French startup TinyVroum has presented a bicycle camping trailer that looks and lives more like a motor vehicle caravan. It has used light, compact backpacking equipment to give its ebike-pulled CapsulBike camper all the amenities of a larger RV, including a power system, fridge, deployable wet bath with shower and toilet, outdoor galley and entertainment options. It's certain to ease the pain of an extended bicycle tour by offering a sounder night of sleep and a meal and shower to wake up to come morning.
After playing around with a differently styled prototype, TinyVroum has ultimately launched a CapsulBike that more closely mimics a shrink-rayed version of its sub-1,000-lb (454-kg) car-towed micro-camping trailer, pictured next to the bike camper below. The CapsulBike is of course smaller, simpler and lighter, but it features a similar shape and aesthetic while borrowing some of its larger brother's features.
Built from CNC-machined composite panels, the CapsulBike trailer stands at 4.6 feet (1.4 m) tall and stretches double that for a length of 9.2 ft (2.8 m). At 152 lb (69 kg), it definitely sounds like a solution that will work best with electric bikes.
The CapsulBike trailer does a nice job of providing the comforts of a full-size motor vehicle caravan, relying on its large, hard-sided fixed-roof design and light, packable accessories to offer a roomy single-person cabin, a compact kitchen, a dining area and even a bathroom. The cabin is fairly self explanatory, accessed via doors on either side and furnished with a 79 x 28-in (200 x 70-cm) solo memory foam mattress topped with an included sleeping bag.
The triangular side window adds some natural light and scenery, while the front overhead window should deliver a view of the starry night sky above. TinyVroum even offers the option of making it a two-sleeper with a child-size rooftop tent or double the 3.6-ft (1.1-m) width for added interior space.
Bike trailers tend to lack the size and payload for a tailgate or slide-out galley, but that hasn't stopped TinyVroum from equipping its camper with full cooking and dining amenities. It relies on a small folding coffee table as a worktop for holding the ultralight aluminum kitchen kit with backpacking canister stove. A small 12-L thermoelectric mini-fridge provides cold food and drink storage. Users can then use the table for dining if they choose, sitting on a low backpacking chair like the one in the pictures.
We've seen other bicycle trailers with available kitchen equipment, but the CapsulBike is the first we've looked at to come standard with a full wet bathroom. Of course, that requires a pop-up outdoor privacy tent, which works with a roof-mounted solar shower system and folding toilet stocked with biodegradable waste bags.
TinyVroum has also equipped the CapsulBike with an onboard 50-Ah lithium battery charged with a 140-W solar panel. The battery runs the fridge, interior and exterior LED lighting, and two USB outlets. As an option, the company offers an entertainment package with mobile projector and collapsible screen.
The CapsulBike comes with two storage bags and features retention straps throughout the interior and exterior for securing panniers, bags, clothes and other cargo. This organization-focused design has trickled down from TinyVroum's car trailer.
TinyVroum launched the CapsulBike trailer this year and took home an award for the design at the 2023 Concours Lepine Paris invention competition. It's available starting at €3,900 (approx. US$4,275), which seems quite reasonable compared to other bicycle camping trailers, especially considering the CapsulBike's more robust feature set.
Source: Tiny Vroum via Autoevolution