Automotive

Bullifaktur's rustic modules fit together to create your ultimate VW camper van

Bullifaktur's rustic modules fit together to create your ultimate VW camper van
Volkswagen offers its vans with 4Motion all-wheel drive, so there's no reason not to create an all-terrain, all-season Bullifaktur
Volkswagen offers its vans with 4Motion all-wheel drive, so there's no reason not to create an all-terrain, all-season Bullifaktur
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A little urban camping in the Bullifaktur VW van
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A little urban camping in the Bullifaktur VW van
Bullifaktur's main sofa-bed unit includes storage in the frame and an available front panel that doubles as a dining table
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Bullifaktur's main sofa-bed unit includes storage in the frame and an available front panel that doubles as a dining table
Bullifaktur's most robust camper conversion kit pairs the front kitchen with the side sofa-bed, offering cooking, sleeping, dining and lounging capabilities starting under €10K
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Bullifaktur's most robust camper conversion kit pairs the front kitchen with the side sofa-bed, offering cooking, sleeping, dining and lounging capabilities starting under €10K
Bullifaktur makes things sportier by packing a bicycle in
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Bullifaktur makes things sportier by packing a bicycle in 
One of our favorite Bullifaktur details is the dining table that folds away into the sofa base - a clean, efficient dual-purpose design
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One of our favorite Bullifaktur details is the dining table that folds away into the sofa base - a clean, efficient dual-purpose design 
Bullifaktur vans are designed as a versatile camper vans for all types of activities, from simple camping to wind/wave-chasing kiteboarding adventure
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Bullifaktur vans are designed as a versatile camper vans for all types of activities, from simple camping to wind/wave-chasing kiteboarding adventure
Volkswagen offers its vans with 4Motion all-wheel drive, so there's no reason not to create an all-terrain, all-season Bullifaktur
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Volkswagen offers its vans with 4Motion all-wheel drive, so there's no reason not to create an all-terrain, all-season Bullifaktur
Bullifaktur can put a slide below the sofa for easy gear and cargo access
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Bullifaktur can put a slide below the sofa for easy gear and cargo access
Bullifaktur fully assembles its modules independently before installing or shipping
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Bullifaktur fully assembles its modules independently before installing or shipping
The kitchen area includes electrical outlets and switches for the water and lighting
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The kitchen area includes electrical outlets and switches for the water and lighting
The independently extendable footrest creates a breezy chaise lounge with views out the rear door
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The independently extendable footrest creates a breezy chaise lounge with views out the rear door
Kitchen area storage drawers
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Kitchen area storage drawers
Dining and lounge configuration
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Dining and lounge configuration
Bullifaktur tidied up into drive/sofa seating position
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Bullifaktur tidied up into drive/sofa seating position
The stove slide combines with the fridge drawer and sink to create a full kitchen
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The stove slide combines with the fridge drawer and sink to create a full kitchen
Loading up a motorcycle ..
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Loading up a motorcycle ..
Loaded and ready for a dual-vehicle adventure trip
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Loaded and ready for a dual-vehicle adventure trip
The sofa extends out into a 78 x 50-in bed for two
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The sofa extends out into a 78 x 50-in bed for two
We'd throw some plastic over that bed, but this rig looks extra fun
