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Photo: YouTube/AxelCamp (composite)
Having a reliable, perfectly comfortable, all-season shelter to enjoy when you venture into the outdoors is a luxury in itself. Add in basic comforts, plenty of space for your whole family (or a small one), and an affordable price, and you have the real-life version of the RV unicorn.
And unicorns are what Omnibus aims for.
It’s the latest product from AxelCamp, a small, family-run business based in Maine, USA that makes “square and teardrop campers that can tow almost anything and fit into a standard garage.” Their towable campers aim to be the perfect, and seemingly elusive, combination of affordability, ease of use, compactness and comfort.
The Omnibus is a new addition to the family, so new that it’s not yet listed as a sales model on the official website.
The first prototype was revealed online before it was completed, and AxelCamp showed it in full earlier this month. Based on the video tour, the builder is gauging interest in the model by counting how many people are interested in such a build, but delivery is expected to occur sometime in 2025, preferably in the first half of this year.
Photo: YouTube/AxelCamp
Described as “ultralight luxury” for the whole family, the Omnibus is a single-axle travel trailer built on a Caravan powder-coated frame that’s perfect for any small family with one child (ideally small enough to sit comfortably on the sofa). The shell is made from composite PVC welded and riveted together in a patent-pending process and is insulated to a value of at least R7.5, making it suitable for year-round use.
Like many other family-owned and small businesses, AxelCamp started with a desire to fill a gap in the market: a towable vehicle that was small on the outside but big on the inside “a vehicle that could store it, tow almost anything, and survive a Maine winter.” That’s easier said than done, but AxelCamp believes they’ve worked hard to achieve their mission.
The Omnibus, or as it appears to be officially named, the 2025 Omnibus, is yet another step in this direction. It’s small and light enough to be moved by hand or towed by a daily driver, yet roomy inside to hold all your camping essentials and must-haves. It’s been tested in harsh weather, whether it’s cold winter nights or scorching summer days.
Photo: YouTube/AxelCamp
The prototype weighs about 2,400 pounds, though that’s not yet an official figure. The layout incorporates a small wet bathroom, an extension of the galley on the other side called the “microwave tower,” the actual galley, a sofa that doubles as a dining room and living room, and a queen or king-size bed at the aft.
The Omnibus is designed for two people, but can equally well sleep three if you add a sofa in. AxelCamp is also considering the option to remove the sofa and add bunk beds, which would allow it to sleep up to four people, making it a more suitable RV for families.
Features include a 16-gallon (60.5 liter) freshwater tank, a 10-gallon (38 liter) ashwater tank, and portable toilets that range from basic to composting and bagging. All appliances are electric. In fact, all equipment on board runs on 12V or 110V, so you can operate the trailer on solar, shore power, or both, depending on what you want for your perfect nature walk.
Photo: YouTube/AxelCamp
The Omnibus is equipped with a water heater, MaxxAir air conditioning, roof fan, microwave and electric water pump. A heater is available as an option, but the manufacturer says that insulation makes the trailer comfortable even without a heater in cold weather (except in winter). In summer, there are plenty of polycarbonate double-glazed operable windows to maximize ventilation with the air conditioning and fans.
Storage options are plentiful, a pleasant surprise for such a small space and a must-have feature if used as a family RV: There’s storage in the microwave tower that also houses the batteries, under the sink in the galley, and under the bed where the water tank and water heater are also located.
The Omnibus appears to sit at the intersection of a DIY (Do It Yourself) build and a mass-produced unit, at least according to the manufacturer’s promotional materials. But AxelCamp is committed to building its towable products in Maine using the most skilled craftsmen and the finest materials, then testing them in real-world scenarios to ensure they deliver on their promise of reliability and high quality in a compact, lightweight, affordable form factor.
Photo: YouTube/AxelCamp
Because the Omnibus is still in prototype stage, there is no price quote and the full list of features has not yet been released. More details may not be known until later this year when prototype work is completed. The standard AxelCamp towable requires a two-month lead time and a $1,000 deposit at the time of ordering, but quotes are provided on an individual basis.
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