Air Beam Technology
Every OPUS camper trailer raises its roof and walls on inflatable Air Beams instead of poles. One pump, one button, and the tent is standing in minutes. Here's how it works, and the honest answer to what happens when something goes wrong.
How it works
Air Beams are inflatable supports that take the place of a traditional tent's rigid poles. A single high-flow pump inflates the whole structure, and once the beams reach 7 PSI the pump cuts off and the tent holds its own air. Nothing to thread, bend, lose or pinch your fingers on.
And it holds for the long haul. Our display tents stay standing for months at a time without a top-up. The same canopy is the one that won OPUS a Good Design Award for the convenience of the inflatable Air Beam system.
Air Beam, by the numbers
Set up and pack down
Main tent set up in under 5 minutes, fully set up with the annex in around ten, and pack-down runs the same routine in reverse.
The honest answers
Inflatable sounds fragile. It is not. Here are the questions every buyer asks before they trust air to hold their tent up, answered straight.
The Air Beams sit inside protective outer sleeves, shielded from the branches, pegs and stray boots that cause most damage. And each beam can be isolated, so even if one does go down the rest hold their air and the tent stays standing.
Patch the beam like a bike tube and you're back up in minutes. OPUS HQ stocks replacement beams so a damaged beam is a quick swap, never a new tent.
Every OPUS ships with a manual hand pump, so a flat battery or a dead electric pump never leaves you stranded. It takes around 100 pumps to inflate the tent, about the same time as the onboard pump.
Once the beams hit 7 PSI the structure holds its own air. Our display tents stay up for months without a top-up, so the pump only works for the few minutes of setup, not all night. The Bravo air pump also carries its own manufacturer warranty.
Air Beam isn't a camping gimmick. The technology is adapted from the US military, where inflatable beams stand up field hospitals in hours.
On OPUS, the same canopy has been on the road for over a decade and across 11,000+ owners worldwide, through corrugations, dust and relentless UV. The beams use TPU air bladders inside an abrasion-resistant, UV-stabilised outer, the canopy that earned OPUS a Good Design Award for genuine innovation.
Tested up to 70 mph winds. Once inflated, the beams may flex with the gusts instead of snapping the way a rigid pole will. We haven't had one out in anything strong enough to find its limit.
On a cold night the air inside can contract, so a quick top-up before bed keeps the structure strong through to morning.
Common questions
Yes. One button, no second pair of hands. Open the lids, level, hit inflate and the main tent is set up in under 5 minutes. Add the annex and you're fully set up in around ten.
TPU air bladders inside a heavy, abrasion-resistant outer sleeve, UV-stabilized for relentless sun. No poles to bend, lose or pinch your fingers on.
Any tent can get morning condensation in the right conditions. OPUS canopies use breathable fabrics to keep it down, and a cracked window or vent clears it fast.
Just as fast as it goes up. Deflate, fold the canvas in and drop the lids, the same routine in reverse. The tent travels packed flat inside the trailer and only inflates once you're at camp.
OPUS HQ stocks a wide range of replacement parts, including air beams, pumps, tents and annexes. A repair or a swap is a quick job, not a new tent.
Talk to the team
Most questions get answered out here. Drop us a note if yours isn't covered above.
One button. Up in minutes.
See Air Beam Technology on every OPUS camper trailer. Configure your build.
