The recent surge of burly travel trailers with off-road capabilities gives adventurers even more sovereignty to reach and post up in far-out locations. One prime contender is the 2021 Taxa Outdoors TigerMoth Overland, a 40-square-foot trailer with 18-inch ground clearance that’s light and robust and built for off-road travel.
Unlike a truck camper or bed build-out, a travel trailer like the TigerMoth Overland saves important cargo space in the rig and expands your overall weight capacity. And in contrast to a van, you can easily unhitch the trailer and bookmark your backcountry basecamp while pursuing day excursions in the area.
2021 Taxa Outdoors TigerMoth Overland Review
I recently hauled the 2021 Taxa Outdoors TigerMoth Overland trailer more than 4,000 miles from Colorado’s Elk Mountains to Navajo Nation and Lake Powell, followed by a Pacific Northwest tour. My partner and I linked up ski mountaineering, ocean surfing, and river surf spots in Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, all with the TigerMoth in tow.
We towed the trailer along a wide range of routes from rugged, steep 4×4 areas to rough, potholed backcountry mountain roads and 80-mph highways. This home-on-wheels served us in the Southwest’s 100-degree heat, the torrential rainstorms at Pacific Beach, the howling wind across the base of Mount Adams, and the freezing overnight lows in Idaho’s Bitterroot Range.
Initially, I pulled the trailer with my Toyota Tacoma. We later hooked it up to a Nissan Titan Pro-4X. With its base weight of 1,458 pounds, the TigerMoth Overland can be towed by most small to mid-sized SUVs and crossovers.
For the most part, our overnights were in the backcountry, but we stayed at campgrounds with shore power a handful of times for convenience and to work at our laptops. Overall, I was impressed with the trailer’s solid handling and meticulous build and only found a handful of drawbacks that the brand could address.
Stable Off-Road and Highway Handling
From the desert Southwest to the Rocky Mountains, the 2021 Taxa Outdoors TigerMoth Overland is built for off-road ventures. The trailer has 18-inches of clearance and a Timbren axle-less suspension, featuring a 4-inch lift and 2,200-pound weight capacity.
Off-pavement, the trailer felt stable and predictable — which was key while traversing the steep sandstone slopes, jagged rocks, and sandy banks near Lake Powell’s shores. The trailer’s balance was agile and steady when I steered through off-camber, uneven terrain in the backcountry. And the trailer’s response was subdued with very little up-and-down travel on rough, potholed ground as well as at 80-mph highway speeds.
The steel Lock N’ Roll Hitch delivered 360-degree rotation plus lateral and up-and-down articulation, smoothing out both highways and rough terrain. The hitch and coupler were responsive and easily maneuvered the trailer while backing up in tight pine trees or super narrow alleyways in my hometown of Telluride, Colorado.
The tight setup also prevented any jerking or clunking around. I appreciated that the latch system prevented the possibility of detachment, like the pop-off scenario that can happen with a traditional ball hitch. The manufacturer doesn’t currently provide a lock option but soon will.
We didn’t drive on snow, but the Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT tires provided great traction on mud, gravel, drenched pavement, rocky routes, dusty washboard, sand, and sandstone. Some drivers might find the electric brakes aren’t essential for a trailer this light. Still, I appreciated the addition, especially on mountain pass descents and sudden stops for wildlife at night.
Convertible, Utilitarian Space
Many off-road trailers have a permanently fixed bed in a designated space. Instead, the TigerMoth Overland is convertible, which we found really helpful for utilizing the trailer while we ate indoors, worked, or socialized with friends.
When pulled out, the full-size bed is 80 inches by 54 inches and comfortably sleeps two adults. For the daytime configuration, half of the bed slides inward, becoming an L-shaped couch. The firm bed-and-couch cushions are attached by velcro, so they don’t slide around unless manually detached.
In the middle of the open floor, an aluminum pedestal and 21-inch-by-18-inch tabletop both screw into place. The table was great for working from my laptop — especially when connected to shore power — and eating meals. The table pieces easily slide beneath the bed.
