Tiniest RV Ever is a Zero Carbon Camper
RVs are not known for their fuel efficiency. Some can need a gallon to get just 8 miles out of town. But here’s one that goes to the other extreme.
Originally envisioned as weighing just 50 pounds, and with a pullout drawer to extend its length for sleeping; inventor Paul Elkins‘ camper was designed for maximum efficiency. It had to endure winds of 60 mph, heat of 100+ degrees. And it’s not merely fuel efficient. It uses no fuel at all.
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You’d get it out of town on pedal power alone. Set up under the stars with just renewable power.
And best of all, this makeshift bike trailer-home was created from what Paul just happened to have laying around. The whole thing was made out of what he describes as:
“…misc this and that. It’s whatever I had kicking around at the time, and that’s how anyone would have to do it if worst came to worst.”
Among other things, he used fluted plastic “like whats used for election signs”, 3/4″ square aluminum tubing salvaged from an old satellite dish and a recycled card table, in an attempt to show how one might survive a post apocalyptic life.
And Paul Elkins’ worst case scenario doesn’t look too bad. There’s the option to cook outside on a solar oven or on this butane stove.
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September 6th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Just had to add this from the inventors site:
“In my spare time I play in my shop creating a host of toys and things that roll, mostly. They all start as and idea that gets transfered to paper.
I’ve been doing this idea hatching thing since I was a kid. I recieving my first serious sketch pad on Christmas morning when I was 8 years old.
Each day I’d think of something weird and sketch it out, and every year another book would appear under the tree.”
Let that be a lesson to you, parents!
September 8th, 2009 at 8:07 am
A pretty neat idea, and I admire his ingenuity. Though I’m not as handy/inventive as he is, I don’t see why some entrepreneurial company couldn’t make one for a very affordable price.
September 16th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Awesome, but what I would to differently is use an electric recumbent bike and use unisolar pvl-124 or shorter and glue from the back of trailer to over the bike to provide shade. Keep the battery in trailer but wire it to the bike motor.
September 19th, 2009 at 8:58 am
excellent!
great post, Susan! (still catching up from my vacation a couple weeks ago
September 26th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
why not use 700 C wheels to get over the humps and bumps then use a burley cart frame and expand it with recycled aluminum bits. then an 18W solar panel to power everything. should be very light even still.. great idea!!!
October 7th, 2009 at 11:51 am
scoop away cat litter? I hope that is for the cat…
October 7th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
BUZZKILL: A backpacking tent and a sleeping bag is smaller and lighter.
October 7th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Does anyone know what kind of trailer base he used? I’ve found a small one online rated at 250 lbs. I would be curious to know what kind of trailer he started with..??
October 7th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Neat little invention but let’s be honest with ourselves. There is no such thing as zero carbon. Raw materials don’t just rise from the earth fabricate themselves into useful machines.
Low carbon maybe, zero carbon…well no.
October 7th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
“PUPTENTer said on October 7th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
BUZZKILL: A backpacking tent and a sleeping bag is smaller and lighter.”
Tent, sleeping bag, JET-Boil. WIN.
October 19th, 2009 at 5:26 am
Why not make it a little longer so the head and feet don’t stick out…could use different tires too. Not a bad idea but I would want to put too much into it and couldn’t tow it then…