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The INCREDIBLE Motorhome That DETACHES From Itself!


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The Fieldsleeper is a unique motorhome designed by a company named Tonke. I found out about these gorgeous campers thanks to the famous Lloyd Kahn over at his blog. By the way, Lloyd’s recently released his latest book, Tiny Homes: Simple Shelters, that you can order now through Amazon.

But anyway you’re here to see the Tonke Fieldsleeper 1 Camper because it’s that AMAZING motorhome that DETACHES from itself. Pretty smart concept! And the exterior has a very yacht-like style. It’s very cool! If you like mahogany and gloss, you’ll LOVE this…

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Tonke’s Fieldsleeper Detachable Motorhome Tiny House / Caravan

Tonke Big Blue Fieldsleeper Detachable Motorhome slash Camper from HollandPhotos Courtesy of Tonke Campers

If you want you can check out the rest of the pictures and watch a video of how it works:

This tiny house functions easily as a motorhome when it’s attached to the flat-bed van.

Tonke Big Blue Fieldsleeper Detachable Motorhome slash Camper from Holland

But it’s built to high quality standards with wood. It may remind you of a yacht or sailboat in some ways.

Tonke Big Blue Fieldsleeper Detachable Motorhome slash Camper from Holland

Inside, it’s just as nice as you’d imagine.

Tonke Big Blue Fieldsleeper Detachable Motorhome slash Camper from Holland

Everything is spotless and perfectly built.

Tonke Big Blue Fieldsleeper Detachable Motorhome slash Camper from Holland

It isn’t called the Fieldsleeper for nothing, it features a comfortable sleeping space.

Tonke Big Blue Fieldsleeper Detachable Motorhome slash Camper from Holland

Wake up in comfort, and if you need to, you can move!

Tonke Big Blue Fieldsleeper Detachable Motorhome slash Camper from Holland

That’s the beauty of a camper/motorized tiny house with a detach function like this! Incredible!

Tonke Big Blue Fieldsleeper Detachable Motorhome slash Camper from Holland

 

Tonke’s Fieldsleeper is a Detachable Motorhome. See?

Tonke Big Blue Fieldsleeper Detachable Motorhome slash Camper from Holland

So if you wanted, you could easily park your tiny house, and use your vehicle for utility.

Tonke Big Blue Fieldsleeper Detachable Motorhome slash Camper from Holland

You can unload the camper from the vehicle in about 10 minutes so you can drive around without your entire house.

But what if you aren’t camping? Then you can park the detachable tiny house in the backyard and use it as a…

  • Guesthouse
  • Workplace
  • Bed and breakfast
  • Mother in law suite

The hydraulic lifting system can lower the home until it’s only 4 inches from the ground. If you wanted you can also have wheels installed so you can move about on a paved surface or roll it into a garage for storage.

This particular model (Fieldsleeper I) offers sleeping space for up to 3 people and includes enough space to store bicycles, furniture, and possibly even a scooter.

(http://www.tonkecampers.nl/en/travel/campers/fieldsleeper_1)

Video of How it Works

Length: 2:18

Tonke Camper Story

The company was founded by Maarten van Soest in 2005.

Every sunset he would tow the gypsy cart with a four-wheel drive vehicle up the hilltops to watch the wildlife and sunset.

Then his wife gave birth to their first child, Tonke, and he created the first Tonke Camper.

It was a safe and modern truck combined with a sailing-yacht-like interior along with the exterior of a gypsy cart.

Later he sold the first one to a well-known comedian and began the construction of his second one. And that’s how Tonke Campers began.

(http://www.tonkecampers.nl/en/travel/company)

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 37 comments… add one }
  • Kat
    January 11, 2012, 2:56 pm

    This is so totally awesome!! I thought, when you said “dark woods and mahogany” that it was going to be dark. But the use of color is wonderful ~ making it look sunny and bright! I wish that something like this was made in the States….. I don’t think I can afford to have one brought over from Holland.

    • January 11, 2012, 7:20 pm

      I wish it were more widely available, too, Kat. Certainly is beautiful. Thanks for checking it out and glad you liked it.

    • jerryd
      November 17, 2013, 4:07 pm

      This is exactly how I build my movable TH’s, older boat style, varnished clear mostly. My EV’s are built the same way too which freaks people out a wooden MC or 3wh Subcar driving down the road.

      In fact my next one will be just this style only build better so it floats too as a nice houseboat. Likely it’s be it’s own trailer too with removable wheels/suspension and trailer tongue bolted to the bow.

