The Chic BeauEr 3X Trailer Blows Up to Tiny Home Size in Under One Minute

This one can, and it does it with plenty of French chicness. Meet the now-iconic BeauEr 3X travel trailer, which can blow up to tiny home size when at camp, tripling its footprint and offering tiny home-comparable facilities.

The BeauEr 3X has been around for a decade, being first introduced as a concept. That concept, by inventor Eric Beau from France, became a prototype that is now on display at the Hymer Museum in Germany, and paved the way for an entire lineup of expandable campers sharing the same characteristics: the expandable frame, high-quality materials, and the complete offering of amenities.

The 3X premiered on the French market a couple of years later, and it became such a hit that international expansion soon happened. Today, it’s available throughout Europe, as well as China and the United States, with base prices starting at around $35,000 and going as high as the buyer’s budget allows, because many optionals are also offered.

The idea of the 3X is extremely appealing: what if you could get a travel trailer that was lightweight and compact to be towed by most passenger cars, but which packed all the amenities of a proper home once at camp? Inspiration for its rounded shape came from the small and curvy campers of the ‘60s, like the Escargot, the Bourreau Sologne, or the Georges et Jacques. It then received a modern touch in actuators that moved two slides laterally, effectively tripling the floorspace inside.

Gross weight of the 3X trailer is 1,350 kg (2,976 pounds), so it’s lightweight, alright. The frame is made of aluminum and polyester (with insulation).

The 3X is 12.8 feet (3.85 meters) long, and 6.5 feet (1.95 meters) wide when closed. At camp, by simply unlocking the frame and turning a key, it extends to 15.1 feet (4.6 meters) in width, which means you go from 43 square feet (4 square meters) of living space to 129 square feet (12 square meters). In that floorspace, you get a proper kitchen, a bedroom for two, a wet bathroom, and a lounge that converts into a sleeping area for two more adults.

Because of its hottest selling point, namely the ability to fold in on itself before towing, the interior is minimalist in styling, as all the furniture tucks away during transport. Still, it’s chic and high-quality: you get high-pressure laminates for the finishes and a variety of materials from leatherette to posher, cozier alternatives like plush. The rounded ceiling further limits storage space, but the makers are still able to offer a pantry and a wardrobe that are accessible on either side.

The kitchen sits in the middle, with the kitchen block being the only part that doesn’t move in either configuration. You get a two-burner stove and a sink, a considerably-sized refrigerator, plenty of workspace and, in units like those shipped to the UK, an oven.

The bathroom, on the other hand, is what it is, as one British reviewer so graciously puts in one of the videos below. It’s a wet bath that’s cramped but complete, with sink and toilet, and even a handheld shower. On the bright side, you can customize it by including options like a compost toilet or a separate shower.

The bedroom offers storage on the ground level – and not much else. When working with such a small space, it’s best if you temper expectations of just getting the basic, which in this case, is a comfortable mattress to get a good night’s sleep after a day of wandering about. The sofa in the lounge, which can sit five people around a removable table, also expands to convert into a double bed.

As noted above, depending on where you’re located, prices for this trailer start at around $35,000. You can add heating and reversible air conditioning, water heater, bike rack, solar panels, awnings, and other stuff, which means the final tally will be almost double. A bigger (3X Plus) and a smaller (2X) model are also available.

The BeauEr 3X is not for everyone, and pricing is only part of the reason for that. Still, it’s a nice way to spend a week-long vacation away from everyone else, in relative comfort and in the company of three other people. It’s also a nice way to make friends at camp, because everyone will want to chat you up about it.