When closed it occupies a space of 120 × 130 centimeters in the trunk. Then it opens, slides beyond the rear door and takes part of the bed out of the van, creating a sleeping surface 210 centimeters long and up to 160 wide. All this, according to the manufacturer, in less than ten minutes and without tools. It’s called Happy Dreamer and it looks a lot like a large drawer which, once pulled out, decides to become a bedroom.
It is produced by the German Ebicos, a small company that makes its modules in Rothenburg, Saxony. The idea is quite simple: use the rear door to gain space when parking, leaving the van usable as a normal vehicle when the module is removed. No second home on four wheels to park for eleven months of the year. Here the camper, at least in the manual version, is dismantled and returned to the garage.
A bed for two that comes out of the trunk
The Happy Dreamer weighs approximately 60 kg, including mattress and base. When folded it measures just 28 centimeters in height; once opened it offers a variable sleeping surface, depending on the vehicle, between 190 and 210 centimeters in length and between 100 and 160 centimeters in width.
Under the 8cm mattress there is a fiberglass slatted base. The walls are made of polypropylene honeycomb panels and the floor with an aluminum honeycomb panel, solutions chosen above all to contain the weight of the structure. In practice, instead of creating the bed inside the van by fitting it between seats, luggage and bags, part of the sleeping area is pushed out of the vehicle. The trunk thus stops having to act as a bedroom, wardrobe and advanced game of Tetris at the same time.
The manufacturer indicates an assembly time of less than ten minutes and specifies that the manual model can be inserted and removed without tools. Once removed, it returns to occupy its 120 × 130 × 28 centimeters and can be stored in the garage, cellar or storage room.
From the Kangoo to the Transporter, there are already many compatible vans
@ebicos.de
Ebicos declares compatibility with over twenty van and multispace models. The list includes, among others, Volkswagen T4, T5, T6, T7 and Caddy, Mercedes Vito and V-Class, Ford Transit and Tourneo Custom, Citroën Berlingo and Jumpy, Peugeot Partner and Expert, Toyota Proace and Renault Kangoo and Trafic.
For those who use the same vehicle during the week, the advantage lies above all here. The manual module remains removable: once the journey is over, the bed comes out of the vehicle and the load compartment is available again. Ebicos also claims that the standard installation requires no bodywork drilling. However, compatibility must be checked on the individual version of the vehicle before purchasing, because dimensions and configurations change even within the same model.
On the bad weather front there is a detail to keep in mind. The manufacturer describes the system as usable in various weather conditions, but indicates a specific optional sealing kit for protection from rain, wind and snow. So it’s best to check what’s actually included in the configuration you ordered before planning a night in a storm.
It costs 6,250 euros, and there is also the electric version
The space gained has a rather concrete price. The standard Happy Dreamer model costs 6,250 euros, including VAT and excluding shipping. Ebicos also offers a Happy Dreamer Basic for 5,250 euros: same sleeping surface and same mattress, with simpler finishes, without painting and internal felt lining. For both the declared guarantee is three years.
Then there’s the Happy Dreamer Electric, which brings the idea a little closer to the actual camper. The module opens and closes electrically by pressing a button, but loses one of the most interesting features of the manual version: it remains permanently installed on the vehicle. The price starts from 9,990 euros and varies based on the model and the equipment required.
It therefore remains a very specific solution. Inside, the kitchen, shower, bathroom or anything that really transforms a vehicle into a small traveling home does not magically appear. Above all there is a large bed, protected and raised from the ground, created without definitively sacrificing the van.
At 6,250 euros it’s not exactly a mattress thrown in the trunk. But he doesn’t even pretend to be: his job consists in making two meters of bed appear where, a few minutes before, there was an open door. And then make them disappear again.
