The following is a report from New Atlas.
We’ve come to expect the occasional bicycle camping trailer launch, and even the somewhat rarer integrated ebike motorhome. But Michigan startup Grounded has released something we weren’t expecting at all. Its all-new T1 micro-camper is a live-in e-trike-powered tractor-trailer complete with standing height interior, 360-degree window array, and bed, dining and kitchen space for two people. Grounded claims it as a world first, and we don’t intend to argue.
As you might recall, Grounded is the force behind one of the U.S. market’s most striking electric RVs. Its BrightDrop/GM-based G2 is a sort of Class B+ camper van with up to 250 miles (402 km) of range. A $200,000 two-person motorhome built into a somewhat raw delivery truck isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so Grounded is expanding with a much smaller, lower-priced electric camper option while it awaits the launch of additional electric van platforms in which to install its furnishings. And since its company concept is based around creating flexible camper modules readily scalable to a wide range of vehicles, dropping down to tricycle size isn’t as much of a stretch as it might sound.
Plus it’s no small tricycle. To create the T1, Grounded teamed up with fellow Detroit shop Civilized Cycles, using the company’s Semi-Trike as the base of its unique camping tandem. Much like it sounds, the Semi-Trike is a scaled-down urban delivery vehicle inspired by the semi-truck, with an electric tricycle serving as the tractor towing the single-axle trailer.
Once the Semi-Trike pulls into Grounded’s garage, the empty trailer becomes the foundation for the rectangular camper box measuring 120 inches (305 cm) long by 114 inches (290 cm) high to the top of the Starlink satellite dish on the roof. Its 48-in-wide interior looks rather narrow compared to the average camper, but it does boast a 6.7-foot-high (2-m) ceiling to provide full standing height for most adults. That height, coupled with the box’s right angles, doesn’t do much for aerodynamics, but it does create a more livable 280-cu-ft (8-cu-m) space in which to spend the night.
We had the chance to look over Grounded’s G2 camper van last month, and while the base van itself is rough around the edges, Grounded’s floor plan and equipment make the space as cozy and stylish as possible. The company looks to do the same inside the T1’s rough-around-the-edges trailer box, carving out a 360-degree panorama of windows complemented by a wide, breezy French door entry.
Despite its narrow build, the T1 is able to sleep two people on a full-width double bed that converts to a two-person dining area with L-shaped sofa. Camper #2 will have to pedal in on their own bike, however, as the T1’s recumbent cockpit only has one seat.
The wall opposite the bed houses a compact kitchenette that comes standard with an induction cooker, fridge and sink. Buyers who intend to pedal their camper far beyond any local infrastructure can also add an optional dry flush toilet and outdoor shower.