Romotow!

Looking like a giant USB memory stick being towed down the road, the Romotow is a new concept in caravans. Invented by architect and designer Matt Wilkie and engineer Stuart Winterbourn of Christchurch, it’s lozenge-shaped and has an aerodynamically curved front, making it easier for towing. But when you park up, the real innovation comes into play. The whole thing swivels open, forming two wings arranged in an ‘L’ shape, one opening into the other. The result is a stunning design giving almost twice the space of a standard caravan, with a bedroom that flows beautifully out to an enclosed dining/kitchen area.

When you’re ready to drive away, collapse the kitchen and dining furniture and swivel the caravan closed like a pocketknife. The question is, ‘When does an invention become an invention?’ Because as yet there is a website with an avid following of believers, there are designs for four different styles, three staff, an article in Wired magazine and even a US patent but, at the time of writing, no product or even prototype. Romotow says they’re coming, though, so perhaps by the time you read this, the Romotow will be ready for the road.