Two mobile campers

The Opera (left) is a "mobile holiday home" by Belgium designer Axel Enthoven. The Camper Bike (right) is by artist Kevin Cyr. Which do you prefer?

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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Jardine

I like the idea of the camper bike, but I don’t think I’m fitting through that door. And even if I do fit through that door, I don’t think I’m fitting in the sleeping berth up top. And even if I do fit in there, I think it’s going to tip over.

So The Opera wins because I think I can get in it without destroying it.

Though really if I’m going camping with a bike as my vehicle, I think I’d rather hook up a small trailer and shove a tent in it.
Quiet Noises

Still no shots of Kevin Cyr’s camper bike actually working? What does it look like inside? Pretty sure it’s just commentary on living and mobility, and not a functional dwelling.
Anonymous

Here’s another take on the camper bike.

http://bikeportland.org/2006/11/10/motorhome-bike-makes-portland-appearance/
slideguy

Do I have to choose?
Anonymous

I like the camper bike because its website didn’t assault my ears with a preset patch from a korg.
imag

I prefer the phrasing on this header. Engaging and pithy comparison.
Rob G. Vos

As manufacturer of Opera I would like to leave a few notes on the above, very interesting conversations. I like the bike camper too, being right at the other end of camping scope.
To start with: yes, Opera exists, and presently we assemble the first series vehicles for deliveries in Europe. However we also consider overseas possibilities for Opera.
Opera was developed having ultimate tent camping in mind.
Many families stop tent camping for several reasons. Especially after the children don’t join the parents any more. Other reasons are the hassle of setting up camp, lack of comfort of beds, a large, high, wide caravan behind the towing vehicle.
Opera as presented, is the most luxury version, call it yacht camping. Of course teak wood, corian and ceramic bowls add to the weight. Yet Opera weighs around 1.000kgs, not having the air resistance of much higher and wider caravans.
Presently we also develop lighter, although slightly less esthetical materials; the choice is to the end users.
Main features are that living space in Opera is superb (for two), and that the settling is easy, and a matter of minutes.
YSIN b.v., Netherlands
Rob G. Vos
Clemoh

I automatically hate the Opera for forcing me to watch a flash intro that you can’t skip.
tamgoddess

It’s *art,* people. Geez.
foobar

Are either of them real, or are they just design wankery?
weatherman

Best of both worlds? The SylvanSport Go trailer. It’s a thing of beauty and simplicity, and probably weighs less than either of those others;

http://www.sylvansport.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20&Itemid=23
Anonymous

the shack on the bike looks like the one that Humphrey from the old comic book drove around.
Daemon

Time to borrow some welding gear and attach the Opera to a bike….
rebdav

I like the bicycle one too, because I am a bike kinda guy every day, towing with a car takes away the grace from the opera house.

There was a homeless kid in Portland Or. making/selling inexpensive welded trailers with a bicycle mobile home with walls made from housing insulation Styrofoam and sealing with tape. They looked to be reasonably good quality, not sure if he is still in the business. Some were pre made but he did custom jobs.
jeligula

I like the fancy Belgian one. The one on the right is a great idea, but would have major problems in high wind plus the weight of all your camping gear.
dalesd

That bicycle camper is completely impractical, which is, I guess, why it’s art. It makes much more sense to pull a trailer.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/saholm/816119809/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/therollinrev/2111022319/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stars4esther/3299344289/
TharkLord

I really, really need to make the idea of a Camper Bike work. It would so simplify my life.

Reminds me a bit of Andrea Zittel’s work. She had a cool camper show at the SFMOMA way back in 1995.

http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/zittel/index.html
Antijoe

Am I the only Australian who feels weird about someone refferencing the Sydney Opera House in their design like that?
Anonymous

Actually I prefer a sleeping bag and a backpack, but between the two of these – Camper bike all the way! As for the Opera, it just looks like a bland white cocoon designed to keep you disconnected from nature just like the over-sized SUV you need to haul it.
MrsBug

That one on the left makes me drool. It’s a thing of beauty.
things

The bike camper wins in my book. Ever since I saw your first post of kevin cyr’s bike trailer this past summer I’ve been obsessed. It’s my goal to build something like that or at least live on my bike.

Kevin cyr’s bike is art but I think he’s on to something practical. Ideally I’d like something much more aerodynamic and light. Something where the bike detaches and maybe even has hitches for more than one bike. I imagine something like a small wagon from the oregon trail. Who wants to travel around in a herd of bikes with me?
Anonymous

The Opera is absolutely gorgeous, and I want one.

BUT.

It’s not big enough for more than two people.
Corian, teak, and porcelain are unnecessarily HEAVY and add weight to this trailer that simply doesn’t need to be there. They’re gorgeous, but you still have to pull the thing.
OMFG…25,000 Euros? Sorry, I can buy a much larger camper (big enough to actually take offspring and a dog…) and have money left over.

Gorgeous, but dude…the people who can drop 25K on this lovely little thing aren’t going to stay in a tent on wheels.

If I were young and single again, the bicycle trailer would ROCK for getting lost somewhere. Anywhere.
kettledog

The opera house.
Anonymous

Camper bike one million percent. There’s something handmade and warm about it. The other one is just another tedious and cold looking computer generated blip. Why does everything have to be white?

Wind? Just gear it real low.
- JonStewartMill
  
  > Wind? Just gear it real low.
  
  I’m picturing a guy on that bike, pedaling like he’s in the Tour de France, but the camper is barely moving.
Anonymous

The Camper Bike is cool, but I’m not looking forward to being stuck being it on Highway 1 when I go camping this spring.
JIMWICh

I’m more of an ‘It’s all good!” sorta person than either/or, so I like ‘em both!

The Opera is beautifully designed. Not only is the exterior graceful and whimsically reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House, but the detailing designed into the interior is nice, too.

The Camper Bike is just plain delightful and retrolicious.