Tactical zero-wood 4x4 camper pod revels in Canadian weather and wilds

A tiny trailer with huge ambitions, the new Skookum from Alberta-based Tactical Overland is a family trailer specced for clans with surnames like "Amundsen" and "Hillary." Because this trailer is built to push beyond the usual limits of off-roading and overlanding, making camp out of the most remote parts of Canada, even in the dead of winter. It collapses inward for travel but expands into a two-story 4-sleeper base camp with space to work, cook, shower and live your best off-grid life.

It's getting harder and harder to keep track of every off-road trailer manufacturer out there, even in North America alone. Tactical builds squaredrop all-terrain trailers that remind us a lot of the offerings from builders like Mission Overland, Xpedition Trailers, Off Grid Trailers and probably a few others that didn't come immediately to mind. But it's a separate operation with some signature features that separate it from those others.

Based out of Sylvan Lake, a lakeside town of 17,500 roughly halfway between Calgary and Edmonton, Tactical's trailers are quite clearly inspired by the rugged terrain and weather of Western Canada, much of the most scenic of which can be found just west in and beyond the Canadian Rockies.

Tactical prides itself on building rock-solid zero-wood trailers that offer more space than the typical off-road squaredrop/teardrop-style rig can muster. Its original trailer, the HQ Series, measures under 15 feet (4.6 m) in length but manages to squeeze in a floor plan built to both lounge and sleep in. Without a galley eating up space in the tailgate area, Tactical doesn't need to dedicate the full length of the cabin to a bed, instead installing a combination of raised rear bed and a front console separated by an entry floor. So you can sit up on the edge of the bed or lie down, whereas most teardrop trailers have you lying or sitting on the bed without any interior floor.

The newest trailer in the Tactical lineup, the Skookum builds on this concept by adding a little extra space to further optimize the day/night-friendly floor plan. The trailer measures in about a foot longer than the HQ series at 15.9 feet (1.3 m), while riding 7 inches (18 cm) higher at 7.2 feet (2.2 m). Width remains roughly the same at 85 in (216 cm).

The Skookum's extra height owes to the pop-up roof sitting atop it. It unfurls into a wedge-shaped upstairs bedroom with double bed. During daylight hours, the lift-up bed panel in the pop-up roof more than doubles max headroom to over 8 feet (2.5 m), adding the ability to stand up on the trailer floor.

Down below, the trailer features an L-shaped sofa lounge complete with an adjustable swivel table that doubles as a mobile workstation for logging in anywhere you can establish an internet connection. At night, that table drops down and the backrest cushion lays on top to complete the 54 x 80-in (137 x 203-cm) double bed. Like the HQ Series, the Skookum includes an entryway floor, which doubles as a foundation for the small ladder up into the pop-up roof area.

While making the Skookum roomier than the average off-road 'drop camper, Tactical doesn't go quite so far as to equip it with an interior galley or bathroom. It does, however, add both features via the expandable exterior.

The slide-out kitchen toward the rear of the trailer includes a Cook Partner dual-burner stove and a sink with hot/cold water. The 69-L dual-zone fridge is located in the nose storage box to complete the right-side galley space. A 180-degree awning overhead keeps cooks shaded and dry.

The Skookum's left side isn't quite as loaded with equipment and storage, but it does include a deployable shower tent mounted to the roof rail. The shower sprayer and on-demand water heater are located in a side-mounted storage box for easy setup. The trailer carries a 72-L fresh water supply.

Additional standard equipment includes a Planar diesel cabin heating system and a 100-Ah self-heating lithium battery. The Skookum has a metal/composite construction mounted aboard a steel frame. A Timbren 3500 HD suspension and 360-degree articulating Max Coupler keep the trailer rolling comfortably over rugged, unpredictable terrain.

Tactical introduced the Skookum in late 2025 and is advertising May build slots now. The trailer starts at CA$49,999 (approx. US$36,700).

The video below shows the Skookum doing what it was built to do.

Source: Tactical Overland