Full disclosure: I am tall. At six-feet-four-inches, I've spent my entire adult life (seeing the world through the lens of someone who literally, not figuratively, looks down on most people — seeing short doorways and low-hanging branches as obstacles, dreading encounters with airplane seats, and finding many motor vehicles to be a touch less comfortable than the average Joe Six-Foot. Camper vans that are big enough for the vast majority of folks just don't quick hack it for someone of my lankiness.
If you're unlike me, however, and happen to be of the shorter persuasion, then this adorable little camper from South Korea could be exactly the vehicle of your dreams.
The Ravy, as it's called, is a product of Korean company Daon (credit to New Atlas for surfacing this l'il rig). If it looks familiar, that's because it's based on a Kia, but not one you've likely ever seen; the Ravy is built on the Kia Ray, a smaller cousin of the Kia Soul we have here in the United States. Believe it or not, it's actually two whole feet shorter than the compact Soul. (It does have a sliding door on one side, however, thus technically making it a van.)
Yet, in spite of its diminutive size, the Ravy packs a bed and a kitchen into its cabin. The folding mattress takes up basically the entire cabin when deployed, stretching from dash to trunk lid; doing so allows Daon to insert a mattress that's about as long and several inches wider than an extra-long twin. The bed also folds up into a chaise, enabling owners to turn the bedroom into a living room, as well.
Further boosting the Ravy's usability: the micro-kitchen located beneath the bed. Accessible when the rear hatch is open, the kitchenette packs a sink and a drawer that can hold a camp stove and other cooking accoutrements.
Oh, and that pop-up roof isn't just to add headroom when you're inside; as in most pop-top camper vans, it doubles as additional sleeping space. A second, roughly twin-sized mattress can be folded down from the roof to provide room for a second sleeper (or a couple, in theory, if they were really small).
All this capability can be yours for around $22,000 in U.S. dollars, should you happen to live in South Korea. Bringing it Stateside, sadly, isn't an option. Still, it might just inspire somebody out there to try something similar with a Kia Soul...and if nothing else, we can look forward to importing them here come 2045.
