2023-05-02 13:06:35
Dhe term “tiny camper”, i.e. mini camper, as it is also called in this country, comes from the USA. A car – high-roof station wagons are popular – is equipped with a place to sleep, such as a mattress and seating, a folding table, a cooker and even a water supply.
Individually designed, this can also be very different. But the lack of space sets limits. What you can easily do yourself with the Tiny Camper conversion and where it is better for professionals to do it.
Tips on this are provided by Rafael Mans, who writes specialist books on camper conversions, Mirco Lohmann from Tüv Nord and Timo Großhans from the magazine “Caravaning”.
Keyword mattress as a minimum solution for sleeping: not all high-roof station wagons allow you to fold down the seats to form a flat bed, you have to remove the seats. Foldable mattresses can be used as a seat during the day.
The minimum solution for the water supply are PET bottles from the supermarket. When it comes to electricity, it can be a power bank fed by a foldable solar panel. That’s enough to charge your phone.
For more you need a waterproof cable drum that you connect to shore power – for example at a campsite. Some complete camping boxes, for example, also have a water canister and tap.
Legal stumbling blocks when converting to a mini camper
Mirco Lohmann from Tüv Nord advises contacting experts at a test center before starting the conversion. “Our advice is legally secure. And we don’t bite.”
In this way, beginners as well as handicraft professionals can implement their projects with planning security – and do not have to remove anything afterwards or modify it at great expense if something is not legally compliant – for example in relation to weight.
When to allow the mini camper as a mobile home?
There are special tax rates for the category “Other motor vehicle – mobile home”. Depending on the emission class, you can save money here. Under certain circumstances, the re-registration also makes the insurance cheaper. There are four minimum legal requirements for this:
A table with a seat (the table may be removable or foldable), a place to sleep, more precisely: a flat lying surface for at least one person (the car seat does not count). In addition, a cupboard or storage space and permanently installed cooking facilities must be available.
Manufacturers such as VW also offer cooking and sleeping facilities in the high-roof station wagon ex works on request
Source: dpa-tmn/Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles
If the vehicle type is to be changed to a mobile home, the so-called curb weight must be re-determined. Empty weight plus maximum payload make up the total weight.
If the redetermination does not take place, you run the risk of exceeding the permissible total weight, and that can be expensive. “So if you installed too much weight during the expansion, there is a problem,” says Mirco Lohmann from Tüv Nord.
What can I do myself, where should professionals go?
“The subject of cooking facilities is often underestimated by our customers,” says Mirco Lohmann. Any type of stove must have a CE mark, which certifies that the product meets EU safety requirements.
It is essential, for example, that the use of a gas cartridge cooker is only permitted outside of the vehicle by law. A simple solution are telescopic rails, which can be pulled out far enough that the cooker is outside the vehicle and can therefore be used.
Working on your own: It is best for mobile home builders to consult a testing company in advance and pay particular attention to professional electrical installation
Source: dpa-tmn/Florian Schuh
There are VDE standards for electrical installations in mobile homes, i.e. the generally recognized rules of technology. Designing the electrical system according to these specifications is of course recommended, says Lohmann. “Because we think a lot in the worst-case scenario.”
If VDE standards are not observed, this can also have legal consequences in the event of a fire due to short circuits or overloads – for example with regard to liability.
Camping boxes for the impatient Tiny-Camper-Fans
For the impatient and perhaps less technically gifted there are so-called camping boxes. These are prefabricated modules with pull-out drawers and a bed that folds out. This means that a station wagon can be turned into a camping vehicle in no time at all.
So-called camping boxes can turn a conventional vehicle into a small mobile home – even with a rudimentary water supply and cooking facilities
Source: dpa-tmn/Moonbox
Such boxes are available in many price ranges and prefabricated. From the hardware store solution with self-assembly for around 360 euros to the luxury version with a fully-fledged rear kitchen, gas cooker, running water and sink for around 4000 euros.
Practical tips for everyday life in the mini camper
Inexpensive and practical for the summer are mosquito nets with magnetic closures, such as those found on patio doors. They can be repurposed and mounted in a sliding door opening. After going through, the net can close itself.
If you are looking for a high-roof station wagon especially for the conversion, you can look out for a model with a so-called ladder flap: This is an opening at the rear through which craftsmen can transport ladders in an upright position.
“That brings a lot of air and light into the small station wagon and you can even look at the starry sky at night,” says specialist book author Rafael Mans.
Spend the night in the parking lot or on the campsite?
“Most of those who travel with such mini campers go to campsites because of the infrastructure; Toilet and shower” explains Timo Großhans. If you park in a parking lot, you are only allowed to do so overnight in Germany to restore your ability to drive. Usually one night.
Even if there is little room to move in the camper, camping activities such as grilling or awnings are not permitted when parking. Outside of a campsite, “with the Tiny Camper, especially outside of Germany, you quickly find yourself in a gray area. Or it’s just not allowed.”
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