Pulling out the awning and opening the doors felt like it tripled the amount of space. The big side door is a falcon-wing, so it swings up, providing tons of shade and a spot to hang wet gear. Next to the slide-out camp kitchen, the back door offered additional space to set supplies when I prepared meals or did dishes.
The awning protected the kitchen from fierce sun and rain. With the awning and falcon-wing door, the open-air design provided plenty of space for our friends and us to comfortably hang out.
Size Specifications:
- Dry weight: 1,458 pounds (empty propane tank and water jug, sans batteries)
- GVWR: 2,400 pounds
- Cargo capacity: 942 pounds
- Tongue weight: 195 pounds (approximately)
- Tongue height: 25 inches
- Exterior height: 7 feet
- Exterior width: 6’7″
- Exterior length: 12’9″
- Interior height: 3’9″ to 4’7″
- Bed dimensions: 80 inches by 54 inches (sleeps two adults)
The four windows provided ample light, and the integrated pull-down shades blacked out the trailer for sleeping. The pull-up bug shades prevented insects from flying inside while adding a bit of privacy, like when I needed to change into my river surf wetsuit in downtown Missoula. The windows are insulated and lockable while cracked open. With the windows and ceiling fan, the interior climate was manageable and comfortable across a wide spectrum of weather conditions from freezing to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The TigerMoth’s overall construction is durable yet lightweight relative to its size and comparable off-road trailers. For instance, the Vorsheer XOC Extreme Overland Camper weighs 2,550 pounds, and the Airstream Basecamp X is 2,635 pounds. The Off-Grid Trailer Expedition 2.0 is 1,700 pounds.
The TigerMoth Overland’s chassis is made of corrosion-resistant, powder-coated steel. The frame is powder-coated aluminum plus aluminum composite panels, which are Kynar coated and weather resistant. This lightweight tow-behind was also nice for fuel economy.
Smart Storage
Below the sleep and lounge space is storage. Nearly one-third of the storage space is the slide-out outdoor kitchen, which features two side-by-side compartments. There’s one deep, open bin with a cutting-board lid, and the second space has customizable cubbyholes.
The first bin was great for stacking large dishware — like pots and pans — and the other was good for miscellaneous items like lighters, canned goods, and the two-burner stove. Overall, the slide-out kitchen was an ideal height for standing and cooking meals.
Another one-third of the floor space is 12 cubic feet of fixed storage, which fits small and medium-size plastic bins with apparel, bedding, or other random goods. The battery compartment is in the back corner.
The last third of the space is used for the open floor plan during the day and includes the space where the tabletop can be screwed in. When the bed is assembled, that area was a good spot to slide footwear or other random items.
One birch plywood storage shelf stretches the trailer’s width at the end of the bed and has a partial closure, so our cosmetics and books didn’t fall out. The aluminum interior frame, which extends along both doors, has holes to clip carabiners or slide-in hangers to hang dry gear and apparel or install cargo nets.
The propane tank has a secure rack on the exterior, and so does the water jug, conveniently perched above the pull-out kitchen. A spacious tongue toolbox was great for stashing our tools and trailer supplies.
Between the toolbox and trailer is a 200-pound cargo deck that perfectly fits a 45-liter cooler plus a 12-volt outlet for an electric one. A spare tire is affixed to the trailer, too. And if you opted for a 5,000 BTU A/C, that’s where it would hang, outside the front window.
The trailer’s roof tracks accommodate various rack options, plus there are Thule adjustable load bars. Our trailer had a bike rack though I didn’t use it for my bikepacking trip. The trailer is 7 feet tall, and I felt more comfortable babying my bike inside the truck bed shell.
The rooftop cargo deck is 59 inches by 17 inches and built for a Tepui 3-person rooftop tent. I’m 5’5″, and the trailer fenders enabled me to reach the roof just fine. As for keeping everything in place, each door is secured with multiple locks, plus a deadbolt, as is the pull-out kitchen and tongue toolbox.
