Jan 04, 2013 • Caravan
Rollottes’ European Style Gypsy Caravans
If you’re interested in downsizing and like the idea of a tiny house on wheels with a kitschy décor, then Kees Hoekstra of Roulottes may well have the perfect home for you. Since 1992 Kees has been building, designing and restoring gypsy caravans in Europe.
When Kees bought his first restoration project he was working as a graphic designer/illustrator in Amsterdam; a career that was helpful in the area of design but didn’t lend itself to the (re)construction work required for his gypsy caravan.
Undeterred, Kees borrowed tools and spent 20 weeks in the south of France restoring his caravan. Once he completed the project people were immediately taken by the design and started to enquire if it was for sale or rent.
With very few original, restorable caravans left, Kees decided to try and create his own authentic looking gypsy caravans from scratch. He showed his early sketches to a friend who ended up buying the wagon, and hence a business was born. Hoekstra needed carpenters and a workshop, and so he made his way from France to the Czech Republic where he set up a shop.
He now sells his caravans to a variety of different people and companies – from campsites, hotels to people who use them as backyard workshops or studies.
Via Roulottes
17 Comments
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Kathie
September 25, 2013 at 7:28 am
I’d like to buy some Gypsy Wagons for my RV park, please contact me with information.
Niall Burke
September 25, 2013 at 11:02 am
Kathie – you can contact them through either of these two email addresses, keeshoekstra-ardeche@wanadoo.fr and e-mail:ge.bronkhorst@chello.nl. Although they are a European based company!
lauri
October 2, 2013 at 2:22 am
I would like to have something like this – small home w/no loft to climb a ladder to get to ~ Very warm & inviting use of space
Hazel
November 7, 2013 at 12:20 pm
I would be very interested in receiving more info on the European Style Gypsy Caravans and incliding floor plans and cost of purchase and delivery.
Regards Hazel
Niall Burke
November 10, 2013 at 8:31 pm
Hey Hazel, you can contact the owner of Rollettes here: http://www.roulottes.nl/index.html
Gypsie Ferris
December 12, 2013 at 4:32 am
Is there somewhere or someone in the USA that makes something similar? Thank you.
Roulottes USA
January 8, 2014 at 8:15 pm
Thanks for featuring our Roulottes! We have partnered with Kees as the only manufacturer of Roulottes in the US. Customers in the US can feel free to contact us at our webpage or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/roulottesusa Thanks again!
Niall Burke
January 11, 2014 at 9:24 pm
Hey guys – that’s great news! Best of luck with it, I’m sure it’ll prove to be a popular tiny house style :)
Skully
September 10, 2014 at 2:58 pm
We are building a gypsy wedge. We have started with a small old RV trailer torn down to the deck. We have stretched it for and aft.I’ve used 2x2s as uprights or studs and put together with 3/4 inch dowels and glued and screwed. Mariah thats.her name..Mariah has a curved front.a.d a storage compartment up front.to hold her battery s fuses and propane tank along with extra water the hight is so people can sit on it and her hidden spare tire lays horizontally on top of the tounge.that’s were their feet ride. The Windows up front were for a boat. So it looks like she has eyes. Moving aft she has the traditional square Windows that open out.under the window on each side are storage compartment doors.they serve two.purpose. one easy access for loading our merchandise.two so our minion can get in and out.with out and third if our window is open a passer by Will.not crack thire head . Moving to the porch. The door is dutch. The porch deck opens.so I can stow her jacks.and long poles under the full length of the trailer. All her electrical is L.E.D.s write me I can send photos.
Skull
sQuiZzoo
October 5, 2014 at 12:15 pm
Hello, do you know if there is someone in Victoria Australia that is seling these, am looking to buy for myself as a permanent mobile truck home or something that is self efficient somehow for me, solar, heating and cooking and my son instead of buying land. This way l could travel between my aging parents. ..Any ideas welcome as l am tired of living on my sisters couch.
Niall Burke
October 9, 2014 at 8:17 pm
sQuiZzoo – I’m not aware of any manufacturers/builders in Australia that build this specific type of house/caravan. If you contact Roulottes they may be able to point you in the right direction.
Harry wass
January 10, 2015 at 12:38 pm
Hi we are building many types of Gypsy wagons and house trucks in Australia we are based in Hobart Tasmania
Hans Van Eenennaam
June 3, 2015 at 3:03 pm
Kees, heb je enige jaren geleden persoonlijk ontmoet in “De Ardeche”. Ook contact gehad met kantoor Apeldoorn toen der tijd. Ben woonachtig in Canada, British Columbia. Interesse bestaat om hier iets op te zetten en heb b.v. informatie nodig betreffende eventuele Bedrijven hier reeds aktief met Produktie Roulottes. Zo niet interesse zelf iets op te starten met hopenlijk jouw expertise.
Geef even door of en wat mogelijkheden zijn. Heb hier al iemand vanuit Europa bekend met concept
en zelfs bouw Roulottes.
Bedankt en stuur even mailtje.
Groetjes, Hans
Amy Davis
July 20, 2015 at 7:20 am
I would love to know how to purchase one of these in th US. Also, please add me to your newsletter. Thanks!
LISSA CONTRERAS
November 21, 2015 at 11:57 pm
Would like to know how much it would to be to purchase one of these wagons.
Niall Burke
November 25, 2015 at 7:48 pm
Hi Lissa, best to get in touch with them through their website: http://www.roulottes.nl/index.html
Luna Sullivan
August 14, 2019 at 5:34 pm
lunaba@hotmail.com
We have a house in Holland and are very interested in your gypsy type of caravans.
Can you let us know how it works and the cost (with the understanding that it will vary of course depending on what we want)
Thank you
Kind Regards
Luna & Matt Sullivan