Flexibility and mobility shouldn't be luxuries, says Dutch company Expandable Trailers, the creator of what is arguably the most innovative mobility solution of recent years. Expandable Trailers products are trailers that expand, as their name clearly says, but they also drop down to the ground and are nearly impossibly versatile.
No wonder, then, that they've been recognized with the Best of the Best award at the 2024 RedDot Awards. After breaking onto the market with the Expandable Container in 2020, units from the new Expandable Touchdown series are everywhere, from sporting events like the 2023 Dakar, proudly wearing the Red Bull livery, to showcase events with the Boom Supersonic branding.
Expandable Touchdown represents a novel approach to mobile spaces across a variety of markets, from hospitality and sports to sales and promotion, film and production support, emergency situations, roadshows and events, and living and lifestyle. Call it a one-in-all solution that is also absolutely gorgeous and surprisingly functional, and you wouldn't be wrong.
The series is comprised of three different models, each offered with countless customization options or even different sizes.
Photo: Expandable Trailers
The Expandable Touchdown 38 is "the ultimate user-friendly solution," a 38-foot (11.5-meter) long trailer that offers 560 square feet (52 square meters) of flat surface area once at camp. The Touchdown 53 is bigger and, because of it, more versatile, offering 897 square feet (83.3 square meters) of space once it's expanded.
The most compact solution is called the Pod and it's suitable for tight or smaller spaces. This one is offered in several sizes.
All three models have in common the unique, recently-patented mechanism that retracts the wheels from under the trailer and lifts them to the side, allowing the body to drop down very close to the ground. They also have in common the expandable frame, which automatically brings out two slide-outs of the entire length of the trailer and even a circular staircase that grants access to the walkable roof.
Photo: Expandable Trailers
Expandable Trailers says that that all their trailers are built "entirely from serially manufactured components," which helps with keeping production costs low and timelines down to just 14-16 weeks. Ultimately, this translates into a very cost-effective product for specialized companies or private individuals looking for a different kind of mobile home.
Usability is also very high, which adds to the incredible degree of applicability. The company says that one such trailer sets up in less than 15 minutes and that it's a one-person job. That person doesn't have to have any technical experience, either, because the entire process is automated and done via a control panel that pops out from the body.
Once at its destination, an Expandable Touchdown trailer will deploy four automatic support legs, which allows the towing vehicle to drive away. At another press of the button, the wheels from under the trailer retract to the rear end, and then another brings the body close to the ground, offering immediate accessibility. Other options will slide out the sides and the staircase.
Photo: Expandable Trailers
The interior can be customized according to the exact needs of the owner and ultimately for whatever purpose they had in mind for it. But a Touchdown, whether a trailer or a pod, can be anything from a mobile workspace to a showroom or even a mobile home, and the company will handle every aspect of the personalization, from the design to the AC system, lights or furniture.
The roof is walkable and has fold-down railings for safety, which allows it to double as a terrace that effectively doubles the available living space. It can also be fitted with solar panels that would generate a maximum of 4kW so that it would operate independently from the grid in terms of power requirements.
The body of the trailer is wrapped in automotive-grade glass panels and the company promises that the "advanced design [of the unit] ensures the integrity and longevity of the glass components" both on the road and at camp. Alternatively, lightweight panels or tinted sections can be added on aesthetic or privacy considerations.
Photo: Expandable Trailers
The Expandable Touchdown trailers from Expandable Trailers are sleek, futuristic-looking towables that aim to create a new category of mobile, instantly usable spaces that strike all the right notes in terms of versatility, functionality, efficiency, and pricing. The company repeatedly notes on the official product page that these trailers are designed to be space- and cost-efficient, but there's nothing more specific than that regarding pricing.
In other words, interested parties have to get in touch with them for a quote, but we have a feeling the "affordable" descriptor is relative to its high degree of versatility and applicability.
Looking is free of charge, though. Here's a demo video of how an Expandable Touchdown trailer deploys at camp, down to the pop-out staircase and rooftop terrace. The second video shows some of the many possible applications of a Touchdown.
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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