Remote-controlled camper trailer pops up in 30 seconds

The wonder of innovative camper design is that at first glance, some trailers or RVs don’t look like much. But once you push a button or flip or switch, the magic happens. Love campers and trailers? Come join our community group.

We’ve written about plenty of awesome, expanding, modular trailers before. This one, for example, spins out to reveal a huge party deck. The tiny Tipoon trailer grows to three times its size in seconds. This high-tech camper unfolds to reveal a two-bedroom tiny house, and we’d be remiss to forget the expandable camper that slides out of the back of a Sprinter.

Today we’re highlighting the iCamp from the Dutch company Udo Camp. In its travel tow position, the iCamp looks a bit like a smushed sports car, with a flat top and a shapely coup-like rear. But once you get to camp, you push a button on a remote control and the camper rises to 6.5 feet in about 30 seconds thanks to an electrically actuated roof. You can see it in action in the video below.

The result is a boxy, roomy camper that can fit a crowd for entertaining or a family for sleep. The camper’s front walls can be used open or covered with mosquito netting, and screen windows on either end of the camper allow for airflow. In poor weather you’re protected by the weatherproof TenCate fabric on the ceilings or on the wall panels that come down when needed.

The interior is spacious thanks to the 6.5-foot headspace and a 14.4-foot length. A large seating area includes a wraparound sofa and a two-panel removable table that can be used for dining or entertainment. When you’re ready to sleep, the tabletops convert into a bed for two adults. The other side of the tent includes a slightly smaller bed that Udo Camp reports is better for an adult and a child or two children.

Courtesy of Udo Camp and via New Atlas

But unlike other pop-up campers, the interior section of the iCamp doesn’t include a fully-built out kitchen. “What? No kitchen?!” you ask. Rest assured, the iCamp includes a slide-out kitchen below the front cushions on the second bed.

If you want to cook inside, you just lift the cushions and kitchen lids. Or—and this is what we’d be doing most of the time—slide out the kitchen through the external hatch, drop down the support leg, and enjoy the outdoors. The slide-out unit includes a four-burner gas stove, a sink, and a 40-liter fridge. And probably our favorite part: The slide-out design means that you can access your fridge without having to pop-up the entire camper.

For all of its amenities, the iCamp still competes as a lightweight trailer. It boasts an empty weight of 1,186 pounds and a gross vehicle weight rating of around 1,650 pounds; you could pull the iCamp with a small SUV.

The iCamp costs about $15,700 and is currently only available in Europe. Yes, we know it’s frustrating that so many cool campers are not available stateside, but don’t despair.

Innovative camper design has a way of proliferating in the RV industry. If you like the iCamp, read and share this story and consider sending it to your favorite camper manufacturers in the U.S. to ask if they would ever make something similar.

Courtesy of Udo Camp and via New Atlas

Courtesy of Udo Camp and via New Atlas

Courtesy of Udo Camp and via New Atlas

Courtesy of Udo Camp and via New Atlas

Courtesy of Udo Camp and via New Atlas

Via: New Atlas