Micro-shelter super-designer Paul Elkins (his bike campers have inspired a movement in Germany: Fahrradwohnwagen) has created a pedal RV that converts from bike to bedroom to kitchen to bathroom to lounge in a space little larger than his own body, and using the cheapest of materials.
- To watch Paul Elkins-inspired German meet-up of bike trailers and Velomobile RVs derived from Paul's DIY designs in his place near Seattle: 2:52
The Supreme Court is now deciding whether cities can make public "camping" illegal, but what if the homeless had a bike that doubled as a home: a kind of zero-cost vanlife? Paul Elkins has spent several decades creating micro shelter designs that anyone, especially those without homes, can build with free or very affordable materials, and his latest ultra-cheap design is a recumbent bike that can be converted into a bedroom/kitchen/bathroom in minutes. It isn't a permanent solution, but his nomad pedal camper can be made out of old bicycles and discarded campaign signs and is as small and stealth as a covered bicycle.
Elkins used leftover bicycle parts and fluted plastic (which he often recycles from campaign signs) to create a bicycle camper that doesn't tow the camper, but instead brings it inside the bicycle for a hyper-efficient ride. The final bike/camper weighs less than 100 pounds, including kitchen supplies and a sleeping bag. The home converts using plywood panels that can be reconfigured to expose the pedals/handlebars or covered up for sleeping, lounging, or cooking. The shower/bathroom is created using a shower curtain that snaps to the wing door to create a private area for showering (with a solar shower) that can also be used as a sheltered guest room.
Paul’s sketchbooks on human-powered vehicles: elkinsdiy.com/product/sketch-...
To buy Paul’s plans: elkinsdiy.com/product-categor...
Paul Elkins' videos: / @paulwelkinsdiy
German camper meetup (Fahrradwohnwagen) credit: / @alextek .
On *faircompanies: faircompanies.com/videos/boei...