More than once, it felt like we were looking into a caravan crystal ball. We saw expanders that grow multiple times their travel size, camping trailers without wheels, a lithium-powered motorized caravan, and many other trailblazing designs. Follow along as we take a look back at a year of the intriguing and outlandish trailers.

Living van life without the van in the ioCamper

What better place to start off a year in review of outrageous camping trailers than with a power-expanding camper that isn't quite a trailer at all. The ioCamper sparked a debate as to whether to include it here or in our upcoming 2018 camper vans retrospective, but we figured that a non-motorized camper module that relies on a separate vehicle to travel to camp belongs with the trailers, even if it doesn't trail.

Unlike most trailers, the ioCamper doesn't have wheels or a hitch, because this expanding European camper fits neatly inside the back of standard L1 H2+ size vans. Upon arrival, it slides out and expands four times its packed size. Travelers can leave it attached to the van or remove it completely and let it stand on its own, freeing up the van for other uses.