I’ve heard from many of you as we occasionally look around the world and what’s happening elsewhere. Some of you appreciate when we find something unique and different to share. Others just want reviews of what you can buy over here. But, in highlighting some of the really unusual RVs I see across the globe, I hope that some of our own industry decision-making types will see some of these innovations and bring them here.Â
Such is the case with French company Beauer, which has created a really unusual travel trailer that literally expands to three times its original size. This makes a lot of sense in Europe, where cars and streets are smaller than the big diesel duallies and larger roads you might find here in the U.S. But, also, there is a huge number of people looking to buy a camper they can tow with a smaller car such as a Subaru or Jeep Wrangler.
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Big on growthÂ
Beauer actually makes several RVs of different sorts. They have three travel trailer models available, one which only doubles in size. But the one that we’re looking at today, the Beauer 3X, triples in size. Essentially the entire trailer is a slide in a slide, if you look at it simply.Â
The third model is sort of the longer version of the triple-expanding model.Â
So what’s in the Beauer 3X? Basically everything one could want. There is a bedroom, bathroom, full kitchen and dining area. The company claims that, using the bunk option, you can even sleep four in the trailer.Â
Interestingly, since Europe has 230v electrical service, this camper behaves differently than what we would expect in the U.S. For example, the standard heat is electric although the company does offer an optional fuel-based heat system.Â
There is a shower but only a five-gallon water storage. So you’ll absolutely want to be hooked up to services if you plan on staying clean. However, you could ladle on a bunch of really nice French perfume and call it a day.Â
How the Beauer 3X works
Basically, you show up at your campground, unhook the Beauer 3X and push a button. The trailer then expands and you’re ready to camp. There is even separation between the bathroom and the bedroom and the main living area with walls that remind me of what I might expect in a Japanese house.Â
Parts of the dinette and bedroom sort of flip down as the trailer expands. If your bandwidth isn’t limited I would suggest watching the video to get a better idea of the operation of this unique rig.Â
Oddly, the main entry door to the Beauer 3X is located in the middle of the expanding bit (as opposed to on one of the ends). So you absolutely do not get into this trailer unless it’s fully expanded. I’m not sure how you’d load the fridge or pack for an adventure without expanding the whole thing. I know from visiting Europe that a lot of houses barely have driveways, so this might be pretty inconvenient.Â
Some thoughts
One of the things I saw in the company’s FAQ section on their site was the recommended maximum speed for the trailer, which is 130 kilometers an hour. That’s 80 miles per hour, essentially. That is faster than I’d ever go towing a trailer with a small car. But, to each their own.Â
Another thing to note is that the refrigerator in the Beauer 3X is only a 230-volt refrigerator, so there is no chilling your champagne on the way to the campground. Also, this assumes you’re camping in a campground or have a generator. Sacrebleu.
The interesting thing to think about is that this is a fully hard-sided camper. There are some campgrounds in the U.S. (where this trailer is not available, mind you) that do not allow soft-sided trailers.
However, I could see this having some interest here in the U.S. as it’s certainly stylish. If you used a 12-volt cooler-style fridge that was on a slide and accessible from the outside, somehow that would solve some of the challenges of making this palatable to Americans, or at least some who want something small and cute.Â
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.
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I absolutely love to see new innovative approaches to camping options. I could definitely use one of these , the blocked door when closed is a plus with me. I would load with all heavy stuff on floor. Thanks for showing, I put this kind of thinking out side of the box with Hitch Hotel and some of the transformer motorcycle pull trailers. Keep up the great work.
I wrote to them in French, a year or so ago to see when it was coming to the states. No response.
John, I had posted in detail about my contact with Beauer but for reasons unknown, my post was apparently not approved because it does not show here. In any event, when I contacted the factory a couple of weeks ago, the owner replied to me with answers, overnight. They have set-up a US representation and they contacted me to let me know 3 of the 3Xplus will be coming to the USA in the fall. Beauer is on Facebook and their website has an English translation tab (click the flag upper right) and then you have the entire website in English.
Our (my) apologies, Ronald. I just read this comment and tried to find your previous comment about your contact with Beauer. Well, our filter didn’t like it for some reason and put it into the Spam folder. When I just now found it in there, I approved it. The only thing I can think of is that sometimes the filter gets really picky about links in the comments. But there was no reason your comment deserved to be relegated to the Spam folder. Soooo sorry. 😯 Take care. 🙂 –Diane
While applaud all the innovative designs being developed for RVing, this one looks just a little too high for its width and so would be a disaster waiting to happen in the heavy crosswinds common on highways in the southwest and upper plains, like along Highway 40 and 80. Boondocking in parking lots and narrow sites would also be problematic, IMO.
It’s gonna have to be light enough to lift the tongue and turn it sideways in most US and Canadian back-in/pull through campsites. Boondocking not a problem.
I have seen the Beauer online and contacted the company in France to find out about availability in the USA. The owner responded to my email. They are on the way! Woo Hoo! They have set-up a US distributor and he contacted me to let me know 3 of the 3Xplus type are due to arrive later this fall. He emailed me just about a week ago. One thing to note here is that you have got the price wrong. A little. The 3X model, before options, goes for EURO 29,900 or about $35,500 and the 3X PLUS for EURO 69,900 or about $82,000 – There is a long list of available options which could significantly boost the price, too. Considering what you get for the money, those are not bad prices. Just look at the Oliver trailer. Smaller and more expensive. Anyways, the Beauer website at http://www.beauer.fr has very detailed information and you can click on the English language button in the upper left corner to have the entire website presented in that language. And, yes, you have to turn it sideways!
I think this is brilliant, and the aesthetic is lovely. But, frankly, I would worry about someone decompressing the expanded trailer (prank or criminal) if the owner was inside here in the wild west US.
With a few tweaks, this would be great.
The problem I see for use in the US and Canada is the narrow width of many campsites, especially in National Park and Forest Service campgrounds. It might work in “pull-out”, as opposed to “pull-thru” sites, but only if you could back the trailer into the site from the side. Then it would open in the length, not width, orientation of the site.
Even in private RV parks, I have had a neighboring site’s fire ring within 2-3 feet of my slide. And double sites would be impossible unless you rented both sites. So, fitting this Beauer 3x into many RV parks could be difficult.
I noticed in the video that the larger version at least had a wheel type trailer jack. So the thing to do is to park it and manually turn it sideways before expanding it.
This thing is cute to be sure. I like how big it is once deployed. But this is barely better than the “Bean” trailers we’ve seen. You can’t even stop for a quick sandwich without totally opening it up. Where does the ‘waste water’ go? No mention of that. Watching the video, they show what looks like a normal RV type toilet, but it can’t be with no black (or gray!) tank. It doesn’t look like an American composting toilet, but maybe the French have a better idea. Quite spendy too. And 80 mph? Heck, I don’t even drive that fast with NO trailer!
I don’t trust a (relatively) simple conventional slide room. Clever, but no way.
Tony,
I saw the larger version prototype in 2019 at Caravan Salon. I thought it was quite small for US campers. It’s a clever design but raises a lot of questions if they ever think about exporting it across the pond.
Hey, my friend. Next time you go to Caravan Salon I wanna tag along!