From a Student Shared Apartment to a Van
How a Startup Revolutionized Van Life
At first, it was a stopgap solution that Arvid Reinwaldt implemented for his self-
construction trailer. Through many subsequent steps,
into Boxio, a flexible system for quickly converting vans. The fact that this
all came about has a lot to do with a Rostock student shared apartment where three friends
wanted to get something off the ground together. And actually, it all started quite
different.
“We started with a dehumidifier for showers,” says
Stefan Goletzke, one of the three Boxio founders. “It got off to a good start, but
unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic put the brakes on our business development
. During this strange time, we then came up with a completely different
idea, which we initially tested cautiously.”
The origin of this idea dates back to 2017, when Arvid had built the first
self-converted construction trailer. The
the following year, David equipped a VW bus with Euroboxes. “When we were
were looking for a toilet for our community garden in 2020,
it had to be a homemade separation toilet built by Arvid,”
Stefan continues. “The combination of all these projects eventually led us
to the Boxio separation toilet—the very separation toilet housed in the Eurobox.”
Arvid recalls: “The separatory toilet solutions available on the market in
2020 were far too expensive for us. So we set out
search for alternatives, and it turned out as it was bound to: just like with
my construction trailer project, I decided to build a toilet for
our garden.”
David had a very similar experience with his VW bus: “Of course, I wanted a
my campervan, but I wasn’t willing to spend much more than
500 euros on a ready-made product. I knew there were other
options. And because the Eurobox really shows off all its advantages
, I had the idea to build the separation toilet right into the Eurobox
.” When developing this separation toilet in the Eurobox, the three friends benefited from the fact that, through their existing company,
already had suitable suppliers on board who were also the right partners for
the components of the planned toilet.
“We then just kept trying, trying, and trying until, after a few
prototypes, we ended up with a usable product,” Arvid explains.
“At some point, we reached the stage where we decided to take the plunge
: David set up a small online store, and we set ourselves
set a goal at the end of 2021 to have 300 orders for our
product by the following March, which we then planned to produce and ship. We
orders were already in by January, so we got right to
sourcing the components and assembling the products in our small
warehouse in Rostock.”
The three seasoned
entrepreneurs: David and Arvid are mechanical engineers, and Stefan is
a business administrator. Together, they form a sort of founder’s dream team that, even after
more than ten years of working together as entrepreneurs, still
stuck together like glue. The success of their Boxio separation toilet
came quickly, and almost overnight, the warehouse of
Duschkraft GmbH became too small. Soon they brought a logistics service provider on board
on board, which still works with them today. The company has
has since grown to 25 employees, who work together to ensure that
Boxio products are now available worldwide.
The first product—a separator toilet—was gradually joined by a sink, a
camping stove, and a number of accessories. The latest gadget is a
camping box that can store all existing components and
can also be used as a bed. The three entrepreneurs’ focus
has always been very clearly defined: “We always want to be the price leader and
at the same time, of course, true to our name, build all products in the
Eurobox format,” Stefan summarizes the idea. We can
be curious to see what else these three creative entrepreneurs from Rostock
. One thing is certain: it will be in a box.
BOXIO TOILET MAX+ | Separating toilet complete set
About Boxio
The three key principles behind Boxio are: sustainable, practical, and versatile.
These principles form the basis of the Boxio format. With its Boxio products, the
innovative Duschkraft GmbH from Rostock offers eco-friendly camping accessories
in a well-thought-out and practical format.
Thanks to their uniform box format, all products are particularly practical
and can be stacked effortlessly and transported easily. This well-designed
system allows campers to store all their camping gear in an organized and
space-saving manner. The Euroboxes are versatile and provide
the ideal foundation for all Boxio products, from the composting toilet to the
cooking station.
The company places great emphasis on sustainability. That’s why it relies on
local production in Rostock and uses recycled materials. This keeps
the environmental impact is kept as low as possible without compromising on
quality. Boxio products are sturdy, weather-resistant, and
ready for any adventure.
Contact:
BOXIO is a brand of Duschkraft GmbH
Duschkraft GmbH
Stefan Goletzke
Werftstr. 20
D-18057 Rostock
Phone: +49 (0)381 86 51 41 52
Email address for press inquiries: presse@boxio.de
www.boxio.de
Press Contact:
Dr. Frauke Weber Communications
Finkenweg 10
D-65582 Diez
Phone: +49 6432 988613
http://www.dr-weber-kommunikation.de
info@dr-weber-kommunikation.de
