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Patriot Campers has a winner on its hands with the go-anywhere X1, quite literally. It was voted the number one rig in our 2014 Camper Trailer of the Year

awards in the $15-30k category.Sporting short overhangs, benchmark

clearances and one of the tightest turning circles around, the X1 is the ultimate trailer for the most challenging terrain.

It’s a unique American-inspired design with a rooftop tent and swing-around awning, employing an innovative construction process with 3D modelling for a precise build. Every detail is superbly finished and exudes class and quality.

WITH IRREVERENT, GO-ANYWHERE

ATTITUDE AND TOUGH-KID GOOD LOOKS, THE X1 CAN ALSO WALK THE

WALK. WORDS DAVID COOK

THE MECHANICALSThe trailer’s foundation is a laser-cut, interlocked, hot-dipped galvanised chassis for strength and longevity, structurally riveted to a marine-grade aluminium monocoque body using 2.5mm aluminium sheeting.

The running gear includes Vehicle Components independent coil trailing-arm suspension with twin shock absorbers per wheel, 10in electric drum brakes and 16in all-terrain LT tyres on steel wheels.

Up front, a DO35 offroad coupling allows full articulation while other drawbar features include a handbrake, bolt-on jockey wheel and a large gullwing box protected by Rhinocoat. The box offers a low entry height and can secure up to six jerry cans or a generator, fuel and other equipment.

An optional interchangeable drawbar adds some length for those longer rear doors and eases the pain when reversing.

The engineering is first class — as good as we’ve seen on any trailer. The hot-dipped chassis and laser-cut and CNC-bent panels are excellent.

patriotgames

ACCOMODATIONThe camper’s body is designed around a gear trailer using a quality Hannibal Safari roof top tent for accommodation.

The standard tent (1.4m wide) accommodates two people using a 75mm high-density mattress. Our test trailer featured options including the family-size tent measuring 2.4x1.8m, a king-size bed, a changing room beneath the bed area, and awning walls with screened windows and doors around the kitchen.

An additional room is a further option offered by Patriot Campers for the X1.

The roof topper tent with the ladder could be challenging for people with limited mobility, and you would really need the under-bed room for dressing and privacy.

PRACTICALITYThe trailer is well designed, using high-quality materials. There are enough comforts, too — hot water, a stereo and a well-equipped kitchen — and it’s very easy to use, with the pop-up rooftop tent easy to erect for a quick overnighter.

clockwise from above: With a family tent plus awning walls, the X1’s living areas are spacious; This is a camper trailer designed for serious offroaders; Battery management system is top quality; The awesome pull-out stainless-steel kitchen bench with two-burner cooktop and storage.

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The kids’ room will take a few minutes longer.An awesome kitchen provides plenty of

offroad comfort, with hot water and loads of storage. The side compartment doors swing down 90 degrees to form bench tops, all dressed in a scratch-resistant stainless steel, making it suitable for hot liquids.

A fridge slide incorporating a slide-out stainless kitchen bench, internal storage, sink and 12V water provides a modest area for cleaning up, but works fluidly with the other bench areas. The fridge slide will accommodate a 60L ARB or similar-sized fridge.

Pantry storage is limited on the kitchen side, so you have to use the additional storage on the opposing side or within the trailer tub. And we weren’t mad on having to carry the gas bottle around to the back to hook up to the stove.

At the rear, the tailgate folds down fully or just to dining table height and is also dressed in scratch-resistant stainless steel; simply pull up a chair. That leaves plenty of room in the tub for solar panels, chairs and other equipment, in addition to the optional twin rear roller drawers as fitted to our trailer.

Although not offered at this stage, a full-width slide-out drawer with tie-down rails will be available in 2014.

A Foxwing-style awning covers the side and rear of the trailer. OFFROADABILITYThis camper is a hard-core offroader’s dream. It’s got everything you could need for offroad and will get there and back behind just about any truck.

The quality of finish on this unit is excellent — very professional. It’s an exceptional package, though we would like to see the battery secured by something better than heavy-duty cable ties.

Offroadability was better than any other camper at this year’s CTOTY. It is lightweight, with great suspension, excellent clearance, good departure angles and rear recovery points, plus lots of tie-down points for your cargo.

