Ultralight Carbon Teardrop Camper Tows Via EV, Motorcycle

Carbon fiber is the type of material we’d love to see more of in camper design, but we usually only see it on large, extraordinarily expensive luxury camper rigs like the Earthroamer XV-LTi or Darc Mono, writes C.C. Weiss at NewAtlas.com

Washington startup Carbon Lite Trailers is looking to bring carbon construction to the tiny end of the spectrum, using it to create a simple utility-cum-camping teardrop so lightweight it can be pulled by a motorcycle as well as a humble electric car. Called the Rift, the trailer easily shifts between cargo hauling and camping via a lightweight removable galley wall, offering seven-day-a-week utility. Crisp edges, gullwing doors, glossy gelcoat carbon fiber and striking graphics combine to create a trailer that looks straight out of the motorsport market and rides like it isn’t even in the rear-view.

A family business started up by seemingly just the right family, Carbon Lite was founded by Chris Durham. Looking to build on his 35 years of experience in product design and manufacturing in the aerospace, automotive and action sports segments, Durham set his sights on disrupting the camping trailer market with a new breed of ultralight trailer. He didn’t have to look far for good help, bringing on his wife Nancy, a business and finance guru, and his son Matthew, who brought along 20 years of composite manufacturing know-how of his own.

We’ve seen some lightweight trailers before, including the chicken-feather-composite Earth Traveler T300 that now lists at 400 lb (181 kg) and the 500-lb (227-kg) German-built Kleox Shelter, so we have to take issue with Carbon Lite’s claim that its trailer is half the weight of the nearest competitor (the Kleox isn’t its competition, but the US-built Earth Traveler is). However, Carbon Lite’s Rift is very light, with a base weight that comes in at 450 lb (204 lb) for the basic road-going model or 660 lb (300 kg) for the more fully equipped and rugged variant.

See the NewAtlas.com report here.

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/ultralight-carbon-teardrop-camper-tows-via-ev-motorcycle/