Patriot Campers X1-H put to the test

There’s never been more of an interest in getting out from the confines of the city and leading a simpler life. It’s a romantic concept that has inspired people for countless generations. Australian folklore talks of the vibrant experience of the outdoors. We’re raised on tales of dry riverbeds, magpies warbling as the sun sets and the crackling of a campfire with your feet planted firmly in the dry red earth. It’s as much a part of our national identity as any bridge or sport.

It should come as no surprise then that, in a tidal wave of people wanting to simplify, Patriot Campers’ unique designs have never been more popular. A camping trailer rather than a camper trailer, the Patriot range aims to get people out connecting with the outdoors rather than walling them up inside the double-glazed windows of a caravan.

The X1-H is the latest in its line-up of compact camper trailers, designed to go anywhere – towed behind anything – and enhance the camping experience rather than insulating you from it. We recently had the opportunity to hook it to the towbar of our Ford Everest and attempt to find both their limits when it comes to off-road capability. Here’s what we found.

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FROM THE GROUND UP

Patriot Campers isn’t known for cutting corners, and there’s no greater example of this than its Rigilite chassis. From the ground up the X1-H is designed to not only be extremely durable, but practical off-road and as light as possible.

Pieced together with a combination of galvanised steel and aluminium, the Rigilite chassis uses clever engineering to add rigidity rather than throwing bulk material into the equation like many campers do. Rather than a traditional set of rails with cross members, the frame is a series of cross braces and a combination of box section and C section where possible. In short, it’s designed the same way vehicles are, not box trailers.

Moving underneath, Patriot Campers worked with the team from Cruisemaster Suspension to design the X-Cruise suspension specifically to reduce unsprung weight. The result is an independent suspension set-up that outperforms almost all other options on the market. Twin shock absorbers help fight shock fade in corrugations and add redundancy should one fail, while the twin A-arm design gives ample ground clearance through the ruts or rough country.

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Our test model was optioned with the Tech Pack that stepped the suspension up to a full air-ride arrangement. It means you can raise or lower the camper with the flick of a switch, to clear obstacles or level the bed when camping in uneven terrain.

Up front, a DO35 hitch provides an easy and positive locking mechanism, so you’ll know once it’s connected, it’s staying connected. The design also allows for full 360-degree rotation, allowing the camper to follow no matter how difficult the terrain is and without putting undue load into the camper’s frame, popping a tow ball off, or loading up the tow-tug’s suspension.

The whole lot rides on PCOR 16-inch alloy wheels and 33-inch mud tyres.

Dragging it behind the Everest and it was abundantly clear that anywhere we’d be confident taking the wagon, the Patriot would have no dramas following. It did catch us out briefly on a series of double rock steps, but that finger can be squarely pointed at highway tyres, the same combination with mud or even all-terrain tyres would have seen us climb effortlessly.

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INSIDE THE BOX

Moving up in to the bulk of the camper’s body and it’s abundantly clear Patriot’s flare for intelligent industrial design has been put to good use again. The X1 range is nearing 10 years in development and it’s easy to see in the details.

The bulk construction of the body itself is constructed out of folded aluminium sheeting in its South East Queensland manufacturing facilities. The lightweight material up top helps keep the centre of gravity down low, making the X1-H incredibly stable in off-camber situations.

Fit and finish on the various compartments is impeccable as always, with neat panel gaps and doors latching tight without any rattles that can lead to fatigue failures. The doors pull in tight on automotive seals, which further aids in this process.

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The seals are only part of the efforts to reduce dust ingress on outback journeys. The X1-H features a filtered positive-pressure system, ensuring any gaps that may occur will have clean air pushing out of them, rather than dusty air pushing into them. It’s the little things, you know?

Patriot has kept the overall footprint of the camper’s main box as compact as possible. It does leave the X1-H with a very matter-of-fact, no-frills styling, but it is perfect for the serious off-road conditions it’s designed to excel at. If you’re ducking and weaving through High Country switchbacks or NSW ghost gums, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more appropriate camper.

Beachgoers in South East Queensland will appreciate the full corrosion-resistant paint scheme that’ll keep the camper looking tip-top even after years of beach-work. The front storage box receives a different coating, with Rhino-lining helping absorb the impact of ant stones thrown up from the camper, while the box’s face is angled downwards to stop stones bouncing up and into your back window.

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ON THE INSIDE

As nice as the Patriot X1-H is to look at and tow, how easy it is to use is ultimately the defining factor for calling it a win or not. The H in X1-H is a nod towards the ‘Hexocore’ hard-shell rooftop tent that separates this model from others in the X1 line-up.

