Sometime during the COVID lockdown, after being turned away from yet another truck stop whose showers were closed due to staffing issues, I found myself wondering, "When are they ever going to figure out how to put a full bathroom in a standard sleeper?"
For Ernest Kovalenko, a Ukrainian refugee and father of three who worked for years building those very systems for European motor homes, the question was a no-brainer.
I met the Kovalenko and his family, and their Be Camper Sleeper business, at the Mid-America Trucking Show two weeks back. They were creating quite the buzz. Deluged with interest from podcasters, influencers and thought leaders, they graciously made time to speak with this gearjammer from Overdrive magazine.
The Kovalenkos from left to right: Daniil, Erika, Ernest and NataliiaDenise Marhoefer
Recalling his first trip in a Freightliner Cascadia, Kovalenko expressed shock that no one had ever thought of this before.
“All I could think was, ‘Damn. This is practically like an RV with a fifth wheel!‘,“ as he put it.
It didn’t take long for the Florida-based stepdeck hauler to begin planning. “I was surprised that no one had thought of this before,” he said.
In this truck positioned behind the passenger seat, the shower/toilet/sink combo, while compact, was completely adequate for a rotund old trucker of 6’1”.Denise Marhoefer
[Related: Oversize hauler's shower solution for small sleepers | Long Haul Paul's 'winter from hell' on I-80]
Kovalenko's mission to democratize full bathrooms in trucks is about as American as you can get. Moreover, his story of the immigrant leaving the war-torn battlefields of the old world to make good here is deeply ingrained in the story of many American families, including my own.
Once the exclusive domain of giant custom sleepers -- the ones about which you might ask, ‘Is there a bowling alley in that thing?’ -- Kovalenko’s installation of a full bath carried a MATS special price of $8,800. With the addition of water, the unit adds around 240 lbs. to the weight of the rig, according to his wife and business partner, Nataliia.
It all starts with a double-bunk standard sleeper, Nataliia explained. “By removing one of the beds -- either the upper or lower -- the weight of the vehicle without water doesn't change. It's only the addition of water to the clean tank that" adds overall weight to the unit.
Overall, she added, "the weight remains roughly the same due to the conversion and removal of one bed.
“We believe in this project so much that we're doing everything possible to get it off the ground and get people thinking -- how can you even live without normal conditions in a truck? Just like people used to think about a dishwasher or a vacuum cleaner. It's just as necessary! Anyone who tries to have it at least once won't be able to live without it. We believe it will bring global benefits.”
Top view of shower, sink, toilet
View into the unit from driver's seat, door open
Door closed. Bed positioned along the driver's side of the sleeper in this unit.
[Related: Trump's FMCSA effectively ends non-domiciled CDLs]
Originally “able to gain work authorization as an asylum seeker, likewise his CDL,” as referenced in this recent installment of Overdrive Radio, “I lost my CDL in November,” the trucker explained.
With his non-domiciled CDL pulled, the whole family went into action. The formation of Be Camper Sleeper has enjoyed viral interest online, with untold millions of views of their demo videos and more than 154,000 followers on their Facebook page.
Moreover, if the attention they received at MATS is any indication, the start-up is well on its way to scaling to the family’s vision. Yet turning that interest into orders was the mission of the day that I met them.
“We’ve really come to MATS to see if there is an actual market for this,” Ernest said.
“There was never enough time for this when he drove his own truck,” said Nataliia. “He was always working.“
I’ve been asked for some time to weigh in on the non-domiciled CDL situation as I see it on the road. It's been difficult to find a lane on this subject not already well-trodden, if not run into the ground and meme-ified.
But I think the Ernest Kovalenkos of the world provide a window. The bathroom situation out here has devolved into a dystopian hellscape. As I write this, I’m parked in an area with no immediate access to restrooms, dependent on a chamber pot and bucket for my sanitary needs. But that pales in comparison to the disgraced condition of many truck stop restrooms -- a story for another day, perhaps.
[Related: 'The more essential I'm getting, the stinkier I get' -- another week gone by in the COVID lockdown]
I keep thinking about what my friend Michael Beatey, who owns one of those bowling-alley sleepers leased to Southern Pride, once told me: “Paul, once you get a shower and a bathroom in your truck, there’s just no going back.”
Consider the irony if the person who brings bathroom dignity to the trucking masses is one of those non-doms we’ve been told lay at the root of our troubles.
Godspeed, Ernest. I wish you and your lovely family much success!
Kovalenko taking a well deserved break. He reconfigured the sleeper, placing the bunk lengthwise behind the driver’s seat of this Freightliner Cascadia. The bed was custom designed for his 5’10” height and, incidentally is just long enough for this 6’1” gearjammer (photo not included). According to Nataliia, other configurations are available to accommodate drivers up to 6’8”, with plenty custom variation depending on the truck. Find more via the Be Camper Sleeper website or social media.
