Those clever Kiwis — the folks in New Zealand. Would you look at this RV from that small island nation Down Under? Its shape was inspired by a USB flash drive. Wow! You might wonder what its designers were smoking.
Instead of holding data like a USB drive, it holds people. The Romotow T8 has been in the planning stages for more than a decade, but the real thing has finally debuted. Operators are standing by, so go ahead and place your order: the base price is $268,500 (U.S. dollars). But the bad news: you’ll need to have it shipped from New Zealand.
The RV (it’s known as a caravan in New Zealand) is equipped with an automatic folding mechanism that transforms it from camping to travel mode in less than a minute. In travel mode, the trailer boasts modern, aerodynamic but minimalist features. When set up for camping, the entire living section pivots outward 90 degrees, revealing a raised faux teak patio. This area can be customized with optional extras like a fold-down built-in grill, basic outdoor kitchen, patio furniture and canvas screens.
We wonder about how well this design would fare in an American RV park. Wouldn’t it be too easy to swivel the RV at the campsite and accidentally bang it into a neighbor?
Watch the short video for a tour of the RV.
##RVT1100
Are there no mosquitos or no see ums in New Zealand? That “covered patio” effect when the main section is swung out wouldn’t be useable in Florida- or a few other states, I’m betting- without netting.
The covered patio appeared to have a cooler between the chairs. I saw nothing resembling a kitchen in the “walk-thru”. There was a sink, and the elevated cabinets had a glass door area that may have been a microwave- it’s hard to tell.
What about air conditioning? Or storage? Those chairs in the covered patio didn’t appear to be collapsible. Where do you put them when you put the living space back and get ready to move on?
Still, I personally like the cantilever effect. even if I don’t think it’s a great idea for an RV. I wonder about the pipes and wiring sliding back and forth. I have no slides on my traveling den-by choice, – as it seems there are so many ways that things can go wrong in them.
So- a hard sided tent with a bathroom. Price tag $260 thousand???.
We complain about our RV industry and then we are shown THIS and have complaints about it? It looks like we have to go “down under” to find someone who literally “thinks outside the box”. If I had the money I would get one to sit in my back yard just to marvel at.
I absolutely love this rig. Not functional in our typical RV spots but this design is freakin cool. Period. Love it. Thanks for bringing it to us.
Definitely cooler looking than a thumb drive camper that looks like a thumb.
😅 That’s for sure! Thanks, Tom. Have a great day! 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Pretty to look at but not practical as pointed out by other comments. And if there’s any “activity” in the bedroom (if you know what I mean) that’s a lot of suspended weight that’s not supported.
Wow! Spectacular piece of design work. But no, it won’t be usable at almost ANY US RV park that I’ve stayed in. That’s not a slide, it’s a jacknife RV. As if anyone would want to spend a quarter million $$$$ for a trailer anyway…
This is a beautiful piece of artwork. But for camping? Not so much. As anyone can see, there is almost no commercial RV park that could accommodate this unit. Plus, I didn’t see any storage inside. This may be usable in Quartzsite (if you can put everything you need in your tow vehicle) or some other boondock site. Maybe as a mother-in-law unit in your backyard. Otherwise it comes under the heading of “I like to look at it, but I wouldn’t want to own one”.
Perfect & exactly correct opinion. We agree with smiling faces!
Too wide for most campsites. Wider than my motorhome with three slides and I’ve been close in a few parks. Or closer than I prefer to be.
That trailer is a beautiful concept. However, I can’t imagine how much dirt and water would accumulate in the patio area while driving down the road. Then the massive amount of unsupported weight when the living area rotated out. There are very few, if any parks that could accommodate the swing out living area.