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Photo: YouTube / Flevobike Technology
Downsizing has been at the forefront of many (mobility) conversations, and with the looming economic crisis, it’s bound to gain even more ground. One concept explores the idea of downsizing with minimal investment and virtually zero running costs – and an incredibly compact footprint.
This is extreme downsizing, but it remains functional and, perhaps most surprising of all, still pretty comfortable. Having the freedom to roam around the country and explore the great outdoors doesn’t necessarily have to mean packing the entire family inside an RV, van conversion, or tiny house. If you happen not to have a family, this solution will work best because it’s a single-seat mobility solution dubbed by its creators “the best bike camper in the world.”
Bikepacking is a thing of the past if the GoCamp has any say in it. This is a bike camper that’s actually a removable module sitting on top of the GoLo electric cargo bike, and which offers all the comforts of home (sort of) for one person out to explore. It is a concept bike camper that’s already been on the road for a few months, putting more than 500 km (311 miles) on the odometer and with no plans to stop soon. It doubles as a promotional vehicle because it shows that the specialized GoLo cargo bike has applicability in one’s off-time as well.
Created by brothers Andre and Arjan Vrielink of Flevobike Technology, the GoCamp is a modular and highly versatile solution that offers independence to the traveling cyclist. The module sits on the GoLo four-wheel cargo bike, which retails in The Netherlands at prices starting at €10,800 ($10,500 at the current exchange rate) before taxes. As such, it benefits from the bike’s click-in mechanism that allows you to add modules with a single – you guessed it – click.
Photo: Kampeer en Caravan Jaarbeurs
The module pops up and extends to offer seating for two at an interior fold-down table, with the area becoming a bedroom for one at night, with an 85 x 220 cm (33.5 x 86.6 inch) mattress, mosquito mesh, window, and ventilation. The multi-functional table can also be used outside by simply attaching it to the side of the shell.
There’s also an integrated 60W fridge and storage both under the sleeping area and above it. As any cyclist will tell you, you can’t prepare for an extended journey without a toolkit, so the designers added a drawer in the lower part for a spare wheel and tools.
The interior is cramped, as you’d expect, but it beats sleeping on the ground in a small tent. Since this solution could also work for digital nomads in search of their muse with Mothers Nature's help, the camper has lighting, USB, 12V, and even a 220V outlet.
The GoCamp has a 250W motor, the maximum e-assist allowed under EU laws without a license, and a 1,000Wh battery. There’s 400Wp of solar on the camper, which guarantees 50 km (31 miles) of “free range every day,” according to the developers. This is “fully off-grid, fully sustainable travel,” and it’s also of the most convenient kind since the camper’s 88 cm (34.6 inches) width allows you access to narrow roads and even cycling paths.
Photo: YouTube / Flevobike Technology
The GoLo e-bike that serves as a base for the GoCamper is also a pretty impressive machine, designed specifically for delivery and service fleets. It’s offered with a choice between linear hybrid driveline (a Bike2 generator at the cranks and two Grinn hub motors in the rear wheels) and chained driveline (Bafang mid motor with Enviolo Cargo Automatiq shifter and rear Samagaga differential), and a 43V 750Wh battery or two 52V 2000Wh batteries for extended range.
Standard features of the e-bike include four-wheel independent suspension for the smoothest ride, two sets of heavy-duty TektroHD-E745 Auriga Twin+ brakes, and 20-inch 406 Ultra strong fiberglass wheels clad in Schwalbe ultra-durable cargo bike tires, and kneeling mode that makes loading up cargo easier. GoLo comes in two width sizes (88 cm and 107 cm/34.6 inches and 42.2 inches) and is 298 cm (117.3 inches) long.
No word yet if there are plans to bring the GoCamper into production, but reactions online show there’s potential interest in one such downsized bike camper. The functional concept was nominated for the Most Sustainable Camper award at the Kampeer en Caravan Jaarbeurs, and is shown in action in the video below. Even if it never makes it into production, it still serves as an awesome example of the versatility of the GoLo cargo e-bike, so it will have proved a masterful marketing campaign. Seeing is believing and all that.
