The X195, An Ice Fisherman’s Trailer Customized For You
There is so much to be said about this off road camper. It’s American made. The X195 quite possibly has the best insolation in the world. The suspension is something in a league of it’s own and more besides. When we were trying to compare this to another trailer we were stumped. We thought maybe Bruder, but no. This trailer truly is something else, in a good way of course. It’s almost like when the iPhone was released. It simply had nothing to compare to in the current market. That said, let’s tackle some of the best points that make this trailer so fantastic, starting with the outside features.
P.S. The X145 and X195 have a lot of commonalities, but there are definitely some differences too. If you’re wondering what sets them apart, check out this companion blog (WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE X145 AND THE X195 XPLORE TRAILERS?).
American Made
First off, this off road camper is American made. That really is a big deal! Xplore RV or Imperial Outdoors has literally knocked it out of the park with the X195. What’s so exciting to me about that, is that Xplore RV is an American company! Don’t get me wrong, there are some amazing trailers that are not American made, but with all the campers imported from other countries there are always little quirks and things that just don’t make sense in the U.S. Let me explain.
First off, the wait time. There may still be some wait because of high demand, but nothing like getting a camper imported. There are all sorts of things that can happen to delay trailers on route to the U.S. In fact, here at ROA we had a shipment of trailers coming from Australia that took months and months, just to ship. When it finally got to America it was further delayed in customs for a handful of extra weeks. Those types of delays don’t exist with an American made rig, which is just fantastic!
Another thing. Trailers from Australia, where some of the great off road trailers are made, don’t think about some of the conditions in the US. Like the sometimes extreme cold weather for example. Winterizing isn’t something they have to worry about as much over there, like we do in America. Components also may not work properly in the freezing temperatures we can get here in the U.S. That isn’t the case with Xplore. Because they are based out of America, they are versed in all the conditions of this country.
Out Of This World Insulation!
Speaking more about the weather in the U.S. we just have to take a look at the insulation. A common question when looking at campers, especially off road ones, is whether it’s a 4 seasons trailer or not. When it comes to the X195, the answer is without a doubt YES!
Xplore Originally built trailers for ice fishermen. Conditions for ice fishing are always below freezing and this trailer was built for extremer conditions. I’m not just talking about 32 degrees, but as cold as 40 degrees below zero! That is almost incomprehensible. You really have to look hard to find places that are that cold. The X195 by Xplore was built for the harshest cold you can imagine. Let me tell you about the insulation itself.
Walls
It’s made of a composite material. It’s all one piece composite material, just under three inches thick, two and five eighths to be exact. It is very, very thick material. On top of that, there are no aluminum studs in this trailer. Because there’s no aluminum, you eliminate thermal bridging into the inside. That’s why this unit, even more than any other unit on the market, is going to have the best winter capability.
The composite material is made of a very high density foam for insulation and fiberglass. The best part is that it’s actually laid and interwoven into a carbon fiber backing. So, fiberglass carbon fiber with a high density foam and on the inside is more fiberglass. With no aluminum inside these walls to conduct or let heat in, the insulation really does keep out the cold in the winter and the heat in the summer.
Besides the fact that the insulation is probably better than a fridge’s, because they went with carbon fiber instead of wood, there was an amazing side effect. With how much lighter the carbon fiber is in comparison to wood, the overall weight of the trailer is significantly less. For a trailer this size (not including rear accessories, 26 ft long, Including fenders, 7 ft 7 in wide and 9 ft 9 in over height), Its dry weight is only 5,500 pounds! That is pretty remarkable.
Windows
Another very important part of the insulation is the type of windows used. If you have amazing walls but horrible windows you are still in a bad spot. Fortunately the windows on the X195 are also amazing. Xplore uses a Eurovision dual pane polycarbonate window. These are best in class windows.
You will see these on everything from Zone or Kedron and any of the other high-end manufacturers around the world. You’re going to love those windows. Not only do they keep out the cold in the winter and heat in the summer, but they are tough. In a competition with traditional glass windows, they are many, many times stronger. A stray rock on the highway wouldn’t crack these babies. In fact, it would have a hard time even scratching them. Don’t get me wrong, they aren’t indestructible, but they are still very, very tough.
Suspension
No trailer can truly be considered off road unless you have fantastic suspension. Simply slapping some huge tires on a camper doesn’t make it off road. It’s about the suspension more than the tires. Independent airbag suspension is some of the best for off-roading and that is exactly what Imperial Outdoors did with the X195.