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We'd throw some plastic over that bed, but this rig looks extra fun
Making a van a home ...
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Making a van a home ... 
Many van converters integrate the driver area seats into the camper design, but Bullifaktur splits them off with its full-width front kitchen
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Many van converters integrate the driver area seats into the camper design, but Bullifaktur splits them off with its full-width front kitchen
A different Bullifaktur layout with bike holders and compact kitchen block
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A different Bullifaktur layout with bike holders and compact kitchen block
Mounting the bicycle in the side door, rather than the back
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Mounting the bicycle in the side door, rather than the back
Side-access bicycle carrier
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Side-access bicycle carrier
Custom layout that pushes the furniture more to the rear
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Custom layout that pushes the furniture more to the rear
Bullifaktur also offers this rear module with Dometic fridge drawer and slide-out kitchen
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Bullifaktur also offers this rear module with Dometic fridge drawer and slide-out kitchen
This €4,199 module puts the full kitchen out back
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This €4,199 module puts the full kitchen out back
The lift-away countertop and pullout drawer make it an indoor/outdoor stove
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The lift-away countertop and pullout drawer make it an indoor/outdoor stove
For those that don't like larger kitchens, Bullifaktur also offers this self-contained micro kitchen
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For those that don't like larger kitchens, Bullifaktur also offers this self-contained micro kitchen
Another style of Bullifaktur-built kitchen, this one keeps things more open between driver cab and camper
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Another style of Bullifaktur-built kitchen, this one keeps things more open between driver cab and camper
A newer Bullifaktur conversion, this one includes a wraparound furniture design, a more compact sofa that extends across the sliding doorway into a single bed, and a pop-up roof
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A newer Bullifaktur conversion, this one includes a wraparound furniture design, a more compact sofa that extends across the sliding doorway into a single bed, and a pop-up roof
Fridge drawer
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Fridge drawer
Another Bullifaktur layout
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Another Bullifaktur layout
We like Bullifaktur's modern-VW interiors better, but there's something about that classic VW bus exterior
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We like Bullifaktur's modern-VW interiors better, but there's something about that classic VW bus exterior
Inside the Bullifaktur T2 conversion
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Inside the Bullifaktur T2 conversion
This individualized van includes a small sofa that expands into a single-sleeper bed
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This individualized van includes a small sofa that expands into a single-sleeper bed
A Bullifaktur Mini Cooper camper? Yep.
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A Bullifaktur Mini Cooper camper? Yep.
No reason you can't have your Bullifaktur wood-panel roof and pop it too
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No reason you can't have your Bullifaktur wood-panel roof and pop it too 
Camping in a Mini Cooper
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Camping in a Mini Cooper
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Taking a light, modular approach to the classic VW camper van, German shop Bullifaktur uses standalone furniture boxes to build up versatile, fully customizable camping rigs. Its individual modules each contain some smart, multifunctional solutions, piecing together like a puzzle to create your perfect van, whether it's for full-time van life, weekend camping or adventure-chasing. Wood paneling and light colors create bright, modern cabins that campers and van dwellers should enjoy spending time in.

