Camping Trailer Hupi for Ebikes: With Fun and Sunshine to Lapland

Sometimes fate forces our luck. How about an example? The Finn Urpo Merranmaa, called Upi, was given an ebike as a gift. Only he didn’t immediately know what exactly he wanted to do with it. Long trips into the vastness of his homeland are apparently right up his street, sleeping in a tent, on the other hand, apparently not. So he simply designed his own camping trailer.

This is how Upi sketches the story of the Hupi’s creation in his own words in a video. However, the undertaking was probably not a so simple one. After all, it is said that between 5,000 and 6,000 hours of development work went into the Hupi. Through several tests and prototypes, the developer is gradually approaching the final version. This September, he presented the third version at a caravan fair in Lahti. He himself says that it is ready for the market.

Designer Urpo “Upi” Merranmaa would like to take his Hupi to Lapland one day.

Living room, bedroom, kitchen – it’s all there

If market readiness can be judged by the comfort offered, then the trailer definitely seems ready for sale. In the cabin with an interior length of 195 centimetres, a width of 95 centimetres and a height of 125 centimetres, the designer has accommodated a number of conveniences. For example, you can get a refreshment from the mini fridge and make yourself comfortable on the bed, which has been shortened to a crawl space. To do this, you can start your favourite TV series on your laptop, place it on the folding table hidden under the other end of the bed and grab something to nibble on from the wall cupboard. The electricity for the entertainment programme has been collected over the course of the day by solar panels mounted on the roof and used to charge a 20-ampere-hour battery that is virtually slumbering in the bed box.

OK, in this scenario we are drawing on the full range of accessories available for the Hupi. But the very fact that this could be implemented in exactly the same way is remarkable. Instead of your own laptop, you could also run a built-in TV – but we don’t want to exaggerate 😉

As long as you feel comfortable enough to be your own company. Because it’s hard to find room for more adult guests in the Hupi. The mattress is hardly likely to be wider than 90 centimetres. And if you’re more than two metres tall, you’ll make unwanted acquaintance with the inner walls even when the bed is folded out.

The adventure can begin

Basically, the Hupi itself is suitable for extended travel adventures. It should be, too, if Upi wants to ride it to Lapland, as announced. The body combines painted 0.5 millimetre thick aluminium with a 20 millimetre thick plastic panel that thermally insulates the interior. The finishing touch is a special furniture foil. At the moment, all of this is still being done completely by hand. With growing popularity and increasing order numbers, Upi Merranmaa could use the production facilities of a friendly local company in Lahti.

Large-format rear lights at the rear of the trailer and side turn signals ensure sufficient safety while riding. The trailer can be connected to the bicycle via a simple, but quite solid-looking metal construction. The counterpart to the hitch is attached to the seat post on the bicycle. This probably excludes ebikes for use with the Hupi that have a dropper or suspension seat post.

The hitch for the camping trailer still appears to be a bit of a prototype.

What is currently missing are separate brakes directly on the trailer. The trailer’s 78 kilograms in the standard version should not be ignored. Especially not while going downhill. According to our information, Upi and his colleagues are working on the issue.

When the trailer is not being moved, it should stand very securely. In the pictures, at least the four extendable stands at the respective corners of the Hupi give us enough confidence.

A stand stabilises the camping trailer at each of the four corners.

Help from the neighbourhood

While Upi is in charge of everything concerning development, construction and production, a friendly company mentioned earlier helps him with marketing. It has the for us unpronounceable name Hyötyajoneuvokeskus. Also based in Lahti, it is dedicated, among other things, to converting vans into campers. No wonder, then, that they share the enthusiasm for each other’s projects. Depending on the interest the Hupi encounters in the coming months and years, this partnership could also become even closer.

One will definitely have his fun by then – regardless of how the trailer fares in the future. We’re talking about Upi, who now knows exactly what he’s going to do with his ebike. Fun is guaranteed. After all, that’s exactly what Hupi means in Finnish: fun.

Overview of the Hupi camping trailer for ebikes:

• Weight: 78 kg
• Length outside: 200 cm
• Length inside: 195 cm
• Width outside: 106 cm
• Width inside: 95 cm
• Height from floor: 150 cm
• Height inside: 125 cm
• Price: from 5,990 euros
• Optional accessories: various solar kits, inverter, lithium-ion battery, refrigerator, interior lighting, wall cupboard, curtains, etc.

Hupi told us that their caravans start at 5990 Euros, delivery excluded. They can chat in English, here: https://hyotyajoneuvokeskus.com/hupi/

Pictures: Virpi Miettinen; Alex Almen; Suomen Hyötyajoneuvokeskus