This Chinese Travel Trailer Is The Yacht Of Tiny Campers (And Built Like A Car)

The idea of a home on wheels has always spoken to a majority of vehicle and outdoor enthusiasts around the world. Whether it's for a long summer trip out with your family or simply a solo afternoon drive for a breath of fresh air away from suburban life, knowing you're right at home throughout the experience makes it far more enjoyable than it could have been. In that respect, many off-road camper, RV, and travel trailer makers strive to include innovative features in their products, each designed to make the trailer feel like home. Enter Lidu RV, the Chinese manufacturer whose Aquila 360 is making waves for being the crème de la crème of mini campers.  

At first glance, the Aquila 360 might seem like just another camper with a distinctive shape and a few tech additions designed to make it stand out. However, if you look closer, you'll realize that the combination of every aspect of the camper — from its frame and comfort features to the various technologies onboard — sets it apart from anything else the American market has seen so far. Among these is, of course, its yacht-like design and the aforementioned high-tech add-ons. But more than that, the camper comes with a sturdy build, a pop-up roof, a rear-entry powered tailgate, and a modern, roomy, luxury-car interior to top it all off. Let's talk about it.

Lidu RV announced the Aquila 360 in September 2024 at the Caravan Show in Düsseldorf, Germany. At that time, the company introduced the travel trailer as a prototype (it still hasn't gone into full production). However, even then, the Aquila 360 appears capable of competing with some of the best travel trailers today. A few key features that drew attention to the prototype were its tear-drop shape, the amenities it offered, and how it integrated the technologies into those amenities. Now that an entire year has passed, we can finally present a clearer view of all these features, starting with the mini camper's body.

The Aquila 360 is constructed using a combination of molded fiberglass, aluminum, and automotive-grade steel. As expected, the fiberglass forms the exterior shell of the camper, while the aluminum and steel make up its base frame. What's notable about the aluminum and steel frame is that it is laser-cut, welded, and riveted, similar to a campervan —a feature unique to the Aquila 360 compared to other mini campers. The rest of the 360's chassis includes a fifth-wheel attachment and a torsion axle. For tires, Lidu RV offers the mini camper with 16-inch aluminum Bridgestone trailer tires.

As you can already tell, the Aquila 360 is a pretty lightweight mini camper, thanks to its aluminum construction. It measures an astonishing 2,645.5 pounds with everything assembled, even the interior, which should make it manageable if you own a small tow vehicle. However, while impressive in itself, this is still not the camper's most unique feature.

The Aquila 360 comes with a rear-entry powered tailgate that lifts like a car hatch and includes a part that lowers to form a small deck when open, which gives it that signature yacht or superyacht look. But the boat aesthetic doesn't stop at the door, as the 360's interior features PVC flooring that mimics wood, reminiscent of these magnificent water vessels. Inside, the mini camper's headroom is about 6.6 feet, which should be quite accommodating for the average camper under 6.6 feet tall. It also features an electrically operated pop-up roof, a floor-mounted Dometic 2.7-kW air conditioner, an induction stove, a small sink, and a Freucamp portable toilet.

Alongside these, Lidu RV has equipped the mini camper with a five-camera sentry system, a heated and cooled cup holder, a wireless charging station, a Highland diesel air heater, and seating and sleeping areas. Crowning the mini camper is a combination of Alpine's six-speaker system, ambient lighting, solar panels, an electrochromic privacy glass for added privacy, and a 13-inch touchscreen control panel that handles aspects such as heating, air conditioning, and lighting.