Man lives in bicycle stealth camper

O

omni550

Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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This guy built and travels in a 60-pound trailer towed by a bicycle. It is made from recycled coroplast political signs and about $150 in materials. It looks quite functional with skylight, windows, insulation, bed, cabinets, and cooking area.

Sounds like some LBYM types might enjoy this.

This Man Lives Inside A $150 Bicycle-Pulled "Stealth" Camper

omni
 
This guy is really clever!



Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
 
That's the smallest tiny house I've seen.

DH and I watch the tiny house shows... we've agreed that we couldn't go below about 500ft... We want a couch AND a bed and lofts won't work for DH. Our casita is 700sf and is plenty big for 2 people.
 
Very clever. It would be great if that was a minimum issue kind of housing for homeless people.
 
rodi said:
That's the smallest tiny house I've seen.

DH and I watch the tiny house shows... we've agreed that we couldn't go below about 500ft... We want a couch AND a bed and lofts won't work for DH. Our casita is 700sf and is plenty big for 2 people.
Click to expand...

700sf for a casita? Sounds huge.

I measured out the living space of our '33 motorhome with all three slides out and it came to something like 300sqf. But that was plenty for two people. We had a couch positioned directly across from a ~50 inch flat screen TV, a dining room table that could seat four, a queen sized bed in it's own room with a door, a full bathroom and a decent enough kitchen equipped with a good sized refrigerator and freezer. We lived in it for four years and never felt cramped.
 
When you cannot stand up in your 'house', it is too small. I think a tent and a camping stove would be an improvement.
 
Each to his/her own. You all can have it. I don't like it as a permanent residence, and I'd almost rather go back to work than live in it. I also wonder about fire safety, vulnerability to burglary and other crimes, heavy windstorms, and more.

But mostly I would feel utterly destitute and deprived living in something like that. I'd rather live in the crawl space under somebody's house than in that thing (and I wouldn't like that either). Or hey, how about this? Under a bridge. :rolleyes: (not for me)
 
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Novel, clever!
 
I wonder how hard it would be to pedal with the camper and its contents attached.
 
rodi said:
That's the smallest tiny house I've seen.

DH and I watch the tiny house shows... we've agreed that we couldn't go below about 500ft... We want a couch AND a bed and lofts won't work for DH. Our casita is 700sf and is plenty big for 2 people.
Click to expand...

Your casita is 8 feet wide and over 80 feet long?

Edit: oh, lower case casita.
 
zinger1457 said:
Going up any steep inclines would sure be a workout and slow going.
Click to expand...

I have a recumbent (tadpole trike design though) that has a 750 watt hub motor on the rear wheel. I use it for exactly that, going up steep inclines. My knees can't handle the power it takes to go at any speed up a really big hill so this assist lets me average out the physical stress of a ride. The lithium battery pack is 500 watt-hr and lets me ride about 50 miles on a trip with assist on hills and intersections (I scoot across fast after coming to a stop to limit my time in danger zones). Perhaps 200 watts of lightweight flexible panel on the camper and he could recharge while riding and at camp.
 
Novel idea, really "cool," and I'd get a kick out of trying it........for maybe one day. After that, no thanks, for multiple reasons. (But I do give him credit for ingenuity)
 
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Very creative and minimalist and kind of cute. Seems to work for him. Our trailer is a 31' Hornet with 2 slides. So, I guess everyone has their own needs and wants.
 
Bestwifeever said:
I wonder how hard it would be to pedal with the camper and its contents attached.
Click to expand...

I biked the Apple Cider Century with a Burleigh filled with my young son and a cooler full of drinks for our group, the total weight was around 60 lbs. Biggest issue was hills and cross winds. I was quite a bit younger but went the 75 mile route and was thoroughly gassed when I finished. So though it appears claustrophobically small for me I think I would still would have been gladly slept there after my 75 mile excursion.

The bike he is using would really be hard to go any distance with and uphills on a recumbent towing a “camper” would make for very poor visibility for him. The rear wheels, I assume there is no real reason to be using off trail wheels on a road other than trying to construct this at the lowest possible cost while maintaining functionality and would change to road tread for better roll, I used a Schwinn Passage which was from 1977 but built great even though a heavy bike it took a ton of abuse without any issues. I would think traveling 50-75 miles a day would be very possible with a better bike and rear wheels.

The amount of ingenuity and artistry he shows in thinking, designing and building this is truly impressive.
 
Is there any credible indication that he lives in this thing? He clearly has a excellent shop, which is not inside his mini-trailer.

IMO, this is more akin to a hobby, and perhaps a public statement of some sort.

Can you imagine him having his girlfriend over for a beer and pizza? How about a romantic home cooked candlelight supper?

Ha
 
haha said:
Can you imagine him having his girlfriend over for a beer and pizza? How about a romantic home cooked candlelight supper?

Ha
Click to expand...

If this bike's a rockin, don't come a knockin
 
He included a link to his plans in the video...which took me to his website.
Creative Ideas | Elkins DIY

He's married and lives in Washington state (and worked at Boeing).

He's got a lot of other clever designs posted.

He mentions that he used the bicycle trailer quite a bit.

omni
 
That corrugated plastic material is a really versatile material. Strong due to the corrugations, yet waterproof. And best of all, in his case, free!
 
Music Lover said:
Well, it is a step above a cardboard box under a bridge...
Click to expand...

Yes, I couldn't help thinking while watching - how nice it would be to have one of those available for the homeless. But we wouldn't allow them to park it. :nonono:
 
I gathered that he only lives in it while traveling, like a teeny tiny RV. He says he used something similar for a trip to Burning Man. But I don't see how he and his wife could both sleep in it, unless they slept in shifts!

haha said:
Is there any credible indication that he lives in this thing? He clearly has a excellent shop, which is not inside his mini-trailer.

IMO, this is more akin to a hobby, and perhaps a public statement of some sort.

Can you imagine him having his girlfriend over for a beer and pizza? How about a romantic home cooked candlelight supper?

Ha
Click to expand...
 
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