After a tiring week at work, with the weekend joyfully looming ahead of me, I often find myself fantasizing about a short sweet getaway! Just a few days away from my hectic life, and this hectic world, in a bubble of my own, where all my worries are nowhere to be seen. The pandemic may restrict my actual traveling plans, but it definitely cannot restrict my daydreams about vacations! Jetsetting on a flight may not be a practical option right now, but I do think Camping is a plausible plan. There’s nothing more comforting or exciting than lounging about in a cozy camper while you explore the countryside. You never feel out of place, because these little trailers manage to feel like a home on wheels! Fill it up with your dear belongings, and it’s your home away from home. Not to mention the trailer designs today are super innovative and inventive! These resourceful campers manage to cater to almost all of our needs, solving various problems, and turning our camping experience into a fulfilling and comfortable one.

The “NoMad” – a light and resistant vehicle that is presented as a fusion between a traditional tent and a futuristic-looking van designed by the ABIBOO Studio. Each NoMad creates this balance by designing 3 unique compartments – a wet area that holds the kitchen and bathroom, a living room/guest room/workroom, and thirdly a master bedroom that separates from to living room to help you disconnect at the end of the day. The layout of the trailer holds the wet area at the center of the design, automatically creating a barrier/ separation between the living room and the bedroom. Given the space constraints, every bit in the vehicle design holds storage space and hidden seating space. Smart use of terraces means we can leverage the outside space once the trailer is settled in. Overall the design balances four aspects – lightness (hence saving fuel), creating resistance to avoid collisions or overturning of the vehicle, a minimum thickness that provides the best insulation, and finally, an aesthetically packaged home interior and exterior.

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This design is a concept prototype stage –developed by Kip in close quarters with the designer Karel Bodegom, the Netherlands Bureau for Tourism and Conventions (NBTC), and a number of Dutch suppliers. The large windows of Panorama Shelter blur the divide between the cozy inside and the tranquil outside. Windows make up the chunk of the sidewalls, a skylight brings in ample sunlight during the noon, the big front door is majorly glass, and the side facing the vehicle too has a huge panoramic window. For times when you need total privacy, there are integrated blackout and roller screens. The pop-up roof can be pushed up a little to let in ambient sounds. The teardrop comes with a flexible kitchen for indoor and outdoor cooking and a sink faucet that also functions as an outdoor shower. An induction cooktop too draws power from an onboard 240-V power outlet and a mini-fridge to store all the eatables. The stow-away portable toilet suffices the daily needs for an extended trip.

The Bailey Discovery D4-2 Camper Trailer is one such creation, tailored for adventure enthusiasts who can’t help but satiate their wanderlust – exploring the untrodden trails. The USP of this camper trailer is its inflatable awning which creates almost double the private space you need for your escapades under the star-studded nights. On the inside, D4-2 is equipped with all the amenities and a fully furnished interior. Enough to suffice the needs of a couple on their long road trip – with the odd guest coming along the way for a couple of days. The big windows on all sides and the skylight fills the interiors with enough sunlight for a calming feel. The lounge area includes two couches and a fold-down table. In the kitchen, you’ll get an oven/grill combo appliance, a drop-down worktop extension, and a sink. On the opposite side, there is a mini-fridge with space underneath to store food and beverages. You also get the convenience of a shoes and clothes closet along with a separate area for cabinet storage. Of course, there is a good-sized bathroom too!

Designed by the visionary Solar Team from TU Eindhoven, the solar-powered camper is all ready to embark on an adventurous 3,000 km trip through the European landscape later this month. Christened the Stella Vita, the curvacious camper is the work of 22 student teams at the prestigious university in the Netherlands. Unlike other solar-powered houses on wheels, which rely for the most part on external electric power, this one is purely powered by the sun’s energy without any external assistance. It’s made possible with the 8.8-meter square solar array on top of the roof – capable of generating power for the 60-kWh battery. In the parked mode the slide-out panels span out for an impressive canopy area of 17.5 meters square. To add to the goodness, the pop-up roof expands the vertical area for two people to move around comfortably. They can cook comfortably in the kitchen or take a shower too with this feature.

