Patriot GEN3 X1: Lighter, Simpler and $17,000 Under the GEN2
Prices and specifications as at . FitFourby hasn’t towed or weighed a GEN3 yet.
The short version
Patriot has rebuilt the camper that started the company. The GEN3 X1 lists from $57,900 at introductory pricing, $17,000 under the GEN2 X1's $74,900, and its 895 kg base tare is 235 kg lighter.
Underneath is a new suspension system with 200 mm of travel, disc brakes, lithium power and standard hot water. It is still designed, engineered and built in Australia, and Patriot is about to take the first three units to Cape York.
After years of rising camper prices, including across Patriot's own X range, that is a welcome direction. We priced it through Patriot's configurator: built up to roughly GEN2 equipment, a GEN3 still comes in about $14,150 cheaper and 176 kg lighter. The base spec is different, though, so this piece also sets out what changed and what to confirm when ordering.
Prices are as Patriot lists them in AUD. Specs come from Patriot's website and configurator, plus Patriot's launch walkaround and early coverage from Camp Patriot, as of 8 October 2026. FitFourby hasn't towed or weighed a GEN3 yet.
The launch, and what happens next
Patriot revealed the GEN3 X1 at Camp Patriot 2026, an owners' event on the Darling River near Wilcannia in outback NSW. Owners convoyed in via Bourke, and the reveal went out globally on YouTube on 1 October.
- The first three built. Justin from Patriot says the three units at the launch are the first three ever built, each set up in a different configuration. They are pre-production units, and some customers towed the test unit over the launch weekend.
- Shedlife took one home. TJ and Mac from Shedlife left Camp Patriot towing a GEN3. Patriot's post welcomed them to "the R&D team" and told them to put some kilometres on it.
- Cape York next. Patriot is taking the GEN3 X1s up to the tip of Cape York with the ST5 and ST7 Supertourers. Justin says the crew will film about half a dozen episodes for the Patriot Games channel, testing them hard on the trip.
- Production timing. Low-rate production starts in December 2026 to validate the build process and bill of materials. High-rate production is due to start in February 2027.
- Dealer-fit options. Options are designed to be fitted by Patriot or its dealers, so a base trailer can be optioned up after delivery.
The Cape York footage will be the first real look at how Trinamic Core and the lighter body handle corrugations and remote tracks. We're looking forward to it.
GEN3 X1 against GEN2 X1, line by line
The GEN3 is a fresh design rather than a lighter GEN2. Lithium, disc brakes, coilovers and hot water come in as standard; airbags, the 150 L tank, solar and the change room move to options or drop out.
| Item | GEN3 X1 | GEN2 X1 |
|---|---|---|
| Listed price (AUD) | $57,900 (introductory) | $74,900 |
| Tare | 895 kg ("estimated", base) | 1,130 kg (dry) |
| ATM | 1,495 kg | 1,600 kg |
| Payload (ATM minus tare) | 600 kg | 470 kg |
| Ball / drawbar weight | Not published | 140 kg |
| Length × width × travel height | 3.7 × 1.95 × 1.9 m | 3.7 × 1.86 × 1.96 m |
| Suspension | Trinamic Core: 3-rod radius arm, coilovers, 200 mm travel | X-Cruise 1.60T airbags, dual shocks |
| Brakes | Electric-over-hydraulic, 285 mm discs | 12" electric drums |
| Hitch | Cruisemaster DO35 | Not stated on page |
| Tyres | 285/70R17 MT on 17 × 9 | 285/70R17 MT on 17 × 9 |
| Water | 100 L | 150 L |
| Hot water | Electric unit + external shower, standard (10 L on the website, about 8 L per the launch walkaround) | None standard; gas ($820) or Truma D6 diesel ($4,930) |
| Battery | 1 × 100 Ah lithium, REDARC BCDC1240D | Dual AGM or gel, REDARC Redvision |
| Solar | None standard; 400 W roof ($1,000) | 200 W fixed panel standard |
| Cooking | Gas cooker, L-shaped kitchen | Twin-burner gas stove and grill, L-shaped kitchen |
| Tent | Integrated tent; change room $1,260 | CS3 tent with change room standard |
| Mattress | 2,030 × 1,520 mm high-density foam | 1,916 × 1,570 mm pocket spring |
| Awning | Freestanding 270°, LED, fold-down poles | 270° canvas, LED |
| Storage | About 2,000 L, rear slide standard | Over 2,050 L |
| Colours | 4, no extra cost | White; Graphite $1,380 |
Sources: GEN3 X1 page, GEN3 and GEN2 configurators, GEN2 X1 page. Payload is our subtraction, though Patriot quotes the same 600 kg for GEN3. The GEN2 page lists both "2 × 150 Ah" and "AGM or Gel" batteries without reconciling them.
