steve dawe gives new life to piaggio ape scooter as tiny campervan

steve dawe may have built the world’s smallest campervan

Having already built a teardrop trailer, vehicle enthusiast Steve Dawe decided to put together his own tiny campervan, possibly one of the smallest ones out there. He opted for a Piaggio Ape MP600, restoring its scooter base, flatbed trike, and engine before fitting it with a custom-made and demountable pod that transforms the trike into a tiny but practical campervan.

‘graphics to let everyone know this really is a camper’, says Dawe

While the flatbed was sent away for sandblasting, Dawe (see more here) got to work on a disused sofa, re-upholstering it in olive green — hence the name of the camper van: ‘Olive, The Micro Camper’. He also added rollers on the legs of the sofa to move it in and out when needed. The sub-frame was painted in Hammerite black, while panels were coated in green Rustoleum. When all panels were dry, Dawe put the parts back together before proceeding with the mudguards and finer details. The inside of the track was painted in the same green color to give it a fresh new look. 

topping the trike with a fully-equipped, wooden camper pod 

The camper pod, meanwhile, is made out of plywood of different thicknesses. Dawe used 12.5mm ply to cover the side with the window cut out, 9mm for the side without window, and 6mm for the roof to keep it as lightweight as possible. The entire woodwork was then painted in two-part epoxy and sanded for a coat of cream paint to match the mudguards.

Layout-wise, a storage area was placed over the cab, while a tailgate and door were fitted at the back. The final Piaggio Ape Camper has its own self-contained 12v electrics, powered by a 170W solar panel, controller, and 110ah battery. The pod space includes a double bed, hot and cold running water, a three-burner hob, oven, mood lighting, downlighters for the kitchen area, TV, radio, and, of course, the 4-seater sofa. During nice weather, the tailgate can open, enabling the kitchen to be put on legs and taken outside where Dawe can cook.

the camper has self contained 12v electrics, powered by a 170W solar panel, controller, and 110ah battery

Piaggio Ape MP600 Flatbed Trike renovated before making the demountable camper pod

interior before soft furnishings were added

kitchen area with a tiny charcoal burner/water heater on the wall, to the left

double bed with the fridge on the right hand side at the top

project info:

name: Piaggio Ape Camper Project
design: Steve Dawe

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom