Back when I was at Overland West, I was hanging out at the Black Rifle Coffee booth when a guy came up to me and said that I really needed to go look at this trailer with him. He specifically mentioned that the trailer had something like no others had.
Honestly, I thought the guy was pulling my leg, but as it turned out, he wasn’t kidding. The trailer he wanted to show me – the RKS Off-Road Purpose – legitimately had a full-on bathroom with a stand-up shower, a Macerator ceramic toilet, and a stainless steel sink (complete with a soap dispenser!). There was even an exterior shower package for those days when you get particularly dirty.
But the bathroom in this trailer was just one item on a long list of things that impressed me the first time I set eyes on the RKS Purpose…
In the video above, I do a complete walk through of the RKS Off-Road trailer. I also get a sneak peak into the manufacturing process. Have a look for yourself!
First, a Little Context
When I go to trade shows like Overland West, I’m obviously there to check out cool new products and meet fellow overlanding and off-roading enthusiasts.
But a bigger part of what I’m doing is looking for brands that are the tip of the spear when it comes to innovation. After all, anybody can throw a product together, but only a few can truly develop something that’s new to the market and blows the competition away.
It was through this lens that I inspected the RKS Off-Road Purpose trailer. And I have to say, it quickly ticked off a ton of boxes in the innovation department.
I’ll get to the specifics of how this trailer is so impressive from an innovation standpoint in just a moment, but first I want to explain a little bit about why the folks at RKS Off-Road are able to be so innovative.
The RKS Off-Road team brings together years and years of experience in engineering. Having worked with brands like BMW in the past, the RKS team understands that the process of research and development is critical for having an impressive product.
So, they spent years developing the Purpose trailer, and it shows – in the build quality, the materials, the options and features, and so forth. Now, I’m no engineer, but you can tell when a product is well thought out and impeccably built. This trailer fits that description to a tee.
What are the Features of the RKS Off-Road Purpose Trailer?
At 17’9″ in length and 7’8″ wide, this trailer is spacious without being too big to maneuver off-road.
The trailer offers 4’3″ of headroom, apart from the shower area, which extends to 7’5″ with the roof up. Yes – a full stand-up shower inside the trailer. Nice!
You get 70 gallons of capacity for fresh water, a 25-gallon gray water tank, and a 60-gallon black water tank, so you can bring along all the water you need – and have plenty of room for wastewater – for extended trips.
With a dry weight of 2,750 pounds (for the base model), you can easily tow the Purpose trailer with a small truck or SUV. And with 18 inches of ground clearance, you can get off the beaten path without worry that the trailer will get torn to pieces on rocks and tree roots.
The electrical system features marine-grade wiring and sealed connectors throughout. The trailer comes standard with a 100Ah lithium battery, though up to a 300Ah option is available. A 1600w 120v true sine inverter/charger and a 30A solar charge controller are part of the mix as well. You can even control the electrical system using premium WiFi and Bluetooth.
The trailer’s chassis is equally as impressive. It’s made of aircraft-grade aluminum tubing and I-beams for strength without adding unnecessary weight.
The floor, walls, and roof panels are made of 1.5-inch honeycomb composite panels for rigidity, but, again, they do so without being overly heavy to keep the overall weight of the trailer to a minimum.
The trailer rides on aluminum 18-inch wheels wrapped in 32.5-inch tires mounted to a premium axle-less heavy-duty suspension with a 5,200-pound capacity. The braking system includes 12-inch discs with an electric/hydraulic e-brake.
Other features include:
- A variable 20-60k BTU water heater with ECO mode
- A high-power furnace with routing inside and vents to outdoor areas
- A fully-articulating steel off-road hitch mount
- A three-point leveling system
- A 10 lb. LP tank with regulator and tank level indicator (20lb LP Optional)
- A 30-inch passenger door with an opaque window (some with keyless entry!)
I mean, come on…this sucker is loaded up with features and we haven’t even gotten to the details about the bathroom, kitchen, or bedroom yet!
RKS Off-Road Purpose Trailer Living Spaces
Now that you have a better understanding of the underpinnings and systems of this trailer, let’s get to the good stuff and talk about the living spaces this trailer has to offer.
