In today's culture of "more is more and thus infinitely better," a company that emphasizes simplicity is a rarity. Come to think of it, there is so much more that makes a company like Kip Caravans stand out, and the Kip Kompakt trailer is a good indication of what that might be.
If the name Kip Caravans rings a bell, you must be a fan of vintage European towables. Kip Caravans is the only caravan maker in the Netherlands and boasts a history that goes back some nine decades, to a time when simplicity wasn't just a goal for towables but the norm.
Their Kip Kuiken, now considered a timeless classic for its highly innovative design, is a good example of how simplicity worked back then when it came to family vacations. It's also the company's first model, introduced in 1954 and based on a towable coachbuilder Jan Kip had built for himself as a mobile home he could meet up in with his lover, before he founded the company.
Today's vehicles and infrastructure have improved considerably from what travelers had in the 1940s, but Kip Caravans is sticking to the formula that put them on the map: simplicity and functionality, comfort but without the excess weight. So, their caravans are still comparatively compact and lightweight yet packed with functionality and creature comforts.
Photo: Kip Caravans
None is as much as the Kompakt, whose name really says it all.
The Kip Kompakt is a compact, teardrop-inspired travel trailer that boasts a pop-up roof and a clever layout that offers sleeping for the entire family and even space to host a larger dinner party, if that's your thing when you're on vacation. Its light weight allows for towing with the daily driver and even works for electric vehicles (EVs), for which towing poses downsides because of the impact on range.
The Kompakt is 570 cm (224 inches) long and just 225 cm (88.5 inches) high when the pop-up is closed, and it sits on a single-axle braked trailer chassis with hydraulic shock absorbers. It's also 183 cm (72 cm) wide, so it's narrower than similar products, which helps with aerodynamics, maneuverability and garageability.
Photo: Kip Caravans
With a starting weight of just 750 kg (1,653 lbs), it can be towed with most vehicles, including fully electric.
The pop-up is glass fiber-reinforced plastic with canvas, rated as hail-resistant and all-weather. When deployed, it offers standing height inside, so the Kompakt lives much bigger in camp mode.
The Kompakt is offered in two variants, the Travel and the Adventure, with the difference between the two being in sleeping capacity. The Travel has berths for three people in two different beds, and the kitchen is located centrally. It also seats as many as six people at two tables, so you can host a decently-sized dinner party inside your trailer at the campsite.
Photo: Kip Caravans
Meanwhile, the Adventure does away with the extra bench slash bed, and moves the kitchen to the front. It also adds a small restroom next to it, with a fixed toilet, which makes it a solid choice for a pair of travelers who don't want to have to make do with a porta-potty they hide inside one of the benches.
Regardless of configuration, the Kompakt outdoes itself in terms of functionality and features. Just to be sure, we're still talking about a basic level of comfort, so don't expect luxury or space to run marathons inside. But for a trailer of this size, the Kompakt has about everything you need for a comfortable stay.
The interior packs a surprising amount of storage options, from exterior compartments to cubbies lined up all along the roof extension and larger units under the bed. The Adventure model even throws in a standing wardrobe with hanging space – and if you're reading this, you know hanging space is a true luxury feature of the RV industry.
Photo: Kip Caravans
You also have a small 14-liter (3.7-gallon) freshwater tank that feeds the kitchen sink, and a galley that is well-specced with a three-burner stove, countertop extension, a medium-sized fridge, and even more storage options.
The rear is taken up by the queen-size bed at night, but it becomes the dining space during the day. In both configurations, you can opt to do half-and-half set up, where you keep half of the bed and add only half a table, or you can turn the entire bed into benches for seating.
Kip Caravans says that all Kompakt units – and all their trailers, as a rule – are made locally. What they can't build themselves they will commission to other Dutch companies, where possible. They also offer the option to rig the trailers with solar arrays for extended autonomy and to add awnings to create larger and more comfortable habitats.
Photo: Kip Caravans
It's true, all these will add to the final cost of such a family-perfect RV, but the starting price for a Kompakt is relatively affordable. The Travel starts at €28,500 while the Adventure comes with an MRSP of €29,500, so approximately $31,000 and $32,000 at the current exchange rate.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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