Automotive

Flexcamper creates a solo mini-campervan out of Fiat's tiniest van

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Flexcamper's Fiat Fiorino mini-campervan
Flexcamper
Flexcamper has created a functional, little interior for one person, complete with table, convertible seat/bed and kitchen equipment – the cushion on top of the fridge looks like a comfy armrest
Flexcamper
Fold the passenger seat, drop the tabletop in place, put the cushions on and you have a single bed
Flexcamper
Many European camper van companies work with larger Fiats, but Flexcamper turns tiny vans like the Fiorino into adventurous, little camping vehicles
Flexcamper
Flexcamper's package includes window coverings
Flexcamper
Diagram of the Flexcamper layout
Flexcamper
The Flexcamper kitchen includes a sink and single-burner stove
Flexcamper
Water storage under the kitchen counter
Flexcamper
Using the table to cook outside
Flexcamper
The toilet mounts just inside the doorway, a cover concealing it 
Flexcamper
A full bathroom is out of the question, but Flexcamper helps you do your business
Flexcamper
You won't be packing for a weeklong camping trip with this little 7-L Dometic fridge, but it does provide some onboard cold storage
Flexcamper
In creating the bed, the tabletop slips between the folded passenger seat and rear camper seat
Flexcamper
Flexcamper's base flooring serves as the foundation of its kit
Flexcamper
The seat flips up to reveal a storage compartment below
Flexcamper
Inside the Flexcamper mini-campervan
Flexcamper
Folding the front passenger seat is necessary to create the single-person bed
Flexcamper
Flexcamper's Fiat Fiorino mini-campervan
Flexcamper
Little structural wings support the tabletop when creating the bed, then swing away to clear out the entryway in day mode
Flexcamper
This photo from 2016 shows the relative size of Fiat's vans – from the Ducato, Europe's camper van leader, on the left, to the little Doblo at the right end of the vans, next to the Fullback pickup
Fiat
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Small, maneuverable and inconspicuous, camper vans offer some well-established advantages over larger Class A and C motorhomes. Of late, we've seen more and more companies trying to build on those advantages by shrinking conversions down into mini-campervans like the Cascade Camper or Ursa Minor Transit Connect. Germany's Flexcamper takes it a step further, making single-person mini-campers out of some of the smallest multipurpose vehicles out there – while even managing to squeeze in a toilet.

Previously, the shortest van we'd seen in the new surge of mini-campervans was the Nest Cuckoo, based on the 172-in (438-cm) 2017 Citroën Berlingo Multispace. That Citroën MPV sizes in the same class as the Fiat Doblo, but Flexcamper drops down to ground floor in Fiat's lineup, finding the basis for its conversion kit in a 152-in (386-cm) Fiorino.

How does Flexcamper fit sleeping, cooking, eating and bathroom amenities inside a vehicle that small? By leaving one person behind, then using the same kind of strategies and equipment other camper van conversion shops do, with a little extra thought and organization.

Many small camper vans feature rear seats that fold to create a two-person bed. The Fiorino doesn't offer room for both a rear bench and camper van amenities like a kitchen block, so Flexcamper works with an empty load area, adding a non-drive seat in back. Combine that seat with the folded front passenger seat and you have the foundation for a single bed. The space between the front and rear seats gets filled by the tabletop supported by fold-out wings below. Cushions on all three surfaces line up to create a single bed measuring up to 98 in (250 cm) long.

Fold the passenger seat, drop the tabletop in place, put the cushions on and you have a single bed
Flexcamper

During the day, the tabletop pops out of the bed frame and mounts to a pedestal next to the seat, completing a cozy dining/work area. The wings that support the tabletop in bed configuration swing out of the way to clear the entry.

Flexcamper could theoretically make its Fiorino mini-campervan a two-sleeper by repeating its passenger-side work on the driver side, but then there'd be no room for much of anything else. Instead, Flexcamper uses the driver side of the load area to house a narrow kitchen block with single-burner stove, sink, water system and storage space. Across the way, it slides a little 7-L fridge between the end of the rear seat and the rear door.

The Flexcamper kitchen includes a sink and single-burner stove
Flexcamper

Obviously there's absolutely nowhere to put even the tiniest of wet baths, but Flexcamper does include a portable toilet mounted inside the driver-side doorway. And since it's a one-person van, the owner doesn't even have to worry about filling the cabin with embarrassing and inevitable odors, though he or she will have to endure them. A cover conceals the toilet when not in use.

Flexcamper finishes – or, we should say, starts – its conversion with floor paneling secured to the vehicle, with its furniture securing on top of this base paneling. Flexcamper also adds insulated wall upholstery and window coverings to complete the tiny but functional camper cabin.

And with that, you're eating, sleeping, cooking and even relieving yourself in a Fiat Fiorino. Flexcamper doesn't do pop-up roofs, so this is a sitting height camper van, but the little German shop has done a really admirable job of fitting camper essentials inside Fiat's smallest van.

Flexcamper has created a functional, little interior for one person, complete with table, convertible seat/bed and kitchen equipment – the cushion on top of the fridge looks like a comfy armrest
Flexcamper

Flexcamper's main package is designed specifically for the Fiorino and related Citroën Nemo and Peugeot Bipper, but the company also does conversion work on larger (but still small) vans, including the Volkswagen Caddy and Golf Plus, Fiat Doblo and new Peugeot Rifter.

Flexcamper is more of a weekend hobby/side gig for founder Stephan Kniebetsch than a full-time camper van operation. Customers source their own vehicles, and Flexcamper pre-builds the hardware after a consultation. It can do the installation itself or ship the modules out for DIY installation. The conversion materials and installation start at €5,620 (approx. US$6,380).

Source: Flexcamper

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2 comments
notarichman
now they need to either install a way to level the bed via changing the suspension or leveling the bed itself. allowing a several lights over the bed for reading would be good. raising the head portion of the bed to watch TV or operate a computer would be good. inverter to run 120 volt appliances? extra battery for the inverter? solar panel on top? solar/electric heated tiny hot water tank for coffee?
YouAre
With a toilet? Bravo!