Man Turns Political Campaign Signs Into Awesome Camper for His Bike

Petr Svab
4/9/2016
Updated:
10/5/2018

If the idea of nomadic life strikes a chord with you, Paul Elkins may just have the thing you need---a camper that is light and compact enough that you can tow it with your bicycle, but still has all the amenities for catering to most campers’ needs and countering the elements. The best thing? It all costs around $150, as one of the main materials are old political campaign signs.

Elkins became interested in micro camping in 2002. He decided to tour the country and modified his pick-up truck into a “stealth camper.” Later he developed a “post-apocalyptic” bike camper. But it wasn’t really road-ready.

So he decided to reinvent the idea.

He used fluted plastic campaign signs tied together with zip ties to build the basic structure and then added a wooden frame with wheels, insulation, storage space, a sink, stove, windows, bed, LED lights, and even a stereo with an MP3 player. It all came together for about $150. And because it weights some 60 lbs, you can still manage to tow it with your bike, as Elkins demonstrates.

He thinks it may be a fun way to get around “for people who are adventurers and don’t mind pulling a little weight and taking their time traveling.”

You can order plans for the camper from his website for $20.