Taxa Unveils the 2023 Mantis 5.1 and It Can Do It All, Including Four-Season Glamping

That's right, folks, the Mantis travel trailer from Taxa Outdoors can be winterized and taken out into the world to explore places and landscapes that most other people wouldn't dare dream of in a camper of this type. Then again, Taxa isn't your average manufacturer, and the Mantis is not your average travel trailer. In short, Taxa has taken the time to prepare a mobile habitat built for the less common explorers, those yearning to capture the essence of all four seasons. Let's take a look at how all that's possible.

If you've heard of Taxa before, great. If not, all you really need to know is that this American crew of RV designers, craftsmen and women, and lovers of the outdoors build each camper they offer with nothing more than knowledge drawn from none other than NASA. Yes, NASA, granted by founder Garrett Finney's experience at the space agency's Habitability Design Center. Then there's their drive toward sustainability, but that's a story for another day.

Today, we're here to explore all the little upgrades that Taxa has integrated into the 2023 Mantis 5.1, furthermore, how it can achieve outdoor and off-grid adventures well into the colder months, even going as far as tagging along for a ski trip through the Rockies or the Appalachian Mountains.

All this starts with a classic powder-coated steel chassis and an aluminum habitat frame, the latter being laser-cut. On top of all that, Taxa adds aluminum composite panels with a Kynar coating, offering the exterior a protective layer with high abrasion resistance and low thermal conductivity. Once a core of closed-cell foam insulation is set in place, you can start to understand why Taxa says we can venture into colder lands.

Taxa also mentions that you should winterize your camper if you plan to stay outside when temperatures drop near or below freezing. Because their units are built with this aspect in mind, you can grab some heating pads and line your tanks and plumbing. With a few hundred dollars and some elbow grease, you should be able to work something out. Drop more bucks if you want something more rugged.

Another way Taxa helps you drive deep into the mountains is with a Truma Combi Eco furnace, and since it runs on propane, bring along a couple of tanks and be set for a frigid extended weekend. Taxa recommends a space heater, too, just in case the weather gets out of hand. Considering the same beefy electrical system and solar power pre-wiring are still in place with the Mantis 5.1, finding power to keep the systems mentioned above running shouldn't be an issue. The 5.1 even includes a 140-watt panel as standard.

Now, whenever a team like Taxa decides to upgrade an already existing camper, you can bet your bottom dollar that there's a method to their madness, and for the Mantis 5.1, Taxa has decided to add something called a Flex Space at the front of the unit. What makes this feature so amazing is that it can be used for various needs, be it for the indoor shower, restroom, storage area, or workspace. Apparently, even e-bikes and motorbikes can be accommodated. Other than that, countless storage cabinets, sleeping areas for four or more adults, monitoring systems, and galley setups are still part of the Mantis magic.

Considering it won't cost you too much to transform your Mantis 5.1 into an all-season warrior, it may sound like the 2023 Mantis 5.1 camper is a machine to consider. That's if you have around $50,600 (€47,700 at current exchange rates) to drop on a new unit and if you want to go down in history as the crazy son of a gun that ventures into frozen landscapes with a camper that even has a pop-up roof segment, ripstop and all. Hey, if it works!