Beyond the view from your hotel room, or the distance you can cover with your 4x4 before you have to get back to where you set up camp, is a world still waiting to be explored. ECOmbo aims to help you do that by allowing you to take the basecamp with you.
Granted, today's adventurers aren’t lacking options for rugged, self-sufficient towables that can go where "regular” towables won't or can’t. The ECOmbo doesn't claim to be special in the sense of being unique, but because it hopes to offer the comforts of a home inside a very compact and rugged package, you can go "wherever adventure takes you." Actually, it wants to take you where you feel adventure calling.
The ECOmbo is 80% made in New Zealand, but 100% adventure-ready. It's the design of Yogi Unger, a passionate and experienced hunter who felt he wanted an upgrade to his rough nights of sleeping inside his truck. You know what they say, necessity is the mother of invention, and in this case, necessity birthed the first version of the ECOmbo in 2014.
Three years later, Unger created a custom unit for the New Zealand Search & Rescue, and in 2018, he introduced more commercial versions, which he called Model 2 and 3. These have since evolved to Model 4 and the fully custom one, with the latter being exactly what its owner wants it to be, from an entertainment lounge on wheels with a surround sound system, LCD TV and a wine rack, to a fully self-contained RV. As is always the case with these custom units, as long as you can afford it, Unger can make it happen.
Photo: ECOmbo
The standard-spec ECOmbo wants to be a rugged, no-fuss, compact and low-maintenance companion on all adventures, wherever they might be. It sits on a rust-proof steel chassis and has a lightweight body that allows you to tow it with your truck, and it offers the basics for a satisfactory basecamp: a place to lay down, protection from the elements, storage, and a galley that is surprisingly well-specced.
The trailer measures 4.2 meters in length, 4.2 meters in width and 2.5 meters in height (13.8 x 6.9 x 8.2 feet), and has a dry weight of 1,100 kg (2,425 lbs). Like a pocket Swiss army knife, it impresses with its multi-functionality, from the side galley that can feed an entire party to the standard solar panel array on the roof, and the possibility to add features until you turn it into exactly the towable you need, want and can afford.
Unger himself tests the models before they become commercially available, and it makes sense. He desgined this towable because he needed more comfortable quarters on his hunting expeditions, so he continues to let his experience inspire further improvements and updates.
Photo: ECOmbo
The interior offers a queen-size bed with space to move about, though only a little. The novelty here is the location of the bed by a large side window, which lets in fresh air and plenty of light, allows you to fall asleep while looking out at whatever view you have outside, and keeps you from feeling like you're sleeping in a metal box. A second window on the roof and an air vent help with airflow. You get storage overhead and under the bed, but only for essential items.
The kitchen is not in the tailgate but hidden into the side of the trailer opposite the bed, so it's slightly bigger than a standard tailgate galley. It includes a 2-burner gas cooker and grill, a 3-way 60-liter (2.1 cubic-foot) fridge and freezer (upgradable to a larger unit), a sink with running water, considerable counter space, and plenty of storage.
The entire area can be closed off with a canvas tent, which effectively expands available living space to 25 square meters (269 square feet), recreating the feel of a residential kitchen, but in the bushes. The tent or awning options also add a clearly-defined dining area to the available space, a must-have in bad weather.
Photo: ECOmbo
The ECOmbo doesn't include a bathroom because of its size. Not even a Swiss army knife can do it all. The least it can do – and does do – is to offer space for a portable toilet and an exterior shower with hot water, both of which can be used with a tent extension. The standard spec includes fresh and waste water tanks of unspecified size, and rooftop-mounted solar panels to run lights and appliances. Options range from the tent expansions to bike racks, a gas heater for the bedroom, and storage for kayaks up top.
Upon its debut, the ECOmbo retailed for a price starting at NZD60,000, which would be approximately US$37,200 at the current exchange rate. This is no adventure-seeking trailer on a budget, that much is certain.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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