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Get a Feel for What It's Like To Be a Human Turtle With a Beauer 3XC Truck-Mounted Camper

Searching the world for a mobile habitat, I decided to check back with a French team responsible for some of the most "explosive" mobile habitats around, Beauer. This time around, it looks like they took everything they are known for and threw it onto the back of a single or double-cab truck. The result? A turtle-like home known as the 3XC.
3XC Camper 13 photos
Photo: Beauer
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If you've been keeping in touch with autoevolution, you're well-acquainted with Beauer by now. They're that French team that's hit the European market with habitats able of exploding into homes the likes of very few around. To get an idea of what I'm talking about, they build campers and trailers around a central construction which includes one or more slide-outs, allowing them to double and sometimes triple in size.

That's what Beauer has done with the 3XC as well, but the difference is that you are no longer towing around a trailer; your mobile home is mounted onto the chassis of trucks the likes of Volkswagen, Renault, Mercedes-Benz, Fiat, and a few others. Best of all, this structure can be configured so that it isn't entirely fixed on your vehicle. Once you've arrived at your camping destination, you can unload the habitat and roam around with your truck.

Overall, the 3XC living space is just a slightly modified version of an already-existent model from Beauer, the 3X, hence the name. So all they've really done is figure out a way to throw this habitat onto a truck that can support the 950 kg (2.094 lbs) this habitat weighs. But, the best way to describe precisely what your experience of owning a "cell-car" is like I want to invite you on a journey of adventure.

It's 5:00 in the morning. You wake up before everyone else because you've taken upon yourself the responsibility to ensure this camping trip is flawless. By 6:00 am, everyone is in the truck. You close your garage door, back out of the driveway, and off you go.

3XC/3X Camper Exterior
Photo: Beauer
By 9:00 am and countless "Are we there yet?" you pull into the campgrounds you'll be calling home for the next few days. You've opted for the removable unit, so you unload the habitat, and with the press of a button, you bring to life 12 sq m (129 sq ft) of living space.

Once everything is set up, you'll take a walk into your temporary home where you can access a bedroom, living room with a modular couch for the rug rats, a kitchen to feed the masses, and yes, a bathroom too; all the comforts of home.

Another benefit that this model brings is the ability to offer a tight and confined living space that can be set up just about anywhere you park your vehicle for the night. The 3XC is designed to occupy no more than two parking spaces once unraveled. Extended, it will only occupy 460 cm (181 in) of lateral space, 290 cm (114 in) of vertical space while mounted onto your truck, or just 200 cm (78 in) standing upright on its own.

And as little space as it occupies, guests will still be able to access features like a 120 l (26.3 gal) fridge, two-burner top, a double bed and the couch I mentioned, wardrobe, cupboards, storage bays, cabinets, everything you may need for a few days of adventure. Things don't end there either.

3XC/3X Camper Interior
Photo: Beauer
Like most other RV manufacturers, this crew offers plenty of options to create your dream home. If you're into mountain biking, you can add a bike rack and brings your beauties. There's a spare wheel mount, heating systems to help you venture into the colder months, an entertainment center, solar panels and batteries, and quite a few more, so take the time to explore.

So, how much is this hermit-like lifestyle going to cost you? Surprisingly, with a single-cab truck that seats three, you're asked to dish out 66,900 EUR (72,763 USD at current exchange rates) for the most basic habitat. Need a double-cab chassis with room for five? You'll also need 71,600 EUR (77,875 USD).

At the end of the day, you're getting a truck, a camper, and everything else you may need to start adventuring. Just remember, you may have a hard time finding such a habitat being sold in the U.S., so you may need to add some shipping fees to your RV's final price but living the turtle life seems to be priceless.

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Editor's note: Images in the gallery feature the Beauer 3X as well as it is the same unit used in completing the 3XC.

About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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