Night in the winter forest. Blizzard outside the windows, warm inside, you can comfortably settle in and watch the snowflakes dance. There is no rush to go anywhere, it feels good to be here and now. Having experienced such moments on trips, Dinas Kavaliauskas wanted to have the opportunity to stay longer in nature.
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From this desire and personal travel experience, “URRU” was born. When creating it, the Klaipėda locals aimed to combine comfort, durability, and closeness to nature. They dreamed of a home on wheels that would allow comfortable travel in the mountains, stay by the seaside, and escape the routine to a snowy forest in winter. Wherever the journey led, entering inside, one wanted to feel nature and be part of it.
The founder and idea author of “URRU,” Dinas Kavaliauskas, is a businessman, engineer, and innovator from Klaipėda. Once, he shared his idea with Marius Ščerbinskas, also from Klaipėda, an architect who spends almost all his free time actively in nature. For Marius, who surfs and travels a lot, this idea was close to heart, so soon both were already considering how to implement it. Joining the creation and becoming a co-founder of “URRU,” Marius took on design and interior space planning, while Dinas focused more on engineering and structural solutions.
Both were looking for a convenient way to stay wherever their travels took them, but exploring camper offerings, they did not find a suitable model. Small, teardrop-shaped mini trailers were appealing in appearance but lacked comfort and space inside. Larger campers were unsuitable for narrow seaside forest paths and rocky mountain routes, and among sturdy, off-road models, it was hard to find a cozy one – many looked too bulky, resembling military equipment. Therefore, in creating their own, they sought ways to combine a durable structure with a sleek shape and a cozy interior that would be comfortable and spacious enough.
An important impetus was an unexpected acquaintance of Dinas with a particularly durable material suitable for the body of the conceived mini trailer. According to the creators, it allowed combining a structure resistant to impacts, scratches, and environmental effects with sleek forms and lightness. This made it possible to create a mini trailer suitable for more challenging roads, weighing only about 500 kilograms.
When planning the interior, the creators wanted to avoid the feeling of confinement they had experienced in other small mini trailers. That is why “URRU” features arched transparent doors on both sides and a transparent roof. This design idea, called “Panorama Flow,” preserves the feeling of being in nature. Lying in bed, one can watch the stars, treetops, or snow falling overhead, and sitting by the sea, enjoy the view of waves rolling onto the shore.
“URRU lets you in, invites you inside and nature. There you meet,” describes his idea D. Kavaliauskas. This connection with the environment was important to the creators from the start – inside, they wanted shelter and comfort while maintaining the feeling of still being in nature.
Some “URRU” solutions arose from simple travel inconveniences. In autumn or winter, the cold wind, rain, and snow on the seaside make even preparing dinner difficult, so the creators looked for space for a kitchenette inside. They managed to equip it so that food could be cooked warmly and sheltered, and after a walk, calmly prepare a hot drink.
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The same trips reminded them of another concern – wet shoes and clothes that you want to dry by the next day. The creators solved this problem by installing a dryer in the kitchenette that uses the heat generated while cooking. So, while preparing dinner, you can also dry clothes for the next walk.
The modular bed, unfolded at night, occupies almost the entire floor area. It is as wide as a standard double bed at home, so there is enough space for two people to sleep comfortably. To make resting pleasant even in cold weather, the mini trailer is equipped with heating, thermal insulation, and ventilation. The creators themselves especially like to use “URRU” in winter, but they have also tested it during the heat of southern Europe.
Over two years of development, “URRU” was tested in Sicily and southern Italy, the Alps, the Tatras, the Pyrenees, and the coasts of Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland. Different roads and weather conditions allowed assessing the durability of the structure, and daily life showed whether it was comfortable to cook, rest, store things, and live in a small space. Based on travel experience, the creators improved details, which they tested again on the next trip with family members. Marius says that traveling with his wife and six-year-old son, he was especially concerned about how the child felt.
Thus, Dinas and Marius created a mini trailer with which they themselves feel comfortable in nature while traveling. To offer it to other travelers, they founded a company that plans to start mass production of “URRU” soon. They expect buyers from European and Asian countries as well as the USA, offering their creation to those who enjoy traveling in mountains, forests, and by the sea.
Inviting to meet at the exhibition and travel together
The first public presentation of “URRU” will take place from September 18–20 at the “Auto Expo Vilnius” exhibition at the Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Center “Litexpo.” Visitors will be able to enter inside, evaluate the space, inspect the kitchenette, try the bed, and talk with the manufacturers. For those wishing to continue the acquaintance in nature, the first joint test expeditions are planned this autumn.
Traveling together with the creators will allow experiencing what it means to live in “URRU.” For prospective buyers, this will help decide on the purchase, and their observations will help the creators improve the final details. During the trips, there will be an opportunity to discuss individual preferences, according to which the mini trailer could be customized for a specific owner.
The opportunity to try “URRU” before purchasing is planned to continue in autumn and winter, so those who miss the first expeditions can also join. Specific dates and routes are still being arranged, but registration is already possible at the exhibition, URRU.lt, or by contacting the creators on social networks.