Electric, Solar, Gas, and Water
Our trailer’s battery compartment came with two mid-size Group 24 batteries (batteries are typically bought separately). The batteries were healthy, and we never drained them, as indicated by the interior voltmeter.
After some trial and error, we could connect the travel trailer to both of our rigs with an eight-foot-long Endurance Hopkins 7-to-7 Blade Extension cord. The batteries received a trickle charge as we towed. Inside, there are two USB ports, one 12V outlet, and four 110V outlets. We liberally charged our phones, watches, camp lights, and headlamps with the USB ports without issue.
The interior lights were well-placed, bright, and powered by the batteries. We turned them on every night for long durations, as they barely drew power. One bright white light is near the back door. Another white light is in the back, above the shelf, next to an infrared night light. Outside, a light is installed next to the door, above the pull-out kitchen. The roof exhaust fan also drew battery power and quickly eradicated heat or odors.
Outside, there’s also a pre-wired solar inlet, which is compatible with a two-prong plug to connect to solar panels. I used solar panels to top off the batteries during longer durations in the backcountry. To connect to shore power, there’s a 30A exterior inlet. We used the 110V outlets when we were plugged into shore power, for laptops and camera equipment, as those required tons of power.
For us, the five-pound propane tank fueled the two-burner stove for two meals daily for two weeks. The water capacity is an external five-gallon jug, which lasted us more than a week.
Features:
- Off-Road All-Terrain Tires: 225/75R16 (Cooper Tires Discoverer AT3 LT)
- Water: 5-gallon jerrycan
- Propane: 5-pound tank
- Tongue toolbox
- Front cargo deck: 45-liter cooler, 200-pound capacity; 12-volt outlet for electric cooler
- Awning width: 6 feet
- Awning height: 7’3″
- Rooftop cargo deck: 59 inches by 17 inches (3-person rooftop tent compatible)
- Smoke detector, fire extinguisher, and carbon monoxide detector
- 1,500-pound tongue jack
- Two mid-size Group 24 batteries (not included in standard package)
Pros:
- High-quality construction
- Robust for off-road travel
- Lightweight
- Functional storage design
- Convertible space for sleep, work, meals, and social time
- Tongue toolbox, window screens and shades, two-burner stove included in the standard package
Cons:
- Thule awning is a necessity but insubstantial
- Opening the locks and deadbolts on the doors can be hard to figure out
- LED light above kitchen could be brighter
TigerMoth Overland: Who It’s For
The 2021 Taxa Outdoors TigerMoth Overland standard package has a price tag of $24,950. Add-ons include the Tepui 3-person rooftop tent ($1,749) and 5000 BTU Window A/C ($800). Many off-road trailers don’t include key items in the base setup like the two-burner stove, toolbox, or window shades and bug screens—but this overland trailer does, which streamlines the purchase.
This off-road travel trailer is a solid, dependable choice for adventurous solo travelers and couples that enjoy navigating isolated, rough roads for exploration and camping out. The trailer compliments group hangouts and dining or working inside — as long as you don’t mind shuffling around accessories and gear, as needed.
Though the trailer can host three additional adults in the three-person rooftop tent, the type and duration of the trip would depend on the quantity and weight of the gear. For a simple overnight campout, sure. For a mountain bike or ski venture, the group would need to crunch numbers and ensure the total weight was safe for their vehicle and the trailer.
Overall, the trailer is well-constructed, nimble, and easy to haul. The extensive cargo space is smartly designed and feels luxurious, especially when dispersed camping or being stationed in the backcountry. The design is functional for a range of uses, from weekend outings to long road trips or remote work and life on the road.
Ultimately, the 2021 Taxa Outdoors TigerMoth Overland offers a comfortable shelter-on-wheels without limiting your destination or experience.
For more information, visit the Taxa Outdoors site.
Photos Courtesy of Eric Phillips