Touted to be “approximately 50-percent lighter, much stronger, and smarter” compared to present-day campers, the 17-ft RV travel trailer is a true four-season trailer capable of handling everything your throw at it. Streamlined for weekend getaways and long vacations alike, the Cortes Campers trailer is immune to rust and corrosion and is immensely convenient to drive on the road in comparison to traditional campers. Cortes Campers manufactures retro-styled trailers using patent-pending biaxial aluminized fiberglass, carbon fiber and finishes them with marine-grade Gelcoat. In addition to their feathery weight, these travel trailers are extremely durable, robust, well-insulated, and long-lasting.

This teardrop trailer is a limited edition design by a USA-based company and they have upgraded the traditional trailers for a comfortable off-road adventure. Based on what the previous users said, the team added more upgrades and functionality including higher ground clearance, galley accessibility, more electrical power, and plenty of storage to the trailer…or how I like to call it – the portable cabin! Black Bean is built for all-terrain adventures and comes in several colors unlike what the name suggests. This new model features a bigger sliding stove, a larger fridge with an ice-maker function, increased countertop space, and a deeper sink with a set-in cutting board to keep the counters clean. My favorite detail is how the stove can be rotated which makes it possible to cook outdoors – camping AND a barbecue!

A study conducted by the RV Industry Association (RVIA) reveals that RV ownership has increased by more than 62 percent in the past two decades. The Pacific Coast Highway inspires this special edition and is based on the Airstream’s 28-foot International model. The trailer is built for couples and solo travelers as it features queen or twin bed sleeping configurations. In addition to that, the airy interior space can accommodate up to 4 guests in the rest of the cabin. The interiors of the travel trailer are draped in Pottery Barn’s matte-black pull-down faucet, a stainless-steel flat apron sink, and solid walnut cutting board sink cover. Pottery Barn influences everywhere, right from the 16-piece Mason Stoneware Dinnerware Set, solid oak dinette table inspired by their Benchwright Dining Collection, to the couch with custom cushions inspired by Pottery Barn’s Big Sur Collection the bedroom’s single queen/two twin beds enveloped in Belgian Flax linens.

Transforming the Mercedes Vito L2H1 into a modern-day minimalist camper meant creating a nomadic living environment for Serge Propose. The French atelier hollowed out the inside of Mercedes Vito L2H1 to outfit it with a sleeping and lounge area, rear kitchen, and plenty of storage space throughout. Constructed from birch plywood, the wooden interior living area is also insulated with hemp wool and projected cork so campers will stay warm during the night and colder months without leaving the van turned on. Stocked with adaptable furnishings and concealed storage compartments, Serge Propose thought of everything when converting the Mercedes Vito L2H1.

Taking the design language of Volkswagen and applying it to his own interpretation of the camper, design studio Ozan Kayicki visualized the Volkswagen Joy Camper. Ozan Kayicki designed the Joy Camper to be the quintessential camping vehicle for all future trips. Rendered in either pine green or multi-patterned collage, Joy Camper is like the cube-shaped cousin to the VW Bus. The camper’s glossy painted exterior opens up to the van’s mostly wooden interior– a nod to the 1960s era of infinite wood panels. Each internal component is lined in wood, except for the driver’s seat, sink, and countertop, offering warmth in compliment to the van’s cool exterior. In addition to the van’s expansive, glazing windows that line the sides of Joy Camper, a pop-top roof raises the van’s headroom and allows additional sunlight to pour in through the roof’s skylights. Then, an additional extension protrudes from one side of the cabin, appearing as washing or changing areas for guests.

Catering to the necessities and casual family pastimes, the tiny home is doused in modular and multifunctional design that’s surrounded by creamy poplar plywood walls and silvery fittings that add a touch of refinement to an otherwise bare interior. Each furniture piece inside Ohariu doubles as storage to maintain an open, clutter-free interior where the tiny home’s family would bond over pastimes like cooking, playing card games, and enjoying the surrounding landscape. Featuring a chef’s kitchen, Ohariu comes with plenty of prep space for cooking and integrates tilt-up tabletops to make even more for when there’s company. Outside, Ohariu is coated in a stealthy ebony corrugate to match its lightweight mobility, supported by aluminum joinery, lights, and utilities that were given the same ebony finish. Ohariu’s roof is asymmetrical with six solar panels lined up on its longer side and a mezzanine bedroom cozying up beneath its sloped short side.