The 7′ x 5′ outdoor kitchen boasts a portable 20k BTU two-burner stove, a professional stainless steel sink with a stainless steel professional series faucet, customizable kitchen shelves and cabinets, and rechargeable, portable cooking lights (to go along with LED strip lighting).
You’ll find a soap dispenser, a micro filter drinking water dispenser, and an aluminum storage cabinet under the sink. There’s also a high-capacity 96-liter cooler, a custom stainless steel backsplash, and multiple outlets (two 120v, one 12v, and one USB) for powering up your devices, in addition to two overhead storage compartments and a paper towel holder above the sink.
Moving inside, you’ll find the aforementioned bathroom. Aside from the impressive size and the ability to actually stand up straight to shower, the star of the show is the residential-size Macerator ceramic toilet. Having a full-size toilet is awesome, but what makes it even better is that there’s a gray water filter that conditions gray water for use in the toilet, that way you don’t have to use fresh water (although that is an option).
You’ll also find LED strip lighting and spotlights, a full acrylic vanity mirror, a marine-grade 120v outlet, and a hand-held adjustable low-flow showerhead. When you’re inside the bathroom, you can have your privacy by closing the accordion privacy divider.
The bedroom area is home to an 80″ x 60″ queen-sized bed with a five-inch memory foam mattress. The bed tilts up for access to the under-bed storage area. Additionally, tilting the bed up allows you to turn the bedroom into a dinette or an office area.
There’s a quiet ventilation exhaust fan to keep air moving, overhead storage with device charging capabilities, multiple power outlets, and LED lighting. And for those nights when you need a snack, there’s an access door on the barrier wall that gives you direct access to the refrigerator (as shown above).
I don’t know about you, but this sounds like home sweet home! But, there’s more…
How is the RKS Off-Road Purpose Trailer Innovative?
I have to say, the RKS Off-Road Purpose trailer is truly an engineering marvel. No matter where you look, you will find innovative features that make it a one-of-a-kind off-road trailer.
For example, the 70-gallon fresh water capacity is split between two tanks – one fore and aft. This helps balance the trailer for an improved towing experience.
RKS has also included an innovative sky deck, where you can enjoy crystal-clear views of the night sky or add a rooftop tent and canopy. The deck supports up to 1,000 pounds and features a power outlet, a modular exterior ladder, and roof access from inside the trailer as well.
Inside, the modularity of the trailer is perhaps the most impressive bit of innovation. Like I mentioned before, the bed can be tilted up to turn the sleeping area into a seating and conversation area. Likewise, there’s a long fold-out desk opposite the seating area that gives you all the workspace you need to get your work done while you’re adventuring.
In fact, the desk is so long that you could easily have two or three people working at the same time. So, if you and your significant other need to get work done, you’ve certainly got the space. If you have guests over, there’s plenty of room for indoor dining as well.
Another component of this modularity is that the integrated T-slot technology enables you to configure the interior space as you see fit, and then reconfigure it to address changing needs.
Honestly, I could write another 1,000 words on the ways in which this trailer is at the cutting-edge of innovation. It is that impressive.
It’s Obvious That This Trailer Has Purpose
I have to give props to the folks at RKS Off-Road for naming this trailer “Purpose.” It is a perfect name because everything on this trailer has a well-thought-out purpose.
In most trailers, you’ll find a kitchen and a bathroom and a sleeping area, but sometimes they seem thrown together because the user experience falls short. But that’s simply not the case with this trailer.
It’s obvious when you’re looking at this trailer that everything was designed with a purpose in mind and with the user experience in mind as well. A prime example of this is the stove that’s mounted on the kitchen door – it is height adjustable to improve the experience of the chef that’s using it. It’s this commitment to details that sets this trailer apart from the rest.
At the end of the day, overlanding and off-roading is about adventure. But you don’t have to go on adventures that are cramped, uncomfortable, and lack creature comforts…
This trailer is the best of both worlds – you can off-road to your heart’s content, but when the day is done, you have a trailer that’s purpose-built for functionality, utility, and comfort.
Get more details about the RKS Off-Road Purpose trailer.