The ioCamper Caravan II Is a Compact, Tiny Module that Becomes an 'RV' at Camp

This is the story of the ioCamper, a transforming module that exploded onto the market in 2017 with the promise of the most compact and innovative 6-person RV. Technically speaking, the only "exploding" the ioCamper ever really did was as a concept, having never reached mass production and never quite living up to the hype its formal public introduction built.

Today, the once-spectacular ioCamper RV has evolved into the ioCamper Caravan II. The idea behind it is the same, the same building techniques are used, but real life has had its say with it, downsizing it from a fully-fledged mobile home for the entire family into the most basic of shelters for two.

We've covered the ioCamper several times before, but a bit of context is still necessary to get the larger picture without having to scroll through those older pieces. In its original form, the ioCamper RV was a compact module that expanded on all three sides, becoming a full home at camp.

Because of its compact dimensions, the original module could be transported in the back of a van. Once you reached camp, you'd roll it out on adjusting legs and then open up the sides to reveal sleeping for 6, a full but wet bathroom, and a full kitchen. The RV even had early smart features, promising the kind of RV that would offer a little bit of something for every member of the family using it as a base for their adventures.

The idea was hailed as an incredible one. To day, it's still listed among the greatest RV concepts by countless publications, but it never made it past concept – and that first prototype – stage.

Tamas Laczko, the Hungarian engineer behind it, continued working on it, though. Later iterations saw the ioCamper RV become the ioCamper Caravan, where the module now traveled on a trailer instead of inside a van and would be removed for setting up at camp. Its size also changed, as did its features: the module became smaller and less ambitious in terms of the features available.

The once-full kitchen that came with the RV concept was now a basic setup with a hotplate and a small fridge, but you still had a dining table and enough space to accommodate 4 to 5 people in fully expanded mode. The fifth was a child, who had to make do with a pop-up bunk ioCamper didn't even say where it would fit.

That version of the Caravan was unveiled in 2022, with ioCamper collecting pre-orders for it with help from partner Richter-Manufaktur, who would also be handling distribution.

The unit we're looking at today is an even more scaled down iteration of the original concept and is called the ioCamper Caravan II. If you like your online storytelling with a bit of drama, the Caravan II could stand as proof that those dreams that don't die don't necessarily become true: they wither beyond recognition when life has its way with them.

The Caravan II is described as a compact module ideal for "spontaneous campers, hikers, bikers, anglers, hunters and festival visitors," providing them with a basic shelter during a short getaway in the middle of nature. It still sits on a trailer platform and, according to the distributor, still handles like a standard caravan but with improved aerodynamics because of the much lower profile.

At camp, it's 300 cm long, 198 cm wide, and 200 cm high (118 by 78 by 79 inches), so at least you'll be getting standing height.

But it's almost unrecognizable from the original ioCamper RV, except for the construction with fiberglass-reinforced PE material in closed sandwich panels, providing a weatherproof, cozy habitat. The only part that expands in any way is the roof, and the interior now provides a single, double bed, with the possibility of folding it down to create a couch and space to place some bags.

You also get a portable power station, opening windows with screens and blinds, and ceiling LED lights. The four adjustable legs are part of the package, with the distributor promising a 5-minute installation timeframe.

The interior also offers a couple of cubicles and storage under the floor and under the bed, but that's as far as you can go when listing available "features." On a rare occasion, as many as three people could squeeze inside, on the condition that they're not particular about their private space.

Despite the promise of this being an "RV," the Caravan II is clearly just a basic shelter. It's still better than a tent that would have you roughing it on the ground while more or less dealing with the elements, but it's not a tiny mobile home.

The Caravan II is rated at 440 kg (970 lbs) for the module and 580 kg (1,279 lbs) with the trailer, which we're assuming you'd have to purchase separately. There's no mention of the price for the unit, so that means either of two things: you have to reach out to the dealer to inquire about it, or it's not even in production yet.

As reference, a similar module from ioCamper, the ioCamper Truck II that sits in the bed of most dual-cab pickup trucks, starts at €9,999.90, so approximately $10,900 at the current exchange rate. Who said dreaming costs nothing?