Lightweight, sleek, roomy, and also a tad pricey
by Tudor Rus, onWe’ve been presenting a lot of camper trailers here on TopSpeed but few match the stylish looks of the Bowlus Road Chief trailers. In case the name doesn’t ring a bell, we’ll get to that later. For now, you should know that the Bowlus Road Chief lineup is made of two camper trailers, namely Endless Highways and On The Road. So here’s everything you need to know about them.
What is a Bowlus Road Chief?
The history of Bowlus starts with engineer and aircraft builder Hawley Bowlus. By the way, he built the Spirit of St. Louis but also had the idea to design a lightweight travel trailer that would transport flight crews to remote takeoff locations. In 1934, he completes the first aluminum riveted travel trailer in San Fernando, California. That’s how the Bowlus Road Chief was born.
Bowlus’ modern trailers might keep the same aluminum & rivet design but they’re also fitted with the latest in terms of amenities and comfort. Mind you, these are luxury camper trailers priced accordingly - Endless Highways costs $185,000, while On The Road will require a $137,000 investment. That out of the way, it’s time to delve into the details.
Bowlus Road Chief Design
Now, Bowlus says its Road Chief is the most aerodynamic trailer in the world. To support those claims, the company says a Tesla Model X towing a Road Chief gets up to 200 miles on a full battery and a "highly stable towing experience" at 65 mph. But the biggest sales point for the Bowlus Road Chief has to do with something else.
Thanks to a powerful Li-ion phosphate battery pack, it allows you to spend a full week off the grid and you won’t have to worry about anything else. The battery will keep the microwave oven and all the other electrical outlets up and running, but don’t go hard on the air-conditioning system, though. Bowlus says you can only run it for around four hours off the grid.
Of course, off the grid doesn’t have to mean isolation. In fact, the trailer comes fitted with a cellular booster, cell-enabled router, and private Wi-Fi network. Moreover, two standard color schemes are available for the interior - Wyoming Saddle and Windswept Sand - and the amenities are not far away from what you’d get in a luxury villa.
As far as the interior is concerned, we’re told this camper trailer sleeps four people in the utmost comfort thanks to an interior that includes real wood walls and ceiling, front aluminum door, and LED lighting. Moreover, you’ll be able to admire the view courtesy of its large side windows. Fret not about those winter nights, though, because Bowlus says it made sure the trailer has been "rigidly" insulated.
Bowlus Road Chief Specs
| Exterior width | 80 inches |
| Exterior length | 25 feet 9 inches |
| Interior height | 6 feet 4 inches |
| Hitch weight | 250 pounds |
| Base weight | 3,300 pounds |
| Net carrying capacity | 700 pounds |
| Fresh water capacity | 19 gallons |
| Grey water capacity | 21 gallons |
| Black water capacity | 4.5 gallons |
| Refrigerator | 3.1 cubic feet |
| Sleeping capacity | 4 people |
| Battery capacity | 4 kWh |
| Solar panel | 120 W |
| Modem | 3G/4G |