“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci
Most people, who know me personally, know of my obsession with teardrop camping. I get links and emails about them all the time from these same friends. Occasionally, someone will send me a link about a teardrop trailer or other small camping unit that I have never fathomed possible. The picture above is one of them. Thanks Kelvin!
The QTVan is designed by a UK based company, Environmental Transportation Association. They created this six foot long trailer for elderly people who are tired of waiting in lines. It could also be used on short camping trips too -30 miles or less. Their biggest push for it right now is for British citizens who don’t want to miss the Royal procession for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.
The first time I read about this little trailer, I had to chuckle a bit to myself. As a teardrop camper, I am amused by the people who look down their noses at me. In fact, I almost revel in their disdain of my little trailer. They often look mildly humored and snooty about their massive RV with all of it’s “amazing” features. To me, their mobile lifestyle is just that: a mobile lifestyle. It isn’t camping. Yet, here I was doing the same thing with the QTVan. Shame on me. I do have some struggle with the idea of this trailer.
Here’s my internal conflict with this tiny UK trailer. I don’t want to be like those snooty big-RV people when I see the QTVan. However, when I look at it one phrase comes to mind…”coffin with windows”. My mind’s eye keeps picturing a person in their 90s laying in one of these and, to be honest, it seems a bit morbid. As an added point of conflict, for me, the scooter wages war on all things masculine (maybe a Mountain Bike would work better for me).
Of course, I’m not the target demographic for the QTVan and I shouldn’t pass judgement. Oddly, I am also fascinated by the idea of this trailer. I want to know how they cram a 19″ TV, a bar, tea service, a book shelf, and a full length bed into this thing. It almost makes me want to try making one just to see what it is like. Truely, the deal-breaker for me, and probably many other people, is the sticker price.
YES, for only $9,000 of your American Dollars you too can own the QTVan to pull with your 12V scooter or team of toy poodles!
Yep, it is 9,000 green-backs. My apologies to the QTVan creators but I’d rather use the $9000 for a nice teardrop trailer.
I am tempted to build a tiny trailer like this someday but mostly so my daughter will have a place to play in the back yard. That way, when she is all grown up and no longer interested in playing in it, she can bury me in my self-made vintage looking coffin with windows. That wouldn’t be a bad way to go would it? Hey, at least I’d have a TV.
Erin really thought this was cute. . . then the thought occurred to me. Erin also mentioned me making a crib for our firstborn child. So someday down the road, when that happens, I will build a small trailer that will function as a crib, then bed. I could locate this easily within one of our bedrooms. Another option would be to put it outside, thus eliminating the noise in the house 🙂
I, too, think $9k is a bit pricey. However, maybe it’s made out of carbon fiber or exotic polymers to keep the weight down.
I have to admit, I like the silhouette! It would scale nicely to a 5 x 10 teardrop!