It is just past 9.30 a.m. when the doors of the fire engine-cum-camper are opened. The two friends have just got out of bed, Sjors is brushing his teeth. Tom is sleeping at the back on a slightly broader mattress, Sjors’s mattress first precisely across. You need to watch out so as not to step on it when you come in. Their clothes are on the seats in front.

Tom thinks it could easily sleep four if the bench in between is folded back - although that does appear less practical to us. Although they have water available, they do prefer to use a toilet in one of the TU/e buildings to using their chemical toilet. Their bicycles are parked right next to the fire engine.

How on earth did the two end up with this sleeping-place? “My father and I converted this engine into a camper”, says Tom. “We bought it seven years ago and it had already been converted then. My father thought that he could improve on that - so we first took the whole thing apart and then refurbished it as we thought fit."

Tom unfortunately does not remember in which city the fire engine ever did service. It dates back to 1983, as Sjors manages to find out after having consulted the Internet for its license plate.

In the meantime the special camper has seen countries including Germany, France, Spain and the Czech Republic. For Sjors, though, it is the first time he sleeps in it together with his friend Tom, who he got acquainted with at secondary school in Nijmegen. While they are in different Intro groups - Tom is going to study Mechanical Engineering and Sjors Electrical Engineering -, they still arrive at their sleeping-place around the same time at night.

The two friends have been asked many questions by other Intro goers about their sleeping-place. No comments were heard from TU/e, by the way. We hope that the security service will also let them stay overnight in their camper the following night. If not, then it will be our pleasure to make our editorial room available to them!

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