{"id":12597,"date":"2025-07-01T09:24:59","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T14:24:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wwwtest.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=12597"},"modified":"2025-07-01T09:24:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T14:24:59","slug":"camp-inn-kitchen-comfort-industrial-design-students-develop-travel-trailer-solutions","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/wwwtest.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/camp-inn-kitchen-comfort-industrial-design-students-develop-travel-trailer-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Camp-Inn kitchen comfort: Industrial design students develop travel trailer solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>
Mackenzie Bruesewitz, Charlie Kalas, Darik Moilien, Lauren Mescher and Britton Bernhard present their Camp-Inn Road Toad kitchenette mockup. \/ UW-Stout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Necedah-based camping company supports project with real-world application<\/h2>\n

Summer is approaching, and that means vacation time, with many\u00a0Americans opting to camp in the great outdoors<\/a>. And while camping offers a sense of freedom in nature, it often includes adapting to limited living quarters, including learning how to prepare and cook a proper meal.<\/p>\n

This spring, UW-Stout\u00a0industrial and product design<\/a>\u00a0students in an Ergonomics class developed kitchenette solutions for the Road Toad trailer, made by\u00a0Camp-Inn<\/a>, a leader in the niche market of compact teardrop travel trailers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin our Ergonomics lessons, we look at different sized workspaces, such as the kitchen space in the trailer, to understand the human body and its full body movement in a limited space,\u201d said\u00a0Associate Professor David Richter-O\u2019Connell<\/strong>. \u201cThe purpose of this project was for the students to be creative and have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camp-Inn, located in Necedah, supported the project by lending Richter-O\u2019Connell\u2019s class a\u00a0Road Toad<\/a>\u00a0model. The teardrop trailer, with a sleeping cabin that holds a queen-sized bed, offers storage space for gear and a kitchen area accessible from the outside rear of the trailer.<\/p>\n

\u2018Projects having a real-world application\u2019<\/h3>\n

The trailer was loaded into the hallway of the Applied Arts Building \u2013 an interesting temporary installation with a length of 11 feet 2 inches and a width of 60.5 inches for the students to reference during their two-week-long project.<\/p>\n

Twenty-three students working in five groups designed kitchen spaces that needed to be geared toward a couple of retirement age or a young family. They researched personas, national camping data and created a multiday meal menu, with food, beverages and kitchen items needing storage, refrigeration and cooking.<\/p>\n

They also needed to include a water supply and possible electrical supply, cooking surfaces, food preparation areas, and cleanup spaces, while paying attention to food safety and sanitation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my college days, I remember working on projects that had a real-world application. Those projects gave me a chance to apply the engineering principles I learned in class.\u00a0They verified the choice of my major and gave me confidence that I could be successful in my chosen profession,\u201d said Craig Edevold, Camp-Inn owner and co-founder.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to pass along a similar opportunity to UW-Stout students.\u00a0I was pleased that the Ergonomics students are in their sophomore year.\u00a0They are early enough in their college education that this experience may help motivate them in their studies and career,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Richter-O\u2019Connell\u2019s class has worked with Camp-Inn in past semesters, using the company\u2019s floor plans as defined workspaces, and Edevold enjoyed seeing the students\u2019 ideas and efforts, he said.<\/p>\n

The Road Toad already has a complete kitchen solution. The model loaned to the class was a prototype designed for Camp-Inn employees.<\/p>\n

New generations bring new innovations to camping<\/h3>\n

The Camp-Inn brand targets an older demographic: early retirees and empty nesters, who have more available time and more disposable income.\u00a0About 98% of customers are over 55 years old. The Road Toad camper was designed about five years ago and was built as a lower priced, entry-level trailer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe anticipated that it would attract a younger demographic, due to its lower cost and lower maintenance. Its small size and light weight make it ideal for smaller tow vehicles, including hybrids and electrics. However, Road Toad trailers have resulted in less of an increase in younger customers than anticipated,\u201d Edevold said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a result, I wanted to see what expectations a younger generation would have in a camping trailer.\u00a0What do they value in a camping experience?\u00a0Do they value different features than the older generation?\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The first student team to present their kitchenette mockup was:<\/p>\n