With independent suspension, you have freedom to explore off the beaten path. Where many fifth wheels other trailers are confined to the paved roads because of their poor suspension and clearance, you don’t have either of those problems with this rig. Uneven ground and even rocks and holes won’t stop you. That’s what’s so great about this suspension, it allows your tires to pivot and move separately from each other. Not only does this take off a lot of stress on the trailer, but it also makes for ease of towing, both on and off the paved roads.
One other reason the independent airbag suspension is so good, aside from the phenomenal towing experience and the ability to have the tires pivot individually, is the travel height. With airbags you can lift and lower each side of the trailer, so you don’t have to worry as much about parking on uneven ground. The X195 has roughly 7 inches of travel. That helps so much in leveling out your camper. No more driving up on leveling blocks to get your camper even. No more worrying that you might slide off of those leveling blocks at the worst of times, like while you sleep inside. check out this video from minute 6:50 to 7:50.
And remember, Xplore trailers are made for extreme conditions, so you don’t have to worry about the suspension, or other parts, not working properly in freezing temperatures. With some trailers that is a real concern, but not with the X195.
If you want to brave the rougher paths away from civilization, then independent suspension is a must.
One Other Cool Feature
The breaks. I know, breaks aren’t exactly suspension, but this is a good place to add this in. The Xplore X195 uses disc breaks and they are electric rather than hydraulic. To my knowledge this is the first trailer in America that has disc brakes. That’s huge! They are so much stronger and more capable, especially for off-roading. If you’re going down steep roads and it’s nothing but dirt and gravel, disc brakes are the way to go. You can get by with the other brakes people have built on their trailers, of course, but the best of the best use disc brakes. So, why go for good when you could have the best?
The Hitch
Another very important part of any trailer that claims to be off road capable is the hitch. If you just have a traditional solid ball hitch, off-roading is going to be very difficult and possibly quite dangerous too. You need to have a hitch like the McHitch or the Cruisemaster. Hitches like these can pivot and rotate. That way even if you and your trailer are tilted in opposite directions or at different uneven levels of the rocky trail, you won’t snap your hitch or be pulled over by the trailer.
(Different trailer, same hitch).
1 Key! Just 1!
The X195 has only 1 key! 1 key for everything! If you have never owned a trailer before, you might shrug this off and think it silly to make a big deal of this, but it is a big deal. You would think having a single key for your trailer would just be common sense and be the norm, but that isn’t the case. Far from it in fact. Most campers have key rings with more than just one or two keys. Let me show you a picture to emphasize what I’m talking about.
This key ring is a little excessive, but honestly not out of the ordinary when it comes to trailers. Isn’t that crazy!? That’s why I am so impressed that someone has finally made a trailer that uses one key for everything. That single key gives you access to ever single lock on the X195. Wow.
Winterizing
Winterizing a trailer can often be very tedious and time consuming, but Xplore has made a huge improvement in this area. In fact, they’ve done something that you’re not going to see in any camper made anywhere in the world but here in the USA. Take a peek at this picture.
This is your water management, or wet Bay, and your cruise Master System. You can see the gauge for your PSI on your air pressure and you can drain your tank right here. Draining the tank is the bigger innovation here in my opinion. This is when I say you’re not going to see this anywhere but in America. One of the inherent design flaws in most trailers from Australia or Africa are the water systems.
The fill ports are all exposed on the outside and that will cause your water to freeze in the winter. The way Xplore has done it is different. Not only is it in a compartment, but this compartment is actually getting radiant heat from inside the trailer!
Most people don’t understand that normally you would have to retrofit so many trailers out in the market, especially when imported, to make it so you can winterize them and not make it a nightmare. With this system you plug in, turn a valve, and boom! You’re winterized. This is a fantastic set up if I’ve ever seen one.
Great Storage
The X195 has some great storage. Many trailers, especially in this size, have storage problems. There never seems enough room to put things, but Xplore has done a good job with giving you plenty of space to stow things on this rig.
First we have the front outside box. It has a spacious side storage compartment as well as another compartment right on the front.
Next, they put pass through compartment right through the trailer itself.
On the inside we have quite a bit more to boot. We have kitchen cabinets and overhead storage too!
There is even storage under the entire dinette booth that goes straight down to the floor.
There is no shortage of storage in the X195. Imperial Outdoors made sure to give you what you need to stay out exploring away from the confining campgrounds.
