ENTER THE SQUARE DROP
We’ve all heard of teardrop campers, but how about squaredrop campers? Just like teardrops, squaredrops eliminate the need to set up and enable the use of tight campsites due to their non-expanding footprint, while also offering greater internal headroom and superior roof storage potential. On the one hand they look like a throwback to a former era that valued practicality over glamour; on the other, their macho angularity and folksy aesthetic recall the leading-edge displays at America’s premium outdoor show, SEMA.
Rod and Jodie of Origin Campers have been quietly plotting a squaredrop revolution in Australia since 2017. Both are passionate campers with a track record to prove it (including a formidable Canning Stock Route trip), and Rod has been able to draw upon his history of boilermaking, carpentry, and working with sheet metal to design three distinct models — the Contour, Borderline and Long-Range — or four, if you count their latest, the Long-Range V2 with side entry.
BUNKING DOWN
The sleeping space is entered via a side door on either side and is easily gained without the need for a step. The mattress covers the internal floor space, measuring 1.99m long by 1.47m wide, making for north-to-south sleeping. Those much over 6ft may find their toes touching the wall when fully stretched out.
Sleepers lay on a 100mm-thick foam mattress; however, the design allows for the addition of a mattress topper or an upgrade to an innerspring mattress. Either side works as the bedhead, so your head needn’t ever be lower than your feet at uneven sites. A spirit level on the drawbar helps you to level out in the first place.