Setting up the bedding area in the X1-H is one of the simplest in the market, thanks to a few unique designs around the tent. Flick open a handful of over-centre latches and grab out the wireless key fob, and the tent starts opening itself up with a tap of a button. They’ve used a wireless fob rather than buttons in the camper, so you can pack up the camper and tuck in any loose canvas as a one-person exercise. Experienced camper-trailer users will understand.

The lid of the tent tilts up on an angle, providing an insulated hard top over the head of the bed. Once the tent lid is up, the tent folds out in to what could best be described as an awning, enclosing the bed area with a covered standing area as well. If you’re bringing the family or setting up for a longer stay an enclosed room can be zipped on quickly, with a second kids’ room zipping on again with a single pole.

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Back to the bed and it’s a large pocket-spring mattress that folds out into the new available space. A positive-locking base gives a sturdy platform that feels just as solid as any bed on the market. In typical Patriot style, they’ve gone above and beyond again, instead of a ladder up into the bed they’ve designed a mini-staircase complete with a handrail that locks into place.

The stairs are narrow but the handrail does make it an easy affair to get into bed. There’s USB charging points throughout internally with LED lighting. An optional diesel tent heater is a worthy consideration if you spend much time camping during winter.

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OUTDOOR LIVIN’

First thing you’ll notice with the X1-H is the inside really is designed as a place to sleep, not a place to live. The design actively encourages you to sit outside with your feet in the sand, some good music, and plenty of food.

Along the left flank of the camper, a large hatch pops down revealing a small kitchenette complete with everything you need for a serious camp feed. The hatch folds down into a prep area, while the space behind houses a pull-out gas cooker and grill, various pantry options and shelving space.

Behind the door to your left, a pull-out fridge-slide comes out that’ll accommodate most standard 12V fridges around the 60L mark. Underneath, a sink slides out with hot and cold running water from either a gas system or the optional diesel upgrade. The cooker and sink both need to be connected when you’re setting up, but considering the time saved with the tent, it’s hardly worth a mention.

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One thing eagle-eyed readers will spot is the Redarc RedVision system. It’s connected to the on-board battery system and controls everything from the lighting to the inverter and monitors the water tank. It’s flanked by a pair of Airbag Man controls that allow you to fine-tune the X1-H’s ride height or to level off the bed. These are options in the appropriately named ‘Tech Pack’ but really make a difference to the overall usability of the camper.

The whole area is covered under a PCOR 270-degree awning mounted on clever easy-lift brackets. As the camper’s packed height is only around shoulder height, the brackets allow the awning to quickly and securely lift up above head height.

Up front, our storage box was filled with the optional diesel heater, as well as a swing-out barbecue carrier and Weber Mini Q as part of the ‘Essentials Pack’.

Along the driver’s side of the camper, there’s storage perfect for clothing bags or camp chairs, while a rear hatch behind the spare wheel carrier is prime for bulky storage.

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SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE

While the X1-H’s footprint may be compact and the camping simple, Patriot has gone to great lengths to ensure it’ll do you for the long haul if you’re heading off for the big lap. The heart of the system is a huge 300amp/h of AGM batteries deep within the camper; and they’re kept low to further aid with centre of gravity.

A Redarc Manager 30 system ensures they’ll stay topped up either through the vehicles Anderson plug, the included 130W solar panel up top, or the AC input. It sends power back out through the RedVision system as well as a 1000W Redarc invertor. The RedVision system also controls the on-board water pump that taps into 155L of drinking water mounted underneath.

WHO SHOULD BUY ONE?

If you can’t look down an overgrown track without wondering where it goes. If you daydream about being camped up on the west coast of Cape York with your feet in the sand. If you’ve just about had it with your day job and don’t want to be constrained by deadlines or “you can’t take that camper there”, then the X1-H might be the perfect camper for you.

It’s an all-out experiment in remote camping honed into a polished product with years of revision, and it shows with every inch. From the sub 1000kg tare weight to the impressive approach and departure angles, it’s clearly built to make camping as easy as possible as long as it doesn’t hinder off-road ability.

SPECIAL THANKS

Thanks to the team at Off Grid Outfitters in Sydney’s west for making these models available for review and helping us have a solid understanding of the products.
Ph: (02) 4648 4181
W: OffGridOutfitters.com.au

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PATRIOT CAMPERS X1-H SPECS