This is the offroader’s camper trailer. It is a tough boy’s toy built like the proverbial brick outhouse. The trailer’s small size and weight together with its carefully considered angles means it will go anywhere your fourbie will. If you can’t take this trailer somewhere, then no trailer can go there.

hits &misses

> Offroadability> Tough looks> Purposeful design> Quick-deploy awning> Adaptability

I LIkED

I WOULD HAVE LIkED> Larger pantry> Solar panel or second battery> Larger water tank> A spare wheel

cta rating1. fiT fOr inTended PurPOSe

2. innOvATiOn

3. SeLf-Sufficiency

4. QuALiTy Of finiSh

5. BuiLd QuALiTy

6. OffrOAd-ABiLiTy

7. cOmfOrTS

8. eASe Of uSe

9. vALue fOr mOney

10. X-fAcTOr

“if you can’t take this trailer somewhere, then no trailer can go there”

The trailing arm suspension is well done, and would be even better with the optional air bags. But we didn’t like the absence of the spare wheel.

In keeping with the other quality componentry, a Redarc Battery Management System incorporates 15amp DC-DC and 240V chargers, an MPPT solar regulator, a vehicle battery isolator and an LCD monitor that acts as a fuel gauge to show how many days are left at the current discharge rate. LED lighting is provided throughout the camper.

In terms of self-sufficiency, it’s not as great as some top-of-the-range campers, but more than adequate. There’s one battery — a high-end 120Ah Fullriver AGM unit stores the charge and will power the fridge down to zero per cent, according to Justin from Patriot — but the DC-DC charger is there to make the most of it. Nevertheless, a solar panel or second battery would really nail it.

The single 120Ah battery might struggle with the fridge in a tropical area, but otherwise the unit’s only offroad drawback is the smallish

clockwise from above: There’s plenty of room to stretch out on the king-size bed; Some more side storage space and the battery compartment; An external storage space suitable for hard items like firewood and recovery equipment, or for transporting wet gear; That tough stamped drawbar is a Patriot campers specialty and can be ordered as an extended unit suitable for vehicles fitted with rear barndoors; Side compartment houses pantry storage, fridge slide and kitchen bench.

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water tank. For a trailer that has such tough offroad capability, we’d like to see a bigger tank.

IN SUMMARYIt’s hard not to be drawn into what the Patriot X1 model offers buyers.

Beyond its tough demeanour and purposeful design, it still manages to integrate ease-of-use features such as the quick-deploy awning, fold-down bench tops and easy-access storage from all angles. And the extendable (in construction) drawbar would be great for those owning a barn-door type of vehicle.

The integrated kitchen, hot water service and dedicated Porta Potti storage only serve to strengthen the appeal to the fairer sex or wider family needs.

The Patriot is a compact, tough, go-anywhere camper that has a good range of comforts and a build quality that really impresses. As a brand new camper that isn’t the product of years of refinement, this is a very impressive package.

The great ground clearance, relatively light weight, light ball weight and great storage capacity make it ideal for the touring couple or the adventurous who want to go just about anywhere. But we were also impressed with its adaptability to family needs.

There were only a couple of minor points we didn’t like, and there were more aspects than we’d care to think of that were excellent. Considering everything you get, the price is pretty good as well — from $24,990, that’s a lot of adventure for a limited outlay.

L-adder

Annexe

Main tent floorspace

Gas bottle

Pull-out drawers

Storage

Pull-out fridge, bench & sink

Pull -out cooker, bench & manage-ment system

AmenitiesStorage

Battery Bed Above

TARE: 700kgATM: 1200kgSUSPENSION: independent coil BRAkES: electric 10in offroadCOUPLINg: dO-35CHASSIS: 100x50x2.5mm hot dipped galDRAWBAR: 100x50x2.5mm hot dipped galBODY: 2.5mm aluminiumWHEEL/TYRE: 285/75 r16, steelSTYLE: Softfloor

> TRAILER

BOx SIzE: 2100x1700mmLENgTH: 3200mmTENT SIzE: 2400x1800mm

> DIMENSIONS

gAS CYLINDERS: 1 x 4.5kgWATER: 70L COOkTOP: Lido two-burner stove/grillkITCHEN: Stainless steelBATTERY: 1 x 120Ah fullriver

> ACCESSORIES

$29,990

> PRICE AS SHOWN

Patriot campers, 8 ellerslie road, meadowbrook, QLd 4131, (07) 3171 1796, WWW.PATRIOTCAMPERS.COM.AU

> SUPPLIED BY

cta specsPATriOT

x1

from above: independent suspension set-up suits the rough stuff; fridge slide incorporates a stainless-steel bench and sink with water, and will accommodate a 60L fridge.