You're Not Ready For Just How Small The Smallest RV Is

Those who are in the market for a new RV typically debate whether to get one that's driven by gas or diesel. But that's not Jeff and Chris Dangie at the Dangie Bros YouTube channel. They decided their RV should be pedal-powered, having been inspired by a man in Japan who built campers fitted on the backs of bicycles. But he built them as pieces of art; the Dangie brothers wanted a fully-functioning bike-driven RV.

So, they slapped together some plywood and metal siding to build a tiny RV that sat on top of a modified tricycle frame. It was just under nine feet tall and weighed 500 pounds. It had a sink, a stove, electricity, a bed, and a cozy seating area. It makes those tiny Japanese kei campers look huge by comparison. What more could you want from an RV besides, you know, an engine?

Jeff and Chris built their tiny RV with the goal of taking it 100 miles in two days, which is how long they had promised their wives they would be away. Their planned route would have taken them to the beach and up the California coast. They didn't quite make it all the way, though — not even close. The boys seemed to have under-estimated how much energy it would take to pedal a 500-pound RV over a long distance, but they looked like they had a lot of fun in the attempt.

The boys would get off to a rough start, with Jeff crashing the bike twice in just the first three-and-a-half miles. They had to negotiate some pretty tight spots at times, choosing to take to the sidewalk when the road seemed too busy. You have to wonder why they didn't foresee certain difficulties, though — everyone with experience riding a bike knows it gets harder when you go uphill. Now imagine you're hauling a 500-pound RV on the back of it, not to mention the additional weight of a full-grown man riding inside. Needless to say, hills and even slight inclines were extremely difficult, requiring the "passenger" to get out and push.

The first planned stop on their itinerary would be the drive-through at Starbucks, where they were supposed to get breakfast. Unfortunately, they didn't even make it there until 3:00 in the afternoon. They would press on after that, but at the end of seven grueling hours, they had gone just six miles. They soldiered on for a little over another mile before pulling into a residential neighborhood to rest for the night.

They wouldn't be able to rest for long, though, as they would end up getting a visit from the local law enforcement. Unfortunately for the brothers, they were told by the police they would have to move along. So, they ended up traveling another three miles to do what a lot of RVers do: stay at Walmart for the night.

The brothers had pedaled just over ten miles that first day. They decided the next day to switch to a more modest goal of at least making it to the beach. They also bought a second bike, which they tied to the front of the RV to help pull it. That worked for a while until they met headwinds. They didn't make it to the beach, but they did end up going above 13 miles during that second day. In total, they racked up over 23 miles for the trip, which they chalked up as an amazing adventure.

But Jeff and Chris weren't done. Five months later they would attempt the trip again, but this time, the RV would have to be heavily modded. And by "modded," we mean it was rebuilt from the wheels up. They re-welded the frame to redistribute the weight and tore down the plywood and siding and put up a proper modern camper, complete with an RV-style door and windows.

Most importantly, they added a battery to the setup, making the tricycle into an honest-to-goodness e-bike. They went much further this time, even making it to the beach and traveling up the coast. They had to bypass part of their planned route due to unsafe conditions, but the Dangie brothers made it all the way to Santa Monica pier, their intended destination, for a total of 85 miles. They weren't the only ones to try a stunt like this; another YouTuber built an e-bike camper that can ride abandoned railroad tracks.