What's new
Weight and payload. Base tare drops 235 kg and payload rises from 470 kg to 600 kg. Patriot set the ATM at 1,495 kg deliberately. Justin says that brings it within the towing range of much of the Australian market, naming a RAV4 and a CX-9. Check your own vehicle's braked towing capacity and towball limit before taking that as read.
Brakes. Electric-over-hydraulic 285 mm discs replace 12-inch electric drums, run by a Hydrastar pump inside the trailer. On a trailer of up to 1,495 kg on long corrugated descents, that is a meaningful step up. The brake reservoir has also moved from the front box to the rear.
Trinamic Core suspension. A simplified version of the system under Patriot's ST5 and ST7 Supertourers, which Patriot says took about five years to develop. Three radius rods locate each wheel, with coilovers, 200 mm of travel and adjustable toe and camber. Justin puts unsprung weight at 37–38 kg per wheel, against about 80 kg on the GEN2's trailing arms. Hubs use sealed automotive bearings, so there is no routine bearing maintenance.
Lithium and a Patriot-designed BMS. A 100 Ah lithium battery, REDARC BCDC1240D and Patriot's own IQ100 monitoring replace dual AGM or gel. Controls are simple physical switches, with fuses and a wiring schematic behind removable service panels.
Hot water and shower standard. On the GEN2 these were $820 (gas) or $4,930 (Truma D6 diesel). The GEN3 has an electric unit, quoted at 10 L on the website and about 8 L in the launch walkaround. Ask how it is powered: heating 10 L by 30 °C takes roughly 0.35 kWh, about a quarter of a 100 Ah lithium battery, and solar is optional.
Camp setup. A freestanding 270° awning with built-in LED lights and fold-down poles, an electric hardlid with the switch moved so you can watch it close, and kitchen lighting over the prep area and fridge. GEN2 owners at the launch pointed out the much larger tent windows. Add four colours at no extra cost, a Cruisemaster DO35 hitch, a digital water gauge and a 200 kg-rated rear storage slide.
How Patriot took out weight and cost
Justin was open about where the savings came from, and it is more than trimming the option list.
- More made in-house. Patriot used to buy in the GEN2's composite roof from a third party, and says it weighed about 30 kg more than sheet metal. Laser cutting, bending, powder coating and fabrication are now done in-house.
- Lighter body and running gear. The body is down a gauge, material has come out of non-structural parts, the front end is redesigned, and the new suspension roughly halves unsprung weight.
- Lessons from the Supertourers. Design-for-manufacture work on the ST5 and ST7 is credited with getting units down the production line faster.
- Tent and awning sourcing. Patriot says canvas had become a large part of the bill of materials and a driver of price rises across the X range. The GEN3 tent and awning come from an overseas supplier Patriot has been testing with.
- Simpler systems. No airbags, physical switches, and options designed as dealer-fit add-ons.
Trade-offs worth knowing
Patriot's stated aim with GEN3 was simplicity and weight, and some GEN2 features were changed to get there. None of these are surprises once you know the spec, but GEN2 owners will notice them.
- Water: 150 L down to 100 L. Patriot says the tank is sized and placed for centre of gravity. For remote WA touring, plan around it or carry jerry cans in the 600 kg payload.
- Coilovers instead of airbags. A deliberate simplification. The trade is losing airbag levelling on uneven sites.
- Solar is optional. The GEN2 had a fixed 200 W panel. GEN3 offers 400 W on the roof for $1,000.
- Change room is an add-on. It was part of the GEN2's standard tent. On GEN3 it's $1,260, and it is needed before the Multi-room ($1,400).
- Different mattress. A queen-size high-density foam mattress, 114 mm longer but 50 mm narrower than the GEN2's pocket-spring mattress.
- 200 Ah battery ceiling. The configurator allows one extra 100 Ah battery, and the inverter tops out at 2,000 W.
- 90 mm wider. 1.95 m against 1.86 m, worth checking against your tow vehicle on narrow tracks.
- Payload shrinks as you option up. Justin says a GEN3 with every option ticked sits around 1,200 kg tare, which leaves roughly 295 kg for water, gas and gear.
- Ball weight not published yet. The GEN2 lists 140 kg. For lighter tow vehicles, this matters as much as tare.
One note on the headline gap: Patriot's GEN2 configurator labels its $74,900 "new lower pricing", so the $17,000 difference is measured against a GEN2 that has already come down.
What a typical build costs
Built to roughly GEN2 standard, a GEN3 X1 comes to $61,570 and 954 kg. That is $14,150 under a GEN2 with gas hot water, and 176 kg lighter. The saving holds up well once you compare like with like.
