UK company Leisure Pods has nearly a decade of experience building distinctive fiberglass trailers for the catering industry. This month, it officially brings that expertise to the camper market with an all-new trailer suitably named the Campod. An alternative to teardrops and other compact, lightweight camping trailers, the Campod looks much like a Romani caravan or American covered wagon from the 19th century, only fully modernized with a colorful, lightweight fiberglass shell. The classic shape opens up over 6 feet of standing room and a picture window panorama that pulls the outdoors in.
Whether the 14.1-foot-long (4.3-m) Campod strikes you as a modern-day Romani wagon or Oregon Trail-ready prairie schooner almost certainly depends upon which side of the Atlantic laps the shoreline closest to your abode.
Looks aside, though, the Campod bears more in common with the Romani vardo, owing to the hard roof overhead. In this case, the streamlined roof lacks the ornate eaves of the past and is made from bonded fiberglass instead of wood.
Besides flashing a classic-but-modern style that’s sure to catch attention and invite questions, the Campod’s unique design supports a high 7.7-ft (2.3-m) roof that opens up 6.3 ft (1.9 m) of interior standing height throughout, making it quite comfortable and user-friendly for most adults. The interior seats up to four people on its front-set wraparound dining lounge and sleeps two when that lounge converts over into a double bed.
Perhaps the best part about the Campod interior is its panoramic design. Three rectangular side windows join with a large arched front window to create a 270-degree view of the outdoors. Throw half or all of the rear Dutch door open during nice weather, and that becomes 360 degrees. Side hatches surrounding left and right windows lift open like wings to suck even more fresh air in and let cross breezes flood the cabin, immediately turning a hard-walled trailer into an airy pavilion.
The Campod kitchen just inside the entry door houses the usual dual-burner gas stove, sink, 50-L fridge and worktop extension. An oven is available as an optional add-on, as is an external LPG hookup for outdoor grilling below the full-length awning. The interior isn’t quite large enough for a bathroom, but it does come stocked with a standard portable toilet inside a storage closet. An available external hot/cold shower teams with a pop-up tent to create a warm, private shower option.
The Campod comes standard with a Truma electric water heater and 12-V space heater. The 120-Ah leisure battery can be wired to an optional 60-W roof-mounted solar panel.
While the Campod shape doesn’t appear as aerodynamic as a classic teardrop, the rounded sidewalls are said to help in dangerous crosswinds that could rock and sway the tall trailer. Thanks to the bonded fiberglass over aluminum frame construction, gross vehicle weight options range between 1,765 and 2,200 lb (800 and 1,000 kg), allowing for a wide variety of tow vehicles.
Leisure Pods is holding an official world premiere for the Campod at this week’s Motorhome and Caravan Show in Birmingham, UK. The trailer is available to order now for a base price of £23,450 (approx. US$26,250). While the main model in the photos and video below is a simple white, Leisure Pods does offer some vibrant standard and custom color options, as previewed on the show model right above.