Unique and different, OPUS Campers are taking the world by storm. In just a few short years, OPUS has developed a massive market that previously did not exist. Their inventiveness and innovation continue, with new models and ideas set to come on stream worldwide.
A cross between a trailer, tent and caravan, the concept came about purely by accident. Two directors of a leading UK caravan accessories company were bemoaning the fact that the market for their products applied to less than 1% of the population. Surely other people wanted to pack up and travel, easily and efficiently.
The problem was that caravans were not regarded as fashionable, or encouraging imaginative travel. For many Brits, the thought of traveling with a caravan was synonymous with long queues of traffic due to someone towing a caravan on narrow roads where overtaking was impossible. All too frequently, caravans were popular subjects with comedians. The presenters of Top Gear had even created an hilarious TV program focusing on a chaotic caravan trip, ending with setting it on fire by accident. As if that image problem was not enough, there was the problem of storing caravans when not in use. Space was limited, especially for people in urban locations. The alternative was camping – but that lacked any feeling of luxury or comfort.
The two directors came to the conclusion that what was needed was a ‘canvas caravan’, something that offered the space and comfort of a caravan, but the flexibility of an easy to tow trailer. A few months of research, sketching and design led to the creation of prototypes and ultimately production.
The idea was very simple, based around a trailer. All that the user had to do was open out the trailer contents, insert some poles, and within minutes had a fully functioning canvas caravan complete with two double bedrooms, kitchen and seating area.
They even scored a big publicity coup by taking the product onto Dragons Den (the UK version of Shark Tank). Pitched as ‘the world’s most exciting glamping product’, the revolutionary OPUS Folding Camper Trailer attracted immediate interest, with all the dragons fighting for a share in the project. Ultimately, Purple Line decided not to take up their offers, and focused on developing OPUS themselves.
“The luxurious setting of inside an OPUS camper in which a dedicated team in rural Suffolk takes the greatest of care in assembling each individual OPUS.”
While demand for the original OPUS grew quickly, the team began investigating how to improve it still further. Malcolm Hill, director of Purple Line Australia says “air tents were a concept which I had personally seen in use in my previous career as a British Army Officer serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. We were convinced that implementing this air technology into the OPUS would solve many issues that camper trailer owners were facing (weight, ease of use, speed of set up, etc) therefore giving our customers a great product to get out there and use and making camping more accessible to those who previously might not have been interested. We launched the AIR OPUS together in 2017 and it has been a roaring success ever since.”
OPUS has become a runaway success. Within a year of creation, members of the team had moved to the US and to Australia, setting up subsidiary businesses where the concept has been refined, adapted to a slightly different market leading to ideas which have affected OPUS worldwide.
“In Australia we launched OPUS in 2014 with a semi off-road model that was quite similar in design to the UK OPUS trailer. It quickly became apparent that this trailer, despite being quirky and interesting, did not quite cut the mustard with consumers in Australia who were demanding something more rugged and robust geared towards outdoor living rather than internal fittings, warmth and shelter. So we designed an off-road trailer model, which was an instant success.
Last year we sold 300 AreOPUS units in Australia and are forecasting a 50% uplift in sales for 2019,” says Malcolm Hill.
The US business started just as quickly as Sarah Liner explained. “We started in 2015 with the OPUS Original model incorporating obvious design changes for the US market including a US chassis and US compatible parts. We found that the US market demanded a few more amenities such as A/C, a Porta-Potti & shower option and increased refrigeration space.”
Two years later, OPUS USA added the Australian Off Road version to their portfolio. “We could see that this model, designed with an upgraded chassis, on board water and an impressive slide-out exterior kitchen would appeal to a wider section of the US camping community and the rapidly growing overlanding community. We added the extra amenities requested here in the US including A/C, propane heater option, hot water shower and a rear mounted bike carrier,” commented Sarah.
The launch of the AIR OPUS inflating tent was another instant success, making it the most requested upgrade by American campers who loved the idea of the push button tent set up.
As to the original UK business, it is going from strength to strength. UK’s Brett Stringle comments, “When OPUS was launched back in 2013, it was intended to open a new market. The reception from launch was outstanding and our market share has grown year on year. We seek to provide an alternative with more space, head high and sleeping capacity. We also find a large percentage of owners have upgraded from traditional tent camping, along with those completely new to the camping environment yet taken the plunge for the lifestyle OPUS offers.
Within the UK, the OPUS market is growing, our dealer network is expanding and so is the demand – current build times for the bespoke product demonstrate this. The European market is picking up pace rapidly, with huge interest in the off-road model. Over the past 12 months, we have gained a network of dealers in Germany, along with dealers in Austria, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland. We opened a sales office in South Africa 18 months ago. The product is iconic and the audience is diverse.”
So what of the future? Australia is already planning new launches for 2019, which are promised to be ‘very exciting’.
In the US, Sarah says, “We are working on developing a 2-sleeper Off Road model which will be smaller and lighter but with added functionality and capacity. This model will be aimed at those with a smaller traveling party who may want to go further off-road into tighter spots or who have smaller tow vehicles. We’re also looking at hard-sided trailer options to see how we can bring some OPUS-style design innovation to this market.”
While back in the UK, innovation is also on the cards but details are being kept under wraps for a little while longer as Brett indicates. “We plan to launch the UK/European off road version at the October NEC show. This will be a final production model, with delivery available from early 2019. The UK/European off-road version has been specifically designed and differs from the current AUS and U.S. versions.”
Clearly, the OPUS revolution is set to continue wherever you happen to be touring. Camping and caravanning will never be the same again!