Based on a light truck moped car
Many boys dream of the freedom that a fast scooter or a Golf GTI gives them. For Timon Bornhalm, that independence on four wheels started long before his eighteenth birthday – with what may be the smallest camper in the world.
It’s five to four, finally the students of class 10 B are free. The students run straight to the bus stop. Except for the German Timon Bornhalm. Although he is only 16 years old, he proudly walks to the parking lot behind the school where he very confidently gets into his car and drives home. In times when Opel and Fiat offer us micromobility with their electric moped cars Rocks-e and Topolino, that in itself is nothing special. But first, that trend has not yet reached here in Iserlohn, in the Sauerland. Second, Timon doesn’t drive just any car. He not only commutes between school and the sports field or between his parents’ house and his friends, but he also goes on vacation with it. He has converted his first car into what may be the smallest camper in the world.
Base is Aixam D-Truck Van
As a base, Timon chose the French Aixam D-Truck Van, a vehicle that is normally used by municipalities and the landscaping service, where it is only equipped with a plastic container behind the short cab. But because Timon is a camper from home and his father also has a workshop for campers, his Aixam is now an apartment on wheels. But very small; the compartment that now rests on the back of the vehicle, with its length of 1.35 meters and width of 1.46 meters, offers less space than an airport sleeping capsule. Father and son worked on it for eight weeks. They insulated the wafer-thin plastic walls and installed windows in the superstructure, placed a frame that is strong enough for the roof rack with the associated luggage and extra lights. A reversing camera has been installed and the cab is nicely furnished – and all without exceeding the maximum weight of 842 kilos. In total, they invested three to four thousand euros in the Aixam, which Timon was able to buy second-hand with money from the family and the proceeds from a few holiday jobs. New, such a cart costs as much as €18,000, which far exceeded the teenager’s budget.
TV on the wall
The D-Truck is barely larger than a broom closet. There is a fairly comfortable sofa placed in a corner of the cab – of course with sufficient storage space underneath plus a battery that is charged while driving to power the microcamper when it is stationary. To the left of the door is a small storage cabinet, to the right is the kitchen unit with a refrigerator, sink and two-burner stove. There is even a TV on the wall and of course mood lighting is not missing. Only for a bed there was no more space. Because Timon doesn’t want to sleep in a sitting position or in a yoga pose, a roof tent has been placed on the Aixam – thanks to the increased load capacity of the living area. Some storage tools also found a place between the roof and the tent – you never know if you might get stranded somewhere.
Two cylinder diesel engine
The large package on the roof is bad for the drag coefficient, but driving dynamics are not an issue with the Aixam anyway. The two-cylinder Kubota diesel engine rattles away happily when Timon leaves the schoolyard, but despite all the noise, the block mobilizes a meager 8 hp from 479 cc cylinder capacity. Oh well, you’re not allowed to drive faster than 45 km/h with it anyway. That’s not a problem for Timon; as proven by the ample 20,000 kilometers he has already put on the odometer of his small camper. During the week he mainly drives in and around Iserlohn and his birthplace ten kilometers away, but on weekends he sometimes goes camping at the Möhnesee, a ride of about 60 kilometers. And during the holidays he has already reached the North Sea; it took him eight hours to cover the distance of 360 kilometers. Just in winter he goes out with the camper. He proudly shows photos of his creation covered with a thick layer of frost.
Timon dreams of BMW 3-series
Wherever Timon appears with his Aixam, he is always the center of attention. After all, his dwarf camper is not only often the smallest vehicle on the campsite, but in most cases there are also no guests younger than him. Timon has since become a familiar face in the camper scene and wants to use that later for his career. Of course, he first has to pass his final exams and get a regular driver’s license, because he dreams of a BMW 3-series to really impress at the campsite later. But when he has all the papers in his pocket, he wants to get involved in car maintenance and campers, as he outlines his future.
To the Costa Brava
Now, however, Timon is busy planning his next big adventure; he is determined to frequently enjoy his small, but oh so valuable piece of freedom on wheels. Especially since he has been allowed to drive abroad with his light cart since his 16th birthday. Because that is quite a drive from his hometown, it hasn’t happened yet. But soon it will be summer vacation and then he wants to set course with the microcamper, including trailer and a friend, towards the Costa Brava, a ride of a good 1,500 kilometers. That it will take them quite a while doesn’t bother him: “After all, we have six weeks for that.”