Escapod drops Topo2 MTB: The first-ever travel trailer built for mountain bikers

A compact, lightweight, overlanding-ready rig with the tools to take your mountain biking game anywhere

By Mike Richard Published April 9, 2025

An Escapod TOPO2 MTB mountain biking towable camper parked in the desert. — Escapod

Teardrop travel trailers often serve as “towable hardsided tents” designed to tote along only the absolute essentials. Many offer gear-hauling capabilities via rooftop racks, hitch baskets, and the like, too, but none (as far as we know) are purpose-built for mountain bikers — until now. Introducing the all-new Escapod TOPO2 MTB.

This latest entry in Escapod’s catalog is a first-of-its-kind travel trailer that packs all of the Utah maker’s best features into a single camper, then adds a boatload more just for mountain bikers. It starts with Escapod’s high-performance, single-piece molded fiberglass body mated to a high-clearance suspension system with 23 inches of ground clearance — both of which are built for serious overlanding and off-road exploration. Buyers get a long list of standard features, including a 21-gallon water system, a lithium-ion battery bank, an outdoor shower, a full galley with a stove, lots of storage, and a portable fridge or cooler — the list goes on.

Rear galley/storage of Escapod's TOPO2 MTB mountain biking travel trailer. — Escapod

From there, a custom-designed Switchback Hitch is added at the rear to serve as the centerpiece for the TOPO2 MTB. This proprietary swing-away hitch allows galley access at the rear of the trailer, even when fully loaded with two bikes. A built-in bull bar, RotoPaX mount, and a Feedback Sports Mechanic Clamp for easy trail-side maintenance are all built-in. Escapod also adds Kuat’s latest RV-rated Piston ION e-Bike Rack, capable of holding twin e-bikes bikes up to 80 pounds, even in rough, backcountry conditions.

Recommended Videos

This all-new addition to Escapod’s line-up is set to debut at this weekend’s Sea Otter Classic in Monterey (April 10-13, 2025), California. Well-equipped TOPO2 MTB models are available now directly through Escapod with a starting price of $53,990.

Topics

Camping

Contributor

Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…

Outdoors

Hiker Trailers’ new ‘cube’ camper is the year’s most affordable teardrop trailer

The ultra-minimalist Highway Lite is the antidote to today's overbuilt and overpriced teardrops

Closeup of Hiker Trailers' Highway Lite compact teardrop travel trailer.

Teardrop travel trailers were once the pinnacle of RV "purity." But, in recent years, many of the latest models ballooned into boujee, overstuffed, and overengineered versions of their former selves. Hiker Trailers—known for its no-nonsense trailer builds—has responded to this dilemma with a pared-down teardrop trailer that's built and priced for the Everyman. Meet The Highway Lite.
Get the low-down on Hiker Trailers' Highway Lite teardrop travel trailer

The Highway Lite is among the Indiana/Colorado-based company's most basic teardrop trailer builds to date. In stock form, that means a 4-foot-by-8-foot cube with an average total build weight of just 800 pounds and an overall length of just 140" (around 11.5 feet). That makes it one of the most tow-friendly travel trailers on the market, capable of being hitched to just about anything with four wheels and a decent tow package. It all rides on a 2,200-pound torsion axle and 27-inch tires. All of these numbers translate to a more highway-friendly (as the name implies) trailer rather than the typical $50K-plus off-road-ready rigs that seem to be popping up from every Rocky-Mountain-based trailer builder these days. The entire package is wrapped in a decidedly square and most non-aerodynamic aluminum shell that's available in more than a dozen colors.

Outdoors

This wooden teardrop travel trailer is bike-towable, but there’s a catch

At barely 150 pounds, it's one of the lightest teardrop travel trailers we've ever seen

iwoody wooden bike teardrop travel trailer wood

Teardrop trailers are designed for campers who want an RV with everything they need and nothing they don't. They're compact, lightweight, easy to tow, and usually quite affordable. German startup Fahrrad-Campen is taking that design ethos to the extreme with its all-new i:woody, a featherweight teardrop light enough to be towed by pedal-powered bikes and e-bikes.
Get the full details on the new i:woody teardrop travel trailer

German entrepreneurs Erich Zeller and Naid Deliu founded Fahrrad-Campen (literally "bicycle camping") on the back of the i:woody model alone. The unique teardrop travel trailer features clever design elements that set it apart from almost every other model on the market. Save for a small, hinged Plexiglas window, the body is constructed almost entirely out of lacquered plywood. The footprint measures a scant 82 x 37 x 61 inches and weighs around 150 pounds (that's not a misprint). The entire setup rolls on 20-inch aluminum wheels and 20-inch x 2.4-inch bicycle tires. This means you can tow the i:woody with almost anything with wheels. As with most travel trailers, the i:woody includes height-adjustable aluminum supports and a built-in bubble level so you level out your rig once you're ready to camp for the night.

Outdoors

RV shopping 101: A simple, yet complete guide for first-time RV, camper, and travel trailer buyers

Shopping RVs and travel trailers isn't easy. Here's everything to consider to find the right one for you

Long shot of the rear of an Airstream travel trailer being towed down a wide-open desert road.

If you’re among the majority of prospective first-time RV buyers, welcome to the not-so-secret club. For decades, that club consisted of retirees and crunchy, outdoor-loving travelers who’d rather spend their vacation time relaxing in nature than drunk on yet another Caribbean cruise. These days, however, more Americans than ever are itching to create their own Great American Road Trip, and that often begins with buying their own RV or travel trailer.

Shopping for RVs, in general, and travel trailers, in particular, can be a challenge, especially if you're new to the game. It's not unlike buying a new car, so it pays to know what to look for before you head to the dealership or to meet that random seller you found on Facebook Marketplace. If you’re ready to take the plunge into trailer travel, we’re here to make the process a bit less confusing with a simple yet complete beginner’s guide to RV travel trailer buying.