Young Japanese brand X-Cabin has introduced its own rendition of the lightweight all-aluminum camping trailer. Like a classic Airstream, it features shiny riveted aluminum and rounded corners. But in a nod to its parent company's industrial roots, which cover everything from clockmaking to LED lighting, the X-Cabin 300 caravan has the plainer, boxier shape of a commercial cargo trailer. The high-efficiency floor plan includes a convertible dinette, galley and plenty of storage space.
Unlike the many tiny trailer startups birthed through the vision of one or two disgruntled RVers or tent campers, X-Cabin is the offspring of a much larger corporation with a history that dates back over a century. Located in the heart of Japanese industrial hub Nagoya, LED lighting specialist Effect Meiji Corporation introduced the X-Cabin trailer and brand in 2020, inspired in part by the same lockdown-driven cabin fever that's spurred on a new generation of RV products in many other parts of the world.
We mention X-Cabin's roots because we think the design of its 15-foot (4.6-m) X-Cabin 300 exudes them. The company has taken a very simple commercial trailer shape, quite similar to the U-Haul rental trailers ubiquitous on US highways and local roads, and polished it up into a stylish and cozy miniature vacation getaway.
X-Cabin starts outside, carefully riveting shiny polished aluminum corners around the edges of slightly less shiny sidewall panels. The windows make clear that the trailer accommodates more than just cargo, and the front storage boxes match the polished aluminum look to perfection.
When combined with the AL-KO galvanized steel chassis below, X-Cabin's all-aluminum construction keeps base weight down to a small-vehicle-friendly 1,650 lb (750 kg) while providing a clean, classic look reminiscent of the American Airstream, or even more so, the Dutch Lume Traveler. The baby moon rims add to the vintage look, and buyers can opt for either double doors or a tailgate at the rear.
Camping trailers aren't usually shown with tow vehicles striking enough to steal the show, but X-Cabin highlights its aluminum-driven lightness by hitching the 300 up to a Suzuki Jimny. And instead of just a regular Jimny, it goes for a model decked out in the Land Rover Defender-mimicking "Little D" body kit from Japanese brand DAMD. That looks like a fun combo for touring the islands, if ever we've seen one.
X-Cabin offers three different floor plans, alongside an empty commercial trailer. The most versatile of the three looks to be the X-Cabin 300 "Glamp" layout, which pairs a front galley with a classic convertible dual-bench dinette that becomes the double bed. The simple galley includes a sink and available fridge box and is designed to work with a basic portable gas camping stove.
Both the base X-Cabin 300 and top-tier X-Cabin 300 Solo also include front dinettes but feature different styles of sofa-bed.
We're not sure that any one of the three X-Cabin 300 trims really rises to the level of "glamping," but X-Cabin gives them a big assist with a glamping resort it launched a year ago. Located in Komono, near X-Cabin's manufacturing facility, the Free and Easy Camp Resort offers trailer sites with porches, as well as motorhome and tent sites, and also hosts central amenities like a spa, sauna and restaurant. Back the X-Cabin 300 next into one of the campsites, take a quick spin in the spa or sauna before returning to the trailer to sit out on the porch and enjoy nature, and we'd say you've stepped the trip up to a full glamping experience.
We spotted X-Cabin via the recent Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, where the company was exhibiting and looking to find a partner for expansion into the European market. In Japan, prices range between ¥5.8 million and 7.2 million (approx. US$39,550 and $49,000), depending on floor plan – looks like Airstream-like pricing for an Airstream-like trailer.
If you'd like to see X-Cabin's full company description and pitch, you can take a look at their English-dubbed introductory video. Below is a quicker promo for the trailer itself.
Source: X-Cabin
