Featured Camper: Boreas XT12
Scheduled for release this month, the Boreas XT12 from Arvada-based Into The Wild Campers is the newest premium offering in their lineup of off-road capable trailers. This turnkey unit offers enough infrastructure for a family of four to get off the beaten path for weekends or longer.
The Boreas XT12 Can Take You WAY Beyond the Pavement
While travel trailers don’t generally fetch the same adoration as coaches or other more glamorous overlanding rigs, they certainly make up for it with their versatility and ability to decouple from your towing vehicle. Is that the sound of unrestricted exploration I hear bombing down the trail?
Take it from someone who has traveled full-time in an RV—if you’re on the fence between a campervan or a trailer, you should give an off-road travel trailer some serious consideration if you like to get to wild and remote settings. And while there are a lot of worthy options out there, the XT12 certainly has some thoughtful design elements worth paying attention to.
The new XT12 from Into The Wild Campers.
Smart, Compact Design
It’s certainly not a teardrop at 18 feet long and approximately 3,000 pounds, but if you’ve got the towing capacity (and patience to haul a trailer), the XT12 will keep you comfortable. It’s got a fixed queen-size bed and sleeping capacity for four adults. That’s enough room to take your family out for an extended weekend or your buddies for a fishing trip (spooning possibly required).
With a pop-top that extends to accommodate the big-and-tall folks of your life (6’6”), the XT12 trailer gives ample standing room which is a must for anything but the shortest road trips. A wet bath with a shower and cassette toilette comes standard. You’ll also stay comfortable with a fully insulated cabin that has forced hot-air heat, on-demand hot water, and a Maxxair fan.
Finally, thanks to heated tanks and insulated plumbing, the XT12 is capable of true four-season trips—picture yourself posted up in the parking lot of your favorite ski area for an extended ski trip.
Off-road Specific Build
The standard equipment choices on the XT12 promise solid off-road performance, including a Timbren axle-less suspension (20 inches of clearance), BF Goodrich KO2s on 16-inch steel wheels, and electric brakes to name a few. The XT12’s frame is made from 3 x 2 x 1/8-inch powder-coated steel.
Areas for Improvement
As with any camper or trailer, I see some room for small improvements that could really take the XT12 the extra mile.
The solar setup comes with a 250-amp-hour battery that will probably take care of most people’s basic needs, but it’s definitely not big enough to run a fridge and an AC unit. So, if you do opt for the air conditioner upgrade, you’ll also need to tote around a generator, which is a bit of a drag (for you and those near you).
As for the fridge, a 75-liter dual-zone can suffice for two people, but if you’re taking the whole family along, you’ll likely want more cold storage (better toss the cooler in the bed of your truck).
And finally, composting toilet technology has come a long way, and it is much more ecologically friendly than chemical and cassette toilets. With a price tag of over $40K for the camper, the addition of a modern composting toilet seems like a no-brainer (to this millennial kombucha-drinking nature lover).
The Bottom Line
Despite my nitpicking, the Boreas XT12 from Into The Wild packs a lot of function into a compact and well-thought-out package, and the off-road-worthy build should hold up to most 4WD outings. It’s American made, and according to the ample five-star reviews on their website, Into The Wild’s Boreas trailer line is worth the investment.
A birds-eye view of the new XT12 layout.
Boreas XT12 Specs
Timbren axle-less 5,200-pound HD independent suspension
235/85R16 BFGoodrich all-terrain KO2 tires (31.7×9.3)
Pro Comp 16 x 8-inch steel wheels
Full-sized spare
Electric brakes
Custom tongue box w/ Zamp solar plug
Composite fiberglass exterior
Lock N’ Roll hitch coupler (rotates on all axes)
Rear-leveling jacks
7-point plug
Front jack with wheel
All LED lighting with reverse lights
To learn more check out the Boreas Campers website.
