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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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