      On varnished, clear coated wood on the outside you need to keep it under a cover of the sun will eat it every yr. But in summer a good canopy with be well worth it for cooler, drier living.

      After it gets too much just paint it the color/s of your choice.

      Though I’d do a different interior sticking to traditional boat layouts for myself but any kind can be done. I’d go twin couch/berths, kitchen on one side, desk/storage, etc on the other and head forward center or side.

  • cj
    January 11, 2012, 5:12 pm

    Looks as if a gypsy wagon got a makeover from Ikea. I love the warmth of the wood and the sheer practicality of the design.

    • January 11, 2012, 7:20 pm

      Haha, yeah, I can see that too CJ. They did a great job. They have a few more designs you can check out at their site too. I love how easy it is to remove it so you can drive around, etc, use the vehicle.

  • Danielle
    January 11, 2012, 7:15 pm

    LOVE IT!

    • January 11, 2012, 7:21 pm

      Me too, glad you enjoyed it, hehe 😀

  • Rob
    January 11, 2012, 8:27 pm

    There are just soooooooo many reasons this is a good idea!

    • January 12, 2012, 9:47 am

      Agreed! Rob- I like your photography. Am slightly envious of your adventures, hehe. 😀

      • Rob
        January 12, 2012, 8:50 pm

        Thanks Alex.My tiny house goes where I go. Keep up the good work.

  • jim sadler
    January 11, 2012, 8:50 pm

    That is a first class tiny home but I fear it is for the rich. In my area maintaining that wonderful interior wood would be expensive and very difficult. Also many of us can not count on much security when we are not “at home”. I like windows that would forbid a burglar access by their size. And I want doors that don’t surrender easily to a sledge hammer or axe. Also through the roof straps for tie downs are the only way to go here as hurricanes are common. I would need to trade some of that nice and pretty towards something built to not need maintenance and was more secure.
    The area in which the home will be used must direct its nature. In much of America we need a lot more security than in many nations in Europe.

    • January 12, 2012, 9:52 am

      Yep- this has got to be quite pricey but still way less $ than the average American home. I understand it would need maintenance but at least it’s not more than 150 or so square feet so it can’t be that bad. A yacht has to be worse! You make good points on security.. Wish people didn’t have to worry about that so much. I can see that being an issue if you’re all alone in the woods but in a little community where someone is always home I’d visualize it being pretty safe, and the least of a burglar’s attempts if it’s around any larger homes. Bigger homes have more valuables, right? But I def see what you mean. Thanks for your comment Jim!

  • Jürg Hölzle
    January 11, 2012, 9:27 pm

    Very nice and beautiful camper concept!

    • January 12, 2012, 9:49 am

      Isn’t it? Glad you liked it, Jürg!

  • robert
    January 12, 2012, 10:19 am

    That is some of the best craftsmanship I have ever seen. If you used the right materials, the up keep would not be that bad. everyway you look at it, a mobile life style is cheaper than owning land with a house. No property taxes, or insurance etc. etc.

    • January 13, 2012, 9:14 am

      Thanks Robert. I agree, I think whatever maintenance would be worth it as it’s not that big anyway. It’d actually feel great to put some love into it since it’s so beautiful.

  • Jay Shafer
    January 13, 2012, 2:14 am

    I like!

    • January 13, 2012, 9:14 am

      Me likey, too! Thanks, Jay!

  • sesameB
    January 13, 2012, 12:18 pm

    Excellent. ohhhhh, I want one a Tonke Camper. Happy and safe 2012 and beyond to all of you from rural Arkansas.
    I would certainly take my tonke camper to Queen Wilhelmina State Park in the Ouachita Mountains atop 2,681-foot Rich Mountain, Arkansas’s second highest mountain, home to the Arkansas Native Plant and Wildlife Center, if I had one!
    Keep up the great work you are doing Alex!!!

  • LaMar
    August 15, 2013, 3:37 pm

    Nice woodwork and good interior layout!

    The jack idea is interesting and would make getting the house off the trailer easier but I question how much weight those jacks would hold. The camper also does not appear to be insulated for year round use.

    I designed an 8×16 fully insulated that can be put on a trailer or slid off onto a foundation so people can travel and live in it until they find some land or pull it off the trailer and use it for a guest house and with a shed roof design you could put two of them side by side for a 16×16 house.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONryh0E9eWE

    LaMar

  • Jason
    August 15, 2013, 9:24 pm

    I’m wondering how he can precisely drive the truck back to move it… there seems to be much less tolerance for the ball.

