Maybe you’ve been driving for eight hours or more. Maybe you’ve been surfing or mountain biking all day. Whatever you’ve been doing, an invigorating shower, a meal, and then a good portion of sleep is a certain recipe to help you wake up refreshed and ready for whatever the new day has in store. All it needs now is a super-quick way to turn the pick-up camper or trailer into a multifunctional abode…and preferably one that even I can comfortably stand up straight in.
I recently received a teaser about a new pick-up camper design that can also be adopted for trailers. The video was convincing enough for three of us to drive 500 km to see a first prototype before it would be shown at the forthcoming Adventure Southside show in Friedrichshafen from August 20 to 22, 2021.
FIRST IMPRESSION
Fitted to an Amarok double cab, the cabin resembles a hardshell box typical of those mounted on a service vehicle. This prototype is painted in a very bright green, merely to stand out. Christopher assured me that the production cabins can be supplied in any colour the customer chooses.
Not so typical is the absence of profiles along the cabin’s edges. This is due to the 25 mm synthetic honeycomb material being welded together, to provide maximum stability and keep the weight to a minimum. The pickup version only weighs around 250 kg in the Basic configuration.
In its closed state, there are no windows visible, and the only apparent opening is a large hatch that almost covers the right side of the box.
PRACTICALITY
Having arrived at your campsite, the outer shell can be vertically pivoted away from the rear of the vehicle to create the entrance annex to the cabin. This is a manual process that takes literally a few seconds, and is assisted by two gas struts. (Earlier prototypes had an electric motor, but this has since been removed in favour of simplicity and reliability on the go.) Once in position, entry via the large door is only a little higher than ground level—a separate step is not necessary.
Inside, the annex is, simply put, spacious—the floor measures approximately 2 m2 and has a standing height of around 2.15 m. This multipurpose area serves as a useful entrance (especially under poor weather conditions, when wet clothes can be discarded before entering the living quarters), a magnificently sized bathroom, and the kitchen.
The living quarters comprise a sofa bed which folds out to 1.47 m wide and 2 m long. Running on wooden sliders, the conversion from sofa to bed is simple and fast—just pull the seat towards the annex. When used as a sofa, there will be a large table.
The kitchen unit on the left side is built on telescopic rails, and houses a wash basin with fold-up tap, and a ceramic gas hob which can also be used independently outside the cabin even when it is windy (because the flame is beneath the glass surface).
Storage of clothes, kitchen utensils and other items is taken care of in felt boxes.
Returning to the exterior once more, flipping the outer shell to create the annex also means that, what is the roof during travel, consequently becomes the rear wall—which makes accessing sports equipment such as a surfboard really simple.
PRICING
With a starting price, including VAT, of €22,900 for an empty box or €29,900 equipped with the basic amenities, the Flip90 is very competitive, and is sure to be welcomed by newcomers to the camping and overlanding community.
CONCLUSION
There are those rare occasions when you look at something new and think, “why didn’t I come up with that?” But, it’s not just ideas that make something great—design and execution are the key.
ICC Offroad have devised a new concept that is going to open up new possibilities for a wide range of travellers—whether overlanding for a short break, long-distance travel, or simply providing a compact mobile home for sports enthusiasts. And yes, there is a trailer version as well, with even more space.
We are now really looking forward to testing both the trailer and pickup variants in the very near future.
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