# Micro gypsy caravan pulled by bike



## xeperu (Jun 9, 2016)

Who wants to build something like this?
::cat::

http://tinyhousetalk.com/modern-bicycle-micro-gypsy-wagon/

*Micro Gypsy Wagon That You Can Tow by Bicycle*
on JULY 6, 2013

_Guest Post by Barry Howard Studio_

Three things have always been part of my life: art, travel and designing and building small living spaces that move.

I have converted school busses into two-story homes that featured wood cookstoves, lofts and stained glass windows.

I built a home in vans, VW busses, mini-vans, a VW bug, and a 24′ trimaran, and I have built several micro houses on flat bed utility trailers and a couple of them on the ground.

My current project is one I have had in my head for several years… It’s a gypsy caravan that can be pulled by a bicycle.







I decided to make it fold down for cruising as a bicycle trailer is pretty narrow and anything much above the level of the seat gets to be a bit too top heavy.






It’s about 12 square feet of floor space which is actually a bed. I wanted something I could carry art supplies in as well as a fair amount of finished paintings.






All storage is under the bed. Three removable panels under the sleeping pad, which folds, provide access to the art supplies, my clothes, and the galley.






The bed can also be converted to a sitting space with a small table which can be used for dining or computer work.






A table mounts on the side, as does the small sink, and the one burner camp stove sits on the table, which doubles as counter space for preparing meals.






About 80% of the materials I used are recycled and repurposed. The aluminum that makes up the chassis and framing for the port-side wall came from an old broken pop-up craft fair booth, as did most of the screws and bolts.






The hitch came off a church organ that I dismantled, the wheels from my folding bicycle, the rear stabilizing legs came from a camera tripod I cannibalized, and the fabrics and much of the wood came from my recently deceased mini van camper.






My next project will be a full size gypsy caravan which will be my permanent home. I will probably build it on a flat bed trailer around 10 or 12 feet long.






With the bicycle version I was very restricted by the weight factor and I would be able to include a lot of goodies on my next one that would be too heavy for this caravan.





















I am available for hire if anyone needs a gypsy caravan of their own. I do all of the design, building, decorative painting and stained glass myself. Anyone interested can call me at 530-355-1319 or email me at [email protected]. To see more of my work check out my Facebook page here.

Even more photos are available here. You can connect with Barry on Facebook here.


----------



## Haystack (Jun 10, 2016)

It looks pretty cool, but towing it around would get old real fast. I didn't catch how much it weighs in the article, but it sure does look HEAVY.


----------



## Crazy Squirrel (Jun 10, 2016)

Hmmm...yeah, the weight would definitely be a big factor, but I'm an artist too, and if I were going to stay in a small area rather then wanting to go all over the US and Canada, I could totally see myself getting one of these. Well, maybe I'll change my mind someday, so I bookmarked it. Thanks for the cool link!


----------



## Matt Derrick (Jun 10, 2016)

edited the OP to include the contents of the article. thanks for sharing!

if you wanted to do a super-cheap, lightweight version of this, take a look at this thread here:

https://squattheplanet.com/threads/150-bike-camper-diy-micro-mobile-home.27567/


----------

