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Taxa Outdoors’ Rugged Mantis Travel Trailer Just Got Even Better

Mike Richard
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For decades, the best option for hardcore, adventurous campers was a classic teardrop trailer. The 21st century opened things up, bringing a slew of ingenious new manufacturers, all building capable, lightweight, rugged travel trailers ready to go anywhere. New for 2019, Taxa Outdoors — one of our favorite towable brands — returns with a redesigned flagship model.

The most noticeable thing about the refreshed Mantis is its size or, more specifically, lack thereof. While the model gets a 12-inch bump in length up to 19 feet, it’s still incredibly compact with a footprint that can be stored in most 7-foot garages. At roughly 3,000 pounds, it’s towable by even moderately equipped trucks and SUVs. It all rides on 15-inch steel wheel all-terrain tires for a comfortable ride that’s capable of venturing off-road when necessary.

Inside is a surprising amount of elbow room. The pop-up roof guarantees plenty of headroom with comfortable seating for six. After dark, the Mantis will sleep four with a comfortable full-size bed/couch at the rear and bunk beds at the front. The rugged, military-inspired exterior belies a premium cabin. The long list of features includes a birch plywood kitchen with a Dometic Combo 2-burner sink and stove, plus ample storage. A 6,000-BTU air conditioner, oversized fresh and gray water tanks, exterior hot/cold shower, 8-foot patio awning, and 12-volt USB outlets throughout are all standard. Buyers can even upgrade to a 78-liter refrigerator/freezer and a wet bath with a shower and cassette toilet, making the Mantis a real off-grid camping solution.

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Taxa Outdoors first made industry waves with the pared-down Cricket. The mid-range travel trailer was instantly recognizable for its quirky, asymmetrical shell. It was a love-it-or-hate-it design. For us, it was love at first sight, which is why we still rank it among the best ultra-light travel trailers. That Taxa managed to engineer a boatload of storage, features, and usability into the Cricket’s 15-foot shell proved the company knew how to build a legit towable for the avid outdoorsman. The redesigned Mantis builds on their years of research and development, making their already great flagship product even better.

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The 2019 Taxa Outdoors Mantis is available with a starting price of around $37,500, but a fully loaded model pushes closer to $40,000. That might seem steep, but for a durable, well-designed adventure trailer, it doesn’t get much better.

Not sure which model — teardrop, ultra-light, or full-featured Airstream — is right for you? Kick the tires with a multi-day RV or travel trailer rental to narrow your search.

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