In the summer of 2024, I embarked on a somewhat unusual adventure. I designed a folding bicycle camper, traveled through Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium with it and produced a film along the way.
I didn't have a fixed route, the whole thing was more along the lines of “let's see where I end up”, which also resulted in a few headaches that could have been avoided with a little planning. In the end, I ended up covering over 2000km over the course of 2 months, with a few detours and difficulties.
Why?
Yes, a tent would be the easier and better choice. The project was a somewhat wild experiment to see whether you can travel with a fully equipped bed and work space on wheels without too many hassles and stress. And with a 2-minute setup time, you can take a break almost anywhere and have everything you need to hand.
And yes, it works, even if the rolling resistance and the extra 40 kg of aluminum and polystyrene would perhaps be easier to manage with an e-bike and a large trailer like this presents you with a whole new set of problems like tight gaps, wind and parking.
It was much tougher than we thought in the first few days 😊
But there were also so many amazing opportunities and I was able to see places that I would probably have missed out on with another faster mode of transport.
Whether it was a self-sufficient solar ferry, crazy acquaintances on the beach or spontaneously ending up at a festival, it never got boring.
But what really amazed me was the incredible hospitality. I was invited so often, welcomed with so much trust and provided for in abundance.
Even if these moments are somewhat lost in the documentation, I don't think it would have been possible for so long without so many incredible people.
Not least thanks to wonderful platforms like WarmShowers, 1nitetent and WelcomeToMyGarden.
The entire film with more background information is freely available on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzMG0JoglXM
Ich hoffe ich konnte einige zu einem ähnlich verrückten Abenteuer inspirieren, und mal sehen was 2025 zu bieten hat.
by _focccus
1 Comment
Wow, surprised to see a picture of my hometown, Kampen! Sounds like a fantastic trip, props to you!