Featured Camper :: Taxa Cricket Trailer
The Taxa Cricket overland trailer fits into Taxa’s lineup as a mid-sized offering at 15 feet long. Taxa’s “mobile human habitats built for adventuring” all share the familiar pop-top design, offering a compact travel platform that can accommodate anywhere from two to four+ people.
Travel Trailers Should Get You into the Outdoors
“Who decided our lives needed to be insulated from the natural world? That the best way for us to experience nature was by putting our homes on wheels and then luring us to stay inside them with flat-screen TVs, air conditioning, and microwaves? Isn’t the point of journeying into the outdoors to leave the inside far behind? At Taxa, we think so.”
And to be fair, there’s no rule book that says you can’t enjoy a little AC (Taxa offers air-con as an option). But if you ask me, Taxa’s ideology hits the mark perfectly: travel trailers and campers should function as a means to experience outdoor adventure. And it’s hard to deny that extra margin of comfort offered by four walls and a roof.
The interior of the Taxa Cricket trailer.
The Taxa Cricket is Your Ticket to Off-road Comfort
If you’ve read my other travel trailer reviews, then you may be well aware of my opinion: travel trailers are absolutely worth considering because they provide the comfort of a camper while allowing you to maintain all of the advantages offered by a proper 4WD vehicle. Just tow your tiny home to a suitable base camp, decouple it from your vehicle, and you’re ready to get as deep into the backcountry as your vehicle allows.
The Cricket promises to get you pretty far off the pavement. The Overland model comes standard with Cooper Discoverer 225/75 R16 tires on 16-inch alloy wheels and Timbren axle-less suspension providing 17 inches of ground clearance. This should be enough to ramble down most forest service or BLM roads to find an appropriate spot for your crew to camp.
In addition to its ability to handle some bumps, the Cricket has thoughtful design features that make it a great all-around travel trailer. The pop-top maintains a compact and more aerodynamic silhouette for reduced drag while driving long distances, and its dry weight (under 1,800 pounds) is a manageable tow for a wide range of vehicles.
Ample ventilation means the Cricket should remain a comfortable spot for a siesta even on warm days, and the indoor kitchen ensures that you’ll still be able to prep meals if there’s rain in the forecast.
The cozy interior of the Taxa Cricket trailer.
A Few Gripes
My own experience, living on the road full-time, leaves me questioning a few design choices, namely, the omission of solar panels. With its “solar input pre-wired” and $40K price tag (** for the Overland edition w/optional accessories), this just seems like an inconvenience to any would-be owners. It is also unclear from the Taxa website if the Cricket comes standard with any kind of house battery (I’m assuming not). Finally, the standard package lacks a few things that I would consider necessities for any multi-day trip, including the toilet, full-sized spare, and refrigerator.
**Quoted $39,339 for the Overland edition with optional travel toilet, air-con, and Dometic refrigerator
Explore in Comfort
Despite my criticisms, Taxa’s Cricket definitely hits the mark in terms of a capable, good-looking travel trailer that should provide a comfortable base camp for most adventurers. With the addition of an awning and a proper off-grid power system, the Cricket starts to look pretty appealing as a home away from home for all but the most extreme 4WD outings. taxaoutdoors.com
Taxa Cricket Specs
CHASSIS
Powder-coated steel chassis
1-inch plywood deck w/ABS laminate
Kynar-painted aluminum composite panels (aluminum alloy ASTM B 209)
Powder-coated gravel guards
Torsion axle suspension with electric brakes
15-inch steel wheels with all-terrain tires (5-year manufacturer warranty)
Quad stabilizer jacks
Wireless brake controller
2,000-pound tongue jack
CABIN
Dometic combo 2-burner stove and sink
Liquid propane (2 x 20-pound) tanks w/cover
Full-size bed
LED exterior light
12-volt accessory outlets, inside and out
Truma combo furnace and water heater system
Underbed storage (16.3 cubic feet)
Roof tracks for rack options
15-gallon fresh and 16-gallon gray water tanks
Exterior shower with hot and cold water
12-volt roof exhaust fan
12-volt USB outlets
LED interior lighting with reading light
OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT
Portable toilet
Thule load bars
Kid’s berth (one)
Kid’s berth (two)
15-inch spare tire
5000 BTU window AC
Soft goods package (awning, screen door, shower tent)
Dometic refrigerator
*Overland Edition – Increased ground clearance and reinforced frame (custom option through select Taxa dealers)
- Cooper Discoverer 225/75R16 tires
- Timbren 3,500-pound axle-less suspension
- Reinforced steel frame
- Lock N’ Roll hitch
- 17 inches of ground clearance