Refined Interior
This is one of the most beautiful off road trailers I have ever stepped inside of. At ROA OFF-ROAD we used to sell million dollar motor coaches and there’s more similarities between this and them than any trailer on the market. No particle boards or wrapped fake press board. This is all solid real wood. Not just that but it’s a special kind of wood that is lighter than pine and stronger than maple. It’s actually from a hybrid tree that was bread specifically to be light weight and strong.
A lot of the materials that are being used in this trailer have never been used in any other camper or trailer in America. Xplore has gone out and found some of the best materials in the world to be able to build this camper. Isotherm, for example, is an Italian company that has been building fridges for the marine industry yachts and that is the same fridge we have in this rig. Xplore uses these things because they can be rocked and shaken without causing any issues. No expense was spared on the best components for this trailer.
Furnace And AC
A very important part of the inside is of course the furnace and AC. They will make the blistering cold and scorching deserts comfortable when you are lounging inside.
The furnace it’s a Truma Combi and it’s ducted all throughout the trailer. There are ducts by the bed, in the kitchen and even in the bathroom. So, when you close off the bathroom it’s nice and warm in there, unlike many other trailers on the market. They did great work on this trailer to make sure it could be comfortable in 40 below zero. If you have the heater running, you aren’t going to get cold.
the Truma is also acts as the water heater. You have a three gallon water heater and it’s very efficient and very hot. So, when showering it actually keeps up with you, rather than going cold after just a minute or two.
The AC unit is a full 12 volt air conditioning system. It’s about 6700 BTUs. Now, a lot of people are going to say that’s not enough. That size of AC can’t possibly keep this size of trailer cool in the summer. That’s exactly why we tested it. In 90 degree weather we put the X195 on the hot pavement, making it definitely hotter than 90. While it sat there we turned on the AC to see just how cold we could get it inside. You probably won’t believe the results, but remember how thick and well made the insulation is. In those high temperatures we got the inside down to 40 degrees! Because of how well the camper is insulated you don’t need a big AC to keep it nice and cool.
Bathroom and Shower
Bathroom
What comes stock and standard from Xplore is the dry flush by Lavio. If you haven’t seen anything on this you can check out this video(right around 44:50) It is actually a very good toilet and can fit a lot.
Just like in the other areas of the camper, the bathroom has some beautiful wood cabinetry, with great metal latches. The best part about them is that they can hold quite a bit as well. Just a beautiful bathroom and functional too.
Shower
Now the moment that everybody’s always waiting for. Can you drop a bar of soap and bend over and pick it up? The answer is in fact yes! What’s better, you don’t actually even have to bend down if you don’t want to. You have a seat in the bathroom so you can actually just sit down and grab it, rather than trying to bend down. The seat is a really neat feature actually. Not only is it nice to take a load off every once in a while when you shower, but it is great for shaving your legs and other things like that.
Having this a spacious bathroom and shower in this size of trailer is phenomenal. You won’t typically find something like this in other similar sized campers. You have plenty of room to shower and do your business when nature calls without feeling so claustrophobic.
Off Road And Off Grid For Real
Two of the important features that will lengthen your adventure away from civilization are your battery bank and your solar panels.
Solar Panels
Take a look at these beauties. (The picture just below). Imperial Outdoors did something quite revolutionary with their solar panels, that most people don’t even think about. Do you see how all the solar panels are in T-tracks here instead of just slapped onto the top of the X195? You may already know this, but let me fill you in on why that is such a big deal. Putting solar panels flat on the roof, is actually one of the most inefficient ways to do it. With these elevated an inch or so above the roof, it allows for air to flow underneath those panels. That means they don’t get as hot, which is good because the hotter solar panels get the more inefficient they become. Little details like this really let you know that Imperious Outdoors know what they are doing.
Battery Bank
The battery bank capacity in this trailer is amazing. With the solar power filling the battery, many people will be able to do just fine on the lowest amount with 360 amp hours, tied to a lithium battery, but you are not confined to that. You can have as much as 1080 amp hours in this trailer! You will never have to end your off-roading because of a lack of power, that is for sure.
Conclusion
There really is so much to be said about the X195. If you want something that gives you the freedom to explore off the beaten path and do so in comfort, then this could be the perfect off road trailer for you.
Check out one of the exclusive dealers: ROA OFF-ROAD
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Talk to the people who can help you get into the perfect camper for your needs: 801-860-0035
Check out the X195 full tour: