Earlier this year, one international team presented a towable that claimed to be nothing short of a magical unicorn of tiny houses: a unit that looked like a compact trailer and could be towed with an F-250 but which would expand to thrice the size at camp.
That unit was the Grande S1 from startup PODX GO, a company boasting a team based in the U.S., Canada, and China. A one-off Grande S1 was built in 2020 as an experimental dorm project, but other than that, there was no prototype at the time the pre-order books opened.
There is one now, and it's available for viewing at the PODX GO showroom in Ontario, Canada. However, if your plans for the immediate future don't include a trip overseas (but they do include downsizing to the most intriguing tiny house on the market), that same prototype is shown in the video at the bottom of the page.
This marks the first time the prototype Grande S1 is shown to the public, and it brings more details and a bit more certainty to potential customers. The Grande S1 is, on paper at least, the magical unicorn of tiny houses, a hybrid between an RV and a tiny home presented as a very compact towable with the most extraordinary capabilities at camp.
Photo: PODX GO
This description is not an exaggeration, either. The Grande S1 is marketed as a towable apartment you can haul with your daily driver, able to triple its size when you set up camp. The extension is automatic and takes only 15 minutes, and it adds a living room, a dinette, and a full bedroom. The Grande S1 also offers a kitchen and a full bathroom, though they're both very compact in size and with a minimal number of features.
Expanded, the Grande S1 offers 364 square feet (33.8 square meters) of living space, but in road mode, it's just 140 square feet (13 square meters), so you can tow it with an F-250 truck or equivalent. The "secret" is that all utilities are held in the central area, while modular furniture is integrated into the parts that extend.
For more clarity, the kitchen and the bathroom are in the segment that stays in place, while the two expanding segments on the sides hold the bedroom and office, and the living and dining area, respectively. The former comes with a queen-size Murphy bed that goes up flush against the wall and an office that also tucks away into the paneling. The office chair has to be wheeled into the bathroom during transport, and every bit of décor must be put into storage, of course.
Photo: PODX GO
The living room area is comprised of a two-person couch that extends into a sleeper and has to be taken apart and relocated during transport and a small coffee table. The dining area holds a folding table with folding chairs, both compact and easily moved around, yet large to hold a four-person dinner party.
The kitchen is more like what you'd find in a studio apartment, a small kitchenette with basic appliances. At most, you can cook an egg in here or heat up takeaways, which would make the Grande S1 more suitable for vacations than as a full-time residential unit – unless you're a raw vegan type, in which case it would work just great for you. Appliances include a small fridge and freezer, a hotplate, and an optional oven. But you do get a relatively deep sink and a surprising amount of storage.
The bathroom is a wet one, with a small shower, a toilet, and a sink with vanity.
Photo: PODX GO
The Grande S1 has off-grid capabilities and smart features, which sets it apart from other tiny houses on the market. The prototype is shown with Renogy Lycan 5kW power box hooked up to eight 175W roof-mounted solar panels, but PODX GO is exploring options to render it fully off-grid with bigger packages.
The Edge ONE system, available on the command center hub in the foyer, offers constant readings of energy and water consumption, temperature controls, room sensors, and instant access to the full surveillance system.
Getting the Grande S1 ready for the road is a slightly more time-consuming operation since you have to move items around and tuck them away before you head off. Still, it shouldn't take more than 20 minutes, with the folding in part taking only 8 minutes.
Photo: PODX GO
The Grande S1 is available in three layouts: the open-plan kitchen layout shown in the video, the senior-friendly layout, and a layout with a larger kitchen and more privacy in the bedroom. Customization options are limited to whether you want to add to the basic spec: an upgrade for the solar package, the optional oven, or a washer-dryer combo in the foyer.
The base price is $85,000, with PODX GO promising a 90-day delivery once the order is complete. The Grande S1 is definitely more expensive than an RV or even a non-custom tiny house. But considering it offers some of the best features of both, together with smart features and off-grid capabilities, it stands out on the crowded market. That's why interest in it has been through the roof since it was introduced earlier this year.
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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