The Cailly Camper Kit Instantly Turns a Work Van Into a Full Mobile Home

The terrible year that was 2020 fueled the emergence and, later on, the boom of the vanlife trend – and understandably so. People wanted to travel but were barred from it, and they'd finally found they could work from home, which meant home could be anywhere they wanted it to be.

This explains the hundreds of van and bus conversions, the incredible number of video tutorials, and the viral stories that pop up on our radar frequently these days. The #vanlife craze has lost some traction recently, but it's still very much around, to the point where we're talking about the emergence of the modern nomad, digital or not.

But where does that leave those who still want to travel but aren't willing to ditch their 9-to-5 and their possessions, downsizing until their entire life fits into the compact footprint of a home on wheels? There is some middle ground, and a product like the Cailly Camper Kit shows how it can be achieved.

The Cailly Camper Kit has actually been around for close to a decade and it's still in limited production today. Cailly actually stands for Metallbau Cailly, a Germany-based company that specializes in metalwork like gates and garden fences, terrace roofs and carports, and garage doors.

The Cailly Camper represents their way of tapping into the profitable market of campers with an add-on product, and it was first introduced a decade ago.

As its name clearly shows, the Cailly Camper is a kit made up of several modules that can be ordered – and used – separately, together, or in any combination you need. All the modules together can transform your work van into a proper home on wheels with minimal modifications to the van. Switching between work van and vacation home takes only a few minutes and zero tools, as the video below will confirm.

The Cailly Camper includes a bed/dinette module, a kitchen module, a shower module, and a wardrobe module. They're made of steel and aluminum with some plywood parts and are designed to fold down and become almost flat against the walls of the van. Cailly says that the modules are made of "high-quality materials" and they're hoping their expertise in metalwork will be enough of an argument in their favor.

Unlike other transforming modules we've discussed before, the Cailly isn't removable in between uses, which means that, once Cailly has it installed, you're stuck with it. But its very low profile takes up very little space and, implicitly, has little impact on the entire functionality of the work van, so it's almost like you don't have it inside.

Originally designed for the Peugeot Boxer, Citroen Jumper, and Fiat Ducato, the Cailly is suitable for other vans as well, like the Mercedes Sprinter, but some minor adjustments might be necessary. The video below shows a van with all the modules installed and, while it looks like an ordinary empty van, it actually has the potential to be a comfortable vacation home, on the condition that the vacation be short.

The bed and dinette module goes at the back of the van, between the rear wheel wells, with each bench attached to one wall. For daytime use, it provides a dining area with two benches and a table that could comfortably seat six adults. These join together to form a large queen bed at night; it might not be the coziest, cushiest bed you've slept in, but it beats roughing it in a tent and a sleeping bag, that much is certain.

The kitchen module sits flat against the wall opposite the side entry. "Kitchen" is an overstatement and perhaps a deliberate one, at it, but it's still a decent setup. You get a sink with hot and cold taps, space for three plastic jugs totaling 90 liters (24 gallons) of drinking water, a portable gas cooker, and a couple of shelves above – just enough to get you through for a few days in terms of basic meal prep.

The shower module is impressive in size, though not necessarily convenience. It also folds flat against the wall, and deploys to a stable wet room with an internal dimension of 68 cm (26.7 inches), so relatively comfortable for an adult. All water gathers inside a stainless steel tray, which you then have to empty through a drainage system. Here's to hoping you're not a fan of long showers.

The wardrobe module attaches to the rear seats and adds extra functionality to the space, including a cubby for the porta-potty. You can use it with or without the integrated shelves, either for clothes and gear or as a pantry slash extension to the kitchen.

The modules can be customized to a certain extent. Cailly offers the possibility of powder coating them, or you can add wood décor, change the carpeting on the floor, and the color of the upholstery on the benches. That said, let's be realistic: the Cailly won't be a rolling home like the van conversions that make headlines are, but it will offer basic comfort and functionality without losing the functionality of the donor vehicle as a workhorse.

That last part is the highest selling point of the concept, and it's meant to weigh heavily in the balance when it comes to price. That's just a delicate way of saying that the Cailly Camper isn't cheap: the bed/dinette is €3,572 ($3,828 at the current exchange rate), the shower is €1,826 ($1,957), the kitchen is €1,980 ($2,122), and the wardrobe is €1,354 ($1,451). That's €8,732 ($9,358) to get the full package, and it doesn't include the installation and the donor vehicle, which you presumably own already.

Vanlife might be about enjoying the simplest things in life, but it's not cheap.