Image Credit : Breath Trailer Pty Ltd
Project Overview
Breath Ultra is a fully off-grid, no-setup camper trailer designed for those who value freedom, comfort, and smart engineering. Unlike traditional trailers, it has no canvas, no slide-outs, and no assembly required; it’s completely ready the moment you pick it up.
Every unit is custom-built for the client, with selectable colours, layouts, appliances, and modular upgrades. Inside, a convertible living area features a pop-up table, reading lights, dual-door cross ventilation, fans, and a memory foam mattress, transforming easily from bedroom to lounge.
The kitchen is integrated into the rear hatch, complete with a 60L upright fridge, deep sink, hot water, and full lighting, offering a real cooking experience outdoors. A custom spare tyre bracket doubles as a fold-out kitchen table, and the roof includes a reinforced rack strong enough to carry bikes, surfboards, or extra gear, accessible via engineered fender lips, designed to support a person’s weight.
Two 80L water tanks (clean and grey) plus a plumbed hot water shower system, 12V power, and LED lighting make it truly self-contained, without the need for caravan parks or campsite setup.
Breath Ultra is different because it’s not just designed, it’s engineered for lifestyle. It combines the functionality of a home, the freedom of a van, and the portability of a trailer in one compact, high-performance product.
Organisation
Team
Lead Designer / Director:
Patricio Rodriguez
Founder of Breath Trailer Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia
Role:
Lead product designer and innovation strategist:
Responsible for conceptual development, space planning, and technical specifications
Oversees all design customisation for each client build
Manages all product testing, quality assurance, and delivery standards
Support Team (Project-Based Specialists):
Technical Drafting & Engineering Team:
Assists with CAD detailing, structural layouts, and specification documents.
Client Services & Build Coordination
Handles client consultations to personalise layout, finishes, features, and optional add-ons.
Prototype Testing Crew:
Conducts real-world testing across varied terrain and off-grid conditions to refine usability and durability.
Studio Size:
15 people
Breath Trailer is an independent design studio that delivers custom camper builds tailored to each clients needs, combining functional innovation with adventure-ready design.
Project Brief
Breath Ultra is a new class of compact adventure trailer, not a teardrop, not a van, and absolutely not just another camper. It was designed in Sydney from the ground up to break the limits of what small trailers can do, starting with one core belief: your trailer should be ready when you are. No canvas. No set-up. No wasted space. Just roll out, open the hatch, and start living.
Where traditional teardrop trailers fall short, with their low ceilings, cramped beds, and barebones storage, Breath Ultra elevates the experience. Literally, the interior is taller, brighter, and built to breathe. You can sit upright. You can move. You can access your 60L upright fridge, deep sink, pop-up table, storage compartments, and lighting without feeling enclosed. A large skylight and dual side doors add cross-ventilation and natural light, transforming the space from a bedroom into a livable lounge.
It’s built for real off-road use, with off-grid functionality designed to go where others can’t. Dual water tanks (clean and grey), wired-in hot water, and a no-setup shower tent let you live free from parks or powered sites. Reinforced fender flares double as steps to reach a roof rack built for gear, surfboards, bikes, and recovery tools. The custom fold-down table on the spare wheel turns any roadside stop into a working kitchen. And it’s all wired, lit, and connected from the moment you pick it up.
Clients can customise their colour and features and get something only for them, not for everyone.
Project Innovation/Need
Breath Ultra redefines what a compact camper trailer can be. While most trailers in this segment rely on canvas, folding components, or limited amenities, Breath Ultra is a fully enclosed, zero-setup, off-grid-ready trailer. Designed for people who want to travel without limits, it’s light enough to be towed by almost any vehicle, yet packed with features rarely seen in this size class.
What makes it innovative is the integration of full-featured systems into a compact footprint, including a 60L upright fridge, dual 80L water tanks (clean and grey), hot water, wired lighting, ventilation, and an external shower tent, all professionally pre-installed with no user setup needed. The spare wheel bracket doubles as a fold-down kitchen table, and reinforced fender lips allow you to stand safely and access the roof rack, a feature not seen in this market. Inside, the space transforms with a pop-up table that allows users to convert the room into a living or dining area.
Unlike mass-manufactured or flat-packed trailers, every Breath Ultra is custom-built to order, adapting to the client’s intended use, from surf trips to remote overlanding.
Design Challenge
The main challenge was rethinking how much function and comfort could fit into a compact camper trailer without creating setup friction. Most campers in this space compromise on either livability, durability, or simplicity, often using canvas, pull-outs, or low ceilings, which limit usability and comfort.
Breath Ultra had to be fully enclosed, feature-rich, and livable on arrival with no folding, no assembling, and no campsite dependence. This required solving layout efficiency, weight balance, and access issues in a very tight footprint. Designing for an upright internal space while keeping the profile aerodynamic was a major spatial and engineering challenge.
Another key challenge was market clarity: customers didn’t want a “teardrop,” but they also didn’t want a full caravan. We needed to hit a middle ground, compact, capable, and cool, while also offering the freedom to customise every build to match different lifestyles: surfers, off-roaders, weekenders, explorers.
Integrating upright refrigeration, water tanks, a shower tent, a pop-up table, strong roof storage access, and real insulation all in a unit light enough to tow with a mid-size SUV pushed us to innovate structurally and rethink traditional assumptions.
Sustainability
Breath Ultra is designed to minimise environmental impact through efficiency, durability, and responsible production. Its compact, lightweight form uses less fuel to tow, reducing emissions over its lifetime compared to full-size caravans or motorhomes. It’s also fully off-grid capable, with LED lighting, solar compatibility, and dual water tanks (clean and grey), meaning no reliance on powered sites or external infrastructure.
The trailer’s enclosed design eliminates the need for canvas or soft materials that degrade over time. Each unit is made-to-order, reducing waste and excess inventory, and built to last for long-term use, reducing product turnover and landfill impact.
To further extend our environmental commitment, we’ve partnered with One Tree Planted and now plant 100 trees for every Breath Ultra trailer sold. This initiative supports global reforestation efforts and helps offset the trailer’s carbon footprint from production and logistics.
Finally, Breath Ultra also supports economic sustainability; its low towing weight means customers don’t need large vehicles, and its off-grid design eliminates ongoing campsite or power costs, making sustainable travel more accessible to more people.
Product Design - Sport - Active Life
This award celebrates creative and innovative design for either a component or overall product. Consideration given to aspects that relate to human usage, aesthetics, selection of components and materials, and the resolution of assembly, manufacturing and the overall function.
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