A look at the brand-new, apocalypse-ready XLE Camper Trailer from Mammoth Overland, including all the features and tech.
Mammoth Overland, the American manufacturer of high-end teardrop trailers for extreme off-road and overlanding, is preparing to roll out one of its most important product releases in quite some time. With a whole lineup of trail-hardened teardrops already to pick from, the newest XLE brings refinements and safety upgrades that blur the lines between camping, glamping, and surviving an apocalypse.
A Different Breed of Off-Road Camping Trailers
Based out of Woodinville near Seattle, Washington, Mammoth Overland is the four-wheeling and off-road-focused subsidiary of Vashon Aircraft, makers of the Ranger R7 light sports plane. That means the level of mechanical and engineering overlap between the average Mammoth Overland camper and literal aviation hardware is far more prominent than you might think. For the new XLE teardrop trailer, that means a whole world of difference.
Also known as “Xtinction-Level Escape,” the Mammoth Overland XLE rides on all-aluminum, aircraft-grade construction. It helps keep the chassis strong and rigid enough to handle continuous extreme off-roading without compromising structural integrity. The inner structure shares its structure with famous Mammoth Overland mainstays like the full-height TL (Tall Boy) platform, with dimensions of nine feet tall and an impressive 22 inches of ground clearance.
When the average new 4×4 can only manage around 16 inches, this is the kind of trailer that needs a tow rig just as special as what it’s hauling. Massive boulders of 33-inch HD terrain tires wrapped around forged aluminum wheels, and provisions for two full-sized spare wheels tells you exactly how serious this rig takes the rough stuff. Ample guard shields at the front end are made of strong metal, and should do a great job of protecting the rest of the rig from wayward stones, branches, and ruts in the terrain multiple feet deep.
A Shocking Level of Tech, With a Strong Foundation
Elsewhere about the exterior, four lockable pass-through storage bays allows for fast access to essential camping gear without taking up space in the living quarters. Speaking of the inside, the XLE’s aerospace background comes out in full force, thanks to a full cabin pressurization system designed to seal away occupants from the outside elements. Like the inside of a commercial airliner, the system secures the XLE’s occupants against the elements, adverse weather, or, well, take your pick for natural disasters.
A multi-point-locking rear vault door combined with remote blast shield-protected windows give a degree of overkill that might sound ridiculous. But remember, this trailer’s namesake is not at all hyperbole. Using the same extreme equipment that made Mammoth Overland’s ELE (Extinction Level Event) a survival icon now turns the XLE into a mobile fortress. A sizable bank of 1,200-Amp-hour lithium-ion batteries means you can survive in the wilderness for extended periods, and key items like the fridge and AC-unit run off 12-volt electrical connections to save power. To recharge, a 400-watt solar array does the job just fine.
On-board water filtration comes standard, a hallmark of the very best overlanding habitation pods. Doubling down even further on security, a fully-integrated CCTV and camera system monitors the perimeter around the camper. And it’s all in a form factor compact enough to be trailered comfortably behind an average full-size pickup or SUV.
A Truly Insane Overland Rig
Quad pepper-spray deployment compartments can ward off any woodland creatures that might want the snacks inside, and a 37-mm flare gun, plus exterior strobe lights, can signal your location for miles around if you’re in need of rescue. Did we mention there’s two storage racks for long rifles? Yeah, no messing around to be found here. To store valuables too precious to be stolen, an under-mattress safe gives an extra layer of protection, and the front storage-utility box packs swing-down tables to eat the meals you cook on the two-burner gas stove.
If you’re really deep in the sticks, possibly without help on the way in a natural disaster, the XLE’s onboard HAM radio, plus a mini weather suite that even comes with a Geiger counter, brings the level of survival overkill to off-the-chart levels. As such, it’s theoretically ready for everything from earthquakes to forest fires and even nuclear attacks. Yeah, you heard us right, this thing was built for the Fallout universe. Million-dollar rigs riding full-on 6×6 semi chassis make use of very similar technology to stay mobile in the sticks for months at a time. Now, it’s all put into a turn-key package which, while smaller than a motorized overland rig, offers impressive trail performance and living conditions.
“With the ELE we proved that an off-road trailer could be truly self-sufficient and secure,”
Mammoth Overland President Scott Taylor said of the upcoming XLE . “XLE takes that proof of concept and scales it up. This is the trailer for people who want a real basecamp — somewhere they can operate out of, not just sleep in. XLE is what happens when you stop asking ‘how capable can a trailer be’ and start asking ‘how capable do we want it to be. This team built something I genuinely didn’t think was possible. XLE isn’t just a trailer; it’s a mobile operations center.”
A Cool Gimmick, But it Doesn’t Come Cheap
Before taxes, fees, and destination charges, Mammoth Overland advertises a base MSRP of $123,994. That might sound high as an every-day truck-pulled camper. But as a survival bunker in the middle of nowhere? There certainly are worse choices.
