Haaks Opperland Looks Like a Camper, Acts Like a Tiny House

Introduced as a concept in 2018 and officially unveiled one year later, Opperland is the kind of motorhome that stands out for blurring the lines between camper and tiny home. Technically, it’s the former but, thanks to two pairs of adjustable hydraulic legs, it can also serve as the former. If you’re willing to invest more into it, it can even work as a permanent residence.

Haaks was founded in 2017 by Jules Luijpen and partner Pim Gijsbers, as a means to address the need for something different in terms of camping. Since not everyone is a fan of roughing it up in a tent, they decided to deliver something that would be like the best of both worlds, offering real connection with nature without sacrificing creature comforts. Today, we call this glamping.

“We felt that camping could be made different,” Luijpen was telling Dwell in an older interview. “A camper should feel like nature – not like a plastic box.”

“Not like a plastic box” also solved another problem, that of making a product that was sustainable and eco-friendly. You can’t claim to want to connect with Mother Nature if your carbon footprint is slowly but surely killing her, right?

Opperland is a wooden camper that sits on the back of a Fiat Ducato. The camper is made of precision-milled Accoya wood with thick insulation and double-glazed windows, which means it’s suitable for all seasons and is guaranteed to last at least 25 years. You’ll want to remember this part for when we get to pricing.

You can use Opperland either on the back of the Ducato or plop it someplace else, on the ground. To do that, you deploy the four hydraulic legs (which also allow you to level the tiny home out so that it doesn’t sit at an angle because the ground is not level) and drive away the Ducato. Open the tailgate of the camper, and you’ve got yourself a tiny home that erases the boundary between indoor and outdoor, as well as a functional vehicle you can put to use for chores.

Though compact during transportation, Opperland has a folding roof, which hides the bedroom. “Bedroom” could be a bit of a stretch, since it’s basically a space with a queen-size mattress and a small window, but it’s more than enough to get a comfortable night’s sleep.

At the same time, this two-story configuration allows for more space below. Here, you find a small kitchenette, which comes equipped with an induction cooktop, a small fridge, and a sink, as well as space for cooking. At the opposite end is the dining area with some storage space; if need be, the couch here can sleep another person, for a total of three. Open the tailgate at mealtimes, and you get a novel take on the idea of al fresco dining.

At the end of the cooking block is a wooden stair to the bedroom and, on the opposite side, a small bathroom with a toilet and a shower.

According to Haaks, the Opperland can be fitted with solar panels that would allow running all appliances for two full days even when parked under cloudy skies. The camper also comes with a cooling and heating system, energy-efficient LED lighting, water heater, fresh and waste water tanks, and inverter.

That said, Haaks is open to the idea of further customizing the basic layout, so a future owner with a bigger budget can get it done according to his or her needs. This includes adding more tech and more plush finishes.

The Opperland can be bought with or without the Ducato it sits on for transportation. Those who choose the latter version will get the Ducato 3.5T chassis with the 2.3-liter Multijet diesel engine delivering 146 hp through a six-speed manual transmission, as well as a 5-inch touchscreen Uconnect infotainment system and rear air suspension.

And now for the part where reality hits. Haaks says Opperland delivers absolute freedom and, while this might be true, it does come at a very steep price. The camper plus Ducato combo is €98,500 ($122,000) before VAT, or €64,000 ($79,000) if you get your own flatbed truck. You’re looking at €130,000 ($160,400) with VAT for the entire package, which, let’s be honest, is a lot.