The word "opus" generally refers to a large scale artistic work. And that is what OPUS Camper has done. The California based company has created campers that include patented technology, extreme off-road capability, and some interesting perks that we will cover here. In the words of the company, "OPUS Camper is a revolutionary folding camper, for people who just want to get out there and have some fun." Most of their campers are popups, though the OP 15 is a hybrid. Setup is a breeze and many of their campers are made specifically for off-road adventures.
"When people compare us to a Coleman or something like that, they won't see the value," says Marketing Manager Payam Asem, "But that's because we are on a whole different level." The point of OPUS is to be off-road and basically indestructible. "We are popular among overlanders and hunters, as well as families that like to get out in the wild," Asem says.
The company originally started in the UK with on-road trailers. The Director and Product Designer of OPUS Camper’s parent company, Purple Line, were bouncing ideas on how to make popup trailers appealing. They thought that traditional popups were kitschy and tents were inconvenient, so they came up with a sleek and easy to use trailer. Purple Line then opened a branch of OPUS in Australia and started making off-road trailers, too. "The off-road trailers took off and that is what we are making mostly now in the US, though we still have an on-road model available," Asem says.
The company has about 20-25 employees in the US and has been very popular, especially after their marketing strategy switched to social media. "Social media helps us reach the market we are going for and it is so much more convenient and easy to use," Asem says. In the summer, dealers sell out of the campers and turnaround can be as long as 2 months from their factory in Pittsburg, California.
Visual of the full outdoor kitchen experience [Photo/OPUS Camper]
OPUS makes 4 models, three of them being off-road. The on-road model is light enough to be towed by most SUVs (under 2000 pounds) and comes with two double beds, stove, sink and refrigerator in a modern design. The OP 2-sleeper and OP-4 sleeper are the pop-up style off-road trailers. According to the website, all of the off-road trailers, "feature an upgraded, all-terrain chassis with off-road ready tires and independent coil suspension, perfectly suited to follow you wherever you want to go." The kitchen is an external slideout and has an electric cooler style refrigerator that is run on electric. They have the capability of going 4 days completely off-grid. "It is similar to a tear drop when towing, but it expands to about 3 times that size for camping," says Asem.
"People wanted a trailer that was bear proof, so that was the original motivation for the OP-15," says Asem. The OP-15 is what they call the caravan. It is hard-shelled, except for collapsible head room for low-profile towing. It has an external kitchen, king bed and twin bunks, shower and toilet, solar system and more. The rear expands for more room as well.
What sets the company apart is its patented popup technology, which makes it convenient for young and old alike. "Instead of the crank up, all you do is press a button and it inflates in about 90 seconds," informs Asem. The technology that makes it unique is the tent structure of the popup that’s maintained with pressurized air instead of traditional poles.
The system is usually met with a bit of skepticism. "People generally think that poles would do better, but the air bladders we use are capable of holding up in even the roughest weather and extremely high winds," Asem says. "In the 3 years we have used these air bladders, we’ve had to replace less than 5 of them." And, if there is ever a need to replace a part of the system, it is an extremely simple process, likened to patching a bike tire.
A review of the system confirms the strength of the air bladders. "The air beam system is certainly different and the word ‘air’ suggests lightness but also, perhaps, flimsiness. I can attest we gave it a good work out, punched the inflated beams like Mike Tyson on the heavy bag, and let me tell you, this air beam system ain’t flimsy. Remember, its air and canvas in those massive bags the fire brigade puts out under on-fire 40 story buildings to catch people plummeting from windows escaping the inferno," writes Hemax Camper.
It is exciting to see so many innovating campers on the market today. Many companies, like OPUS, are appealing to many different types of RVers and truly make the market open to everyone.