A relatively recent import to the UK & EU markets, demountable campers have been around for a while in the United States.
Essentially, they are cabins/pods on retractable legs designed to sit in the bed of a pickup truck (sometimes referred to as UVs or Utility Vehicles), providing an easily mountable/demountable base for your adventures. Imagine converting your pickup into a motorhome in the space of minutes, but without losing the ability to use your vehicle for day trips when required.
There have been a few iterations of demountable campers over the years, with Tischer and Northstar Campers being the most established brands in the UK. Most are constructed using similar methods to touring caravans - i.e. separate panels joined together to create a shell, but there's an exciting new addition to the UK demountable market - the SABRE.
The SABRE demountable camper
The SABRE was borne in Turkey out of frustration at the lack of diversity in the demountable market. It aims to break the mould in almost every way.
There's a sizeable portion of pickup owners who also enjoy off-roading, and the SABRE has been specially designed to not impact on off-road performance, even in the trickiest of terrains.
It has a one-piece fibreglass shell, which massively reduces the overall weight and eliminates the risk of water ingress via leaky seals. If you've ever owned a traditional touring caravan, you'll know all too well of the stress of having to reseal your caravan on a regular basis to prevent water damage!
With a total unladen weight of 490kg, the SABRE is comfortably the lightest demountable available on the market anywhere in the world. This has the great benefit of not requiring additional airbag suspension to be installed to your truck, as is the case with many of the heavier traditional demountable campers, and also provides far greater stability off-road.
The shell's aerodynamic design also helps in that regard, as the front of the SABRE is specifically shaped to allow air to pass over the cabin, reducing wind resistance. A common issue US demountable owners run into is rocking during high winds, something the SABRE will rarely experience (although, please DO NOT drive into the eye of a hurricane under any circumstances - aerodynamic design can only help so much!).
Inside the SABRE, you'll probably be surprised to find most of the facilities you'd expect in a touring caravan. There's a fixed double bed than can be extended to king size, a 2 person seating and dining area, full kitchen with sink & hob, 49 litre fridge, a full wetroom/toilet with extendable shower faucet, and diesel heating system. There's even a Truma Therme boiler that feeds the sink & shower faucet, and an outside shower hose perfect for rinsing off muddy boots.
The SABRE LUX model forgoes the wetroom in favour of a Brother's Camp roof tent, adding an extra 2-3 berths that are the perfect size for children - great if you're heading off on adventures with kids in tow!
The easy mounting and demounting system makes it a breeze to set up and go on short notice - though it may take a bit of practice first! Typically, after you've been through the process a couple of times, it will take 15 minutes max to lower and extend the legs and back your truck in. Check out the video below.
The SABRE is certainly an exciting addition to the UK demountable market - and beyond. You can book a viewing of our SABRE online, either via video call or a trip to our showroom in Southport, Lancashire.
We'll be exhibiting at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome show at the Birmingham NEC in February 2023.