Rotomolded plastic teardrop camper bashes through the African bush

By C.C. Weiss

December 03, 2021

Rotomolded construction has become a staple in outdoor recreation and exploration via hardwearing, bear-resistant coolers and cargo boxes from the likes of Yeti and Pelican. If there’s one thing campers and overlanders want to protect even more than their food and gear supplies, it’s their soft, supple, irreplaceable skin. So why not build a shelter like a big, rugged cooler ready to lock horns with the hungriest wildlife? South African startup Edgeout does exactly that, crafting a rotomolded plastic teardrop ready for everything from a quick safari to an intercontinental expedition.

The 15-foot (4.6-m) Edgeout trailer’s two-tone styling hints at something deeper than aesthetics, highlighting the dual-pod construction that underpins the entire product design. The company rotomolds individual bedroom and kitchen units, affixes them together into a two-sleeper teardrop with rear galley, and mounts the whole thing to a galvanized steel trailer chassis from Burquip. Each pod is structurally seamless, cutting the potential for roof leaks.

Edgeout worked with industrial design firm RKID to give its teardrop a look positively befitting of a world-first rotomolded camper. Rather than attempting to cover up the border between the two pods, the design team emphasizes it with the contrast shades of gray and a thick, raised edge. The surfaces of both bodies reflect raw natural surroundings, giving the body the appearance of a boulder or roughly cut gemstone. The rising, pointed roof rails, meanwhile, feel rather animalistic, reminding us of some type of goat or antelope.

https://newatlas.com/outdoors/edgeout-rotomolded-plastic-teardrop-camper/