My family spent a week in the Taxa Outdoors Woolly Bear Overland camping trailer and loved it! Camp trailers like this one are off-road-ready camping options with lots of storage, organization, and other useful features.
Camping trailers are nothing new. As a kid in the 1970s and 1980s, my family had its own tow trailer with all of our equipment loaded inside. Most of it was made of military surplus canvas and wood, so it wasn’t something you could just throw into a backpack. Our trailer was a convenient clamshell that kept our gear dry and carried all of our stuff.
Modern camping trailers offer the same idea, but have evolved into a more ergonomic and convenient package. The Taxa Outdoors model we tested retails for about $16,250 and features all-steel construction with a full galley, refrigerator/cooler drawer, built-in battery, LED lighting, and tons of storage space. Rooftop tents add another $2,900. We managed to pack camping equipment and food for 5 people with plenty of time. All Woolly Bear Overland spots have plenty of anchoring options.
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas
Taxa Woolly Bear’s curb weight was approximately 1,400 lbs (635 kg) at the time we owned it. Factory weight without add-ons is approximately 1,270 lbs (576 kg). In addition to our standard equipment, we added a lithium battery pack and solar panel kit, a powered cooler chest, and a 5-gallon water jug. With all of our own equipment added, the trailer weighed just over 2,000 pounds (907 kg).
Due to its light weight, the Woolly Bear can be towed by almost any off-road capable vehicle. Most small SUVs, compact or midsize pickup trucks, and even minivans have at least that much towing capacity. We used a 2024 Ram 1500 Rebel. This is more than adequate in this regard, but its off-road capabilities are roughly comparable to that of the Woolly Bear Overland with its articulating off-road hitch. Perfect for weekend getaways and overland adventures.
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas
Storing the trailer is also easy. It’s less than 11 feet (10 feet, 8 inches / 325 cm) long, about the same height as a Subaru Forester, and has wheel tracks about the same as a Toyota RAV4. The Taxa Woolly Bear’s top rack is adjustable, and ours was set at about the halfway point. You can add more storage space under the upper rack (and optional tent) by removing the bolts and adjusting the rack height. Overland models have better ground clearance than most off-road vehicles due to their axleless trailer design with Timbren suspension arms.
Camping with Taxa Woolly Bear took us to the Snowy Mountain Range near Laramie, Wyoming. It’s a beautiful place with lodgepole pines, winter wildlife, and crystal clear water lakes. We found our spot, parked, and started setting up camp. Halfway through, we were interrupted by a young moose wandering around to feed on ripe currants from the bushes dotted around it. This added some setup time, but the actual working time to set up the Woly Bear trailer was about 10 minutes total.
During setup, we realized that we had needed a dedicated camping trailer for a long time. Gear storage is simplified and setup is much faster. Lowering the Taxa’s stabilizing legs requires only a few cranks with the included handles. Visual leveling was easy. The two hind legs lift the back horizontally, and the side legs keep the left and right horizontal. My 14 year old daughter was able to turn the crank without any problems.
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas
A ladder has been installed to access the rooftop tent. The tent unlatches with four fasteners and pushes up. An internal piston does the rest of the rise, pulling an internal bar into position. The bars on both ends will snap into place and stay in place. Taxa tents are now available for use. Most rooftop tents work on a similar principle. But with about 1.5 inches of padding on the floor, this sleeping position is much better than on the ground for those of us who are going through bone-creaking times in our lives.
But the most useful part of this design of camping trailer is the galley. The Taxa Outdoors setup includes plenty of storage space for cooking utensils and small groceries, as well as a two-burner camp stove and its accessories. Propane from a small canister in a separate storage compartment is suspended at the front of the trailer, above the two on-board batteries that charge from the vehicle.
Aaron Turpen / New Atlas
LED lighting makes it easier to find and use things. The storage area under the galley is the perfect place to store perishables. Sliding cooler drawers give you quick access to more food. All of this storage is sealed and lockable. There is also a bear repellent feature, but that part had not been tested at the time we used the trailer (despite the National Park Service posting numerous bear warnings throughout the campground).
With easy towing, convenient storage space, and a “go anywhere” design, the all-steel Taxa Outdoors Woolly Bear Overland is a great example of what these purpose-built adventure trailers can do. These rigs are a great option because they are much cheaper than RVs and offer more space.
Product page: Taxa Outdoors Woolly Bear