Like many other camper brands, Bullifaktur wasn't originally conceived as a business, but as a single project. In 2016, founder and engineer Dennis Sawadsky purchased a VW T5 with the intention of converting it to a camper with just the right mix of overnight comfort and outdoor gear-hauling utility to support everything from laid-back camping to dirt-riding, wave-seeking adventure.

With nothing on the market seeming to fit those precise needs, Sawadsky and crew got to work building light, quick-install camper furniture, and the original Bullifaktur van was born. As is often the case with a one-off camper van or garage-built teardrop trailer, Sawadsky's rig attracted a crowd virtually every time he put it in "drive," so he and a few business partners figured they had something special enough to compete in the crowded German VW camper van conversion market. They founded the company in 2017.

Bullifaktur vans are designed as a versatile camper vans for all types of activities, from simple camping to wind/wave-chasing kiteboarding adventure
Bullifaktur vans are designed as a versatile camper vans for all types of activities, from simple camping to wind/wave-chasing kiteboarding adventure

We certainly think Bullifaktur has something special, as several of its modules and layouts are quite different from the average Transporter conversions we've seen in and beyond Germany. Bullifaktur sells individual modules sort of "build-your-own" style, providing flexibility in how the interior is laid out, how much storage is available, etc.

The largest, most expensive building block in the Bulli lineup is the L-shaped kit that's essentially a full camper van conversion, complete with kitchen, bed, dining area and sofa. What's interesting is that rather than incorporate the front seats, like so many Volkswagen converters do by putting them on swivels, Bullifaktur goes the opposite way by splitting them off with a front kitchen that stretches the width of the van to create something of a divider wall with a sizable cutout over the kitchen counter. While this set-up eliminates any ability to move freely between driver cab and camper, or use the driver-area seats as part of the RV space, it also creates a neater, more defined living area, a natural division between "drive" and "camp" spaces.

Bullifaktur makes things sportier by packing a bicycle in
Bullifaktur makes things sportier by packing a bicycle in 

The kitchen unit includes independent cooking and storage areas. The stainless steel sink is integrated in the worktop, while the portable cartridge stove is stored below the worktop and extends just outside the van door via a slide-out. Bullifaktur also offers a fold-up counter over top the stove to allow for indoor cooking. Down below the worktop, a refrigerator drawer holds the compact Dometic CF 26 compressor fridge. The adjacent shelving unit, meanwhile, includes indirect LED lighting and bungee cords for securing contents.

The multifunctional sofa that runs along the driver-side wall slides out into a bed, sleeping two happy van-lifers on a 79 x 50-in (200 x 128-cm) mattress. The end of the sofa can also slide out independently, creating an integrated chaise lounge with footrest, perfect for reading or taking in the views through the open tailgate.

Bullifaktur's main sofa-bed unit includes storage in the frame and an available front panel that doubles as a dining table
Bullifaktur's main sofa-bed unit includes storage in the frame and an available front panel that doubles as a dining table

Beyond just a bed and lounge, the convertible sidewall module is also a storage chest and dining area. Bullifaktur shows several dining table options, and our favorite is the central sofa-base face panel that lifts and folds into a dining table for two — a multifunctional design that keeps things neat and tidy. Other photos show a simpler table that mounts to the sofa base when in use. The space below the seating unit is hollow and open for storage, and Bullifaktur offers several slides for easily accessing stored items by pulling them out the back of the van.

Just bolting in camper furniture doesn't necessarily make a fully comfortable home on wheels, so the aforementioned package also includes closed cell foam wall and ceiling insulation, wood ceiling paneling with integrated LED lighting, PVC flooring and white fiberboard wall panels.

Dining and lounge configuration
Dining and lounge configuration

That's a nice, little ready-to-travel VW camper van, starting at €9,599 (approx. US$10,725) for the conversion package. Bullifaktur assembles the modules independently and can ship them out for owner install or install them itself at its Hamburg headquarters.

Beyond that main package, buyers can customize their van interiors by adding in additional modules or swapping in alternative modules (the aforementioned front kitchen and side sofa-bed are available for purchase individually, as well as in the package). Options include more compact kitchen blocks without the shelving, a sliding rear outdoor kitchen, and a motorcycle ramp/carrier for loading a bike next to the sofa.

Loaded and ready for a dual-vehicle adventure trip
Loaded and ready for a dual-vehicle adventure trip

Structurally, Bullifaktur's modules are a mix of aluminum framing and plywood panels, keeping things light and simple. They're designed to screw down in roughly 15 minutes.

Bullifaktur offers its main components and kits for Volkswagen T4 through T6 vans, and it also does custom work. Rather than list all the specific modules and prices, we'll just direct you to Bullifaktur's shop, where you can access that info immediately. The website is German-only, so if you want all the details, you'll want to hit the translate option on your browser, unless you happen to speak Deutsch.

We like Bullifaktur's modern-VW interiors better, but there's something about that classic VW bus exterior
We like Bullifaktur's modern-VW interiors better, but there's something about that classic VW bus exterior

Beyond its primary work with newer VW Transporters, Bullifaktur has also done some work with larger VW Crafter and Mercedes Sprinter vans, smaller VW Caddies, older Transporter models like the T2, and even a Mini Cooper. It seems like it's constantly experimenting with new materials, designs and layouts, and we've included some photos of those different layouts in the gallery, along with more photos of the standard kit.

Source: Bullifaktur

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