  • Bill Burgess
    November 17, 2013, 1:11 pm

    Went to the site with real interest to see what is available but I too was not able to get any pictures. Any Ideas what is stopping the process? I liked this the first time I saw it last year and feel it would be a natural in this country for one of the Vardo builders to copy some of the big plus Ideas. Having an 8.5′ floor makes a major difference in what you can achieve.

  • Phyllis
    November 18, 2013, 12:34 am

    The model featured costs €102.691 ($138,489.08 US) with the truck, €68.734 ($92,694.67) without. I don’t care how nice the woodwork is, it doesn’t look sturdy and it weighs 1130 kilos (almost 2500 lbs.). Interior space is approx 14’10” long, 6’9″ wide with a height of 6’3″. The square footage is just about 100. From the Census bureau: “The average price per square foot for new single-family homes sold was $86.30. Regionally, the Northeast had the highest average price at $122.60 per square foot.”
    The Fieldsleeper: comes in right around $927 per sq ft.

    • Alex Pino
      November 18, 2013, 8:49 am

      Thanks for that research Phyllis. Wow, it’s pricey. Like NYC pricey!

    • Judith M Loebel
      November 2, 2019, 6:22 pm

      It’s very pretty but it does have drawbacks as some have mentioned. Maintaining the beautiful wood- yeah after you got tired of doing that you COULD paint it, but isn’t the wood part of the reason you paid almost $1000 (2012!) DOLLARS A SQUARE FOOT? And think this thru– if you used this as a camper even in a Nat Park (US) at say $30 a night, a month would run you $900+. Three months and you have paid out more than I am paying in Taxopolis NEW YORK for 1 acre and a roughly $100,000 sticks and bricks. Thats JUST in property taxes. So be aware- nothing is *free*. If you pay rent on land, someone is paying the taxes. And if you love the look of the wood, look into an older FORETRAVEL. RV. Our 1993 is hand built of English walnut, has tons of storage, if you look you can find the model with the built in dining table instead of the annoying booths– we have slept 5 + pets for months at a time, spin the front driving/pass seats around, use a piece of plywood (covered in a movers blanket) and a foldable exercise mat for a bed with stowage underneath, and an inflateable for the other kid, plus a fold out couch. Since these were all super premium and one of a kind builds they are really well made, corian counters, 4 burner stoves, real ovens, full bath, built in vac’s— we paid under $15k for ours, and have had to do a few minor fixers, over the years and thousands and thousands of miles. Buy a small car to tow, prob spend less than a quarter of what this costs for more room and a better design for real life.

  • Robert Olson
    May 25, 2015, 11:46 am

    Excellent!

  • Robert Olson
    May 25, 2015, 11:54 am

    Yes its pricey. But an RV of any kind will be more pricey per square foot than site built Real Estate. I think when we compare a tiny house on wheels or RV camper to a house, we are comparing two different animals. Always a nice camper will be more pricey per square foot. But its a camper, and should be compared with other campers. Even at that its high priced. But I like it for what it is and designed to do.

  • Danielle T.
    May 25, 2015, 5:41 pm

    Really like this, do they have any power going on inside?

  • cnvgz.org
    November 14, 2017, 2:11 pm

    The mountains boast incredible views, and a fantastic variety of flora
    and fauna to explore, and that’s protected from the Vitosha National Park.

    If you really feel slightly adventurous or if you would like to bring awe-inspiring pictures from the state, then you definitely comes to Karlebo.
    Bald Mountain attracts experienced skiers from worldwide, as well like a decent
    share of celebrity and well-to-do travelers as
    well.

  • Lisa Cate
    November 13, 2019, 10:13 am

    ❤ Love this beautifully built camper. Logistics of getting it to me might be a problem but if I had one of those nearby I’d want to buy it for sure! Waking up in that would be awesome!

  • Theresa Perdue
    March 2, 2020, 11:15 am

    Finally! Perfection!!!

  • Dick
    March 18, 2020, 5:19 pm

    The jacks remind me of a neighbor’s pickup camper in the mid 1960s. They could jack up the camper and drive the truck away.

    I do like this one. The only thing missing is a bathroom. As I recall, my neighbors’ camper had a closet space you could put a 60s version of a composting toilet in.

  • Richard Lynn Herrington
    March 12, 2021, 4:47 pm

    I would rather go with a tandem wheel camping trailer that I could hitch up and tow anywhere in a moments notice.

  • Maria Kentala
    March 13, 2021, 7:43 am

    Perfect! I wish the US companies would build these!

    • James D.
      March 13, 2021, 2:12 pm

      They do, just a niche market as it’s far more common to get a truck camper that fits on a pickup truck rather than flatbed and the custom price range tends to be too high for most…

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