Over the past few years, COVID has significantly impacted travel. While much of this impact was negative, camping has seen a dramatic increase in participation.
According to the 2022 North American Camping Report by KOA (Kampgrounds of America), the activity accounted for 40% of all leisure trips taken in North America in 2021. This trend is expected to continue, with an estimated 93 million North American households planning to go camping this year.
DESIGN INSPIRATION
RoadLoft was born out of a passion for returning to nature that was both spontaneous and cost-efficient, and to provide an eco-friendly alternative to pricey motorhomes.
After travelling for over three years in a converted MPV across Canada and the US, RoadLoft’s founders, a young couple from Quebec, Canada, started to envision a campervan conversion that would meet new needs and make road trips even more perfect! Whatever they designed had to be both sustainable and affordable, with a minimal carbon footprint.
That is how RoadLoft was born. A removable conversion kit that turns daily commuter vehicles into multifunctional campervans in the blink of an eye, making spontaneous road trips and nature getaways possible. When winter comes, the kits can be quickly taken apart and neatly stored, ready for the next camping season.
PROJECT
Several factors were considered when looking for the ideal material to create the RoadLoft kits. First and foremost, the wood had to be lightweight yet offer superior strength. It had to be weather-resistant and sealed with an ecological varnish that would protect it against wear and tear, and against mould and mildew. Above all, the wood had to be sustainable and ethically sourced if it was to align with the core values of RoadLoft.
For these reasons, the RoadLoft team turned to Garnica and their line of sustainable plywood that is ethically grown in European poplar plantations. Garnica panels used in the building of all RoadLoft kits include:
• Duraply, with its eco-friendly treatment that protects against moisture, fungi, and xylophagous insects and offers exceptional durability for outdoor use.
• Efficiency Poplar, produced with a versatile material made from 100% sustainable poplar is used for the joints between the panels.
• Naturbind™ by Garnica: a unique adhesive technology engineered using an exclusive no-added formaldehyde formula, to ensure improved indoor air quality.
• Garnica’s fire-rated plywood, Fireshield, a fireproof plywood modified with an innovative treatment that provides exceptional resistance to fire, even after sanding and machining.
RESULT
By partnering with Garnica, RoadLoft delivers modular and prefabricated conversion kits, which can be assembled within minutes and without the use of special tools: all you need is a screwdriver. These fully sustainable conversion kits are cost-effective, have a small carbon footprint and result in less waste of materials.
Since its launch in X, nearly 1,000 RoadLoft kits have found their way into the commuter vehicles of avid campers and road-trip enthusiasts across North America. And as more people continue to embrace the outdoors, the number of camping trips will continue to rise. Garnica and RoadLoft are poised for continued success, with the capacity to meet this need, turning more everyday vehicles into the perfect campervan.
To learn more about RoadLoft and embrace the new way to camp, please visit: https://roadloft.com/en/
