TCM EXCLUSIVE: 2009 Four Wheel Kolibri |
| Gordon White | Friday, 13 March, 2009 | ||||||||||||
 What’s this? Another small pop-up camper debut? Yes indeed, and this time the new camper is smaller than small. It’s micro!
The Four Wheel Kolibri is literally designed for what Tom Hanagan, President of Four Wheel Campers, calls micro-trucks. What’s this new Kolibri all about and what’s a micro-truck? We spoke to Tom to get the skinny on the all-new Kolibri. TCM: Why is Four Wheel debuting what is probably the smallest truck camper on the planet? Tom: We were approached by Steve Flint Intermountain Mini Truck at a sportsman show last year with the prospect of building a camper for a micro-truck. Their impression was that it would be a very desireable product for guides, hunters, fishermen, ranchers, sportsmen, miners, and anyone who uses a micro-truck. TCM: What does Intermountain Mini Truck do? Tom: They are a full-service mini truck dealer who services, repairs, and maintains micro-trucks. They are also a fabricator that outfits and customizes micro-trucks. They sell a snowplow fitted micro-truck that’s pretty cool. It’s on their homepage. TCM: What exactly is a micro-truck? Tom: It is a style of truck that’s very common in most very part of the world except for America. Although exceptionally small, they have an excellent payload capacity, and are very agile in off road terrain in remote areas. The Four Wheel Kolibri is built for Mitsubishi Mini Cab and Suzuki Carry trucks. These trucks are totally off the truck camper radar right now. TCM: How long has the Kolibri been on the drawing table? Tom: It really became a focal point in the Fall. We arrived at the final concept in November and reformulated the camper a few times as we approached the build out. As we designed the initial concept, we realized that we could significantly improve the design. We redesigned the couch, kitchenette, and passenger side window. Our biggest challenge was designing a full-length bed that would fit into a five-foot wide camper. TCM: How did you accomplish that? Tom: What we’ve done is take a 78” x 32” section of ultra lightweight material, cut in half length-wise, and made a bi-fold fold-out bed. When not in use, the bed folds up towards the soft wall and latches into position. In transit, it folds down over the kitchenette and secures in a flat position. Folded out, it opens into a full-size 32” wide six-foot plus bed with an upholstered mattress. TCM: Where do the cushions go during transit and when the bed is folded towards the soft wall? Tom: The bed cushions are stored in the small cabover when you’re in the camper and not using the bed. In transit the cushions are stored on the couch. The couch also folds down into a bed. TCM: How big is the couch? Tom: Five feet, eight inches long. TCM: That’s a short bed. Tom: It’s perfect for a short guy like me (laughs). TCM: Oh boy. I’m not going there. Who designed the Kolibri? Tom: The Four Wheel team all worked on the camper, but I was the driving force. TCM: Did Intermountain Truck have any input during the design? Tom: Zero. They told us what they wanted initially and I said okay. They didn’t know how we were going to do it and frankly I didn’t either at first. TCM: Is there any function to the tiny cabover? Why have it at all? Tom: The body of the Kolibri is only 70 inches long. That’s less than six-feet and we needed a full-length bed in the camper. The small cabover makes a full-size bed possible. The cabover is also useful for storage when the camper is in use. TCM: Were there any challenges during production or was this a relatively straight-forward camper to design and build? Tom: The challenge was making it all fit and to design the overhead fold-down bed. There were a lot of fit issues, but once they were resolved it was a straight-forward build. TCM: What comes standard? Tom: Standard features on the Kolibri include a sink, twelve-gallon water tank, two-burner propane stove, propane bottle compartment with regulator, storage in the kitchen cabinetry, a couch that converts into a bed with a storage locker underneath, overhead full-size bed, ceiling lights, the classic Four Wheel pop-up roof with four large windows, 12-volt electrical system, and a 48-inch louvered window. TCM: And what options are available? Tom: Available options include a roof vent or fan, florescent light, forced air furnace, screen door, external floodlights, awning, auxiliary battery, and our Arctic Pack for colder weather. More options are available too, and we are working on more. TCM: Do you use the same lift system on the Kolibri?
 Tom: Yes. We use our classic Four Wheel Camper proprietary lift mechanism. TCM: Tell us why you’re excited about this new camper. Tom: We are providing a whole new product to the market. The Kolibri is going to bring new options and possibilities to the micro-truck. TCM: How much does the Kolibri weigh? Tom: The dry weight is 650 pounds. With a full water tank and propane, the Kolibri weighs 775 pounds. TCM: How much will the Kolibri cost? Tom: $6,995. TCM: Are there any other changes going on at Four Wheel Campers we should know about? Tom: I can give you a tease. We are going through a redesign on our Eagle and Finch campers. Specifically, we are redesigning the propane and water storage, as well as changing the kitchen cabinetry. The changes are improving our weight balance and center of gravity. The new design also gives us more flexibility for yet more new options. TCM: And that’s all you’re going to tell us? Tom: That’s it, for now, but expect even more serious news at the end of April. Very hot stuff. TCM: How are things going with the recently announced Six-Pac move? Tom: Things are going very well. We’re 70% complete on move and ahead of schedule. TCM: Thanks Tom. And congratulations on your new Four Wheel Camper. For more information about Four Wheel Campers, visit www.fourwheelcampers.com. |
