Klapkot didn't start as a grand entrepreneurial plan, but simply with a practical question: can't this be done better? Founder and architect Christel talks about the origins of Klapkot, the design choices, and why a fold-out home on wheels is so fitting for the current times.
The first Klapkot that was designed and made is 8 years old, the current company form is over five years old, and Klapkot.nl is approaching 100 Klapkotten made.
“It actually started very simply. With my mother's caravan,” says Christel. “It was forty years old and just finished. We like to go to Zeeland at the weekends and the caravan was there with a awning. But especially in the early season it could be quite cold. The caravan was small and the awning really felt like a cold tent then.”
The search for a new caravan generated little enthusiasm.
“We looked around, but didn't really find anything that suited us. Many caravans felt traditional and not very well designed. Then we thought: perhaps we should come up with something ourselves. Something with the space of a porch, but warm, solid and on one floor.”
This gave rise to the initial idea for Klapkot: a mobile home that is compact when on the move, but unfolds at its destination into a spacious place to stay.
“My role was mainly in the design itself,” says Christel. “The layout, the exterior, the question: what needs to go where and what feels logical? Bart worked out the technical details further. Together we looked at how it should work, how big it could be and what was technically feasible.”
As an architect, Christel didn't think in terms of a standard caravan from the outset, but in terms of space.
“Essentially, you're redefining the concept of a caravan. You're looking at: how can you fit everything you need into a limited space? And how do you ensure it doesn't feel like you're trapped?”
“It's so ingrained in me that I sometimes find it difficult to name things separately,” says Christel. “I've been an architect since 1994 and have worked extensively in residential construction. New builds, renovations, sustainability projects, and complete makeovers. Often in the higher end of the market.”
That experience is reflected in Klapkot. Not just in how it looks, but especially in how the space works.
“The caravan industry is quite traditional. I wanted to create something modern. A design that makes better use of space, but is also more beautiful and calmer. Not cramming everything in, but ensuring it's right.”
In the initial designs, for example, there was still a higher sleeping area, with space underneath for bicycles and belongings. But that changed over time.
“Our customers specifically wanted to sleep on the ground floor. Not climbing a little ladder into bed. You learn these kinds of things along the way. The design evolves with what people truly need.”
“The rounded corners,” says Christel without a second thought. “They were in the design early on. First mainly on the outside, then inside as well.”
The curves are not purely decorative details. They make the whole thing softer and more recognisable.
“Ultimately, it's quite a large volume. If you make everything straight and angular, it quickly becomes a block. Those rounded corners take the harshness out of that. And it's nice that they're now coming back on the inside too, for example in the walls of the alcove bed.”
Not everything from the initial designs has remained. For instance, the very first Klapkot had cladding that incorporated the website's barcode.
“When you scanned that, it really took you to the website,” Christel laughs. “I’m still sad that that’s gone. But some ideas are just too expensive or too complicated to produce. It’s always a trade-off between what you’d like to do and what’s ultimately practical to make.”
“In a small space, you actually have everything you need,” says Christel. “That suits the times. People are looking for freedom, but also simplicity. A place that's no bigger than necessary, but feels pleasant.”
This is why contact with the outside is so important in the design.
“We use a lot of glass. You can look out from various spots. That's deliberate. A Klapkot is often situated in a beautiful location, in nature or somewhere special. You don't want to be inside feeling like you're trapped. You want to be able to look out.”
According to Christel, that's a significant difference compared to many compact accommodations.
“It’s not just about how many square metres you have. It’s about how that space feels.”
“Honestly, that's the least enjoyable part,” says Christel. “But it’s part and parcel of it.”
Especially the difference between municipalities sometimes makes it complicated.
“You’d wish there was clear national policy, but that’s not the case. What’s possible in one place can suddenly be difficult somewhere else. As an entrepreneur and as a designer, you have to deal with that flexibly.”
The flexibility has also led to a significant development: the possibility of having Klapkot approved as a caravan.
“We had to review the entire design for this. It might seem like small margins, but every centimetre counts in a compact product. Ultimately, we adjusted all the drawings so that our models can fit within the requirements.”
The aim of that is clear.
“It's not necessary everywhere, but if it is, it can be. That gives customers more options.”
“At the moment, we sell most Klapkotten to holiday parks and leisure entrepreneurs,” explains Christel. “For them, it’s often a clear investment. They look at: what can I do with it, what does it generate, and how does it fit within my park?”
But she also sees many possibilities for private individuals.
“For example, a child who temporarily wants to live nearby or an additional (guest) dwelling on their own property. Opportunities are also seen on farms, where a farmyard takes on a partial tourist function.”
However, Christel notices that private clients often seek more certainty.
“That stands to reason. It's a considerable investment. People want to know: is this allowed in my location? And then they sometimes get stuck at the council, because the product isn't always well understood yet.”
According to Christel, there is still a lot of untapped potential there.
“A ”Klapkot' is movable. That makes it different from a permanent dwelling. But because you can connect it to water or sewage, people sometimes immediately think it's permanent. Whereas a caravan can also be connected and drive away the next day.”
Christel sees Klapkot not only as a product, but also as a way of looking at space differently.
“I think that the private market is going to get bigger in the long run. The need is there. For flexible living, temporary stays, recreation or simply a private space that doesn't have to be a permanent home.”
She also sees opportunities from a social perspective.
“In case of a housing shortage or temporary accommodation, a product like Klapkot could be of interest. Perhaps not always in the same luxurious version as now, but the principle is sound: quickly installable, movable, and yet a pleasant place to live.”
And her dream?
“I think it would be great if you could configure your own Klapkot online. A bit like with Tesla or IKEA. You choose the exterior, the flooring, the layout, a little cabinet here or there. And you immediately see in 3D what it looks like and what it costs.”
According to Christel, it won't be possible to do without a showroom at all.
“Of course, you also want to be able to see and feel a Klapkot in real life. But the idea that you can assemble it yourself step by step fits very well with where we are heading.”
“That you have freedom without sacrificing a sense of space. That you can be somewhere, in the middle of the outdoors, yet still have a place that feels right. Warm, intelligently laid out and beautifully made.”
And perhaps that's where it all began: an old caravan, cold weekends in Zeeland, and the question of whether things could be different.
“That's still the idea,” says Christel. “Klapkot gives you the freedom to move, but once it's unfolded, you truly have a home.”
