The Minimalist Camper

How I converted a small utility car into tiny home - and you can

In this article I will talk about my minimalist camper. I built it last year, and tested over many thousands of miles, a dozen of countries, and all weather conditions. I find it very practical, reliable and inexpensive - and want to share with those looking for ideas.

One year ago, I started looking for a car in which I could travel. I am no fan of motorization and hardly recognize the brands of automobile manufacturers. I just needed a practical solution for travel. The more I researched, the more I felt lost and overwhelmed with the parameters and possibilities. But I finally identified a very good solution, by eliminating things I did not need. If you are at the beginning of the journey, researching your options - this text may help.

Requirements

1. I wanted a car where 1-2 persons can travel and live in the summer, and in emergency situation also (for short time) in winter.

2. I wanted a very simple, low-maintenance and low-cost solution. It should not break.

3. I want to sometimes drive in town, park on the street and not draw attention

With these requirements, I looked at many models. I chose Peugeot Expert L1H1 (2007-2016) as the base. I bought a used, 9-year-old utility car and converted its back into a camper. This car has several advantages: it is very small: 480 cm (length) and 194 cm (height). It parks easily in town. It fits in any underground parking and in places where campers are explicitly banned (typical height limits are between 1.9 and 2.3m). It burns very little fuel: 6-7 liters. Due to size, you also often pay less for tunnels, ferries, parking and campsites.

Note: another small model I looked very closely was Volkswagen Transporter (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 and T7). I finally decided against it because of higher fuel consumption and significantly higher price tag of second-hand car. My Peugeot was waaaay cheaper.

Here is my car (the closest car in the foreground) compared to standard-size campervans, to give you perspective how small it is. The picture is taken in St Gotthard Pass, the “roof of Europe”, so to speak.

Inside

Regarding the interior design, I saw many options before choosing. In my personal preference, there is one design that beats all the others: the L-shaped wooden frame, which serves simultaneously as the bed inside kitchen available from outside.

This simple piece of furniture has a tremendous advantage: it allows for a sitting position in the back of the car (many designs do not, so in the morning you wriggle like an earthworm to put on your pants). It also transforms easily into a double bed. I show all this in the video.

Now, the devil is in the details, so let’s discuss these details. In Part 2 I will talk in detail, and with pictures, about things I have and don’t have: typical camper van installations (kitchen, electricity, solar panels, gas, heating, water), equipment, overall space organization and the accessories : blackout curtains, mosquito nets, wheel chocks and more.

Subscriber-only: The Minimalist Camper, Part 2