Quite often the focus of tiny living seems to shift away from the minimal to the maximum, cramming as many gadgets and mod cons into as large a space as you can fit on four wheels. But Bremen-based company Flexcamper have gone in the total opposite direction with their newest van conversion package, choosing to focus on the essentials and the bare basics that one might need on a camping trip.
Just when you thought camper vans couldn’t get any tinier than the 14.3ft long Cuckoo Nest or the 15.5ft Free Bird, Flexcamper revealed that their single person camper is based on a Fiat Fiorino, which is just 12.6ft long. Incredibly, they’ve managed to fit two seats, a single bed, a dining area, kitchen and a toilet into this seriously small space, with a bit of clever design and modular furniture, all of which is removable.
This is done by first installing floor panelling to the base van, which must be provided by the buyer, and then attaching the modular furniture pieces to this. You’re not limited to just a Fiat though; the conversion can be fitted to other small vans, such as a Citroën Nemo, or a Peugeot Bipper, or the kitchen and bed units can be purchased individually. Flexcamper also cater to larger vans on request.
Moving inside, the camper feels cosy and functional, with insulated wall upholstery and window coverings held up by suction cups, in a range of shades of grey. There are two belted seats in the front and one in the rear without a seatbelt, containing storage space underneath. Between this and the front passenger seat, in day mode, a small tabletop pops out of the bed frame and mounts on a pedestal, supported by wings underneath. At nighttime these wings swing out of the way and the two seats fold flat, creating a 2.5m (98”) long single bed, dubbed the Flexloft.
Along the driver’s side of the van is a small, compact kitchen, containing everything you’d need to cook up a hot meal in the evening, including a single burner stove, a sink with water system, a tiny 7L Dometic battery-powered fridge, storage space for food and a bin. Not bad for a van barely high enough to crouch in.
Despite all of its clever uses of space there just isn’t enough room for a shower or wet bath, but Flexcamper have included a Qube 335 portable toilet which mounts inside the driver’s doorway, which comes with a cover for discretion when it’s not in use.
The camper does not have any built-in electrical systems, but it does come with LED lighting in unbreakable housing, and a 150W portable solar generator with 12V, 230V and USB connections, which can be recharged at home or charged via an additional solar panel.
The cost of Flexcamper’s conversion kit is a tidy €5,620 ($6,380), but add to that the price of a Fiat Fiorio (€16,870 / $19,060) and you’re looking at €22,490 or $25,440 for a compact, stealthy camper, perfectly suited for one person and a multi-week adventure. The package can be installed for you at their mini-factory in Bremen, or anywhere within a 250km radius, or alternatively it can be shipped for a DIY install.
With camper vans, less is often more, and Flexcamper certainly embodies this ethos magnificently, creating one of the cleverest uses of space inside a van that we saw last year.
Source and image credits: Flexcamper
