doesn't exist yet beyond renders and one single prototype unit. The trailer is now in production, with the pilot series coming with a 2025 delivery date, while wide deliveries are expected to kick off the following year.

That said, whoever is willing to reserve one today for just €100 ($110 at the current exchange rate) and then wait two more years, at the very least, can nominally become an owner today.

The trailer was introduced in February 2024 and was followed by the presentation of the first prototype, which you can also check out in the video at the bottom of the page.

Unlike with a standard trailer that would include standard furniture, acing the prototype stage is an important milestone. Much like the bold CyberLandr Cybertruck-based concept, the Karoo has a lot to prove in terms of the feasibility of the design because it aims to achieve so much with so little.

The Karoo sits on a single-axle chassis and is just 5 meters (16.4 feet) long (including the trailer tongue), 2.05 meters (6.7 feet) wide, and 2.16 meters (7 feet) high. It offers standing height inside and, despite the very compact footprint, all the creature comforts of a proper home. To these, it adds the ability to open up the space completely to the outside and off-grid capacity.

The trailer hides a 6kWh battery in the floor and roof-mounted solar cells of an unspecified capacity, but the company promises it will be enough to run all the appliances inside and even to use the trailer as a mobile charging station for smaller EVs like e-bikes.

Designed to weigh just 750 kg (1,653 lbs) to which you add another 75 kg (165 lbs) of cargo, the Karoo comes with freshwater and gray water tank (again, of unspecified dimensions), app connectivity to monitor available resources in real time, touchscreen controls, TV and a Bluetooth speaker system, integrated awnings, electric lock, GPS tracker, and smart alarm system.

The fact that it promises all these features for prices starting at €29,900 ($32,500) isn't even the most unbelievable part. That would be the smart layout that integrates modular Karoo-made furniture and an interior design that squeezes every drop of functionality out of every available inch of space.

At the front is the bathroom with a shower, a cassette toilet, and a clothes rack. Presumably, it's a wet bath, which makes the choice to put in storage for clothes a rather odd one.

Next to it is the kitchen, which is halfway in and halfway out. Renders show the cooking module sliding outside of the trailer frame when it's time to prep meals and then tucking into the space of the bathroom in travel mode. Karoo Oy doesn't go into details, but it is our understanding that the bathroom is rendered unusable when that happens.

The kitchen is a most basic one as well, but you still get a cooker, a small sink, a fridge, and some storage space.

The rear of the cabin is taken up by a bench for two. During the day, you can add tables for dining or work and still have some room left to stretch your legs. During the night, the bench folds out into a two-person bed, while a smaller bunk, ideal for two children, drops down from the roof. An oversize skylight would make the upper berth feel less constricting, but renders don't show where exactly this bed would hide when not in use.

Another gimmick to make the trailer more comfortable is the integration of "removable" walls, thus allowing you to expand your habitat into the outside world, as much as your tent attachment allows it. The Karoo has a wide door for access on the left side because the entire right side is a gullwing door that opens up the living area. The same goes for the tailgate, so if you add a tent extension, you're practically living much larger than you would in any other travel trailer of this size.

To highlight the multi-functionality of the trailer, renders also show the Karoo with rails on the floor to secure your e-bikes during the trip. That would entail elevating the main bed, as well as a lot of mess on that fancy-looking carpet inside.

"Karoo has the potential to create a new category in the market, which will see the greatest relative growth within the industry in the future as the popularity of camping and nature steadily grows," Pyry Huhtala, CEO of Karoo Oy, says in a statement.

He also says that interest in the Karoo Adventure Camper has been high, confirming their initial estimate that the market was ripe for an EV-ready, lightweight, and super-aerodynamic travel trailer. Whether the Karoo will be the one to make the most of that remains to be seen, so brace yourself for the extended waiting period if you liked what you saw.