As you prepare to whip out the bug spray and water filter for your annual camping trip, you might consider a little bit of NASA technology as part of that camping trip. Garret Finney worked on habitation modules for the International Space Station while working at NASA, but he has now taken that passion for efficient living to the world of camping trailers.

No, it’s not the most glamorous-looking thing in the world and it hardly looks space age, but the “Cricket” is supposed to be remarkably utilitarian and efficient. For starters, it’s lightweight (around 1300 pounds), so you can tow it with even smaller cars and SUVs without resorting to a big honking truck. Next, the living space is flexible and adaptable. The couch becomes a bed and there are “loft” sleeping quarters too. There’s a small kitchen in there with a rotating table. You’ll even find a pull-out shower to wash off all that dirt you’ll surely accumulate. It’s not as big as an RV, but it’s not as small as a tent either; the Cricket fits somewhere in between.

This almost makes me think of the caravan challenge from Top Gear, but with far less buffoonery. And you can fully customize it to suit your needs, including solar panels, air conditioning, and a portable toilet. Prices start at $14,330.

[Source]

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Those who are fond of camping trips, but not too thrilled about spending time inside a brown toaster, might wanna check out this new design by Czech student Jakub Novak.  The Odorico Pordenone he calls it, named after Italian medieval traveler Odoric of Pordenone, it’s an expandable trailer which is nothing less than sexy.

Although the design fetched Novak the Czech National Award for Student Design, it’s still just a concept.  But it’s more than just a fancy artistic concept. The mechanics of the expandable caravan are backed by solid engineering, and he has made sure that there is a fine balance between style and function. Looking at the design, we find that there is an inclination towards modernity and minimalistic appearance. When the caravan is parked, the lucky owner can easily turn a crank within that causes the “wings” of the mobile home to open up. Besides revealing a large window that will allow you to enjoy the visual treats outside, the mechanism creates convenient space between a living room, a kitchen and a bedroom.

White dominates the interior mainly, the exception being the light green upholstery work and black window panels and inner wall panels. And Novak has designed the space with modern fixtures which double up as multi-purpose spaces. An example is the bed which can be used by 4 people, although it’s meant for 2. The designer has also suggested material specifications to ensure user comfort via efficient heat exchange and temperature management.

If it gets the required funding in the future, we might see one of these on the road one day. Will you be getting one then? In the meantime, he can do something about the name.

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I’ve always wanted to live in a van down by the river. I guess this would be taking things a bit further along than that. This pimped out palace on wheels has no solar panels, isn’t very aerodynamic, but when you have the bucks to burn, it’s all just the same. The luxury trailer entails a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and an 11 foot roof-top patio decked out in teak with a jacuzzi. Tucked inside the belly is a garage for the owners mini-me sports car.

Interested parties can drop $840,000 with Futuria to have their very own palace on wheels.

[Futuria]
Futuria Caravan Salon – The yacht on wheels [Born Rich]
You Won’t Find This Motorhome in Any Trailer Park [Gizmodo]

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