As a very popular saying with plenty of crass undertones will have it, it’s not the size of the boat that matters. With an RV, it’s the design and the out-of-the-box thinking that will make a difference, even if the overall footprint is very compact.
The xBarr is one of the three series models offered by Turkish caravan maker Serm & Barr. Founded in 2020 with the goal to build “a unique living architecture where you can always feel the warmth, comfort, peace, and relaxation of your home,” Serm & Barr caters to all budgets and needs through their three lines, each offered with various layouts and configurations.
To date, the company makes eBarr trailers, cBarr, and xBarr units, where the initial in front of “Barr” offers a hint of their main feature.
Photo: Serm & Barr
eBarr trailers are meant to get you to “explore” the world, so they’re very compact, basic in features, and very affordable. Then, you get towables that will help you “create” your own route by means of an RV that could also be described as standard. xBarr units are for “privileged journeys,” so they’re the premium variants.
Any one of these units can be ordered in the Black Package or the Red Package, which means painted exteriors and matching interiors in black or red, respectively. Serm & Barr describes it rather vaguely – and funnily – as “bring back the classic black” or “reflect your soul.”
The xBarr is offered in four sizes, each with different configurations. The smallest one, which we’ll be discussing today, is the xBarr 500 FUW, which presents as a 4-person travel trailer with all the comforts of home, plenty of personality, and extra luxury touches. It is, in short, the kind of compact towable that packs quite a surprising punch!
Photo: Serm & Barr
Built on top of a single-axle AL-KO chassis of just 500 cm (16.4 feet) in length, the xBarr 500 is the perfect example of creative thinking put to excellent use. Essentially a family RV, it offers four sleeping berths, a full kitchen, and a full dry bathroom, alongside extra features that add comfort and a design that brings to mind comparisons to much bigger RVs.
The travel trailer tips the scales at 1,290 kg (2,844 lbs) and boasts an aluminum fiber insulated outer shell, with all the features you’ll normally find on such a towable: leveling jacks on all corners, shock absorbers for smooth driving, awning windows, bug screens, and black out curtains. But it’s the styling of the interior that makes all the difference.
The rear of the trailer is taken up by a sumptuous-looking U-shaped dinette that comfortably seats four people during the day but then converts into a comfortable bed for two at night. The kitchen is located centrally, right in front of the entrance, and though it takes up very little space, it’s packed with residential-size appliances.
Photo: Serm & Barr
You get here a three-burner gas range with a smaller oven, a 150-liter (5.3 cu-ft), a large sink, some counter space for meal prep, and several storage options overhead. Sure, the stove sits right next to the main, fixed bed, to the point where you could serve piping hot meals in bed with minimal effort. But there’s a partition between the cooking area and the sleeping area, and the caveat that a constrictive layout, no matter the design gimmicks it employs, will always entail some degree of compromising.
The main sleeping area lives like a proper bedroom thanks to wall partitions and in-built storage. It’s a compact bedroom-style space, absolutely, but it’s also more than what you’ll get in similarly-sized towables.
The same goes for the rear bathroom, which is sandwiched between the rear wall and the bedroom. It’s a proper bathroom, too, with a Thetford cassette toilet, a sink with a vanity, and a separate walk-in shower, separated from the rest of the space by means of a circular sliding door.
Photo: Serm & Barr
Standard features include a 70-liter (18.5-gallon) freshwater tank, a Truma Combi 4 air gas heater, a gray water waste system, a 10A gel life battery deep cycle, LED reading lights, and a front storage trunk. Optionals include a smart TV with a wall bracket in the dinette, carpets, an outside shower, a 2-bike Thule bicycle carrier, or a reinforced chassis.
The unit shown in the videos below is also specced with the Red Package, and you have to admit that it looks good!
That said, perhaps the most impressive thing about the xBarr 500 is its price point. Though dubbed – and styled as – a luxury RV, it’s affordable compared to similarly-sized European models. Serm & Barr brought a brand new xBarr 500 FUW to the 2024 Dusseldorf Caravan Show with a sticker of €31,520, which is approximately $34,000 at the current exchange rate.
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