Many an RV buyer has had to navigate the decision between camper van and small travel trailer. French startup Bivoak hopes to eliminate that process of pro/con compromise by bringing together the advantages of both into a single vessel fittingly called the Bivan. The garageable four-sleeper trailer isn't tied to the lifespan of a single vehicle but offers a layout and feature set derived directly from classic Volkswagen pop-up camper vans. It's a new style of 'van life for a new breed of roadway voyager.
Ask us on any given day whether we think the camper van or camping trailer is the ultimate way of self-sufficiently touring the world, and we could make a spirited case for either one.
A camper van is fully contained and easier to maneuver on highway and backway than a vehicle towing a trailer.
On the other hand, living space-to-total vehicle size is limited in a van as compared to a caravan that's free to dedicate its entire interior to camping, something that's especially important when trying to fit in as many family members as possible. And it's advantageous to be able to unhitch and leave the trailer behind to reserve your campsite while venturing out during the day.
On the other hand, a camper van is easier to park and better for impromptu overnights you didn't necessarily plan in advance. On the other other hand, a trailer can outlast the motor vehicle, towing behind your next vehicle and the one after that. Most camper van floor plans are forced to retire with the van into which they're built.
We could go on and on, but suffice to say that a vehicle combining the advantages of camping trailer and camper van should be an intriguing proposition for many an RV shopper. Whether or not Bivoak has effectively hit the mark and maximized the advantages of both vehicles is something each buyer will have to decide for themselves, but either way, it's developed a cool little trailer.
A lifelong vehicle adventurer and an RV salesman by trade, Vincent Clédic is the mind that sought to create a bi-vessel combining the advantages of camper van and trailer, with a touch of motorcycle freedom informing him along the way. He founded Bivoak in 2021 and presented his prototype vision a year later.
Clédic started the reinvention of the camping trailer all the way down at the bones, tweaking the chassis by pushing the axle back as far as possible. Borrowed from the world of boat trailers, the design is meant to improve stability to the point that the trailer sets up at camp with just the front jockey wheel, no need for stabilizers. The axle position also allows space for one of the Bivan's defining features: its double-door entry. And the low position of the chassis, coupled with the pop-up roof, maintains a height of 6.2 feet (1.9 m), ensuring the Bivan can roll easily into public and private garages.
The real fun begins on top of those bones. The Bivan's poly monocoque is quite clearly retro-inspired, its simple capsule shape and dual-tone paint harkening back at once to classic Volkswagen Type 2 camper vans and vintage camping trailers. The drop-belly in front of the tire features an integrated step up to the floor atop the chassis.
The double-door entry is definitely a unique functional design cue that makes the Bivan easier to load and invites the outdoors inside at camp. Bivoak believes the feature to be the first of its kind for a camping trailer and says it was derived directly from the dual rear door set offered on Volkswagen Kombi vans of the 1950s and 60s. It certainly makes a striking visual, setting the Bivan apart from every standard trailer at the campground, and also promises to be a great feature for enjoying fresh air and local scenery. The entry opening measures 43 in (110 cm) wide.
Further enhancing the van-like body form, Bivoak adds a glass lift-gate to the Bivan's rear-end, giving campers the ability to open the back and enjoy the views from bed. Instead of merely imitating a van, though, Bivoak improves upon the concept by splitting the rear gate into two, with a drop-down tailgate that serves as an outdoor table for cooking, serving food, or just holding drinks and odds and ends. So Bivoak manages to blend a little bit of pickup truck utility into the conceptual mix of van, trailer and motorcycle.
At 202 in (514 cm long), the Bivan measures the same length as the Mercedes-Benz V-Class. Given the lack of driver's cockpit, though, it's able to fit in a larger camper-van-inspired floor plan complete with a bathroom, something most (not all) V-Class campers lack. Not only that, but it's a full-width bathroom with the shower and toilet at opposite ends.
The shower area includes lower pull-up hard screens to keep the furniture behind it dry, and a curtain that hangs from the ceiling. The sink faucet pulls out to serve as the shower head and can also be routed through the window for outdoor showering/cleaning. The toilet mounts to a floor plate and can be removed for outdoor use, like in a separate privacy tent.
Stepping farther back, the rear bench next to driver's side kitchen is quite familiar from midsize van camper floor plans going back decades, but in place of the swivel cab seats that aren't necessary in a trailer, Bivoak adds its own individual rear-facing front seats. The company relies on a unique slide-and-collapse system for transforming the rear bench into a double bed in a matter of seconds. It sleeps two more people on the 63 x 75-in (160 x 190-cm) bed in the pop-up roof.
The kitchen includes a dual-burner gas stove, sink and 65-L fridge/freezer, along with cabinetry and drawers. There's even a built-in wine rack, this being France and all. The removable pedestal table that occupies the center of the Bivan for dining is positioned to allow the kitchen drawers to open.
The Bivan also comes with a battery electrical system with shore power hookup and solar charging, a Truma Combi air/water heater, and a command center with monitoring and control screens. It weighs in at 2,200 lb (1,000 kg) in base form and 2,535 lb (1,150 kg) when fully optioned, and has a gross vehicle weight rating of 2,865 (1,300 kg). Bivoak lists the Bivan base price at €33,700 (approx. US$36,400) and also offers rentals.
We suppose it's impossible to truly combine all the advantages of the camper van and trailer together, but Bivoak has done an admirable job of combining classic styling and features of the two genres into an RV with a fun, unique look and feel. We'd certainly like to go road tripping with one in tow.
Source: Bivoak
