Automotive

Unassuming mini-camper packs tiny home living in a box trailer

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What looks like a basic cargo trailer outside is actually a cozy mini-camper
7even50
A small TV is available as an option
7even50
A pair of 12-L canisters hooked to the sink takes care of kitchen plumbing
7even50
7even50 starts off with this empty Hubaur box trailer ...
7even50
...and ends up with a comfy living space for two
7even50
Dometic stainless steel kitchen sink with glass cover
7even50
The flip-up table and L-shaped sofa combine to create a lounge for eating, working and relaxing
7even50
7even50 turns a box trailer into a miniature home with a combination of quilted and felt wall cladding, LED lighting, wood-veneered furniture and key living amenities,
7even50
Hanging fabric storage crates
7even50
The 18-L fridge box serves like a hotel mini-fridge ... only without the tiny, overpriced liquor bottles
7even50
The kitchen stands at the rear of the trailer, behind the sofa
7even50
Stretching the full width of the trailer, the bed offers enough space for two
7even50
What looks like a basic cargo trailer outside is actually a cozy mini-camper
7even50
View gallery - 12 images

Born from the pandemic-driven need for a self-sufficient means of travel and overnight accommodation, the new German-designed 7even50 One trailer looks like little more than an empty industrial cargo trailer from the outside. Open the rear load door, though, and you'll realize it's optimized for holding people, not goods. The colorful convertible interior provides a homey space for two that serves as a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and dining lounge. With a weight just over 1,200 lb, the stealthy mini-camper tows behind a large variety of vehicles, turning a basic car into a holiday-ready RV.

One of many RV innovations molded by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 7even50 One trailer was designed in reaction to the wide shutdown of lodging and travel services that followed the spread of COVID-19. The idea was to create a flexible means of travel that could be entirely relied upon in place of the usual tourism infrastructure. That could describe virtually any camper, but 7even50 aspired to create something small enough to transport and store easily, affordable enough for modest budgets, and well-equipped enough to work as a self-sufficient living space, without being entirely reliant on RV hookups. The project grew into a small caravan that you can tow with even a compact everyday car, store easily in the garage, and rely on like a hotel room-on-wheels while road-tripping around Europe.

Rather than attempting to reinvent the trailer with a ground-up build, 7even50 used what was already out there, beginning its build with a single-axle box trailer from German manufacturer Humbaur. The broad-sided box isn't exactly as stylish as a teardrop or aluminum zeppelin, but it provides a 3.3-sq m (36-sq ft) living space with 1.5-m (5-foot)-high ceiling. That's not a huge amount of space, but it does open up a convertible lie-down/sit-down/hunch-over interior that the typical teardrop trailer lacks while maintaining a small, lightweight footprint.

7even50 turns a box trailer into a miniature home with a combination of quilted and felt wall cladding, LED lighting, wood-veneered furniture and key living amenities,
7even50

A basic cargo box trailer's interior is much too cold and spartan to serve as the base of a comfortable living space, so 7even50 trims the walls and ceiling in a combination of quilted artificial leather and felt, both available in a variety of colors. This trim immediately lends a softer, more colorful ambiance. To prevent the trailer from feeling like a hot, stuffy and poorly lit cargo crate, 7even50 adds a side window and roof vent.

Since the One is made for travel and road trips more so than camping, it's been designed to include all of the amenities travelers need to meet their basic daily needs, without requiring extra camping gear or set-up outside the trailer. The floor plan finds its anchor in a corner dinette set with L-shaped sofa. During the day, it works as a dining lounge with help from the removable tabletop mounted to the wall; at night, it converts into a 132 x 200-cm (52 x 79-in) double bed.

Stretching the full width of the trailer, the bed offers enough space for two
7even50

The One's small kitchen stands in front of the sofa, bringing a single-burner gas stove, a stainless steel sink hooked to 12-L fresh and waste water canisters, and an 18-L compressor fridge box on a slide-out built into the sofa frame. Powering that fridge, and the LED lighting, is a 515-Wh power station with integrated AC and DC outlets. A 120-W solar panel and 230-V external hookup come standard to help keep the power station charged and ready to go.

There's no room for a complete bathroom on board, but 7even50 does include a standard portable toilet, an amenity that many mini-campers forego but that this hotel room-inspired build simply can't do without. A small 15.4-in TV with built-in DVD player can be added as an option, fitting comfortably on the overhead shelf. Also included is an array of fabric storage bins.

The flip-up table and L-shaped sofa combine to create a lounge for eating, working and relaxing
7even50

The 7even50 One has a base weight of 550 kg (1,213 lb) and a gross vehicle weight of 750 kg (1,653 lb), hence the company name. It's designed to be towed at speeds up to 62 mph (100 km/h). The trailer has a base price of €12,599 (approx. US$14,825), and for those looking for something cheaper, 7even50 offers the €8,699 ($10,250) Two, a sleeper caravan with the convertible dining lounge but without equipment like the kitchen, power station or toilet. Buyers can also add individual One components on their Two trailer as extras.

Source: 7even50

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7 comments
Gizmowiz
What a joke this trailer is.
DavidB
The trailer looks fine, but I can’t get past the company name, 7 even 50.

What’s that “even” for?
PAV
I'm not impressed.
paul314
Beats heck out of sleeping in the back of the SUV.
AndrewCooper
Tilt shift photos might look artful, but they hide details and distort vital perspective needed to understand the relationships within such a small space. What are you hiding?
nick101
There's no shortage of trailers like this, you can certainly modify your own just as well, for a lot cheaper.
ljaques
Right you are, @VincentWolf, but at least they're overpriced to make up for it.