Typically the "modules" of modular camper van design are large components like kitchen blocks, cabinets and bed frames. German startup Camp it Simple stays true to its name by slicing and dicing the modular camper van into actual building blocks. Made from sustainable and recycled materials, its new system of Cübes builds out simple camper interiors primed for exploring and sleeping. Quickly create, rearrange and recreate beds, storage shelves, benches and more with the versatile, pack-flat modules.
Besides its simple, building-block configuration, what separates the Camp it Simple design from other modular camper systems like those from Happier Campers and VanDoIt is that it doesn't require any track or panels for mounting. In fact, the Cübes don't actually mount to the vehicle floor or walls at all.
Camp it Simple's CEO Maximilian Karmann tells us the company avoided hard vehicle mounting to keep the system extremely flexible, designed for immediate removal. Campers can quickly pull the boxes out or rearrange them, right at the campsite. The design also makes the Cübes more universal, as they're not reliant on floor rails or tie-down points set at specific locations, features that vary by make/model.
Karmann says that basic ratchet straps will keep the boxes secure during the ride, adding that the Cübes shouldn't shift around much even without being strapped to the vehicle owing to their high-friction construction. The material creating that friction is a pressed synthetic made from recycled PET bottles. FSC-certified birch wood inside the lid and base add structural support. This construction makes the boxes sturdy enough to double as step stools and camp benches and abrasion-resistant enough to hold up to the likes of sharp ski edges and claw-like bike pedals.
Camp it Simple says its PET boxes are soft, provide insulation, dampen noise and resist water. The standard Cübe measures 15.7 x 15.7 x 15.7 in (40 x 40 x 40-cm) and weighs 8.3 lb (3.75 kg), able to carry up to 110 lb (50 kg). A shorter 10-in (25-cm)-high box is also available. Each box can break down into flat panels for transport and storage.
While the Cübes don't secure to the floor, they do secure to each other using a simple set of grooves and H-shaped connectors. To secure modules set across the aisle from each other, Camp it Simple uses bridges it calls Brüdges.
The Camp it Simple Cübe system won't build a fully equipped camper van, as there's no working equipment for tasks like cooking or washing, but it will create a sleeper van or car with plenty of storage. Camp it Simple offers both single- and double-bed kits that use the boxes, lids and bridges to create beds. The boxes can also be stacked up into storage shelves, used as benches and otherwise rearranged as desired. Camp it Simple even offers little picture labels so that you can quickly identify what's in each box (e.g. cooking gear, clothes ...).
Rather than a camper-in-a-box system, Camp it Simple's Cübes are better thought of as rugged camping boxes that pack and stack neatly, doubling as basic in-vehicle furniture for sitting and sleeping. Strong, stackable, vertical-walled storage boxes are a coveted commodity for camping, travel and overlanding, and the Camp it Simple Cübes pack more neatly and tightly than other box options. The only con there is that the boxes have holes in them and are not air or watertight.
Camp it Simple developed the Cübe from a rougher prototype version it showed in 2018, launching the new design this past February. Single Cübes start at €139 (approx. US$155), Brüdges at €75 ($84). A single kit with six Cübes and four Brüdges starts at €1,109 ($1,239), while a double kit with 10 Cübes and five Brudges starts at €1,675 ($1,871). The double kit's 43- or 47-in (110- or 120-cm) x 79-in (200-cm) bed can sleep a couple snugly or a single with some rolling and elbow room.
Source: Camp it Simple