All figures below are Patriot's own configurator prices and "adds" weights, as listed on 8 October 2026.
| Build | What’s added | Price (AUD) | Est. tare | Payload left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN3 base | Nothing | $57,900 | 895 kg | 600 kg |
| GEN3 matched to GEN2 | Change Room $1,260, 400 W solar $1,000, 2nd 100 Ah lithium $1,410 | $61,570 | 954 kg | 541 kg |
| GEN3 touring | Matched build + Dometic 75 L $2,040, diesel air heater $2,480, RS3 2000 W inverter $2,400, MAXTRAX $710 | $69,200 | 1,013 kg | 482 kg |
| GEN2 + gas hot water | Gas hot water $820 | $75,720 | 1,130 kg + kit | Under 470 kg |
| GEN2 + hot water + lithium | Gas hot water $820, HELM 2 × 100 Ah $1,970 | $77,690 | Not published | Not published |
The matched build is not a perfect match. It has 100 L of water against 150 L, coilovers against airbags, and 400 W of solar against 200 W. It also has lithium as standard and disc brakes, which the GEN2 configurator doesn't offer at any price.
Plan the payload. Every build above still has to carry water (100 kg full), two 4.5 kg gas bottles, food, recovery gear and bedding out of the remaining figure. Patriot says itself that tare is an estimate and fitted options reduce payload.
Before you order:
- Introductory window. Patriot describes the $57,900 as launch pricing that "ends soon". No end date is published yet.
- Delivery timing. Low-rate production starts December 2026 and high-rate production February 2027, so ask where an order today sits in that queue.
- On-road costs. The configurator offers Queensland registration at $170.70 (6 months) or $286.05 (12 months). Freight and registration for other states, including WA, are separate.
- GST and warranty. Neither is stated on the GEN3 page. Australian retail trailer prices are normally GST-inclusive; confirm both with your dealer.
Who it suits
The GEN3 opens the X1 to a lot more people. A 1,495 kg ATM brings it within range of mid-size wagons and dual-cabs that would have been tight with a 1,600 kg GEN2, and the price brings it within reach of buyers who had ruled Patriot out.
Likely fits:
- Couples and small families towing with a mid-size dual-cab or a wagon with a modest GCM.
- First-time Patriot buyers who want the brand's build and off-road ability at a lower entry point.
- Buyers who would have optioned lithium and hot water on a GEN2 anyway.
- Anyone who wants disc brakes and low-maintenance sealed bearings on a trailer this size.
Where the GEN2 may still suit better:
- Long remote trips where 150 L of onboard water matters more than weight.
- Larger families. The GEN2 kids room is listed as sleeping up to four children; Patriot hasn't given a headcount for the GEN3 Multi-room yet.
- Owners who rely on airbag levelling at camp.
- Buyers who want a model with years of owner history now. The GEN2 has it, and GEN3 owner feedback will start building from the Cape York trip and the first deliveries.
We haven't compared other brands here. A follow-up will put the GEN3 matched build against campers of similar ATM and price, using the same method.
Worth confirming with your dealer
- When does introductory pricing end, and does it lock in at deposit?
- Where does an order placed now sit against the December 2026 and February 2027 production starts?
- What is the ball weight, empty and as built with my options? Can I get a weighbridge ticket for the finished trailer?
- How is the hot-water unit powered (12 V, 240 V or both), and what does it draw?
- Will the electric-over-hydraulic brakes work with my current brake controller?
- What does freight to my state cost, and is the price GST-inclusive?
- What are the warranty terms on the chassis, body, suspension and electrics?
FitFourby's take
The GEN3 X1 is a welcome launch. An Australian-built X1 that is lighter, simpler to run and, on Patriot's own configurator, about $14,150 cheaper than a comparable GEN2 is good news for anyone who wanted a Patriot but couldn't make the numbers work.
The spec has been rethought rather than cut back. Lithium, disc brakes, hot water and more payload come in. Water capacity, airbag levelling and the standard change room are the trades.
We're looking forward to the Cape York episodes and to Shedlife's kilometres on their unit. We'll update this piece as ball weight, production timing and real-world weights are published. FitFourby hasn't towed a GEN3 yet; when we do, we'll say so here.
Disclosure for this article: no advertising, affiliate links or paid placement.
Sources
All accessed 8 October 2026.
- Patriot Campers: GEN3 X1
- Patriot Campers: GEN3 X1 configurator
- Patriot Campers: X1 GEN2
- Patriot Campers: X1 GEN2 configurator
- Patriot Campers: GEN3 X1 detailed walkaround with Justin, Camp Patriot 2026 (YouTube, 5 October 2026)
- Patriot Campers: GEN3 X1 official trailer (YouTube)
- TJ AND MAC (Shedlife): Top Secret Camper! (Outback Australia) (YouTube, 7 October 2026)
- MellingsAreTrippin: First impressions of the GEN3 X1 (YouTube, GEN2 owners at Camp Patriot)
- Patriot Campers on Instagram and Patriot Games on Instagram (launch and Camp Patriot posts, 27 September to 7 October 2026)