You can’t help but notice all the innovate European RV models released this past year. They seem to be making RVs smaller, lighter, and a whole lot funkier than our stick-to-tradition American RVs. Take the British-designed Campal ForTwo, for example. Europe has been releasing many camper-in-a-box kits over the last few years, but the ForTwo has way more space … for less money ($1,400!).
At first glance, the ForTwo might seem like the simplest box-kit on the market, but look again. The wood inside the camper folds up and down several ways, creating a bed, a dining area, and a reclined sofa.
Campal has also added a large cutout in the center of the camper, allowing the sofa and dining nook to wrap around extra floor space, so, though it won’t be as spacious as your plush fifth wheel, it’ll do the trick. The dining table has a removable leg and tabletop, which allows you to set the table up outside if the weather allows for it.
Where’s the kitchen? It slides out! There’s a slide on the left side for a one-burner gas stove, the middle section is for a wastebasket and a washing station, and the right side holds a large storage bin for all your cooking gear.
The ForTwo kit fits in the back of any compatible vehicle, which means you can drive the van as your car, then set up camp in roughly 5 minutes, with the driver and passenger seats untouched.
Do you know anyone that would want something like the ForTwo? Will American manufacturers take inspiration from these small, affordable European models and start producing them at their factories in the states?
Well, we shall see if it has legs in the US market. There has been a move toward a more Spartan profile for some. It always spurs innovation, which is a good thing.
Keep in mind that their market is primarily driven by regulations that make any personal vehicle over 6 meters way more expensive to register and insure.
In Europe since in most places the roads are narrow, most of the RV’s on the road are small. There are many more caravans (trailers) on the road then anything else and they too are small by necessity. The biggest problem here in the states when it comes to quality, most people don’t demand it. They keep asking for more aestetics, more bling. which increases the price, so some manufacturers take advantage of that. They make their RV’s “pretty”, with cheap underpinnings. Customer walks in, the bling blinds them to obvious problems. They drive away and all of a sudden, this isn’t working, and that is broken, and this is installed improperly, hey I guess that deal wasn’t so good after all. Quality should be the driving force, then once you have settled on which make, the floor plan and options are secondary to quality. You know before you go in that this unit is in your price point. Don’t let someone else tell you what type of MH to buy, only you know how you will use it, how many people will be aboard, and how and where you will travel,and how long you will stay. Did someone dictate to you, which house best fits you and your family. If someone did, how is that working for you?